Category: recipes

Local Ingredients: Verjus


This story starts with a whiskey smash and ends with the most delicious apple sorbet I have ever put in my mouth.

I am not sure if I can properly describe either. Which is problematic for a food blog, no?

So it may be best to start where it all started, at Woodberry Kitchen on my 44th birthday. My friend Kerry took me out for snacks and drinks, my choice of restaurant because, of course, it was my birthday, and we should all get exactly what we want on our birthday, yes?  

I could have gone anywhere in Baltimore, and the list of places to eat well in this city is long. Woodberry won for two reasons:

1. I had just read an article that said Woodberry Kitchen served all birthday folks a scoop of apple sorbet on a plate with “Happy birthday” written on it in chocolate. I am a sucker for strangers celebrating my birthday. Just please, no singing. And a gluten-free celebration? Even better because I can actually eat it.

2. A person at my yoga studio said Woodberry is so local-centric that they don’t even use lemon at the bar.

Number one piqued my taste buds, number two piqued my interest. How on earth could you make a craft cocktail without lemon? Or even a crappy, non-craft cocktail?

One answer: verjus.

Grapes for verjus (image source)

 Spike Gjerde opened Woodberry Kitchen with his wife in 2007, sourcing only local ingredients for the food, but a year later started to begin eliminating the majority of the citrus served in both food and drink, replacing it with verjus made from unripe grapes at Black Ankle Vineyards in Mt. Airy, Maryland, a scant 30 miles or so from Charm City. The result is a bright, tangy, not-unlike vinegar flavor that replaces the acidic component of drinks. Like my whiskey smash. While the bourbon must necessarily be from Kentucky, the cider (Distillery Lane Ciderworks), verjus, bitters (house-made), honey, and thyme were 100% local. 

Verjus (pronounced ver-ZHOO, but also clumsily called “verjuice”) is from the French: “vert jus,” meaning green juice. Verjus can be made from either unripe green grapes (for a cleaner taste) or unripe red grapes (producing a slightly earthier flavor). Neither preparation contains alcohol (verjus is simply pressed and bottled, no fermenting), which means that verjus will not clash with any wine served with dinner. While cooks in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance used verjus with impunity, its use has only recently grown as the local food movement has spread.

As with wine, verjus can be affected by terroir, the elements of soil and water that influence the subtle flavor variations in fruits and vegetables from a certain place. Verjus flavors can range from light, bright, and clean to murky and muddier flavors that are aggressive and more suited for heavier preparations (i.e., in wild game or heavy sauces).

Red and white verjus can be used just as you might use red or white vinegar. Some vineyards may sell verjus directly to visitors, but it can also be purchased in more “upscale” grocery stores. You can also buy verjus online if you must.

Epicurious has a few recipes using verjus if you are curious to start with more guidance, or you can even make your own verjus. Many vineyards thin their grapes well before harvest to produce sweeter grapes on the vine, and they may be willing to part with their unripe grapes. 

The whole menu at Woodberry is filled with verjus, but the cocktail menu is where it really shines, playing off house-made bitters and drinks designed to highlight the very best of local, seasonal ingredients.

I had two drinks that night (meh. I am a lightweight and no longer 24), but of the two only the memory of the whiskey smash remains. Perhaps because it went so well with the piece de resistance, my lovely scoop of apple sorbet:

I didn’t want to be one of those assholes Instagramming food, so I only got the one shot. 

I nearly absconded with the cute little glass the sorbet came in but decided thievery was not a good way to start the year, the last of my “early 40s.”

Have you had verjus before? What is your most hyper-local dining experience?

Peace One Day: Gluten Free Olive-Rosemary Bread

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.~

Peace Day is on September 21st, and it is in the spirit of peace, love and forgiveness that I started this recipe for olive-rosemary bread.

I don’t want to compare wars and violence and the eventual ceasefire and peace with the process of developing a gluten-free bread recipe, but this process did feel very involved, and there were lots of failures. I have never thrown out as much food as I did while developing this recipe.

If I still had chickens, they would have been thrilled.

And while the flavor has been delicious in every iteration of the bread and each rustic loaf looked gorgeous, they all had a wet, gummy interior. They rose well, browned well, produced a beautiful crust, and were utterly disappointing in texture.

It took some doing, but I think this is it. Chewy crust, well-balanced flavor, and a texture that mirrors a hearty, gluten-filled bread. This bread has taught me the power of egg whites and almond meal to bump up the protein in a flour.

