Fried Brook Trout

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Chuck Rang

Recently I found a photo of Gus Gauch, the old Swiss farmer who taught me, among other things, how to fish trout, tie flies and make really good macaroni and cheese.    The odd thing about the photo is that Gus looks like a young man.  He is standing next to his new wife with a big smile on his face, and he looks a lot younger than I do today.

And of course he is, because Gus died before he was sixty.  He cared for his parents at home and married only after they had died.  I can still see my 60th birthday, but only by looking in the rearview mirror.

Besides showing me how to catch trout, Gus taught me how to fry them.  The first lesson took place on a June day along the Namekagon river a short distance upstream from the Turk’s Inn north of Hayward.  Several springs drained from the bank, which made that part of the river a particularly good place for trout once the water temperatures began rising in summer.

With Gus’s care the springs also made it a good spot for thirsty fishermen, because he had hung a pint jar on a branch over one of the larger springs.  We (Gus mostly) had had a good morning of trout fishing when we stopped at the dry open spot next to the springs.

We leaned our rods against a tree and Gus took off the small backpack he was wearing that day.  From it he took a frying pan, a turner and a jar of bacon grease.  It was my job to fetch birch bark and dry firewood while he cleaned the trout.

Gus had cooked there before.  There were two rows of stones for the fire arranged so he could set the pan over the fire.  We shared a jar of spring water and watched trout rising while the wood burned down to coals.  As we waited on the fire, he got out little salt and pepper shakers, two tin plates, a pair of forks, some sliced bread and a red bandanna for a tablecloth from the pack

Then Gus talked me through his recipe for frying trout.  “First, Chuck, put plenty of bacon grease in the pan and let it get hot.  Make sure the trout are good and clean and sprinkle them inside with salt and pepper.  Fry them a few minutes on one side, not too long, then turn ‘em over and fry them until they’re done.  You can tell by sticking a fork in along the back fin to see if the meat comes off the bone.”

In a few minutes we were eating four of the best trout I have ever tasted, one of which I had caught that morning.  These were small native brown trout, 9 or 10 inches long, with firm gold flesh.  The DNR had planted trout in the river but they were marked, so we could release those to grow up or fall victim to less fastidious fishermen.

Today I fish mostly for brook trout, partly because the Wild Rivers management folks and DNR experts have virtually destroyed the fishery on the section of the Namekagon that I treasured.  Then too, with the crowds of canoeists in summer it is far less fun for me.  I enjoy the solitude of little brook trout streams where I can occasionally catch a trout so beautiful that I feel compelled to say as a friend did once, “Now I know what heaven looks like.”

Don’t think of trying this recipe unless you or someone you trust will catch the trout, treat them properly and have them ready for cooking within a few hours after the fish left the water.  Avoid stocked trout.  I think that the best brook trout for frying are 9 to 11 inches long with red-gold flesh.  My mother disagreed: She liked them smaller, but that may have been because she remembered those little fish that I once brought home so proudly.

This recipe is fancier than Gus’s but I’m sure that he would say it’s okay.

INGREDIENTS:

Enough trout to feed whoever will be sharing the feast.
4 to 5 T butter or more if you are cooking for a crowd
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. lemon juice for each 2 trout
Fresh parsley

PROCEDURE:

The trout should have been cleaned immediately after being caught.  Leave the heads and fins on the fish.  Rinse the fish and dry them with paper towels.  Salt and pepper the body cavities lightly.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and heat until the butter starts to brown. Wash and chop some fresh parsley.  Place the trout side by side in the pan but do not crowd.  Fry rapidly 2 to 3 minutes on 1 side, turn over and fry another 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. of chopped parsley on each trout and dribble the lemon juice over the fish.  Cover and cook for another minute.  Check for doneness with a fork.  The meat should not be soft, but should come away from the backbone at the thickest part of the fish.  Serve immediately.

NOTES:  You can replace the lemon juice with an equal amount of a good dry or semi-dry white wine such as a chardonnay or Riesling.  Brook trout should be served with lightly seasoned side dishes or simply with good bread and butter and a glass or two of wine.

