Onion Jam

I have always loved the taste of jams and preserves.  What can be better than fruit cooked with a healthy dose of sugar?  A picky eater as a youngster -- oh, how things have changed -- bread, butter and jam kept this overactive, skinny little girl happy.  Peanut butter and jelly was an unheard-of combination in South Africa so my sandwiches were filled with salted butter and exotic berry jams, apricot, plum or my all-time favorite fig. 

I still enjoy my jam and butter but it’s more likely to be on a single piece of toast since the calories add up a lot quicker now :(    With the increase in availability of a wide variety of cheeses from all over the world and locally by our very own artisans (try Blue Heron Farm), a new way of enjoying preserves has emerged.   Chunky preserves can complement a pungent, rich cheese with its texture and sweetness;  fig jam is a perfect partner to tangy goat cheese.  

A mind-boggling array of delicious savory jams has emerged in recent years.  Chipotle peppers cannned with peaches or raspberries, ginger with figs, and blueberries with garlic are just a few that come to mind.  Here’s the simple recipe for Onion jam that I served with Walnut bread and Humboldt Fog chèvre (goat cheese) as seen in my previous post.  When cooked slowly, the onions are allowed to absorb the sugar, soy sauce, wine and vinegar.  Once the water in the liquids has evaporated the mixture becomes thick, jammy and complex in flavor…sweet, salty, a tad sour…umami... and perfect with chèvre. 

This savory jam would also be an outstanding accompaniment to a roast beef or turkey sandwich.  It would be delicious with a freshly grilled steak or on a vegetable pizza.  The thought of it mingling with melting queso in a quesadilla makes my mouth water!.  Get creative with it…it’s worth the 45 minutes or so of stirring!

Onion Jam from the Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook

Makes about 1 cup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cups sliced onions; I have used both yellow and red

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine

2 tablespoons water

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 - 8 minutes until tender and translucent. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 - 20 minutes, until onions are golden brown. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring often to avoid scorching, for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is thick and jam like.  Taste and adjust for salt, if necessary.  The slower you cook it, the richer the jam will become. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Prijatno!

Apple galettes with Vanilla bean goat’s milk ice cream and Blue Heron Farm cajeta

I have never met a goat cheese I didn’t like!  Who can resist the rich layered cake-like wonder that is Humboldt Fog, a perfect French crottin or the red wine-soaked Drunken Goat?   I’ll never forget my first taste of chèvre.  It was a young crottin, covered in chopped walnuts and then toasted so that the cheese was warmed through. It garnished a green salad at lunch years ago at the Château de Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley.  The setting: perfect, the chèvre: a revelation!

But I had never tasted fresh raw goat’s milk until recently.  It is marvelous!   While preparing for a dinner for our wine group, I visited Blue Heron Farm in Field Store Community near Waller, Texas.  Owners and artisans Lisa and Christian Seger were our special guests and provided their highly regarded chèvres for several items on the menu.  Expecting a gaminess beyond what my cow’s milk-trained palate could savor, I poured some over my granola for breakfast and was blown away by the mild sweetness and ever so subtle tang (which becomes more prominent when the milk is transformed into chèvre).  It was a delicious treat I enjoyed all week.  .

SPOILED GOATS, FRESH CHEESE exclaims the banner at the entrance to the Seger’s ten-acre property.  Forgoing quantity for quality, they have chosen the sweet-natured, long-eared Nubian goats that produce milk that is high in butterfat and mild in flavor.  It’s kidding season, and after meeting the adorable babies and their curious mamas, I left with a variety of creamy chèvres, cajeta (caramel) for dessert, and two quarts of freshly harvested goat’s milk.   The milk that I didn’t consume with breakfast I used to make a lovely Vanilla bean ice cream (recipe below). 

If you live in the Houston area you can find the Seger’s chèvre at several outdoor markets.  I suggest you reserve your portion…they are always the first to sell out!  You can also arrange for a tour and tasting at the farm. 