It has made me re-think my relationship with the all-purpose flour blend as the be-all, end-all for baking. Don’t get me wrong: this blend rules for pancakes, cookies, biscuits, scones, and waffles. It makes a great cupcake. But as I continue to explore gluten-free baking, I know that there is more to it than cup-for-cup substitutes.

This bread will rise, but it will not reach the great heights of a standard bread. In the end, this does not matter. This recipe makes two, one-pound loaves: one for you, and one for a friend.

Namaste.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (80 to 100 degrees)
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
coarse sea salt for garnish

Method:

1. In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and half of the water (approximately. This is just to activate the yeast). Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine flour, almond meal, salt, and xanthan gum. Mix briefly to combine.
3. Add water, proofed yeast mixture, egg whites, and olive oil. Mix until the ingredients come together, about a minute. 
4. Add olives and rosemary and stir to combine. Do this step by hand; the olives should not be crushed.
5. Turn mixture into a clean bowl, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for two hours in a warm, dry place. 
6. After two hours, divide the bread in half and shape into boules on baking sheets lined with parchment paper . Let sit for another 40 minutes. 
7. Near the end of the resting period, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a very sharp knife, cut lines in the top of each loaf and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
8. Place a pan filled with hot water on the lower rack of your oven, then slide the bread in above the water
9. Bake for approximately 65 minutes. Bread should reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees
10. Cool completely before cutting. This bread should be eaten within a of couple days.

Recipe notes:

  • Another brand of gluten-free all-purpose flour can be used, but the results may be very different.
  • This toasts beautifully and is especially delicious with homemade ricotta and freshly-cracked black pepper and/or some arugula.

 

Friday Links: Quick Food

Like this pancake’s grin, I too, feel a little raggedy when dinnertime rolls around.

School is back in full swing, and even for those who homeschool, time is always an issue when it comes to dinner. While I love to cook, I hate making dinner. My energy naturally flags around four o’clock, right when The Teenager is getting home, dogs need to be walked, and dinner needs to begin.

This week’s quick links are all about how to make quick food that is fresh, delicious, and virtually thought-free. Always a plus at the end of the day!

Oh My Veggies Slow Cooker Lasagna: Easy, easy, easy, and perfect for this time of year as summer’s produce spills out of gardens and farmer’s markets. Personally, I am not an eggplant fan, so I would substitute something else, but I am guessing there is not much you can do to mess this up.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls: These are absurdly and inappropriately delicious. So good, in fact, that I am going to make some tonight instead of roasting some boring old thighs. Excellent the next day wrapped in a flour or rice tortilla.

Quinoa Corn Chowder: Sensing a trend? If you have not already been using a crockpot for easy weeknight meals, then you should absolutely break it out for this delicious, vegetarian (with veggie stock) chowder that is high in protein and zippy with sweet corn and jalapenos. 

And speaking of crockpots, stay away from that cream-of-crap soup that proliferates in so many recipes for the crockpot. Make your own dry mix, then use that as directed when a recipe calls for cream-of-______ soup.

Cook Once, Eat 50 Times: Take one day and cook 50 meals, then shine your crown and brush off your cape because you are a queen/king AND a superhero. These are meat-heavy, so sprinkle in some vegetarian action, too. 

When all else fails, I am a big fan of breakfast for dinner, like the gluten-free blueberry pancakes above. The Teenager likes hers with a slice of bacon grilled right in there.

What quick foods do you reach for on busy weeknights?

Unicorn Alert: Delicious Gluten Free Pizza

The Unicorn

EDITED: Edited again. The secret here is to not roll the crust too thin. 

It’s possible. I swear. I know, because I have eaten eleventy million crappy gluten-free pizza crusts in service of this goal: finding a good gluten-free crust. An easy crust that doesn’t involve twelve different kinds of flour and still ends up tasting like a cracker.

A crust that has some chewiness to it, like real pizza, and tastes like yeast, not cheddar cheese or cardboard.

A crust that is more than just a conveyance for toppings. In fact, my favorites for this pizza are fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, a chiffonade of basil, sprinkle of salt, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. It’s a perfect late-summer pizza.

I developed this recipe for everyone who misses pizza THE MOST out of everything they had to give up when gluten went away. I have forced it upon a reluctant teenager and her friends and asked (nicely) two other people to make this recipe also so I know it works.