 

 

 

Posted in Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes | Leave a comment

Mennonite Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Chuck Rang

When I was a kid, nearly every garden in northern Wisconsin featured two perennial vegetables.  Both yield better when they have a chance to rest during a nice cold winter, which helps explain why they were so popular in our part of the United States.

The first was a row of winter onions.  My father loved those onions and waited impatiently every spring for the new green sprouts to get big enough to pull.  He would come home from work and walk out to the garden sometimes even before going in the house when they were getting close to being ready to pick.  Pushing the season a little, Dad would bring in a dozen tender green onions for supper, and we would know that spring was finally here.

The second was two or three rhubarb plants.  Rhubarb was classified as a fruit in 1947 by a court in New York State because it is used as a fruit, but I still think that stalks that resemble celery are best considered a vegetable.

My mother was in charge of our rhubarb, though Dad helped with the mulching, liming and fertilizing.  When the time came, Mom pulled big stalks of rhubarb and made pies, sauce, cakes, breads and marmalade.  I enjoyed them all, but my favorite was her sauce.  It made a nice change from the canned berries and applesauce Mom had put up the previous summer.

Once in a futile attempt to lose some weight I bought a little calorie counter book small enough to put in my pocket.  My plan was to consult it before buying any tempting food item.  Jerri made the sensible observation that if I just reduced portion sizes and exercised a bit more I would probably not need the book.  As  sat at the kitchen table looking for some low-calorie foods I liked that she could make to help me lose weight, I found rhubarb.

“Here’s one,” I said.  “Rhubarb.  One cup of rhubarb has only 26 calories.  And I love rhubarb.”
“That’s raw rhubarb,” she answered.  “Check rhubarb sauce.”

Needless to say, rhubarb sauce did not make it onto my list of diet foods, but I still enjoy a little of it from time to time along with some other rhubarb favorites.

Soon we will be making Jerri’s rhubarb custard pie again, and if you want to try it, the recipe is in the blog archives from last May.  Here is another delicious rhubarb desert.  A couple of days ago, Jerri made this upside down cake from a recipe in the Mennonite Community Cookbook.  She thought that it was a little too sweet with all the brown sugar caramelized on the bottom, but I loved it.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 cups diced rhubarb
1 cup brown sugar
2 T butter

PROCEDURE:

Pull three or four large stalks of rhubarb.  Trim the base of the stalks and cut off the leaves, which are not edible.  Wash the stalks and dice them into 1/3 to 1/2 inch pieces. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter.  Grease a 9 by 9 inch cake pan or 10 inch pie pan.  Mix the butter, sugar and rhubarb in the pan and set it aside.

Cream the sugar and shortening in a mixing bowl, then beat in the egg.  Sift the flour, salt and baking powder and add alternately with the milk.  Stir until you have a smooth batter.

Spread the batter over the rhubarb mixture and bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Note:  Serve with half and half or cream.  Makes nine generous servings.

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Pat’s Maple Oat Bread

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Chuck Rang

There was a footpath through the woods from my grandparents’ farm east of Hayward to the home of Grandpa Hopp’s friend John Frogg south of Little Round Lake.  Grandpa told me that John Frogg was a chief of the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe tribe and a very good man.  Grandpa and John must have walked that path pretty often because it looked well used on both ends. Grandpa told me it was about 3 miles through the woods but that it was pretty easy walking, and he didn’t get tired.  I walked only the first few blocks of it following Grandpa when he cut firewood along the path.

Near John Frogg’s home the path hit a road that led to a summer estate where my Aunt Helen and Uncle Ernie were caretakers.  Grandma never said so, but she may have walked that path to visit her grandchildren and their parents.  Of course, by then you could drive there, so maybe only Grandpa and John used the path.

One winter day as we were on our way to visit Aunt Helen and Uncle Ernie and my cousins, Dad saw that John Frogg was cooking something in a big iron pot hanging over a fire.  We stopped and tumbled out of the car.

