BIRTHDAY CAKE

It was my birthday last week.  The big 50.

My neighbor also had a birthday (in the mountains, this neighbor lives about two miles away - down the hill, up a hill, down another hill).  I made her/us a real chocolate cake - a traditional, American-style, full of wheat and dairy chocolate layer cake.  A chocolate-orange cake, with a dark chocolate filling and a milk chocolate frosting, with bittersweet chocolate flakes on top. My daughter, the artist, did the frosting and decorating.  We had a few friends over, and indulged.

I've modified the recipe from an old Fine Cooking issue...it's not something I would make often, but it is fun for a special occasion.  This recipe assumes some basic cooking techniques: make sure the butter is soft-ish, take the eggs out of the fridge and bring to room temperature ahead of time (or, if you're like me and forget, put them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes); sift the flour before measuring (I use organic white flour, not whole wheat pastry; cake flour is in the original recipe, but I avoid it as it has too many additives).  The cake is not difficult, but does have a lot of steps - I've divided them up.

The frosting uses a lot of chocolate - use the best-tasting variety you can find/afford!

The original recipe is for three 9" layers, but I make it in four 8" layers.  I line the bottom with parchment paper - it makes it SO much easier to get the cakes out - and grease them.  Preheat the oven to 350, and have the rack in the lower part of the oven (my oven is big enough for all four pans, but you could do them on two racks if needed, one slightly above the middle, one slightly below).

CHOCOLATE ORANGE LAYER CAKE

3 C sifted flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Combine the dry ingredients, and sift three times.

1 C boiling water
3/4 C + 2 T natural cocoa (not dutch/alkalized)

Put the cocoa in a bowl and pour boiling water over.  Cool in the fridge to lukewarm.


1/2 C yogurt
3/4 C buttermilk
1 T orange extract, orange liquer such as Grand Marnier, or vanilla
zest of one orange

Stir the above ingredients into the cocoa liquid, and continue to cool.


12 T/6 oz butter
2 2/3 C sugar
3 eggs

Break the eggs into a small bowl, whisk lightly with a fork and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar - 6-7 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer.
Add the eggs slowly, beating at low speed or by hand.


Time to combine the egg/butter/sugar, the flour/dry, and the wet ingredients.  You can do this by hand (with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula) or on low speed with the mixer.  Don't over mix.

Put 1/3 of the dry mix into the egg/butter/sugar mix, and mix gently until only just combined.  Add 1/2 the liquid and mix.  Add another 1/3 of dry and mix.  Then second 1/2 of the liquid.  Then the last 1/3 of the dry.


Divide the batter between the four pans.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.  Cool in the pans for 5 minutes on a rack, then remove from the pans and continue to cool.  You can frost when completely cool.


DARK CHOCOLATE FILLING (a la Julia Child)

3 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate
3T orange liquer
4-5 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

 Melt the chocolate and liquer in a double boiler.  Beat in the butter piece by piece.


MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

18 oz milk chocolate, copped into matchstick pieces
5T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 t orange extract or liquer
pinch of salt
3/4 C heavy cream

Put the chocolate, butter and salt in a large bowl.  Heat the cream - when it just begins to boil, pour it over the chocolate mixture.  Beat quickly and hard with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Add the orange flavoring.  Cool in the fridge until firm.  When it's time to frost, beat it with a hand-held mixture until light.


I used the dark chocolate for a middle filling layer, and the milk for the other layers and the outside.

Have fun indulging!

GLUTEN FREE WALNUT WONDER

Walnuts are wonderful.   They are an excellent non-fish source of omega 3 oils (omega 3's have many health benefits - cardiovascular health, joint health, skin health, anti-inflammation, immune system support, to name a few).  They have high levels of magnesium, vitamin E and B vitamins.   They seem to have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.  Studies from walnut consumption show lowered crp (c-reactive protein) levels in the blood, which indicates lower inflammation and lower heart disease risk.  They are an excellent source of mono-unsaturated fats, which helps lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol levels.  They contain l-argnine, which lowers blood pressure, and melatonin, which helps you sleep.   They have a variety of anti-oxidants shown to support circulatory and cardiovascular health. They have been shown to protect bone health and prevent gallstones.  They are also a good source of protein and fiber, and have been shown to help prevent weight gain.