It’s not just “good for gluten-free.”

It’s delicious, period.

Gluten Free Pizza

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup warm water (between 80 and 100⁰), divided
2 T. yeast
3 T. sugar
4 T. powdered milk
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 450⁰. Combine half of the water and the yeast in a bowl. Let stand until it wakes up and start to get foamy. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to help it along.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center and add the foamy yeast, the rest of the water, and the olive oil. Stir with a spatula to combine. Don’t overwork the dough.
 
Mix just until it comes together. No kneading!
 When the dough has come together, divide in half and place each half on a greased cookie sheet (unless you are making one big pizza. Make sure your pan is big enough to get the crust thin). For easy, non-sticky, and efficacious spreading, place plastic wrap over the dough and use your fingers to shape the dough until it is very thin (about ¼”). Keep a little lip to contain your toppings. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Let crust sit for 10 minutes. I call this “allowing the dough to collect its thoughts.”
Place crusts in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cracks begin to form on the bottom. Remove from the oven.
 
Note slightly darker spots. This is what happens when the crust is not even. #ItHappens
Add your toppings. Finish the pizza with a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. 
 
I like fresh basil. Sue me.
Turn on the broiler and put your pizza about five inches away. Watch carefully. You are only looking for brown, bubbly cheese. Your crust is already cooked. This takes between three and five minutes. 
 
Serve it howeverthehell you like to serve your pizza. I like it on a plate balanced on my chest, followed by soft serve ice cream as the second course. 
 
Mangia.
 
Recipe notes:
  • Be strange and add cheese onto the crust first. It keeps the crust from getting soggy under the sauce. I add a layer of cheese, then sauce, then cheese. 
  • If your edges are burning, cover them with foil.
  • Bake multiple crusts and wrap well to freeze. To bake, preheat the oven to 375⁰.  You don’t need to defrost the pizza crust. Top pizzas however you choose, then bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.
  • You can sub in regular AP flour or purchase other gluten-free AP flour blends. Do not use AP flour blends that use garbanzo flour. The taste of those is quite bean-y, and the texture of the pizza will change.
  • To make this recipe vegan, simply eliminate the powdered milk and add a touch less water. The crust will be slightly less chewy but it will still be delicious.

In The Beginning…There Was Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour, And It Was Good

bread

Seems fitting to start this blog with the one recipe that started the revolution.

Well. That’s maybe  a bit extreme.

But.

I have been gluten free off and on since 2004. I am one of those people who doesn’t have celiac but just feels better without gluten in my life. For someone who loves bread, cake, and pizza as much as I do, this is tragic.

Finding this recipe and tweaking it for ease and affordability has salved that wound somewhat.

This is the basic recipe for a gluten free flour mix that you can sub in cup-for-cup when a recipe calls for AP flour. It is based on this recipe but changed for ease of creation (no measuring). It makes delicious cakes, crackers, cookies, waffles, and pancakes

Here’s the recipe:

1 24-oz. bag Bob’s Red Mill brown rice flour

1 24-oz. bag Bob’s Red Mill white rice flour

1 16-oz box of mochiko (sweet rice flour; available only at Asian grocery stores or online. We subbed potato starch in our first batch because we couldn’t find an Asian grocery in Marietta, GA)

1 15-oz bag of tapioca flour (also at Asian grocery stores, but sometimes in regular stores)

2 tsp. xanthan gum

Directions: Dump everything in a big bowl, stir together thoroughly. Stir again when using.

A word about xanthan gum. Some gluten free people are still sensitive to gums, and they can actually be eliminated from this recipe. I choose to keep it in there because A) it seems it make the flour perform a wee bit better, and B) it’s not an issue for me. Xanthan gum is a bit pricey, but I got it on sale for 25% of the regular price, so it was a no-brainer. It does expire, but opinions on how long that takes are mixed. Store in the ‘fridge in an airtight container, or keep it in the same container in the cabinet.

As noted above, this gluten free flour has worked well in all recipes that call for all-purpose flour, but I am still working on pizza crust and bread. I realize the loaf pictured above is a bit of a tease, but that’s my goal. Just difficult to persist in that endeavor when it’s 98 degrees outside. If you use this flour in a recipe that calls for a specific gluten free flour mix, check their ingredients to see if they are similar. Some commercial gluten free flour mixes us garbanzo bean flour, which imparts a distinct bean-y taste. No thank you.

Give this a try and let me know how it goes!

(image source)