“Hi John, how ya doing?” asked my father.
“Doing good, Hans,” said John as he stirred the pot with a stick.
“What you cooking?”
“Maple syrup.  It’s maple syrup time,” answered John.
“Do you sell any?”
“You bet.”
“How much?”
“Dollar a quart.”

And so we ended up with a quart of John Frogg’s maple syrup.

I did not like it.  It was smoky and very thick.  At the age of eight I still preferred Karo in the can.  Dad said it was delicious, Mom said it was pretty good, but my two younger sisters took one small taste and poured more Karo on their pancakes.

Today I wish I could taste John Frogg’s maple syrup again.  It might not win any prizes, but it would bring back some great memories.  We get most of our maple syrup today from John Hanson who sells it out of his home near Grandview, Wisconsin. and we use a gallon or so during the year, not just on pancakes and waffles but also in baked beans, barbecue sauce, caramel rolls and Pat’s Maple Oat Bread.

One day at church our friend Pat told me about a bread she makes with maple syrup and oatmeal.  I asked for the recipe and she emailed it to me.   I made the bread first to go with a roast turkey, and it was a hit.  It is a moist sweetish bread that keeps well. It is delicious by itself slathered with butter or with roast meats or various cheeses.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup boiling water
1 package active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. canola oil
1-1/2 tsp. salt
About 3-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg white lightly beaten
1 T old fashioned oats for topping

PROCEDURE:

Put some water on to boil.  Stir 1/4 tsp. sugar and the yeast into 1/3 cup warm (100 – 110 degrees) water in a small bowl or cup.  While the yeast proofs, process the oats in a blender until coarsely ground. Transfer the oats to a bread bowl and stir in one cup of boiling water.  Add the syrup, oil, and salt and a cup of flour to the oat mixture and stir until smooth, then allow it to cool to warm.

Stir in the yeast, then add about 2 more cups of flour one cup at a time and stir well.  Keep adding flour until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.  Turn the dough on to a well floured bread board and knead lightly until it is smooth and elastic.  Let it rest while you grease an 8 inch pie pan.  Form the dough into a ball, put it into the pie pan and cover it with a damp cloth.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Let the dough rise until doubled in size.

Beat the egg white with a teaspoon of cold water, brush the top of the bread and sprinkle it with some rolled oats. Bake the loaf on a middle shelf for 35 to 40 minutes until it is a rich golden brown.  Tip the loaf out of the pie pan and tap on the bottom.  The bread should sound hollow when you tap on it.  If it does not, put it back in the oven for a few minutes.  Let it cool well before you slice it.

NOTE:  You may need to loosen the loaf around the edges of the pie pan with a knife.

Posted in Breads and Pancakes, Vegetarian Dishes | 4 Comments

Carole’s Tuna Casserole

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Chuck Rang

When days were cool, Mom baked more than usual. Baking helped warm the house, and if it got too hot inside, she could open a window or door to take advantage of the free air conditioning supplied by God.  Like all cost-conscious housewives, she baked lots of casseroles too.  My father did not like mushrooms, but he had no choice when it came to Mom’s casseroles.  Most of them had cream of mushroom soup in the list of ingredients.

Dad would have liked Carole’s Tuna Casserole.  Carole’s creation has no noodles, tater tots, mushrooms or mushroom soup.  Instead it is a flavorful combination of garden vegetables and tuna in a savory white sauce.

Jerri got this recipe before we were married when some of her friends gave her a recipe shower.  Each friend brought some of her favorite recipes handwritten on cards, and they were filed by category in a recipe box.    These recipes include many that have become staples in our home including this one which helped earn her the title of “Casserole Queen.”

For those of you who don’t like “regular” tuna casserole, try this one.  It makes a completely different impact on the plate and your taste buds.

INGREDIENTS:

2 six ounce cans of solid white tuna
2 medium large potatoes
2 medium carrots
2 stalks celery
2 T onion
1 package (about 10 ounces) frozen green peas
3 T butter
3T flour
1/2 cup water from vegetables
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
2 slices bread
1 or 2 tsp. butter

PROCEDURE:

Peel and dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.  Wash and chop the carrots, celery and onion.  Put these vegetables in a covered pan, add 1/2 cup water and a dash of salt and steam for ten minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the frozen peas.