Many of my friends avoid gluten, either from medical necessity or as a way to give their digestive system a rest from potential inflammation.  If I'm going to a pot-luck or communal dinner, I'll almost always make a gluten-free dessert, just to be on the safe side.  I've had absolutely no difficulty in finding beautiful, delicious food that doesn't have gluten in it.  I don't look at 'gluten-free' recipes, but rather at classic cooking techniques (often French) that use eggs to rise, or corn or potato starch for a lighter texture, or nut flours for a rich taste.  This recipe combines all these elements, and has very little sugar - the nuts seem to provide a natural sweetness.  I use whole walnuts, which I grind in my food processor for instant walnut flour.  I also use the best possible eggs, as I've found it doesn't rise with poor eggs.  

People love this cake. 

This is a fairly simple cake.  For the beginner baker, here's a few tips:  1. Have the butter at room temperature, slightly soft.  2.  Have the eggs at room temperature (if you forget to take them out, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before using).  3. To fold ingredients, use a soft rubber spatula, be very gentle.  Hold the spatula in the center of the bowl, perpendicular to the ingredients.  Go directly down to the bottom of the bowl, then scoop along the bottom of the bowl and up the side.  Take the spatula out.  Return to the center of the bowl, turning the bowl slightly. Repeat. And repeat again until the ingredients are mixed.  In this way the ingredients are lightly mixed without deflating the eggs.

Walnut Cake (adapted from The Art of French Cooking, Volume II)

Preheat oven to 350

9" cake pan - line with parchment or wax paper, butter and flour (potato or corn starch).  I use a springform cake because it's so easy to get the cake out, but a normal pan is fine too.

1. Prepare the nuts:

1 C (4 oz) walnuts

3 T sugar

1/3 C gluten free flour - I use a mix of potato starch for lightness and buckwheat flour for flavor, but it will be lighter with all potato or corn starch.  Tapioca flour is another option.  If you're not gluten-free, you could use regular white flour.

Grind half the nuts with half the sugar in a food processor or blender, and turn onto a piece of waxed paper.  Repeat.  Sift the flour over the nuts and mix well with a spatula.  Set aside.

2. Butter

4T butter.  Have the butter at room temperature, slightly soft, in a bowl..  Beat with a wooden spoon until soft and creamy - like mayonnaise.  Set aside.

3. Cake
1/3 C sugar

3 large eggs

2 T alcohol - I use an Italian hazelnut liquor I happen to own, because I love the increased nuttiness, but an orange liquor like Grand Marnier, kirsch, brandy, or even a coffee liquor would also work well.

pinch of salt

Beat the sugar and eggs with the alcohol and salt on high speed in an electric mixer.  This is one of the few times when I get out my mixer (mostly, I mix by hand).  If you have a heavy-duty stand mixer, this will take 3-4 minutes.  If, like me, you have a normal hand-held mixer, it will take 7-8 minutes.  The eggs will get very fluffy and pale.  The volume should double, and the mixture should have soft peaks (ie if you pull the blender out, the mix should form into little peaks and stay up).  Fresh, organic eggs make a real difference in this recipe.

Scoop a couple of spoons of the egg mixture into the butter and mix it with a rubber spatula - the butter mix will be even lighter and softer now.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the nut mix over the egg mix and fold in (see above).  Repeat twice more.  Then add the butter and fold that in.  (Take your time with the folding - too rough, or too much folding will deflate the cake.  Don't worry about folding in every last bit).  

Turn into cake batter.  Place in the middle of the oven.

4. Bake

Bake for 30 minutes.  The cake will rise, but may sink slightly in the last ten minutes.  This is normal.  The cake will pull away from the edges of the pan.  That means it is done.  

Remove, let cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool.

This cake is great as it is.  However, I was asked to bring a dessert to a fancy-ish diner where there a few gluten-free guests.  I whipped some organic whipping cream and covered the cake with a thick layer.  Then I covered that with fresh raspberries.  Then, I grated some bittersweet chocolate (semisweet is fine too) and decorated the top.  It was amazing!  Elegant and delicious. Do use the best chocolate you have.  I don't sweeten my whipped cream, but you could add some confectioners sugar if you like. 

Enjoy the health benefits of walnuts with the indulgence of a rich, beautiful cake.

SUGAR SWEET

There are moments when my professional interests - to promote our own relationship to health - and my passion for cooking seem to clash.  This happens particularly in the baking arena.

