Carol William's Green Beans w/ Vinaigrette

There were several requests for Carol's recipe for the green beans served at the 2013 Greens Meeting (Thanks Carol for this delicious recipe):


Vinaigrette for green beans or asparagus

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Minced herbs such as thyme, rosemary
1/2 cup olive oil

Put the mustard in a wide bowl. Whisk in everything else except the oil. Then, slowly dribble in the olive oil, whisking all the while, until the dressing is thick.

When you cook the green beans, as soon as they are done, run cold water over them to set the bright color. I think they are best served at room temperature.

I prefer rice wine vinegar but red wine vinegar or any vinegar you like is fine. Just don't use a dark balsamic vinegar or it will discolor the beans.

Enjoy!

Here it is... Judy Hallberg's Chicken w/ Tarragon Cream Sauce

After many requests for Judy's entree recipe at this year's Greens Meeting, here is her recipe. Thanks so much Judy.

Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Cooking the chicken

·       2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 pounds. (use large whole chicken breasts)

·       1 tablespoons coarse salt – for optional brining

·       ¼  cup fresh tarragon leaves, or 2 tbls dried tarragon

·       1 – 2 cups water

·       ¼ cup white wine, vermouth

Optional, brine the chicken: rub  1 tbsp. coarse salt over chicken pieces, put in shallow enamel  or crockery bowl, cover and keep refrigerated for 24 hours, turning the chicken once. Before cooking, rinse chicken thoroughly.

Poaching the chicken: Heat oven to 325, put chicken in stainless steel or oven safe crockery pan, add tarragon, white wine and enough HOT water to cover chicken. Cover the pan and place in hot oven.

Check for doneness at 45 minutes. Add more water if necessary to keep chicken covered (but not drowning). A fast-read meat thermometer is useful – DONE is 155. The meat should be slightly underdone as it will continue to cook after removing from the heat.

Remove from oven and let chicken cool in the poaching liquid at least 2 hours. Refrigerate if you don’t plan to serve it within 3 hours. Use within 24 hours or drain and freeze.

Slow cooker poaching is preferred if you have one large enough for the amount of chicken you’re cooking. It will take longer than the oven method and requires less water. Use whatever temperature setting is hot but not simmering.

Tarragon cream sauce

·       ¾  cup plain mayonnaise, reduced fat versions are OK

·       1  cup béchamel or white sauce

·       1 tbls fresh, whole tarragon leaves or 1 teas dried tarragon

Judy’s béchamel sauce:  (makes 1 cup

·       1 tbls butter

·       2 tsp flour

·       ½ cup chicken stock

·       ½ cup warm milk

·       Nutmeg, pepper

Melt butter in saucepan until it foams, quickly toss in flour and whisk or stir, whisk in hot chicken stock, whisk in warm milk, remove from heat. It should be the consistency of heavy cream. Add pepper to taste, add salt sparingly – check your chicken to see how salty it is before you add salt to the sauce. Add a pinch – 1/8 teas nutmeg.

Combine béchamel and mayonnaise, stir in tarragon.

Drain chicken pieces, cut each in half to make 4 pillow shaped pieces. Put chicken in shallow baking and serving dish with space between each piece. Blanket the chicken with the sauce so it is generously covered but not swimming in the sauce. Garnish with whole, sliced or coarsely chopped almonds.

Heat for 15 minutes in 325 oven. Do not overheat as the sauce will get crusty and the chicken will be overcooked.

This is also delicious served cold. NOTE: I poach larger quantities of chicken this way and then use the meat in salad or with various sauces or sliced. It’s very important to not slice the chicken until it is completely cool as the juices will escape and you’ll be left with dry meat. This is a very low fat method and you need the meat to retain as much juice as possible.

Winter Recipes to Share

If you are finding  yourself in the kitchen these days instead of the garden, you may be creating a warm and hearty dish that is just perfect for these cold winter days.

Here are two delicious recipes from Maureen Leonard.

Maybe you'd like to share one too?

Terri Stephens' McIntosh Cake

Thanks Terri for a delicious cake at the last IGC meeting. We asked for the recipe and here it is:

McIntosh Cake

11/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
3 cups unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 medium McIntosh apples, cored and sliced, but not peeled.

