Dill Pickles

Dill Pickles from A Thought For Food

Dill Pickles from A Thought For Food

I stepped into the kitchen after spending hours in front of the television.  I just couldn't take it anymore.  I needed a break.  From the fridge I pulled ingredients for dinner.  I hovered over the stove and stirred, staring into a pot of stew. My thoughts brought me back to where I was when the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center occurred and the years it took before it felt normal to go into the City again.  I wondered if it'd be that way here in Boston; if I'd do all I could to avoid Copley Square so I wouldn't have to be reminded of what happened.  And would we see a change in people?  Maybe a bit more camaraderie and compassion?  Is it possible for us to take something out of this that will make our lives a little brighter?

Dill Pickles from A Thought For Food

Garlic Dill Pickles

A craving for pickles led me to my favorite pickling expert, Marisa McClellan and her wonderful book (and blog of the same name) Food in Jars. I've adapted it slightly here.

Ingredients

8-10 (approx. 3 lbs) kirby cucumbers, rinse and dried 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups filtered water 2 tablespoons pickling salt 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed fresh dill weed 2 teaspoons black peppercorns 1 teaspoon red chili flakes

Directions

1. Wash the jars in warm, soapy water.  To prepare shelf stable pickles, prepare a boiling water bath canner.  Put the canning jar lids into a small saucepan with 3 inches of water and set to a low simmer.

2. Remove blossom end of the cucumbers.  Cut into chips, spears or leave whole, depending on your preference.

3. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, water and salt and bring to a boil.

4. Equally divide garlic cloves, a big hunk of dill weed, black peppercorns and red chili flakes between the jars.  Add the the cucumbers to the jars and pack as tightly as possible without crushing them.

5. Carefully, pour the brine into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of room from the rim of the jar.

6. Remove air bubbles from the jars by gently tapping them.

7. Wipe the rims of the jars and apply lids and bands (don't screw them on too tightly).

8. If making shelf stable pickles, lower jars into your processing pot. When water returns to a boil, set a timer for 10 minutes.

9. When the 10 minutes is up, remove jars from canning pot and allow them to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, check seals.

10. If you choose not to process your jars, let them cool before putting them into the refrigerator. Do note that your jars may seal during the cooling process. However, without the boiling water bath process, that doesn't mean they're shelf stable. Refrigerate them.

11. Let pickles rest for at least one week before eating.

Marinated Eggplant with Mint and Capers

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MarinatedEggplantDuo

At the beginning of the year, when I sat down to think about the direction I wanted to take this site, I decided on a few things.  One, I didn't want to stress about it anymore. I've cut back on the number of posts.  I think this will allow me to focus on creating quality content rather than trying to bang out material for the sake of putting it up here.  And I think it will allow me to focus on the other things in my life, like relationships and exercise (still working on that one) and getting out a bit more to enjoy all the culture this city has to offer.

The second thing I decided was that I wanted to get back to the roots of why I started A Thought For Food.  As a home cook, I created this site as a way to share recipes that I have come to love... and to hopefully inspire a few people along the way to try dishes they wouldn't have normally made.  I always want these recipes, whether my own creations or from the vast collection coming from my always growing magazine collection, to be accessible to the masses. For me, there's nothing better than a meal that's not only flavorful, but uncomplicated.

This marinated eggplant is one of those dishes that I can't get enough of.  I've been making it for years, which is why I'm kind of surprised it's taken me this long to put it up.  I recently prepared it for our annual winter BBQ, where we served up lamb kabobs and falafel, along with an assortment of middle-eastern inspired sides. The briny capers help to balance the richness of the eggplant, and the mint adds a brightness that almost makes you forget about the snow laden streets.

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Marinated Eggplant with Mint and Capers

Slightly adapted from Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious

Yields: 8 appetizer portions

Ingredients

2 pounds thin Italian or Asian eggplants, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1/2 cup chopped mint

4 tablespoons small capers, rinsed

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Arrange eggplant in a single layer.

3. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil.  Broil about 4 inches from the heat, turning once, until golden, 8 to 12 minutes total.

4. Stir together vinegar, mint, capers, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and remaining oil and toss with warm eggplant. Marinate at least 20 minutes.

*Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cauliflower "Couscous"

Cauliflower “Couscous” from A Thought For Food #glutenfree #vegetarian #recipe

Image from "Cauliflower Couscous" from A Thought For Food

Cauliflower “Couscous” from A Thought For Food #glutenfree #vegetarian #recipe

Am I the only one who spends a lot of time thinking when they're in the shower?  Often I just stand there, singing along to songs on the radio, pondering the day's activities.  And when I'm gearing up to work on a recipe, it's during this time that my best ideas emerge.

I'm probably not the first person to come up with cauliflower "couscous" but when it popped into my brain, well, I must admit that I gave myself a pat on the back.  I know... I know. Show a little modesty, Brian. But, hey, I was proud of myself.  It's not often that one of my crazy concepts actually works, so when it not only met my expectations, but exceeded them, I was beyond giddy.

Just to clarify, this is not actually couscous, but a gluten-free substitute made from cauliflower.  That's why I put the quotation marks in the title... in case you were wondering.

On a separate note, I realized that I completely forgot to share this post I did for the Kinfolk Magazine online journal on the Siena Farms South End store.  Head on over to the Kinfolk site to check it out.

Cauliflower “Couscous” from A Thought For Food #glutenfree #vegetarian #recipe

Cauliflower "Couscous"

serves 4 as side dish

Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper, to taste

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Special Tools

Food processor

Directions

1. Break the florets away from the rest of the head of cauliflower, making sure to leave behind as much of the stem as possible.  Chop the florets into smaller pieces and then transfer to a food processor and pulse until the pieces until they are finally chopped and resemble couscous.

2. Place the dried cranberries in a bowl and pour warm water over them to plump them up.  Let sit for 15 minutes.

3. In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent.  Add garlic and season with salt and pepper, and, stirring often, cook for another minute.

4. Add the cauliflower couscous to the pan, season with cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and additional salt and black pepper.  Cook for another 3-4 minutes.

5. In a separate skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat.  Make sure to shake the pan frequently to ensure they toast evenly and don't burn (note: watch them carefully as they can quickly go from perfectly toasted to burnt).

6. Drain the bowl of cranberries and add them, along with the toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley, to the couscous mixture. Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, add salt and pepper.