Also here is some more eye candy.  MAJOR PROPS to the person who can identify the source of one of these recipes and the spices utilized in it.  

HELLO!

It is me, I am posting, so now you can't say that I never have (though up to this point I don't think that I have).  Also I can't say that I have been busy, because I haven't, but it is a matter of priorities (for more information about this, see Davis, Lydia p326 The Collected Stories).  (And we have a very large and needy collection of plants, and for more information about this please see linked littlesparrowfarm.blogspot.com.)

HOWEVER,

I have been cooking, a bit, mostly from Plenty though I haven't documented that very well (mostly because it has been prepared for guests and it always seems a little strange to pause the moment before dinner hits the table, usually late, to snap a few photos.)  Of the things that have been documented, I will repost for you here a selection: beginning with eggplant because there has been a major eggplant surplus in my life (again see linked little sparrow farm).  One full crisper drawer of eggplant, to be exact!

 So here is our attempt to reckon, adapted from The Vegetarian Epicure, book II:

EGGPLANT WITH CHEESE AND WALNUTS (obviously I used pecans for all of you haters out there)

• 2 1/2 lbs eggplant

• 3 cloves garlic (or 4 cloves) -- sliced

• 1/2 C olive oil

• 2 whole red onions -- peeled, halved, sliced (I used whole peeled canned, which was fine)

• 3 C plum tomatoes with juices

• 1/3 C dry white wine (I used vermouth, which was delicious)

• 1 1/2 C walnut pieces (I OBVIOUSLY used toasted pecans)

• 1/2 lbs Fontina cheese -- sliced or strips (I used fresh goat cheese, which was simply amazing) 

• 1/4 lbs Mozzarella cheese -- grated (I used parmesan)

• salt and black pepper

Trim off the stem ends and slice eggplants lengthwise, 1/2" thick. Salt and put them aside 1/2 hour to drain. Rinse eggplant slices and press out excess moisture between the palms of your hands.  
(Quick note: I found that this made the eggplant much less bitter than other times that I have roasted or broiled eggplant from this very same plant picked at the very same time.  So I now believe that it is totally worth it, whereas before I will admit that I was quite skeptical)  


Sauté garlic in olive oil several minutes, remove and discard the garlic.   Add the onions and sauté until they are limp and beginning to brown.


Brush slices on both sides with olive oil and broil them for several minutes on each side until they show dark spots. Remove the slices. 

Cut tomatoes to thick slices and add to onion with all their juices. Add the wine and cook over high heat, stirring for several minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 


Pour tomato-onion sauce into a large, shallow casserole. Arrange eggplant slices over it in one overlapping layer. 

The second layer-- nice purple guys

The first layer-- "heirloom" green eggplant

Sprinkle with little salt, pepper, and pecans. Dot and sprinkle the cheese: 

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. It should be bubbling hot, and the cheeses should be melted and beginning to brown. Serve immediately.

"Oh hell yeah" -Blake

We were pretty hungry so we didn't get any pictures in process of eating, but consider these:

Blake was very upset when he
finished his first helping

But he was so delighted when he
realized there was more for seconds!

You, too can enjoy this dish--
YOU DESERVE IT!!

The double-edged sword

Some while back, regular "You Deserve It" readers may recall, I posted a couple of pictures of peanut butter brownies in media res, as made by me and Paul during his great stay here. Well, for all those who are interested, here is the link to the recipe, which I think is an instant classic, if brownies ever needed to be reaffirmed as such:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/10/peanut-butter-brownies/

I recently tried making them with almond butter, and that was great too!

And, for some light reading during heavy eating, and for much-needed affirmation:

http://rookiemag.com/2012/07/eating-a-manifesto/

(Thanks, Molly, for the great tip on that one!)

A final note: You know what all of us who have been posting on this site yearn for ceaselessly, crave more than anything (besides peanut butter brownies)? Comments and responses and posts from others!

Yotam Ottolenghi, I love you

Due to a request from some readers in Montana (not naming any names), I've typed this recipe up, which I guess is what we're all supposed to be doing every time we post food on this thing, right? Ah, well. Nothing wrong with pure narrative, but, in case anybody was wondering, this is the "star" of my and Molly's recent post about our polenta feast. (Or was Andrew the star? Or the lactose-intolerance? Or the Wyoming landscape?)