Our dessert was warm individual Apple galettes made by our friend Helen.  Vanilla bean goat’s milk ice cream and Blue Heron Farm cajeta were the perfect accompaniments.  If you have never tasted cajeta from Blue Heron Farm, I urge to do so!  It’s always fresh, all natural and contains no fillers.  It’s the perfect pouring consistency and I admit that I’m addicted to it!

Vanilla bean goat’s milk ice cream

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 pinches of salt

4 cups fresh raw goat’s milk (No guarantee that it will be good with commercially produced goat’s milk)

½ vanilla bean pod

2 eggs

Bring a little water (about ½”) to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler.  Whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt in the top bowl of a double boiler. Place on top of simmering water.  Slowly add goat’s milk, whisking continuously until the mixture is hot and thickens a little, about 20 minutes.

On a cutting board, split the vanilla bean pod in half lengthwise with a pointed knife.  With the sharp tip of the knife, scrape the vanilla seeds (caviar) out and add the bean pod and seeds to the milk mixture.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl until the yolks and whites are combined.  Ladle about ½ cup of the hot milk into the eggs and whisk together quickly to prevent them from curdling.   Add the eggs to the rest of the milk mixture and cook over the simmering water for an additional 5 minutes, but make sure that it doesn’t boil.

Cool milk custard in an ice water bath, stirring every few minutes.  Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Strain the chilled custard through a sieve and discard the vanilla bean.  Freeze the custard by following the directions to your ice cream maker.

 

Apple galettes

Adapted from Susan Spungen’s Almond Berry Tart  from More magazine.  Makes 8 galettes.

Crust

½ cup sliced or slivered almonds

1½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup ice water

Filling

4 cups thinly sliced peeled, cored and quartered apples

½ lemon, juiced or 2 tablespoons

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the top

Sliced almonds

Coarse ‘crystal’ sugar or Turbinado sugar

To make the crust, combine the almonds, flour, salt and sugar in food processor.  Pulse to combine.  Add butter and pulse until the pieces are the size of peas.  With the machine running, quickly add the water.  Stop the machine just when the dough begins to come together.  Remove the dough and knead once or twice.  Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment or a silpat.

In a medium bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Set aside.

On a well-floured surface, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.  Roll each piece with a rolling pin until it measures about 6 – 7 inches.   Pile sliced apples evenly on each piece of dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the border over the filling, leaving some of the apples exposed.  Brush the dough gently with cold water and then sprinkle with crystal sugar and sliced almonds.

Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 - 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving with goat’s milk ice cream and cajeta.

Prijatno!

Animal Farm, chef Randy Evans and an Outstanding in the Field dinner

One long table winding through the trees on Gita and Cas van Woerden’s Animal Farm was the setting for last Saturday’s Outstanding in the Field dinner. Founded by Jim Denevan, OITF’s mission is “to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.” With that in mind, and anticipating another sizzling afternoon in Texas, we donned our casual shoes, linens and hats and headed west to Cat Spring, Texas.

With the help of a creative chef like Randy Evans (the executive chef of Brennan’s before Ike) and several other remarkable artisans who are mentioned below, close to 200 eager participants feasted on delicious local, organic and seasonal produce from Animal Farm and the surrounding area. A flight of tasty wines from Flat Creek Estate near Marble Falls accompanied every course. With a glass of their 2008 Pinot Grigio in hand and being surrounded by calming woods, it was easy to forget the bustling city only sixty miles away.

This friendly fellow walked in on the party. He came to check on his old barn nearby.

Here are chef Randy and sous chef Kevin finishing the wild boar terrine and free-range deviled eggs, and answering our many questions at the same time. They were charming and highly personable throughout the evening, even when the power went out and the water pump took a while to replenish the supply. When you’re trying to feed 200 people, that’s stressful! Look for the opening of Randy’s restaurant Haven, which will feature its own raised-bed and sustainable vegetable garden behind the restaurant, green building solutions and a specially designed water filtration system. There has never been a restaurant opening so highly anticipated in Houston in many years.

