Category Archives: Vegetarian

CLAFOUTIS

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This month I’ve heard about France more than usual.  First, there was Bastille Day, the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789.  Not being French, I don’t celebrate this holiday, but when I worked in Manhattan, my law firm had a French office, and held a Bastille Day happy hour every year.  This, however, was largely viewed as an opportunity to announce your availability to work late, and thus, was usually poorly attended because it wasn’t worth risking your evening for a little brie and cheap wine.  Perhaps a better way to celebrate might have just been to set out in the kitchen a “Best Deal” cake from the nearest French bakery, like this disaster from a French bakery here in Houston:

French fail

Next was the World Cup, which culminated with France’s win.  Pretty exciting, if you were rooting for France.

And then there’s the annual Tour de France with its spandex rainbow of superhuman zero-bodyfat cyclist bots, which started on July 7.  My husband follows it, and I watch it with him until I get bored, which is usually pretty early on.

But wait, there’s more!  My friend treated me to a cooking class at Sur La Table.  We really enjoyed the class and our instructor Nick, who talked nonstop and was just full of information.

We made a chicken thigh dish, a fabulous summer squash salad, and clafoutis — a baked French dessert with fruit, traditionally black cherries, arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter.  I’d made clafoutis once before, and it came out dry as dust.  This one, served warm out of the oven, custardy and bursting with tart raspberries, was my favorite dish of the evening.  I couldn’t wait to make it at home — in fact I made two and brought one to a neighbor — where it was a hit.  I’m in love with this dessert — it’s quick and easy to make, and is a comforting end to a meal that makes excellent use of summer produce.  If you’re feeling indulgent, serve it dusted with powdered sugar and a side of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream — just make sure you serve it warm, when it is at its best.  And so, to wrap up all the France-ness July brought, here is the recipe for clafoutis, for you to bring a little ooh-la-la to your table.

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CLAFOUTIS
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
 
Ingredients
  • For the batter:
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ⅔ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • For the fruit:
  • 1 cup fresh fruit -- pitted cherries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla-flavored sugar* (can also use regular or turbinado sugar)
  • *To make vanilla-flavored sugar, cut a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Place 2 cups of sugar in a food processor and add the seeds. Pulse until combined. Store in a glass jar. (Tip: Add the scraped vanilla bean to a container of sugar to infuse the sugar with the vanilla flavor.)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and position oven rack in center of oven. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and set aside.
  2. To prepare batter: Add milk, eggs, and vanilla in a food processor or blender, and process until well combined. Add the sugar and blend until smooth. Drizzle in the melted butter and blend until smooth. Add the flour and salt and continue blending until smooth.
  3. To prepare the fruit: In a medium bowl, combine the fruit, flour, and sugar, tossing to lightly coat the fruit. Set aside.
  4. To prepare the clafoutis: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and arrange the fruit over the top, shaking off any excess flour from the fruit. Sprinkle the vanilla sugar over the top. Bake until clafoutis is golden brown and set in the center, approximately 25-30 minutes. The clafoutis will puff up during baking and fall as it cools. Serve warm.

Ready for the oven

Easy, comforting, and delicious

FRAGRANT SPICED LENTIL SOUP WITH KALE RIBBONS

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I found this murano glass paperweight at an estate sale.

Murano glass has been made on the Italian island of Murano for centuries.  I don’t know if this paperweight was made in Italy, but it was part of a collection of fancy paperweights, so I believe it was.  I bought it thinking my kids might like it.  And they did like it — but neither of them wanted it.  So I kept it, and from time to time I pick it up and look at all the colorful ribbons of glass running through it.

I’ve always had a thing for ribbons.  When I was a nurse working at Texas Children’s Hospital, I wore colorful ribbons in my hair, which my little patients liked.  I quit wearing them when I got to law school, because being a “bowhead” was not cool — the term generally referred to the giggly undergrads who used to hang out at the law library in the hopes of . . .  well, you know.

When my daughter was little, I collected all kinds of ribbons and made tons of hairbows for her and my friends’ kids.  There’s something special about wearing a brightly-colored bow.  I still have a lot of ribbon, and one day soon I am going to have a bow-making bonanza and make loads of hairbows to send to my friends for their adorable little granddaughters.

The ribbons in the colorful paperweight inspired this recipe for Fragrant Spiced Lentil Soup with Kale Ribbons.  I love this soup, and make it several times each winter.  This soup is different than other lentil soups I’ve had — the fennel and star anise make it fragrant and a little out of the ordinary.  It’s worth the trouble to grind the spices for this soup.  Just before serving, add in a handful or two of thinly-sliced kale ribbons for color and extra nutrition.

I like lentils because they require no soaking, and cook in about 30 minutes.  Did you know that lentils are one of the oldest domesticated crops in the Old World?  (Yep, one step closer to being Cliff Clavin.)  I usually use the large brown lentils found in bags among the dried beans at the grocery store.  On this occasion, however, I used fancy schmancy Le Puy green lentils:

Look — they’re from France!

These are smaller than the lentils I usually buy, and are dark gray-green in color:

They held their shape well, and were earthier than regular lentils — more lentil-y — and made a delicious soup.

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FRAGRANT SPICED LENTIL SOUP WITH KALE RIBBONS
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
 
Ingredients
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 whole star anise
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 2 cups dried lentils
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 small bunch fresh kale, ribs removed, thinly sliced into ribbons
Instructions
  1. Grind fennel seeds and star anise in a spice or coffee grinder until finely ground.
  2. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but not browned. Add lentils, broth, water, ground spices, and bay leaf. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender but not mushy, approximately 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Just before serving, add kale and simmer until kale is tender, but still bright green, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Serve hot..

Carrots, celery, and onions getting tender

M-m-m-m-m — soup

(Note the pretty tea towel — a gift from a special friend)

IMG_3141This batch was made with regular lentils — just as good