MUSHROOM AND HERB POLENTA
by Yotam Ottolenghi and Liza

4 TBS olive oil
4 cups mixed mushrooms, cut into whatever size piece you want to eat
2 garlic cloves, crushed/minced
1 TBS chopped tarragon
1 TBS chopped thyme
1 TBS truffle oil (obviously we omitted this with no ill consequences)
salt and black pepper
2 1/4 c. vegetable stock
1/2 c. polenta
3 oz. Parmesan, grated
2 1/2 TBS butter
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 TBS chopped chervil (who the heck knows what that is?)
4 oz. Taleggio, cut into 3/8" slices (ever inventive in the Wyoming grocery stores, we substituted sharp cheddar cheese)

------------------------------

---------------------

Heat half the olive oil (2 TBS) in a big frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms and fry until just cooked - if you don't move them a lot, they'll get nice golden-brown patches, says Yotam. Remove from the pan and do the same thing with the other half of themushrooms and the rest of the oil. Remove the pan from the heat, put all the mushrooms back in, and add the garlic, tarragon, thyme, truffle oil (yeah right), and some salt and pepper. Yotam's advice, uncharacteristically unspecific: "Keep warm."

Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly stir in the polenta,then reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. It's ready when it "leaves the side of the pan but is still runny." That made no sense to me, and I just let it cook to porridge consistency.

Preheat your broiler. When the polenta's done, stir in Parmesan, butter, rosemary, and half the mysterious chervil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the polenta over/in a heatproof dish and top with the Taleggio. Place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles. Then top all of that with the mushrooms and their juices, return to the broiler to get warm, and serve it hot, "garnished with the remaining chervil." And Lactaid pills.

Update: Breaking News: Pudding

Thanks, Roy. Thanks, pudding.

Breaking News: Pudding

Fireworks, prairie fire, firing up the polenta

When prairie fires strike, we turn to polenta for salvation.

The Ucross annual July 3rd fireworks extravaganza was sadly (but safely) cancelled due to the extreme volume of nearby wildfire.

So we took it upon ourselves to create a joyous festival.

This post marks the "You Deserve It" debut of Andrew Lane Palmer. Since I (Liza) have been writing a lot of biographies at work, I feel especially well-suited to introduce him here. Here goes:

Andrew is a former Ucross resident who has now "Ucrossed" that line, ascending into the realm of "a great companion." His devotion to enjoyable eating is exemplified by his willingness to eat dairy despite a "bit of" lactose intolerance. (As is obvious in the picture above, he and Molly formed an immediate strong bond over their willingness to wage war against a cheese-laden polenta dish.) Andrew likes spinach, but he loves kale. He likes peanuts, but he loves cashews. Andrew lives nowhere, but look for him again on this blog, perhaps coming live from Bozeman, MT, where he is for now.

During Andrew's stay, he and Liza created a number of impressive meals (including a Welcome to Wyoming "Big Salad" for my (Molly's) arrival). But here we'll focus on one dinner in particular, as it was a collaborative effort for the three of us.

Pictured below is our meal: Mushroom and herb polenta (from Plenty), accompanied by chard and garlic scapes picked from the farm where Liza volunteers!

Additionally, please note the "centerpiece": styrofoam cup of Frozen Margarita from the slushy machine at Buffalo, WY's own Crazy Woman Liquors, garnished with tarragon stem.

Detail of mushroom-herb topping (button & shiitake), tarragon, thyme, garlic atop a parmesan-filled polenta.

As implied in the above image, we consumed the entire polenta among the three of us. Liza and Andrew were so overcome with the magic of the meal, they choreographed a dance routine inspired by their cheesy bliss (Lactaid pills were distributed to those in need). 

The next morning was July 4th. We were still full. We took a walk up to some giant pieces of petrified wood, where Liza and I had a true moment of Connection.

Then we just grasped one another and stared into the wind, hoping to see Hannah galloping forth from the hills.

In the end, we had another few days to wait. But it was a great moment of friendship all the same.

Later this same day, Liza and I consumed Mint Juleps far larger than we had realized. Just celebrating our Independence, duh.