Combine sugar, oil and vanilla in mixer bowl and beat at medium speed until thick, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and apple juice, and beat at high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 more minutes. Add dry ingredients and beat on low until combined. Batter will be very thick.

Add sliced apples. Beat on low speed for a few secomds, just long enough to break up apples but not reducing them to a pulp. Spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan heavily greased with solid shortening, not oil.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 30-45 minutes, then remove and cool completely.

Dates with Almonds and Candied Orange Peel

Carol Williams served up an exceptionally delicious and nutritional
treat at the IGC Holiday Luncheon. Here's just how nutritional her
dates, almonds and candied orange peel are:

According to a new study by researchers, DATES are a treat to

eat because they contain so many antioxidants. Antioxidants in

general have been linked to a number of potential health 
benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer.
For the study,researchers analyzed the antioxidant content of 
more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, 
nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. Of all the foods and 
beverages studied, dates actually have the most antioxidants
based on serving size.

The benefits of ALMONDS  are due to loads of vitamin 
content in them. Almonds are rich in folic acid and 
vitamin B. Copper content helps in proper development 
of bone and improves nerve functioning. Almonds function 
as powerful antioxidants due to its Vitamin E content. 
It helps in improving blood circulation and lowering of 
cholesterol thereby providing added cardiac protection. 
Not only this, it helps to stabilize blood sugar as well. 
Therefore it can be the best snack for diabetic patients. 
One of the other significant health benefits 
of almonds are due to its laetrile content which 
serves as an anti cancer component.

And what about the ORANGE PEEL? Citrus peel, 
especially orange, contains considerable amounts of 
mineral and vitamins. Orange peel contains more  
vitamin C (ascorbic acid) than its juice. Likewise, the
peel is rich source of vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, 
minerals such as calcium, selenium, manganese, 
zinc...etc. several fold more than its pulp.

So now that we know how beneficial this treat is, here is Carol's recipe:


Plump medjool dates, cut in half if large
Roasted almonds, whole
Candied orange peel, cut into tiny strips
Shredded coconut (unsweetened)


Pit the dates, and remove the hard disk from the stem end. Add coconut.Tuck an almond and a strip of peel into each date and arrange on a flat dish.


Thank you Carol!

A Spring Recipe from Landi VanAlen

For those of you who were at the Winthrop School last Thursday for the Arbor Day assembly, you will remember Sheila McAdams, the principal telling the wonderful story about wild leeks. As a child, Sheila gathered them in the wooded areas on the boundaries of her family's farm. In the Spring, the bare trees allowed the sun to filter to the ground and made it possible for tender leeks to grow. Sheila collected the leeks and was able to sell them to neighbors who liked to use them in recipes.

Wild leeks or "ramps" have become rarer today but should you find your own spring leeks in a forest or supermarket, Landi VanAlen shares her very own recipe for wild leek vichyssoise with us.

Landi VanAlen's Wild Leek Vichyssoise

6 peeled diced potatoes
21/2 cups clean chopped wild leeks
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 tsps. chopped fresh dill
5 tbsp. butter
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste

1. Boil potatoes until tender and set aside.
2. Saute (lightly) wild leeks, chives and dill in butter in large pot.
3. Add chicken broth to leek mixture and bring to a boil.
4. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper.
5. Drain potatoes and add to leek broth.
6. In a blender, puree on low for one minute or until smooth.
7. Chill. Then stir in cream.
8. Serve garnished with fresh chives.

Macaroon Cookies by Dianne Fischbach

From Gourmet Magazine, June 1997, Page 134

 1 cup whole blanched almonds

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg white

¼ tsp. almond extract (I add more.)

pinch of salt

confectioners sugar for dusting

about 16 WHOLE almonds (one for the top of each cookie)
 

In a food processor pulse almonds & sugar until fine.

Add egg white, almond extract & pinch of salt.

Pulse until well combined.  (it makes a big ball in the processor when done)
Lightly butter cookie sheet.

Make dough into 16 balls.

Flatten slightly with a back of teaspoon. (I keep a glass with water handy, dip the spoon every 2 or 3 cookies to prevent sticking.  Not too wet, though!)

Press a whole blanched almond GENTLY into each cookie.

Dust (generously) with confectioners sugar.
 

BAKE 10 minutes or until golden – PALE GOLDEN.   Yum-m-m-m!
(If you overcook them they will be crunchier.  Still yummy!)