While the vegetables are cooking, make a roux:  Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan, add the flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper and cook over low heat for two or three minutes, stirring constantly.  Do not brown the flour.  Drain 1/2 cup of water from the vegetables into a measuring cup.  Add enough milk to total 1 3/4 cups of liquid.  Stir the liquid into the roux and cook it for 2 or three minutes until you have a smooth cream sauce.  Allow the sauce to cool slightly while you begin assembling the casserole.

Grease a 2 or 3 quart casserole with shortening or cooking spray.  Open and drain the tuna.  Spread a layer of flaked tuna on the bottom of the casserole.  Add a layer of half the vegetables, then half the cream sauce.  Repeat with the second can of tuna, vegetables and cream sauce.  Cut the bread slices into small cubes and spread them in an even layer over the sauce.  Dot with several dabs of butter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

NOTE:  You can make this casserole ahead of time.  An hour before dinner, take the casserole from the refrigerator and put it into a cold oven.  Turn the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the casserole is bubbling in the middle.

 

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Russian Dressing

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Chuck Rang

Sometimes laziness pays off.  The original for this recipe called for making  a sugar syrup by boiling water and sugar, then letting it cool, etc.   One 90 degree day in Kentucky as I was stirring water and sugar over a hot stove I said, “Honey, (speaking to Jerri) “wouldn’t it be easier to use honey instead of doing this?”

“You can try it, but it might taste a little different,” she replied.  As usual Jerri was right.  Our Russian dressing does taste different:  It tastes better!

It’s a delicious and easy red dressing for green salads.  We have been making it for over 40 years.  In ten minutes you will have a little over two cups of the best Russian dressing I have ever tasted.  Give it a try.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. celery seed
2 1/2 T lemon juice
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T red wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup finely minced onion

PROCEDURE:

Mince the onion very fine.   Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together for two or three minutes to make a smooth dressing.

NOTES:  I have tried this with fresh as well as reconstituted lemon juice and with cider vinegar instead of wine vinegar and I really can’t tell any difference.  This dressing keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a month.  I always like to allow flavors to blend for at least a few minutes.  My advice would be to make this dressing an hour or two before you plan to eat, but if you forget, just go ahead and use it fresh from the whisk.

 

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Jerri’s Corn & Sausage Casserole (Using up Easter Eggs:2)

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Chuck Rang

Consider a casserole that has no noodles, tater tots, tuna or mushroom soup.  A casserole that helps you get rid of those colorful Easter eggs in the refrigerator.  A casserole that tastes good, is inexpensive and easy to put together.  If the idea intrigues you, try Jerri’s Corn and Sausage Casserole.

Jerri has been making this casserole almost since we were married. Unlike many hot dishes, this one uses corn and bread crumbs rather than rice or pasta to make a pound of meat stretch to serve a family.  Made with good pork sausage and a can of any “store brand” corn, it is delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
4 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of white or black pepper to taste
2 cups milk (whole or reduced fat)
1 can of whole kernel corn (about 2 cups)
1 cup soft bread crumbs

PROCEDURE:

Boil the eggs five minutes, turn off the heat and leave them in the hot water for another 8 minutes. Drain the eggs and cool them in ice water.  While the eggs are cooking, fry the sausage slowly in a skillet or saucepan, breaking it into pieces, until it is done but not browned.  Drain thoroughly and set aside on a paper towel.  Drain the corn. Cut two or three slices of bread into 1/4 inch cubes or soft crumbs.  Peel the eggs.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Slice two of the hard-boiled eggs and spread them on the bottom of a 1 1/2 or 2  quart casserole.   After draining the fat from the sausage, melt the butter or margarine in the skillet or saucepan, blend in the flour, salt and pepper and stir until the mixture bubbles and cooks for about a minute.  Add the milk and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens and bubbles.  Stir the sausage and drained corn into the sauce and pour it over the eggs.  Slice the remaining eggs and arrange them over the mixture.  Sprinkle with the bread crumbs.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until heated through.  Serves 4 to 6.