Gita van Woerden has a soft spot in my heart. Aside from being a very gracious hostess, she also lived and studied art in South Africa, where I spent 16 years of my youth. She explained permaculture and it’s importance to our land, resources and general well-being of all that occupy it. Read about the history of the farm and her family’s quest to live in harmony with nature. It’s fascinating. As it turns out, you will have the opportunity to experience the farm during an Open House (click for more info) this coming Saturday, October 3.
Gita is a pioneer in many ways. The farm is “off the grid” and gets all of its electric energy from solar power. Designing their home without air-conditioning and central heating was the main challenge for their architect. I wonder if the parameters were met considering our temperatures during August? Transportation on the 78-acre farm takes the form of golf carts which are battery operated. The batteries are re-charged every evening. Independent of outside water supplies, the farm relies on an 180’ deep well which supplies the intricate water system.
Of several varieties of eggplant harvested on the farm, Gita’s favorite is the Cambodian Green Giant. It is green when ripe. With a sandy soil rich in minerals (composting puts nutrients back into the soil), it’s not surprising that the gardens produce superior tasting and nutritionally balanced vegetables. The vegetables are sold to several restaurants in Houston and Austin and at many markets, including the Bayou City Farmer’s Market.
The Yoga Retreat below is elegant and functional. Open on one end (remember, no air-conditioning) and with large windows and pleasing stained-glass and furniture, who wouldn’t be ready to don yoga pants and begin the ‘Salute to the Sun’?
Here’s the outstanding top half of the menu. All delicious; thank goodness I didn’t have to pick a favorite! Purple hull peas were transformed into a hummus and then spread on flatbread that was baked in Gita’s wood-burning oven. The wild boar terrine was hearty with an additional flavor punch from the mustard and relish. And the free-range devilled eggs from Gita’s roaming chickens – heavenly!

At the table, we were served squash vichyssoise with a roasted corn salsa on the bottom:

Here’s Lisa Seger, a goat cheese making wonder. You know she must turn heads everywhere she goes with her fiery mane, especially in rural Waller, Texas! She and husband Christian, tend to many amusing Nubian goats on their Blue Heron Farm. Chosen for their high protein, high fat and mild flavored milk, Nubian goats’ cheese is not gamey or dry. Don’t walk… run to the Bayou City Farmer’s Market to try her chèvre.
We enjoyed Lisa’s mild and creamy goat feta on the spicy arugula photographed below. She also provided a phenomenal cajeta we drizzled on the pound cake biscotti. Yes, I brought some cajeta home and have been snacking on it since……what diet? Swede Farm (also in Waller) provided the goat buttermilk for the lovely pecan pie I slathered with cajeta…

Shaded by the trees, we enjoyed the company of new friends during the family-style dinner. Find my Honey – he’s looking at me and has a silver mane.

The bottom half of the menu featured tender grilled shrimp with Animal Farm’s grilled baby vegetables. Head-on Gulf shrimp were provided by Texas Wild, owned by Jennifer and Dimitri Georgantas (Greek accent included!) This charming couple moved from table to table, explaining their ‘shrimping’ techniques and journeys deep into the Gulf.

Now ‘heads-off’ Gulf shrimp…

Animal Farm’s squash and eggplant:

Unfortunately darkness set in and the rest of my pictures are not acceptable. Chef Randy’s fried chicken balantine (purse) included a delicious crust that surrounded the rolled chicken. It was paired with a respectable Flat Creek Estate 2008 Super Texan. The 2007 Muscato Blanco was perfect with the various dessert elements in that it was not overly sweet. And did I mention the cajeta…?

And you never know who you will bump into! From a city with over 4 million people, I reconnected with a friend I had met in the early 80’s, when I first moved to Houston. This is Diane in her cool I.M.Pei glasses.
Reluctantly, we walked to the car down the sandy path following the softly lit paper lanterns; the cool light of the half moon peeking through the trees. My friend, Barbara and I, joked about what we would do if we got lost. We decided that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just bed down on the thick, lush pad of leaves and enjoy Mother Nature’s generosity! The pioneers did it, so why shouldn’t we?
Prijatno!