Bear Cuisine

Pickled Beets

Kay and I love beets in all their various forms. Alas, Hallie does not. I'm hoping that this recipe might make a convert out of her. But even it doesn't, we'll have some delicious pickles over the winter.

PICKLED BEETS WITH RED WINE

• 6 pounds beets, with their rootlets and 2 inches of their tops, well cleaned
  
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  
• two 4-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
  
• One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
  
• 3 cups sugar
  
• 2 cups red wine
  
• 3 cups red wine vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon pickling salt
  
• 
  

Put the beets into a large pot and pour enough boiling water over them to cover them. Return the water to a boil and boil the beets 15-35 minutes, depending on their size, until they are just tender.

Drain the beets and cover them with cold water. Whey they are cook, trim them and slip off their skins. If they are large, halve or quarter them--or, if you like, slice all the beets into 1/4-inch thick rounds.

Tie the cloves, cinnamon and ginger in a spice bag. Put this into a nonreactive pot with the sugar, wine, vinegar, and salt. Bring the contents to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Simmer the syrup, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

While the syrup simmers, pack the beets into pint mason jars.

Remove the spice bag from the pan and pour the hot syrup over the beets, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Close the jars with two-piece caps. Process the jars for 30 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

Store the cooled jars in a cook, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating the beets. After opening a jar, store it in the refrigerator.

(from Linda Ziedrich. The Joy of Pickling)

 

Strawberry and Fig Jam

I still remember the first time I tasted a fresh fig. I was absolutely transported to a heavenly place where life was luscious and ripe. I was 12 and had, perhaps for the first time, fallen in love ;I still adore these globes of decadent fruit. Here is a recipe that combines two bits of summer goodness so that you can enjoy them until their next blossoming season.

FRESH FIG AND STRAWBERRY JAM

(makes about 4 half pints)

• 1 pound fresh green figs, stemmed and cut into small pieces
• 2 cups quartered strawberries
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Place the figs, strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium enameled pan. Cover and let stand for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and boil rapidly, uncovered until mixture will form a gel. ( I found that took about a half hour, but this can vary enormously. Keep an eye and the mixture and stir frequently.

When finished cooking ladle into hot, sterilized jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

(adapted from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving)

No painter could have a more brilliant palette

Janet Harris's Award Winning Pizza

Janet Harris, my online cooking pal, was very excited to have won first place in a pizza contest sponsored her her local Trader Joe's. She was judged by the store's public and employees--all of them tough critics.

Congratulations, Janet!

1st Prize Fruit Pizza - Janet Harris

(All ingredients from Trader Joe's)

•  12 inch whole wheat olive oil tortilla
  
•  softened cream cheese
  
•  grated havarti cheese
  
•  cut fresh fruit of choice (mangos, strawberries, blueberries, shredded coconut, green chile, kumquat pictured)
  
• could even use winter fruit like sliced apples, with raisins, and chopped nuts,  or thawed frozen black, blue, or raspberries.
  
•  Blue Agave syrup, maple syrup, or honey
  
•  ground cinnamon
  
•  crushed red chile flakes
  
•  
  

Preheat oven to 400-425 F. Place tortilla on vented baking pan. Spread on a thin layer of cream cheese, leaving an edge.  Top artfully with cut fresh fruit of choice. Lightly dust with cinnamon, and a drizzle of syrup or honey, to taste.  Cover lightly with grated havarti, and sprinkle crushed red chile on top.  Place in oven and bake 5 minutes until cheese just melts.  Cut with pizza wheel, and serve warm.

 

 

 Beautiful and I bet it tastes as good as it looks.

Homage to Julia

On Saturday, !5 August, we made a day of celebrating Julia Child's birthday. We began by going to see Julie and Julia which we thoroughly enjoyed. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams are two of my favorite actresses and I thought Nora Ephron did a good job adapting the two books which were the basis of her screenplay. The movie was fun. We had a good time which I think would have made Julia very happy.

Then we met friends for a dinner celebrating Julia's birthday at what I think is the best restaurant in Albuquerque, Jennifer James 101.  Jennifer has had three restaurants here and this one is operated in partnership with Kelly Burton and Nellie Bauer. All of her places have been outstanding, but this one is my favorite. It has just the right combination of intimacy, warmth and marvelous food. We had a great evening--good food, good friends and good times.

Nellie and Jennifer

Katie and Joseph. Bottoms Up!

Oysters on the Half-Shell

Foie Gras Mousse in Figs

Chicken Rillettes with pickles

Consomme with Vegetables

Caesar Salad

Sole Meuniere

Roasted French hens with Jus, Summer Tomatoes Provencal, Glazed Purple Carots, 

Roasted Potatoes with herbs

We served our own plates from platters served family style.

Fruit and Cheese

Boca Negra

I wish all of our friends could have enjoyed this celebration. That would have made the evening even more perfect. Technically, there can't be degrees of perfection; but in real life some things are more perfect. 

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is a quick and easy dinner. Marinated overnight and cooked on the grill it makes a dinner that is elegant enough for company and the family will wonder what they have done to deserve such goodness. This is  adapted from Ina Garten's latest book, Barefoot Contessa back to basics:fabulous flavor from simple ingredients.

 

MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN

1. Grated zest of 1 lemon
   
2. 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
   
3. 1/2 cup good olive oil
   
4. 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
   
5. 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
   
6. 1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
   
7. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
   
8. Kosher salt
   
9. 3 pork tenderloins (1 pork tenderloin for every 2 people)
   
10. Freshly ground black pepper
    

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard and 2 teaspoons salt in a one-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for 3 hours, but overnight is better.

When you are ready to cook, remove the tenderloins from the marinade. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Grill for 15 to 25 minutes turning so that the meat is evenly browned. Cook until the meat registers 137 degrees at its thickest part. 

Transfer the meat to a platter and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices.

Instead of discarding the marinade, strain off as much of the olive oil as you can. Then boil it until it has reduced to a sauce-like consistency. Season to taste and you have a delicious gravy for your roast.