NOTE:   I do not normally recommend margarine, but Jerri often uses margarine for this recipe, and I have to admit that it does not spoil the flavor.  Jerri also sometimes uses a 12 ounce package of lean pork sausage instead of a pound of bulk sausage.  Believe me, it still tastes good.  Leftover Easter eggs just make this casserole even easier to put together.

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Thousand Island Dressing (Using up Easter Eggs:1)

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Chuck Rang

When I was a student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, university administrators still believed in cultivating the palates as well as the minds of their  charges.  Talented chefs worked with dietitians to design menus that were nutritious and interesting, and teams of skilled cooks turned the plans into gourmet dinners.

Actually, this was an ideal not always achieved.  Like many a student I too can remember Mystery Soup and, worse yet, Mystery Gravy.  In general, however, each dining hall had some specialties that were worth waiting for.  Elizabeth Waters was the premier girls’ dormitory with a reputation for fine food that explained why many male students cultivated friendships with Elizabeth Hall residents who could invite them to Sunday dinner.

When the new chef at Van Hise Hall (where I was nourished) came into his own, cultivating these friendships became easier because many Liz Hall residents were interested in the gourmet meals he offered us on Sundays. It was there, for instance, that I first enjoyed Duck a l’Orange and where I learned that a steak really did not need a pat of butter on top if you had Béarnaise sauce instead.

But I digress.  In 1965 the residents of Elizabeth Waters published a cookbook, Liz Specials.  Jerri was assistant head resident at the dormitory then and received a copy which, though a bit worn, is still a treasured resource.  One of our favorite recipes from the book is among the simplest.  If you have a rule that you refuse to make a dressing with more than six ingredients you are in luck.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup mayonnaise or whipped salad dressing
1/3 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup sweet pickles
2 hard boiled eggs
1 tsp. grated onion
1/2 tsp. salt

PROCEDURE:

Cut the pickles very fine.  Peel and chop the eggs medium (1/4 – 1/3 inch pieces).  Grate the onion.  Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well with a fork.  Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  Leftover hard-boiled Easter Eggs are perfect for this dressing.  Since the eggs are already cooked, in five minutes you will have a  delicious thousand island dressing.  It keeps well for weeks in the fridge and tastes a lot better than “store bought.”  And if there is a little pink or green or blue food coloring on the whites, it won’t hurt a thing.

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No-Knead Bread

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Chuck Rang

Sometimes we are just plain lucky.  If my first loaf of no-knead bread had turned out like the second, I would not be sharing this recipe.  The story starts about three years ago when I happened on a recipe for a bread that was baked in a closed casserole to give the resulting loaf a crisp crust like the breads you find in some good artisan bakeries.

Since I had been trying to get a crisp crust on French bread for years, I decided to try it.  I stirred everything up and a day later had a loaf that was okay but could stand improvement.  A few days later I confidently stirred up a second batch, adding just a little more water to the dough in hopes that I would get a better crumb.

Disaster!  The bread welded itself into the pan.  It took me over an hour to remove the loaf in little pieces and soak the crust from the casserole.  However, since I knew that it was possible to bake bread in a casserole, I adjusted the water again and had another edible loaf in a couple of days.  The rest, as we say in our kitchen, is history.

I have made this bread over a hundred times since then, experimenting with different combinations and kinds of flours and making small improvements from time to time until at last we have a bread that we really like.

To make this bread you need a large bread bowl and a 3 or 4 quart covered casserole.  I use a stoneware bread bowl at home and a stainless steel one at the cabin. For baking we have a square 3 quart Corningware casserole at home and a glass pyrex bowl at the cabin that I cover with a pie plate.  Both work fine, though the casserole has handles that make it easier to put into and take out of the oven.

Here is the recipe with my attempt to explain how to turn some simple ingredients into a loaf you will love.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups bread flour plus extra as needed
1 cup rye flour
2 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 tsp. honey

PROCEDURE:

First, a note about a timetable:  I like to start this bread after supper in the evening so I can bake it the following morning, but you might want to start it just before you go to bed, then wait until the following day after work to finish the job.  Letting it rise longer the first time will not hurt the bread.  In fact, if you are lucky you may get a hint of sourdough in the finished loaf.  This has happened to me when I let the dough rise nearly a full day.