I love to bake.  My family and friends love to eat the things I bake.  On the other hand, most baking requires an essential ingredient - sugar.  And sugar, in both traditional and alternative medical worlds, is EVIL.

White sugar does not have any nutritional benefits.  High sugar & high fructose corn syrup consumption is possibly linked to many, many health issues including obesity, diabetes, raised blood sugar levels, high triglycerides, immune system suppression, decreased mineral absorption, premature aging, weakened eyesight, tooth decay, autoimmune disease, fluid retention, depression, hormonal imbalance, impaired metabolism, cancer risk, yeast infections, and kidney disease. 

And yet baking requires the use of sugar!  No sugar, no beautifully risen cakes.  No yummy brownies.  No fun.

The average American eats 1/2 lb of sugar & high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) per day - 150 lbs per year.  Much of that consumption is in processed foods, particularly sodas.

I do believe that  sugar consumption is out of control.  On the other hand, I believe that life is not worth living without an occasional indulgence.  I'd rather that indulgence be from a home-cooked, made-with-love brownie than from a can of soda!

Over the years, I've looked into baking with alternatives to sugar.  Please, please avoid agave - it is not the healthy sweetener it claims to be, but a highly heated and chemically processed product that is even higher in fructose that HFCS.  Also, avoid artificial sweeteners - sucralose (eg splenda), sugar alcohols (eg mallitol or erythritol) and aspartame (eg nutrasweet) - as they are highly toxic.  Some recipes can be made with raw honey or maple syrup, both of which have more nutritional benefits than sugar.  Organic evaporated cane juice (which is brown-ish in color and larger crystals than white sugar) is marginally better - it has some of the natural ingredients of sugar cane left in, and none of the pesticides found in commercial sugars.

However, sweeteners in baking are not there simply to provide a sweet taste, but to interact chemically with the other ingredients (namely the fat and flour) to produce a certain product. For many recipes, white sugar is, quite honestly, the only way to go!  I do find, however, that many recipes are too sweet.  I regularly cut the amount of sugar in a recipe by 1/4 - 1/3 (anymore and that chemical balance will be altered, and the texture and rise of the cookies and cakes will be changed).

As a health practitioner, I know that I should strongly endorse a 'no sugar' approach to eating.  In theory, I do.  I regularly have periods of time where I will eat no refined products, and believe this is a good way to improve my health and give a rest to my body physiology. I don't drink sodas.  I don't buy or eat processed foods.  I don't add sugar to hot drinks. However, I do believe in enjoying food.  Occasionally, this means using sugar to bake a cake - and then eating small quantities of that delicious cake!

SUMMER POTATO SALAD

Well, I did get a bit carried away discussing the health benefits of potatoes.  On to the fun part - cooking and eating.  In the winter, I rely on potatoes as part of a warm and comforting meal - in stews, mashed, roasted, baked, boiled, sauteed, braised.  In the summer, I'm looking for lighter fare.  My husband Roland has begun to dig our potatoes out - we have beautiful, tiny new potatoes and fingerlings.  I boil them until just done, then use them in a warm potato salad.  No heavy mayonnaise here - just a light vinagreitte and lots of fresh herbs.  My family can't get enough of this dish. If you don't grow potatoes, this dish is best with waxy potatoes - new potatoes or fingerlings.  They'll be the small ones in the store or farmer's market (not the standard large russetts or Idaho).  New potatoes are small and round; fingerlings are long and skinny (like fingers). The may have white, pink or even purple skins. The purple ones are amazing - purple all the way through! Buy organic if possible, and look for firm smooth potatoes with no sprouts or green spots.

The preparation is simple.  Wash the potatoes just before cooking.  Boil a large pot of water.  Place the potatoes in and keep at a moderate boil.  In the meantime, chop up a bunch of fresh herbs (more ideas in a minute).  Place them in the bottom of a large bowl.  Add some salt and pepper.  If you like, add some very thinly sliced red onion or spring onions.  Add some vinegar (I use balsamic, but sherry, wine or apple cider would also be nice).  When the potatoes are done, drain them well. Add them to the bowl and toss them into the vinegar mix.  Then take a very nice olive oil and add enough to coat the potatoes well.  Transfer to a serving dish.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

The warm potatoes absorb the dressing and are truly delicious.  I vary the herbs to give very different taste experiences.  One night I did them with lots and lots of fresh mint (homage to my years in Britain, where potatoes and mint are always paired).  Another night I used a mix of fresh tarragon and parsley and a little bit of thyme.  Next time, I think I'll try them with caraway seeds and chives (a German tribute).  And a classic salad with spring onions and lots of Italian parsley is a star for summer.

