The Tastiest Tomato Pickles Ever!

The air in the morning is crisp and the days are getting shorter, yet my tomato plants have managed to hang on. Sure, I only pluck a pint of cherry tomatoes every 3 or 4 days now (opposed to at least 2 pints per day at the height of the season), but they are still surprisingly sweet and juicy. Even my larger heirloom varieties are continuing to slowly ripen. But the rains have started and I think all this goodness won't last much longer.

This year, we’ve been able to produce so many tomatoes I had to give a lot away. That's after making sauces and soups to last into the winter months. Since I’m pretty much stocked up on the basics, I wanted to try some different things with the tomatoes. My favorite was this recipe. I could tell it was going to be good before I tasted it. The spice mix was so aromatic when it was cooking up. It complements sweet tomatoes so well, but I think it would be just as good with green tomatoes. Next time I’m going to make a big batch and can some of it so I can crack open a jar whenever I want.

Tomatoes Pickled with Indian Spices

• 1 ½ lbs tomatoes (cut larger tomatoes into wedges)
  
• ½ red or yellow onion, cut in thin wedges
• 5 serrano chilies, sliced lengthwise
• ¾ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tbs kosher salt
• 2 tbs grated ginger
• 1 whole head garlic, minced
• 1 tbs cracked black peppercorns
• 1 ½ tbs cumin seeds
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 x 3 inch cinnamon stick
• ½ cup neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, etc)
• 2 tbs mustard oil

If you are using larger tomatoes, cut them into wedges. Cherry tomatoes can be used whole. Combine the tomatoes with the chilies and onions in a large Pyrex bowl. Set aside.

In a saucepan, dissolved the sugar and salt in the vinegar. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a saucepan or small frying pan, heat the oils over medium heat until hot. Add the cumin seeds, black peppercorns and cinnamon. Fry for about 30 seconds. Then add the garlic, ginger and cayenne. Cook until nice and fragrant, about 2 minutes (it should look like this). Turn off the heat and add the vinegar solution and mix well. Pour the warm mixture over the tomatoes and mix well. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the mixture sit in the fridge for at least 3 days. If the tomatoes are not submerged in the pickling solution, give the mixture a stir every day.

I Don't Think I'm Ready for Fall

This summer was kinda a dud. We didn't take a proper vacation (we're going to in October, tho'!), and the summer just seemed too short. It got very warm for a handful of days, but it also rained and there were quite a few overcast days. So when just about every food blog I read says fall’s here, I’m thinking it’s been here since July. There are so many grilling recipes I haven’t been able to try and now those will have to wait until next year (because I don't have a gas grill). Instead, over the next couple of weeks I will be storing away garden furniture and preparing my gardens for the coming winter. There's just too much to do and I'm not at all in the mood to do it.

BUT, I'm in the mood to cook fall food. I have a ton of soups, stews and casseroles I want to make. What better way to start off than with a hearty black bean and chorizo soup? This recipe was adapted from Molly Katzen’s Brazilian Black Bean Soup found in the Moosewood Cookbook. The most important change I made was the addition of the chorizo, but the basic recipe is there (as far as I'm concerned anything that has chorizo is going to be awesome). You may feel a little dubious about the orange juice, but I promise, it makes the soup, so don't leave it out.

Black Bean Soup with Chorizo

• ½ large onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 6-8 cups chicken stock
• 1 to 1 ½ cup orange juice (from a carton is fine, but no pulp)
• 2 cups dry black beans, soaked overnight in water (or 4-5 cups canned beans, rinsed well)
  
• ¾ lbs store-bought chorizo sausage or quick homemade version (recipe follows)

In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook the beans in enough water to cover them by 1 inch. They may take 1 1/2 to 2 hours to become tender. Add more water to keep the level above the beans, if necessary.

In the meantime, brown the sausage in a Dutch oven or heavy bottom large pot. When nice and browned, remove and aside. To the same pot, add the onion, celery and carrot. Saute until soft, then add the garlic and cumin. Return the sausage to the pot and stir well. Add the chicken stock and orange juice (add 1 cup first, then more if you like). Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer covered. When the beans are done, drain them and add them to the soup. Season the soup well with salt and pepper. I like to serve this soup warm (not piping hot!) with a dollop of sour cream, chopped jarred jalapenos, chopped cilantro, chopped avocado and/or chopped tomatoes.

Quick Chicken Chorizo Sausage

• 4 boneless chicken thighs, minced (skinless is fine too, but don't take off any fat from the meat)
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbs smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp chili powder
  
• salt to taste (you’ll probably use close to ½ tsp)

Mix all the ingredients together, preferably 3 or 4 hours before use, and keep in the fridge until needed.

Another Reason to Own a Cast Iron Wok

Mom left a couple of days ago, and I’m still finding surprises all over the kitchen. For example, I found the coating on my expensive Dutch oven burned and cracked. But this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. She once used cooking spray on my tri-ply stainless steel (expensive) frying pan when making pancakes, leaving a nice burnt film on the surface and rendering that pan completely useless. Then she made the comment that I should consider spending a little more money on a nice non-stick frying pan. It’s a good thing she is my mother and I’m supposed to love her, no matter how crazy she makes me.