Mix the flours, salt, sugar and yeast together in a large bread bowl. Add the lukewarm water and stir until well mixed.  If necessary, add a little bit of water so that all the flour is moist.  Stir vigorously with wooden spoon in a circular motion.  The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl.  If not, sprinkle a little more flour over the dough and stir some more.

Use a spatula to scrape the dough from the spoon and from the sides of the bowl.  Moisten the rim of the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Set in a warm place and allow to rise for 12 to 15 hours.  Remove the plastic wrap and dribble about a half teaspoon of honey over the dough.  With a wooden spoon scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl and stir the dough to mix in the honey and scrape down the sides of the bowl as before.  If all is going well, the dough should be extremely elastic.

Moisten the rim of the bowl and cover with the plastic wrap again.  Let the dough rise until it has some good-sized bubbles on the top, usually a couple of hours.  Spread three or four tablespoons of flour (all purpose flour is okay for this step) on a sheet of waxed paper about 18 inches long, then sprinkle a little flour around the edges of the dough and use a spatula to release the dough from the bowl and tip it onto the waxed paper.

Use the spatula to fold the dough onto itself, adding more flour to the paper if the dough sticks.  Gather the wax paper corners together and clip them together to make a loose tent over the dough.  Set the dough in a pie plate and put in a warm place to rise.  I usually set a timer for 55 minutes.  When the timer sounds, put the casserole in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Just as a reminder, I now set the timer for about 20 minutes.

When the oven and casserole are hot, it is time to transfer the dough from the waxed paper to the casserole.  This step is easier with two people, but you can do it alone.

Take the casserole from the oven and set the cover aside.  Grease the inside of the casserole with a little shortening.   A piece of paper towel and fork work well for this procedure.  Remove the clip from the waxed paper and drop the dough into the casserole.  Use a spatula to scrape any sticking dough from the paper.  Cover the casserole and return it to the middle shelf of the oven.  Set the timer for 27 minutes.

When the timer sounds, remove the cover and allow the bread to continue baking.  Set the timer for another 27 minutes.  At the end of this time, tap the top of the loaf.  If it sounds hollow the bread is done.  Otherwise, allow it to bake another 3 or 4 minutes.

Tip the loaf onto a rack and allow it to cool thoroughly.

NOTE:  I like to use hard wheat bread flour for this recipe, but you can use all purpose flour as well.  The bread does not seem to rise quite as well with the all purpose flour.  You can also replace the rye flour with ordinary bread flour.   Like me, you may have to develop a sense for the right amount of water in the dough by making this bread a few times.  Don’t give up, as it is so good that you may find yourself making a meal of just bread and butter.

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Ham and Lentil Soup

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Chuck Rang

Lentils have been saddled with a bum rap.  Even before the King James Bible told us that Esau sold his birthright for a “pottage of lentiles” (lentil soup), people have been using the story as an example of selling something of great value for little or nothing.

Lentils do not deserve this.  The story does not suggest that lentil soup was worthless, just that Esau should not have paid his brother Jacob for it with his birthright.  In fact, the story tells us that Esau was faint with hunger and was revived by eating lentil soup and bread.  Lentil soup is good for you.

Lentils are a better source of protein than their cousins, green peas and beans.  Lentils are also a good source of iron, dietary fiber, vitamin B1 and several minerals.  Health magazine chose lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.  Plus, lentils taste good.  What more could you want?

Mom made lentil soup when we grew tired of soups made with green or yellow split peas, but this hearty soup recipe was inspired by one from the Big Oven iPad app.  Served with good bread, it makes a great cold-weather lunch or light supper.

INGREDIENTS:

1 smoked pork hock
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups dried lentils
2 to 3 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
3 large carrots
2 large or 3 smaller ribs celery sliced
2 or 3 green onions chopped
1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. pepper
12 oz bulk pork sausage
2 T chopped fresh parsley

PROCEDURE:

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, bring the pork hock and water to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer covered.  Clean and chop the vegetables while the broth is simmering.  After 1 1/2 or 2 hours, when the meat should be coming off the bone, remove the hock and allow it to cool.