A great addition to the salad is fresh peas, cooked separately until just tender, drained and rinsed with cold water, and then added at the end.  I used fresh peas from my garden, but frozen peas or petit pois will also work. For a more complicated salad, add some blanched string beans, or some cherry tomatoes sliced in half, or some artichoke hearts, or a little bit of fresh garlic, or some lightly cooked fava beans.

By the way - for more on growing vegetables, check out Roland's blog at http://organicbountea.blogspot.com/.  He grows, I weed and cook!

Rejoice in the health benefits - and the taste benefits - with a summer potato salad!

THE POOR POTATO

The potato has a bad reputation.  It's maligned because of its popularity as a deep fried fast food item.  It's white, so is often eliminated by health-conscious people eliminating 'white' (eg refined) foods - white flour, white sugar, etc.  It's a carbohydrate, so looked on poorly by those who think carbohydrates are unhealthy.  And it is often listed as very high on the glycemic index - a measure of how quickly carbohydrates break down and release glucose into the bloodstream.

In fact, the potato has much to offer nutritionally.  It is not a 'white' refined food.  In fact, it is extremely high in fiber - one baked potato has about 5 grams (as much as is found in fiber supplements).  As discussed previously on this blog (and every other health-oriented blog), fiber is absolutely vital for a healthy digestive tract, which in turn leads to benefits in heart health, cancer prevention, diabetes regulation, kidney functioning, digestive health, & weight loss.  The potato consists of complex carbohydrates (long chains of starch, rather than simple small sugar molecules), which means it is slower to digest than refined or simple carbohydrates.  In fact, a recent study (British Journal of Nutrition) shows that the high glycemic index rating might be erroneous or oversimplified.

Potatoes have many surprising health benefits.  They are very high in potassium (higher than a banana) making them useful in lowering blood pressure.  They are high in vitamin C.  They are high in vitamin B6.  B6 is essential in over 100 chemical reactions in the body, and is essential in building cell membranes, proteins, red blood cells, DNA, and neurotransmitters.  B6 is vital to nervous system functioning, cardiovascular functioning (it reduces inflammation in the arteries, which is the main cause of plaque), making and breaking down of proteins and fats, breaking down of glycogen (useful for athletes) control of allergic reactions (it helps break down histamine) and cancer prevention.

What else?  Copper and iron (both necessary for red blood cell formation).  Folates and magnesium.    Quercitin (important for the immune system). Flavanoids (useful for lowering LDL levels).  60 different phytochemicals (a rival to broccoli).   And, a recently discovered type of chemical called kukoamine.  Previously found only in the chinese gogi berry,  kukoamines have significant blood pressure lowering capabilities.  Finally, a single new potato has 26 calories, a large baked potato only 150.

A final word on carbohydrates.  There are many 'diet' or 'nutrition' regimes that personify  carbohydrates as evil.  I just don't believe this is the case.  Certainly highly refined foods have carbohydrates that are empty of all nutritional benefit and just dump sugar into the blood stream, leading to weight gain, diabetes and many other health issue.  However, real food (ie not processed, straight from the ground to your table) have complex carbohydrates which provide fiber, minerals, and beneficial phytochemicals.  Whole grains, fruits, sweet potatoes and potatoes (all examples of complex carbohydrates) provide far too much nutritional benefit to be shunned.

Potatoes, which are tubers in the ground, are very susceptible to absorbing pesticides, so use organic potatoes if possible.  Please eat the skin, where most of the nutrients are located.

Enough on potato praise.  On to the cooking and eating of potatoes.

Lovely Lettuce

 Lettuce is one of the first crops of early summer.  Here in the Evans garden, we don't wait until the heads are fully formed to eat, but rather start nibbling early on - picking the outer leaves, while the plant continues to grow, and then thinning smaller plants while the rest form nice heads.  A farmer friend plants mixed lettuces very densely, then basically does a haircut on them - cuts all the leaves down as a harvest, and leaves them to grow again.  If you don't grow your own, try to get locally grown organic lettuce of interesting varieties - the taste is completely different to the store-bought iceberg and romaine.  And beware of hydroponic lettuces - they might look nice, but most of them have been grown in a water bath of fertilizers and chemicals, and have as much taste as...well, as you could expect of a vegetable grown in water.


