Posted on 01/04/2018 4:03:17 PM PST by Jamestown1630
At this time of year - after a month of holidays, parties, and attendant gustatory overindulgence - I find myself looking for bright, fresh recipes using vegetables. Recently in my reading I came across a reference to ‘Crab Louie’, which I remembered from somewhere but had forgotten.
Crab Louie (or Crab Louis) is a salad originally dating from early-1900s San Francisco, with Crab as the centerpiece; and it includes boiled eggs, tomatoes, asparagus, and a creamy dressing which can be like a Russian, Thousand Island, or sometimes Green Goddess. Here’s the Wiki on it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_Louie
And here, from Food and Wine, is a recipe:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/crab-louie
I’m not sure whether I posted this recipe for ‘Celeri Remoulade’ previously, but it comes from a tiny little book called ‘Simple French Cooking’, published by the Peter Pauper Press in 1958. You can find many versions of Celeriac Remoulade, but the one in my little book seems very bright and special. The celery root is julienned, blanched, marinated in a vinaigrette, and then served with Remoulade sauce. (Celery Root is a very ugly-on-the-outside vegetable, with a lovely-on-the-inside taste; and worth trying if you've never had it.)
Celery Root Remoulade
Peel and then cut a celery root into julienne strips, and boil for 1 minute to prevent darkening. Cover with French Dressing (see below) and place in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours. Drain and mix with Remoulade sauce.
Remoulade Sauce:
1 C. Mayonnaise
1 Sour Pickle, finely chopped
1 T. Capers, patted dry and chopped
½ T. prepared mustard
1 tsp. Parsley, chopped.
Here, according to the book, is the 'Basic French Dressing’ for marinating the celery root:
½ C. Olive Oil
¼ C. Vinegar
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Sugar
1/8 tsp. Paprika
My husband says that for those who have resolved to ‘go Paleo’ or try an alternate low-carb diet in the New Year, this Celeriac recipe is a perfect vegetable addition. (We argued about the teaspoon of sugar, but I would put it in, especially if you aren’t in an "induction" phase of the diet - over the whole recipe, it's not that much ;-)
-JT
I was wondering why chest freezers were popular. I got an upright, a huge one that I never thought I would fill up. It is now so full I couldn’t freeze any holiday cookies or cakes :-(
I think the chest freezers are quite a bit cheaper as well. Plus you could put some very large items in there.
Anyway being OCD, a chest freezer would probably drive me nuts trying to keep it organized. But I’m happy with my purchase. It might be nice to have both someday
in n out! Why did you have to remind me? I was just talking to a friend in California about the things I muse. The Reagan library for sure. Being able to have the beauty of death Valley, the beach, and the Sierras all in one day if you want it.
Their burgers and fries are the best!
That sounds exactly like a rum cake i make. It’s delicious! I never thought about making it with another alcohol, but why not :-)
Chest freezers are popular because they last a long time. We are using my MIL’s and she died in 1997. I have no idea when she got it.
This is an interesting sidenote, speaking of bugs. But we were wondering why our garden was getting eaten alive by insects, here in Tennessee, while my husband remembered his family growing huge gardens in New York without a problem. No pesticide needed.
A friend of his that there that owns a farm said it’s the cold winters. The cold cold winters kill off the bit’s. Where as our “mild” winter apparently lets the egg survive in the soil so they can pop right out and eat whatever I plant as Soon as it’s big enough.
When I was scouting around on the relocation trip, looking for a place to move to, I was wondering why places like Iowa grew corn so well. Those winters are bitter bitter bitter cold. Alto California doesn’t have that problem but it doesn’t have the humidity either, so perhaps that’s part of it.
I was thinking about this the other day, and I believe I’ve heard meteorologists remarking about very cold weather impacting certain bug populations in the following season.
Not sure, but they may have been talking about stinkbugs particularly.
I started sprouting too. I always do it in the winter. Just late getting going. First batch of alfalfa was done 2 days ago and another is going. Dinner last night was half sandwich with Dave’s 21 grain bread, sprouts, a slice of muenster and some of our dried San Marzano tomatoes. Also got a free head of lettuce at the store. Never buy it so I’ve got to do something with it.
Sprouts make a nice crunchy addition to a sandwich.
Homemade Strawberry Cake
Ingredients:
2 and 1/2 cups (250g) sifted cake flour (measured correctly)*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/3 cup (75g) sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree (see note)*
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup (10-12g) freeze-dried strawberries
one 8-ounce block full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick; 115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
1-2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
salt, to taste
Directions:
Make the reduced strawberry puree and allow it to cool completely. See note.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans.
Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk *just* until combined. Do not overmix. Whisk in 1/2 cup of reduced strawberry puree, making sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 24-25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
Make the frosting: Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have around 1/2 cup. Set aside. In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Beat in the butter until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, 1 Tablespoon milk, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy. Add 1 more Tablespoon of milk to slightly thin out, if desired. Taste, then add a pinch of salt if needed.
Assemble and frost: First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake keep its shape when cutting— it could slightly fall apart without time in the fridge.
Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Make ahead tip: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Light it sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months if you have room in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes:
*I strongly suggest using cake flour in this recipe. It’s sold right next to the all-purpose flour in the baking aisle. And you use it a lot in my recipes! In a pinch, you can use a DIY version: measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Remove 2 Tablespoons. Mix in 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift it. Measure 1 cup. This sifted 1 cup equals 1 cup of cake flour. I suggest doing this 3x, then remove 1/2 cup since you need 2 and 1/2 cups in this recipe.
*To make the reduced strawberry puree: puree 1 lb of strawberries. You should have a little over 1 cup. Stirring occasionally, simmer the puree over low-medium heat for 25-30 minutes until you’re left with 1/2 cup or a little over 1/2 cup Allow to cool completely before using in cake batter. I always make the reduced puree the day before so it has plenty of time to cool down. I cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Use 1/2 cup in the cake. Discard any leftovers or spoon on ice cream/yogurt/add to smoothie. Yum!
*To bake in a 9x13 pan: Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9x13 pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
*Cupcakes: Fill cupcake pans 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Makes 2 and 1/2 dozen cupcakes. For less cupcakes, you can make my vanilla cupcakes, reduce the milk and sour cream to 1/3 cup each and add 1/4 cup of concentrated strawberry flavor to the batter.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2018/01/05/strawberry-cake/
We downsized from a 8 cu ft to 6 cu ft. a couple of years go. Love the smaller chest freezer. So much easier to keep things rotated.
To be fair, SoCal starts out in the low 50s, the thermos is moving all day long, creeps up to 7) something at 2:30, then starts dropping and is cool again in the evening. But it’s nice. Six months of too hot was enough.
CA has a ton of garden critters. We are known for not having as many mosquitos, we don’t need to have screened in porches, but when gardening, there are pests. And we have a ton of ants and termites. The ants here mostly don’t sting at least.
And there are plants like bulbs that we know to keep good in the garden you need to dig them out after blooming and put them in your freezer before you plant again in the spring. I’m too lazy but people do that. Tulips, I think, need it.
Anyone want a recipe for refrigerator cookie dough that when you slice some are very refreshing, not as much gooey excess as what we all made over the holidays? I got it from a magazine but I can post a pic of the recipe if you like. They are ginger orange cookies, easy and clean tasting.
Yeah, I remember those summers that seem to never end. I lived in Bakersfield for about a decade. And before that in Ridgecrest for about the same length.
But the nights were delightful. I really love the evenings that cool down. When visiting my family in Texas, and living there for one year, I couldn’t believe evenings that stayed just as hot as the day. When we moved to Tennessee I was afraid the same thing would happen, since we do have humility here. But the nights are lovely!
I’d have to say that in comparing bugs, we unfortunately win. Or make that lose. We can get garden critters that destroy the entire crop in a day. In California they would just eat a bite here and there. Suppose that explains why I haven’t seen vast areas of agriculture here. There are plenty of little family gardens, but none of the huge acre after acre of farms. Kind of ironic that you see those more in the north. All I know is I hate feeling with the bugs. And if the bugs don’t eat my produce and the deer and rabbits do. And if that doesn’t take them down, then there is blight! How did farmers ever survive here!
“Also got a free head of lettuce at the store. Never buy it so I’ve got to do something with it.”
Is it Iceberg? If so, I love to wedge it, then cover it in Blue Cheese Dressing and BACON! ;)
Or, use it to make the yummy salad they have at Olive Garden:
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/olive-garden-salad-copycat-270883
Yes it is iceberg. I had some for lunch with some chopped up dried san marzano tomatoes, sprinkled parmesan on top and a little ranch. I do like the salad at olive garden. As far as blue cheese dressing, it’s in the pox category along with olives. Thanks.
neat, now i need one ;)
Having a supply of potable water is probably the first thing that should be on a prepper’s list - though for many it seems to be a later thought. You can live without food for days; but you’ll get sick without water.
After our recent experience of having the water cut off for an extended period, I learned that I’d much rather lose electricity than water.
Oh, no! We can’t be Food Friends, then. LOL!
My husband won’t touch Blue Cheese (more for me!); but he does like olives.
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