Since the Dutch oven is currently out of commission, I used my wok to make chili. I would actually use my wok more for stewing and braising if only it had a lid. In lieu of a lid, I used aluminum foil. It’s not pretty, but it gets the job done.

I’ve never made chili from scratch. When I lived in Denmark, I used the Knorr seasoning packs that just required addition of ground beef. It was easy and tasty, but I wanted to try making it from scratch. For my first attempt, I used beef chunks rather than ground beef (I will be trying a version with ground beef soon). And no beans. I’m just not a beans-in-the-chili type of girl. The beef was nice and tender and the sauce was thick and well flavored without being too spicy (Sonny loved it). The key is to allow the chili to sit overnight in the fridge. I really do insist you do that part. It allows the flavors to meld and mellow.

Beef and no-bean Chili

• 2.5 to 3 lbs stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 tbs cornstarch mixed with 1 tbs water
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbs ancho chili powder
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 tbs honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Toss the beef chunks in the cornstarch mixture and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Season with salt then brown well in about 2-3 tbs oil (this part was a cinch in the wok). Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, add a little more oil if necessary, and add the onions. When they are soft and browning, add the chipotle and garlic. After a minute, add the dry spices and meat with accumulated juices. Turn to coat the meat well with the spices. Add the beef broth, honey and salt and pepper. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook covered for about an 1 hour or so. When the meat is just tender (but not falling apart), remove the lid and simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes to evaporate some of the liquid and thicken the sauce. It's okay to turn up the heat a little, but don't blast it to save time. When you reach the consistency you want, turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly before putting it in the fridge to cool completely. Reheat the next day and enjoy!

Vegetable Smash

I have a coworker who makes the most delicious home cooked vegetarian Indian food. Not only is everything always nicely spiced, but the texture is right on, and I think that’s the hardest thing to achieve in Indian cooking (for me, at least). The simple fact is the longer the preparation time, the more “authentic” the texture will be. The longer the ingredients sit together, the more developed the flavor will be. My coworker agrees, but even he doesn’t have the patience to braise every dish for 2-3 hours or prepare dishes a day or two in advance. He told me his secret is a pressure cooker, which scares the hell out of me. Whenever I think pressure cooker, I imagine a hot radiator exploding open to spray scalding water in my face (yes, I’m scared of explosions and that’s why we don’t have a gas grill).

The other day, he brought a wonderful dish, which he translated as vegetable smash. As the name implies, it was a wonderful mish-mash of different veggies that could easily be found in your favorite Indian restaurant. Some of the vegetables suitable for this dish are parsnips, turnips, cauliflower, potatoes, peas, zucchini, squash. To get the best results, make it a day in advance and when you cook it drive off as much liquid as you can. Then when you reheat it the next day, do it in a wok or cast iron skillet with a tablespoon or two more oil (I used mustard oil, and it tasted nice). This will further reduce the water content and give you the best texture.

Sounds like a lot of work, right? I guess it is, but you’ll be rewarded with not only a delicious dish, but this recipe will give 2 portions (enough for 3-4 people each). You could freeze one down and enjoy it again. So really you’re cooking more than one meal!

Vegetable Smash

• 2 tbs grated ginger
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 2 chilies (or more to taste), cut in half lengthwise
• 5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
• 2 sticks cinnamon (about 3 inches long)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tbs curry powder
• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
• 3 zucchini, diced
• 4-5 ripe tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
• ¼ to ½ tsp sugar (depending on how ripe your veggies are to start)
• salt and pepper to taste
• cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Start by making a paste with the ginger, garlic and chilies.

In a large heavy bottom pot, heat about ¼ cup oil over medium heat (I used half mustard oil and half vegetable oil). When hot, add the cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods. Fry for about 15 seconds, then add the ginger paste. Fry until fragrant, maybe 20 or 30 seconds. Add the chopped onion and cook until the onions are soft and starting to take color. Add the curry powder and turn to coat the onions with it. Add the cauliflower, zucchini, tomatoes and sugar. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes, turning to make sure everything gets coated as best as possible. If the pot seems too dry, don't worry, the veggies will release a lot of liquid. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for about an hour or until the veggies are nice and soft. Check and stir it occasionally to make sure the bottom of the pot doesn’t burn and to smash the veggies a little. The veggies should release a lot of liquid, and essentially braise themselves. When they are mushy, take off the lid and turn up the heat to drive off most of the moisture, but be careful not to let it burn too much to the bottom of the pot. Whenever you’re stirring, smash the veggies a little more. Eventually you’ll get the consistency you want. For the best result, let it sit in the fridge overnight to let the flavors develop. You could also freeze some at this point, but if you are dying to eat it immediately, I recommend cooling it a bit before adjusting the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve warm or even just a little above room temp with basmati rice or roti.