Rinse the lentils, removing any foreign material you find and add the lentils, tomatoes,  carrots, celery, onions and seasonings to the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the lentils and vegetables are tender.

While the vegetables are cooking, remove the meat from the hock.  Discard the skin and fat and chop the meat into bite-sized pieces.  Fry the sausage over low heat until it is cooked.  Drain any extra grease from the sausage and add the smoked meat and sausage to the broth.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Clean and chop the parsley and add it to the soup a few minutes before serving.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.

NOTE:  You can substitute a meaty ham bone or smoked sausage for the pork hock.  And incidentally, the common phrase describing Esau’s selling his birthright is that he did it for a “mess of pottage” which means a serving or bowl of soup.

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Roasting Vegetables

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Chuck Rang

My mother did a great job of cooking potatoes.  Boiled, baked, mashed, scalloped, fried–they were all cooked expertly and ended up delicious.  But when it came to other vegetables, she adhered to the old country housewife policy of cooking them until they gave up and screamed for mercy.

Maybe that’s why I still like green beans and peas that are faintly yellowed and mushy, though my wife has been patiently trying to get me to prefer them half done.    It took nearly ten years and freshly picked green beans from our garden that convinced me she was right: Vegetables should not be overcooked.  Sorry, Mom.

Jerri still does a better job with vegetables than I (though she skimps on the butter), but I have learned how to roast them.  If I were a gambler I would bet that you would react to your first serving of roasted vegetables like I did:  “Why haven’t I been making these for the past 50 years?”

It’s simple and easy.  The “recipe” below is really a guide sheet rather than a recipe.   One good rule to keep in mind is not to overdo the herbs to start with.  You want to taste the vegetables.  Don’t use more than a half teaspoon of seasoning in total for each cup of vegetables.

For example, for three cups of vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, red bell pepper and zucchini, you might use a quarter teaspoon of salt, 3 or 4 turns of the pepper grinder, an eighth teaspoon of thyme, a quarter teaspoon of oregano and a half teaspoon of basil.  Half way through the roasting you can sprinkle a teaspoon or two of balsamic vinegar on the veggies if you want.  You can adjust the seasoning to your taste the next time you make it, and of course you can always add salt at the table.

CHOICE OF VEGETABLES:

I especially like to roast vegetables like carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, yams and winter squashes.  Green and red bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant and mushrooms also roast well but cook more quickly than the root vegetables and winter squashes.

SEASONINGS:

Olive oil with a light dash of salt and pepper may be all you need, but I always add other herbs depending on the vegetables going in the oven.  My favorite choices are basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and thyme.  If I am roasting mushrooms I always add a dash of garlic powder if there are no garlic cloves in the roasting pan. I often sprinkle a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar over the vegetables when they are about half done.

PROCEDURE:

Clean and peel the vegetables as necessary and cut them into generous bite-sized pieces, about 3/4 to 1 inch on a side.  If you have both root vegetables and more tender varieties such as peppers or mushrooms, keep them in separate bowls.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Start with the root vegetables.  For each cup of vegetables in the bowl, add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper and dashes of other herbs as you want. Toss the vegetables until each piece has a thin coat of oil.  If necessary, add a little more oil.

For easier cleanup you can line a baking pan with aluminum foil, because the sugar in the vegetables will caramelize in the pan.  I use a glass baking dish which cleans up well with only a little soaking.  Spray or grease the pan lightly and spread the vegetables in a single layer.  Roast about ten minutes and stir them.  After 20 minutes turn them with a spatula to make sure they cook evenly.  If you have peppers, mushrooms, etc. that you have oiled and seasoned and have room in the roasting pan, this is the time to add them  Continue roasting for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every eight to ten minutes until the vegetables have some brown edges.

If you have more vegetables than will fit in a single layer in one pan, use multiple pans or cookie sheets.

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