Salad seems like a simple enough thing but allows for infinite variety.  We grow a number of different lettuces, some crisp and tall, others soft and delicate, some red, some green.  We also grow arugula, mizuma, sorrel, and a variety of Italian escaroles and endives. Joining these in the salad bowl are early leaves of kale, chard, chinese cabbage and spinach.  Each has a different taste and texture.  Usually, I pick a bit of everything, leave the leaves whole or torn in half, and throw them in a wooden bowl.  Each bite is a surprise - lemony sorrel, bitter endive, crisp romaine, spicy arugala, mustardy mizuma.  Sometimes I want a simple approach, and highlight just one green.  Cesar salads are the most famous of these  - just chopped cos, cheese, dressing and croutons, with the occasional anchovy - but the Italians also favor this approach. A plate of arugula, drizzled with olive oil and topped with flakes of parmesan or gran panado is divine. 


Another approach is the one that we call "Veronica salad" because it's used by my sister-in-law (named, as you would guess, Veronica).  She takes all the leaves and chops them up very small.  This is great fun sometimes, with all the tastes blending together.


A salad can be simple - just a highlight of delicious lettuce - or you can make it more elaborate by adding in any variety of extras.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, thinly sliced carrots and purple cabbage are all part of the standard American salad.  However, cooked chickpeas or edamame beans, olives, sliced kohlrabi, red peppers, toasted pine nuts or almonds, sliced apples, raisins or date pieces can all create a fun meal.


These days, I tend to keep my salads simple, highlighting the beauty and taste of the lettuce.  


To wash lettuce, fill a large bowl or small sink with cold water.  Place the lettuce or salad greens in.  After a few minutes, the dirt will sink to the bottom, and the leaves can be gently removed.  I think salad spinners are way to rough for the delicate leaves, so I just dry mine gently in a dishcloth or flour sack.  

Lettuces are lovely and healthy!  Nutritional values vary greatly with variety and the growing technique.  Lettuces provide a lot of fiber.  They provide water.  They are very low in calories. Lettuces also give us vitamin C, beta-carotene, folate, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin A, a variety of B vitamins, minerals like chromium manganese and magnesium, as well as chlorophyll.  Lettuce is good for your heart, good for weight loss, good for your liver, good for fighting cancer.  

Americans have their salad at the beginning of the meal.  This isn't a bad idea - it allows you to fill up with low-calorie, high-fiber raw vegetables before a heavy meal.  In Europe, the salad is usually last, which cleanses the palate, and the liver, after the meal.   Here in the Evans house, the salad is often the meal.  A large salad with a small amount of protein - some hard-boiled eggs, a steak sliced thin, some grilled salmon, a piece of chicken - and a crusty whole grain bread provides a beautiful light summer dinner.

BACK TO THE BLOG

Well, I haven't posted for a very long time.  We had a very cold and harsh winter and spring here in the mountains outside of Boulder.  Our usual odd mixture of warm sunny days interspersed with snow devolved into snow, cold and damp, and more snow.  In terms of food, I just seemed to stick to warm food - stews and soups, using whatever fresh greens (kale and collards) that were still holding on in the greenhouses, combining them with the last of the summer beans and tomatoes in the freezer.  Then the beginning of summer hit, with end-of-school year chaos, and I just haven't settled back down to writing.

On the other hand, friends keep asking me for recipes.  So I return. 

And I return to examine more closely the relationship between food and health, between the joy of cooking and how that nourishes our body and our soul.  As a health practitioner with, I am constantly bombarded with information about foods that are supposed to be 'dangerous' to eat - pesticides on vegetables, water from plastic bottles, trans-fats, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, any carbohydrates, food that's not in accord with your blood type, foods with cholesterol (some of these certainly are not good for you, others unfairly demonized) - as well as foods that you have to eat because they're good for you.   Nowhere in any of the 'health' literature is there anything about enjoying food, about taking time to prepare the food, about taking the time to sit down and eat the food.  In my cookbooks, I find much about the joys of preparing food, but little thought of good nutrition - except, of course, that the best cooks have always insisted on fresh, local ingredients.

