Ume Ceasar Salad Dressing

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A million years ago, I was a chef in New York. Sometimes when I say that, I feel like it must be an exaggeration, it was so far away and long ago, was it real? Then I look at the scars on my hands from accidents in the kitchen ( blowing up a Viking range with a batch of roux for instance) and I think, “Oh, right, I did do that.”

Much of what I cook now, I learned first in a restaurant and then adapted for family life. This recipe stuck with me for years. It came out of my favorite job, working under Myra Kornfeld at Angelica Kitchen in the East Village. Myra is an absolute genius about food. Myra taught me to make this in a huge industrial blender, and since, I have messed with it and scaled it down to family-sized amounts. It makes a great Caesar Salad dressing but it also tastes awesome over greens, as a dipping sauce for anything, or as the dressing for a veggie bowl. This dressing has a fondness for crumbled nori, too, as a topping.

The ume plums from Ozuké are sweeter and less salty than the store-bought ume paste we used at the restaurant, so you can add more than this recipe calls for if you want more ume love in your dressing.

Ume Caesar Dressing

 

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp. dijon mustard

3 Ozuké ume plums, pitted (make sure on this or you will kill your blender)

3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

3 Tbs. lemon juice

1 Tbs. white miso

4 oz. silken tofu

1/3 cup grapeseed or other mellow oil

2/3 cu. olive oil

salt to taste – or add more ume

 

Put everything in the blender and blend till it’s dressing.

 

If you have a less vigorous blender, one that leaves chunks, you can blend the ume, garlic, mustard, and a ¼ cup of the oil first, till it’s a paste, then add everything else.

Quick 30 Second Salad Dressing

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I keep a bottle of olive oil at work in order to have a quick, easy dressing option for my greens or veggies._101613_JAR_PHOTO_PRINT_KIMCHI_BEETS_DULSE

Quick salad dressing substitute = 1/2 cup of your favorite ozuke ( i like them all but kimchi or beets make a killer salad) plus a drizzle of olive oil.  Salty sour perfection on your bowl of happy greens for lunch.

No blender, no fuss, no mess, no bottles with crappy ingredients and preservatives.  Happy salad and I can keep rolling with the productivity flow when I’m feeling it. 😀

My First Lime Pickle and Green Cabbage Kraut Recipe

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Ozuké played host yesterday to an Indian ladies group.  Chani, a member of the group runs an amazing in home Montessori preschool – Radiance Montessori, my three year old Desmond goes to her school.  She has been following my pickle factory progress for the last year and asked me to host a fermentation class for her ladies group.  Her group, the Ekta Ladies are a broad background of working moms from different age, ethnic backgrounds (Sri Lankan, Indian etc.) and occupational backgrounds.  One thing in common, they were a spicy, chatty group with plenty of jolly laughter, jokes and jibes.  Most of my classes I teach a basic sauerkraut.  Kraut is really the gateway ferment, simple with a high success rate.  I went in to this class knowing that a handful of my students came from culinary backgrounds, personal chefs and restaurant owners.  And from my own experience I find that most people from a South Asian background have very sound understanding and sophisticated application in the world of spices.  Usually I have some seasonal approach to my basic kraut however this class I showed up with just green cabbage and a pantry full of spices and I put the blending of the spices up to the group.  They came up with a brown mustard seed, serrano chile and fenugreek kraut. IMG_20140323_151737 We also put together my first ever lime pickle, inspired by a recipe from my brand new and much coveted _Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition_ by Bill Mollison which has a most impressive collection of South Asian and South East Asian fermentation techniques and recipes as well as a bevy of sound science and fascinating traditional approaches.  We topped our class off with a mango juice water kefir and all our ladies went home with three new “friends” to tend on their countertops for the next few weeks. Please sign up for our Newsletter to find out more about classes planned for this season.

Ekta Ladies Kraut Green Cabbage

3 heads Sea Salt to taste Ground Fenugreek

1 tablespoon Serrano Chiles

about 5 diced Brown Mustard Seed

2 tablespoons

Instructions: cut cabbage into thin slices, mix in large container with salt and spices.  Then pound cabbage for about 5 minutes until it starts to release lots of juice.  Pack in to jar and push down under its own liquid.  Keep in a bright, warm spot in your kitchen.  Open every two days to release gas and to push down under its own liquid again.  It should be ready in a week or two, wait til it is good and sour and smells delicious.  Then refrigerate and enjoy. IMG_20140323_152235

