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.

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!

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.