So I hope, once again, to begin to link the two - the pleasure of cooking food with supporting our own health.  Thanks to all who have enjoyed my past posts, and bon appetit to all!

COMFORT FOOD - LENTIL SOUP

It's the middle of February, and there is little sign of spring in Colorado.  A few warm days to give us hope, followed by another snow storm.  My thoughts turn to warming, comforting food.  Stews and soups nourish the spirit and the body.  

Lentil soup is simple and classic.  It can be made in a simple vegetarian version, or with chicken stock for extra richness.  I include two varieties - a Turkish variety that is simple and creamy, and a French version, which includes a variety of whatever vegetables I happen to have around.

Lentils provide incredible nutritional benefits.  Lentils provide both soluble and insoluble fiber (essential for proper digestive function, and important in stabilizing cholesterol and blood sugar levels), and are loaded with folate, B6, and iron.  Like all legumes, they are a good source of vegetarian protein, when combined in a meal with grains (eg a nice whole wheat loaf with the soup, or 1/2 C cooked brown rice or barley thrown into the soup just before serving).  Lentils are low in calories, and have been linked to reduced breast cancer risk.  They're inexpensive and easy to keep stocked away in the kitchen.  And can be adapted to many different flavors and styles - simple, as in these recipes - or used in curries or salads or loafs.

Of all the beans, lentils are the most user friendly, since they require no soaking and cook up quickly.  Red lentils are the quickest, and what is recommended for the Turkish soup, but the green and brown varieties have their hulls still intact, a richer taste, and provide more fiber.  Each type of lentil has an individual taste - it's worth experimenting to see what you like.

French Lentil Soup
(adapted from 12 months of Monastery Soups by Brother d'Avila-Latourrette)

6 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, chopped fine
1 turnip or a piece of rutabaga, diced fine
1 bunch greens - kale, sorrel, spinach or chard
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 large potato, diced
1 bay leaf
2 C lentils (red, green or brown)
6 C water or water/stock mix (more if needed)
1 C tomato sauce (canned italian tomatoes, pureed in their juices, work well.  I usually use tomatoes that I have frozen, either whole or cooked down, from my summer garden)
salt & pepper

Gather and prepare your vegetables.  The amounts here are suggestions.  Feel free to add more garlic, or a variety of greens, or perhaps a diced sweet potato.  If you don't have all the vegetables on hand, or there's something on the list, don't worry - it'll still be lovely.

Clean your lentils - depending on your source, they may have small twigs or stones.  Give them a bit of a wash, rinse and drain.

A large (4 quart) soup pot is important for soup.  Ideally, these should be made of stainless steel.  Cast iron can interfere with the cooking of lentils.  Non-stick pots are, in my opinion, a serious health hazard (a topic for a different blog).

Heat the olive oil.  Gently saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes, stirring all the while.  When they are soft, add the other vegetables (except the greens and potatoes) and saute for another couple of minutes.

Add the lentils and everything else except the salt and pepper.  Bring the mix up to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until done.  Keep an eye on the soup, stirring occasionally.  Depending on the type of lentils used, and how thick or thin you want the soup, you may need to add more water or stock. If using small red lentils, this soup may be done in about 1/2 an hour.  Brown or green lentils will take about an hour.

When the soup is done, season with salt and pepper.

Creamy Red Lentil Soup
(adapted from Classical Turkish Cooking by Ayla Algar)

1 C red lentils
1 1/2 C chopped onions
4 T butter
6 C stock (chicken, meat, vegetable stock or just water)
2 T flour
1 egg yolk
1 C milk
salt and pepper

Clean, wash, rinse and drain the lentils.
Melt 2 T butter, and gently saute the onions until soft and golden.
Add stock and bring to boil.
Stir in the lentils.  Bring back to the boil
Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about half an hour, until very soft.
Puree the soup.  I do this with a stick blender that I just stick in the pot, but you could also put it into a blender, or press it through a sieve.

In a separate pot (or, if you have removed the soup to puree it, clean out your first pot), melt the remaining 4T butter.  Add the flour and mix it well with the butter, using a wooden spoon.  Cook for a few minutes until the mixture is light brown.  Then add the lentils slowly but steadily, stirring all the time to prevent lumps.   Simmer very gently over low heat for three minutes, continuing to stir all the time.
Whisk the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl.  Pour a little of the hot soup into the egg/milk mixture and whisk together.   Then pour the egg/milk mixture into the soup, continuing to stir constantly.
Heat the soup but don't boil it.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

LUSCIOUS LEEKS

December and January are pretty dismal times for the home-garden cook.  The home vegetable gardener (that would be my husband) can at least amuse himself with seed catalogs and starting seeds.  (Even as I write, onions and salads are starting to germinate).  For the cook, there are no such diversions.  When I buy vegetables from the store I realize how much more taste and nutrition are held in my very-local-organic produce.

