A Stack of Dishes

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Potato Red Beet Gratin

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Oh my dear readers, how I have missed you. It has been an unusual Summer with traveling and preparing my apartment to be sold. The end of the days leave me in a heap, hardly wanting to cook, let alone shoot.
But now the grind is easing up and I am getting my verve back at the stove. The drier, cooler temps also help tremendously.
And so, the first creation out of the kitchen comes this gratin. I am a bit proud of myself as this is of my own making. A bit of inspiration from here and there and thus we have it. Beautiful isn’t it? and remarkably delicious as well. I can’t wait now to have a dinner party, I think this would make a remarkable talking point.
I made this in a smallish ramekin/souffle dish. 4″ in diameter to be exact. I am cooking for one these days as my fiancee is away at our home in Louisiana and remain behind in NYC until the apartment sells. So no need for anything larger. Half for today, half for tomorrow.
Potato Red Beet Gratin with Goat Cheese
 
2 medium red beets, peeled
2 medium potatoes, peeled
1 clove garlic, rough chopped
2oz goat cheese, chevre
fresh thyme leaves
3/4 c milk
S & P to taste
 
Oven at 35o˚
 
 
First I prepared the dish by greasing it up with some oil.
 
On a mandeline I first sliced the potatoes into very thin slices. I layered half of them along the bottom of the dish interspersing thyme, s & p
 
Then on the same setting I sliced up the raw beets and layered them on top of the potatoes, trying to keep an even layer and not allowing them to pile too much in the center.
 
Finishing off the dish with the rest of the potatoes, thyme and seasoning.
 
In the blender I placed the cheese, milk and garlic and gave it a healthy whiz. 
 
Carefully, allowing the liquid to seep around the slices, I poured the milk mixture to the rim.
 
Into the oven it went with a light cover of foil to start out with.
 
After about 40 mins I removed the foil and baked for another 20 mins or so until the top was  browned and the juices had been absorbed into the potatoes and a fork pierced through the center confirmed doneness.
 
After removing it from the oven I let it sit for about 20 mins, then turned it out onto a dish by flipping it over.
 
 
 

Walking thoughts

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Most Summers I go out to visit my hometown, Greenport, where my mother still lives. It has become a bit of a ritual that I arise with the dawn and with camera in hand head out and take photos.

There is something about those quiet hours when the light is so beautiful and the little seaside town is still sleepy and calm. I didn’t always love living there when I was growing up. Small town girl stuff, and the winters can be dull and dry with salty wet winds making it unpleasant. There were long stretches of gray nothing that can drive a girl to poetry (and art). 


This particular morning it was foggy and I wandered into a boat yard not too far from Mom’s house.

A Healthier Tea Bread: made with quinoa

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A few weeks ago I found myself standing in front of a huge Bob’s Red Mill display that had an incredible assortment of flours and grains- many of which I had not seen on store shelves before.
I grabbed some graham flour and some whole wheat bread flour, but then my eye landed on High Fibre Coconut Flour. News to me, I have never seen such a thing- so tossed into the basket it went.
That package sat around for a few weeks until I could decide what to make with it. I finally decided to reinvent my pumpkin quick bread recipe- not that it needed any fixing, it certainly wasn’t broke, but as you know, I love to play. I am also still mesemerized by the quinoa I made a week or so ago and still thinking on how to add that into other things.
Somewhere in the back of my mind was a cookie recipe or something that used the grain uncooked. I searched for it but couldn’t find it. So naturally I just decided to give it a go- how much trouble could I get into?
I replaced a half cup of all purpose flour with the coconut flour. The package warns about the high absorption of the flour and the potential need for added moisture. The flour has a lovely coconutty aroma straight out of the bag. I knew from the start I was in for something good.
When all came together the consistency was definitely different than what I am used to. More pasty, but not gummy. I split the batter between two standard loaf pans. I was a little nervous about that dense batter, but I also like a biscotti-esque slice of this quick bread and it toasts beautifully.
They both baked beautifully and I am thrilled. Out came a dense, not too sweet and fragrant loaf. The quinoa gives it a nutty little crunch that I rather quite like. It sliced beautifully and I was right, toasted up divinely.
Now in the morning I take two of the pre-sliced pieces and tuck them into the toaster as my latte brews. A great way to start off the day.
Coconut Pumpkin Loaf with Quinoa
2 c all purpose flour
.5 c Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour
.25 c uncooked quinoa
.5 c sweetened shredded coconut
1t baking powder
1t baking soda
1T ground cinnamon
1/4t salt
.5 c canola oil
1.5 c sugar
1 large egg
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2T cool water
splash of vanilla (1t?)
 
Grease and line with parchment paper two standard loaf pans. Preheat oven to 35o˚
In large bowl combine first ingredients through to salt (dry). Stir to combine.
 
In separate bowl combine oil, egg, pumpkin, water and vanilla.(wet) Stir to combine.
 
Mix the wet into the dry and swiftly stir to incorporate. Resist the temptation to over mix. The batter will be dense.
 
Divide into the two pans and smooth out tops with spatula.
 
Bake in the center of the oven for approx 25 mins. Test after 20 mins and check every 3 after that.
 
Allow loaves to completely cool before slicing.
 
 
1 SLICE: 123 CALS, 4.7G FAT (.7G SAT FAT), 12.2G TOTAL CARB, 3G FIBER, 2G PROTEIN