My First Lime Pickle adapted from Bill Mollison’s Punjab Stuffed Lime Pickle

20 Limes

2 heads of ginger diced small

5-10 serrano or thai bird chiles diced

12x 8 oz ball jars

1oz chile powder 1oz turmeric

2.5oz fenugreek powder 2.5oz salt

Lots of cold pressed sesame oil (I used far more than the recipe)

Instructions: Put limes whole into just boiled water and let sit for 20 minutes.  You will see the limes change color from bright green to olive. Mix the spices, ginger, chiles and salt.   Dry the limes and cut each lime into 8 pieces. (chunks). Toss limes, ginger, chile in spices and pack gently into jars.  Cover with sesame oil so that when you press the spiced limes down the oil comes up over the top.  Stand in the sun for 10 days.  Mollison says this will keep for about 6 months under oil.  I personally would refrigerate this and it will keep for longer and keep the sesame oil fresh from oxidation. (note to self – i might change this recipe next round and experiment with less oil…  Mollison’s recipe only calls for 2.5 oz of oil total…  I used a LOT more.  However the spiced oil is already DELICIOUS only one day later I ate it for lunch drizzled over leftover samosas, but traditionally there is a lot less oil in this pickle, I went for more oil because I felt this would give us a more reliable result keeping our pickle from oxidizing or molding from exposure to air).

Chef D’s Fantastic Raw Pizza

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Daniel Asher, Executive Chef over at Root Down and Linger is a masterful raw foods chef.  A great showcase of his skills are the Raw night that he hosts on the first Tuesday of every month over at the Highland’s Root Down location.

Example of Raw Night menu.

Chef Daniel recently appeared Fox’s Everyday show with a raw pizza recipe featuring our Kale and Collard Greens flavor of ozuké goodness.

 

Here is the recipe in its entirety – note that there are parts of this recipe that could be deconstructed with delicious results (i.e. I’m going to put that cashew chevre on EVERYTHING!)

Many thanks to Chef Daniel who shared the above video and following recipe with us and who promotes ozuké’s efforts wherever he goes. <3

Mushroom & Kale KimChi Pizza with Sunflower Arugula Pesto, Cashew Chèvre & Almond Date Crust
Crust:
1C raw Almond meal
2 medjool dates, chopped
3 sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4C olive oil
1/4C flax meal
1 Tblsp Hemp Hearts (a brand of ground, ready to eat, raw hemp seeds)
1 Tblsp Sesame seeds
1 scallion, chopped
pinch oregano
pinch sea salt
Method:
Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until “dough” forms. Remove from machine and form into a round pizza crust.
Can be used as-is OR dehydrate at 115 for 8 hours for a cracker style crust
Sunflower Arugula Pesto:
1C raw sunflower seeds
1/4C raw tahini
1/2C olive oil or grape seed oil
juice of 1 medium lemon
1 clove garlic
1 small shallot
1/2C loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2C arugula leaves
sea salt to taste
Method:
Combine all ingredients in high-powered blender and cycle until smooth puree texture is achieved. Additional oil may be needed to reach desired consistency.
Cashew Chèvre
3/4C raw cashews, covered in 2C filtered water & soaked overnight at room temperature
2 Tbslp lemon juice
1 Tblsp nutritional yeast
1 Tblsp gf tamari
salt & cracked black pepper to taste
Method:
Combine all ingredients high powered blender and pulse until ‘goat cheese’ texture. add some of the cashew soaking liquid as needed.
Toppings:
-sliced cremini mushrooms, lightly tossed with gf tamari & sesame oil
-Ozuke collard & kale kimchi, drained
-baby heirloom tomatoes, halved, lightly tossed with olive oil & sea salt
-watercress leaves
-microgreens or chopped herbs (dill, cilantro, tarragon, chive) as desired
To Finish:
-spread crust with pesto sauce
-arrange toppings (mushrooms, tomatoes, kimchi) on top of pesto as desired
-finish with dollops of chèvre, watercress & herbs
-cut into slices and serve!
Bon Apetit!