However, all is not lost.  Struggling in our unusually cold winter, protected from deep snow only by unheated, plastic-wrap covered frames, a few brave vegetables survive.  Digging under layers of insulating leaves and then deep into the earth, I find bright orange jewels of carrots.  The collards and kales and chinese cabbages aren't doing much growing, but their green leaves provide bursts of flavor to stir fries.  And, if I can excavate them out of the near-frozen grounds, I have my stalwart leeks - fine and tall, green and white.

Leeks are wonderful vegetables.  Part of the allium family (think onion and garlic), they provide great nutritional benefit.  Lots of fiber.  Supplies us with manganese, iron, B6, folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Stabilizes blood sugar.  Alliums have been shown to reduce LDL and raise HDL cholesterol levels (that's good), and to lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that alliums reduce the risk of prostate & colon cancers, and that a flavanoid called kaempferol (present in leeks, tea and some other veggies) lowers ovarian, lung, and pancreatic cancer risks.  Way low in calories (16 calories/serving) - although I must confess I usually counter this benefit by combining in some way with butter!

I usually combine my precious leeks with other vegetables - a slow sautee with carrots and collards (as with onions, sautee them first before adding other vegetables), or a quick stir fry with bok choy and garlic, or as part of the vegetable medley in a beef stew - but they do deserve to be highlighted.  They are famous in leek and potato soup (hot or cold), and are great in a bechamel (white) sauce laced with parsley, or braised, or in a cheese sauce, or simply sauteed in olive oil until tender and sweet.

As with many vegetables, bigger is not necessarily better.  Big leeks look great but are often woody inside.  Choose small but firm leeks (1 1/2" or less in diameter).  Take off the outer tough leaves and the very top (the really dark green part) of the leek.  The tops of the leeks often need a good washing.  If you're slicing into small pieces, wash after you've sliced.  If you're leaving them large or whole, you can slice lengthwise down the middle of the green part to open them up part-way, and rinse.  

Braised Leeks

It's nice to leave the leeks long - cut the tops off, leaving the leeks 6-7" long.  slit the green part of the leek to wash.  Blanch in boiling water for about 7-10 minutes.  Lay in a baking dish.  Add butter, a sprinkle of salt, and a small amount of water to cover the bottom.  Top with chopped parsley.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil.  Bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes.  For extra fun/flavor, uncover, sprinkle with grated swiss cheese or a mix of cheese and breadcrumbs, scatter some small pieces of butter on top, and broil for a few minutes.

Sauteed Leeks

Slice the leeks crosswise into 3/4" pieces, and wash thoroughly.  Melt olive oil and/or butter in stainless steel sautee or frying pan.  Add the leeks and let cook for a long time at medium low heat, until leeks are tender and sweet - they'll almost melt.  

The other night, for extra richness, I did a quick sauce.  After the leeks were soft, I added a couple of tablespoons of flour to the pan and coated the leek/butter mix, and let it cook for a few minutes.  Then I took the pan off the heat, added some hot milk, stirred very fast to mix, returned it back to the heat, and let it cook for a short time.  I also put in a splash or two of sherry.  Right before serving, I added a whole bunch of chopped parsley.  Divine!  (Sorry, I didn't keep track of amounts - it'll depend on the quantity of leeks that you start with.  As a rough guide, Julia Child - my bible long before her deserved bestseller success - recommends 2T butter, 3T flour, 2C milk, 1/4 t salt for a basic bechamel).

If you're looking for a gluten free/dairy free way to dress leeks up, I would recommend sauteing them slowly (as above) in olive oil.  After they're really soft, add a little rice flour or arrowroot starch, coat and heat for a few minutes.  Then add a white wine/stock mix, let simmer until thickened, and mix in the parsley at the end, as above.

For me, leeks are an essential part of winter vegetable eating.  Their taste improves after a frost. They are deeply nourishing, and their warm sweet flavor lightens a cold winter night.