Blinking Beets & Cauliflower

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Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it? It was just a minute ago when Mara led a fermenting workshop. Then I blinked and it was Halloween. I blinked again and it’s almost Thanksgiving!tanner in leaves

As falls hits, the energy at my house begins to burst at the seams in anticipation of the holidays. It starts on Halloween, my boys get excited about running from house to house in costumes and collecting more candy than they will ever consume. Each year they try to finesse their trick or treating strategy by improving their running times. They start out sprinting, and by the end of the night they are dragging. The goal, of course, is to FILL their pillowcase with as much high fructose corn syrup as possible. When they were little, going to a handful of houses was adequate. Now, they can go for longer than an hour or two at full speed. It’s still not quite long enough to fill their pillowcases, but it’s plenty long enough to collect gobs of their favorite treats. They return home to sort, trade, and make plans for how each piece will be eaten and in what order. I wonder what is more fun? Trick or treating, or sorting and planning?Beets Cauliflower picklesWhen the weather is warmer, like during an Indian summer, Halloween is just that much more fun. It’s nice to be outside in the evening smelling and feeling fall. Is it the leaves turning shades of yellow, orange, red and brown that make the air smell like fall? Or is it the cooler night time temperatures? It’s probably both, and shorter daylight hours too. Either way, fall is a welcome respite from the long full days of summer. This pickled recipe of Mara’s feels like fall. She combines beautiful golden beets and creamy white cauliflower for a seasonal probiotic rich side dish.  It is fall!beets3As temperatures drop, heartier plants such as crucifers (cabbage, broccoli & cauliflower) and root vegetables begin to play a larger role in our daily diets.  They take on richer, sweeter flavors because the sugars are more concentrated in the plants. This phenomenon has also been referred to as ‘Frost Kissed’. Plus the nutritional benefit of eating these brassica vegetables is enormous.  As a group, these plants are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and choline.  Folate is an essential mineral that supports healthy brain function and is important in the construction of cell membranes. Choline helps to reduce chronic inflammation and protects the liver. Eat your golds, and creamy whites! Here is Mara’s Golden pickled beets recipe.DSC_0067

Golden Pickled Beets, Cauliflower & Peppers:
1/2 Gallon spring/filtered water
2 TBSP sea salt
3 Medium golden beets, slice 1/8″ thin by hand or with mandolin
1 Head cauliflower,  larger than bite size pieces
Peppers, sliced in half (few or many, depending on desired zing)
1 tsp Coriander seed
2 tsp Fennel seed
2 tsp Cumin seed
1/2 tsp TumericRecently Updated2Directions:
Dissolve sea salt in water using a glass jar or fermenting crock.  The brine should be salty, but not overpowering. Be sure to use non-iodized salt. Trim and peel golden beets. Then slice them approximately 1/8″ thick. Break apart or cut cauliflower into florets. Slice peppers down the middle. Pack vegetables into jar or crock alternating among colors. Continue until full. Be sure all of your vegetables are fully immersed in brine. This will ensure an anaerobic environment which is necessary for fermenting.  If needed, add brine to cover vegetable mixture completely. Allow 2-3 weeks to ferment on counter top at approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit.wet handTry these pickled treats with Tandoori chicken or other Indian spiced dishes. Of course, golden pickled beets & cauliflower would be great on a holiday antipasto platter. We hope you find the time to truly enjoy the upcoming holiday season.

 

Apple & Fennel Kraut

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Recently, a group of folks met at Fresh Thymes Eatery (FTE) for a fall fermenting workshop led by our fearless fermento, Mara. FTE is the new Community Supported Restaurant in Boulder that features a variety of naturally fermented dishes and drinks. That’s what made it such an ideal location to hold an ozuké pickled things event. Christine Ruch, chef & owner, does a superb job of preparing real food with whole ingredients. Her menu is completely gluten free, seasonal, and locally-sourced when possible. In addition to being a great restaurant, Fresh Thymes is a community gathering spot. The friendly staff worked with the ozuké team to put together an instructive kraut making & tasting session.

group collageOnce everyone arrived, Mara began teaching us how to channel our inner pickleteer. The group was pretty diverse with kids, teens, men & women attending. The kids were as busy as the adults taking notes on fermenting techniques. For more information on fermenting and some great recipes Mara suggests The Art of Fermentation and Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz.
lucyIt was nice to have young ones amongst us, as we hope they carry on the tradition of making naturally fermented pickled things for a long time. Plus, it’s fun just watching them enjoy delicious food, isn’t it?

In between snacking, we learned how to make a crunchy apple & fennel kraut. There was a lot of slicing, chopping, and pounding involved. Here’s Mara’s recipe:

Cabbage, Fennel & Apple KrautIngredients for Fennel & Apple Kraut:
2 Cabbage heads, medium
2 Apples, tart & firm
1 Fennel bulb, small
1 Parsley bunch, chopped
Salt to taste

Directions:
Clean and wash all vegetables. Slice cabbage, fennel, & apples into narrow strips (alternatively use a processor or mandolin). Chop parsley. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Salt to taste and mix thoroughly. Use a mallet or meat tenderizer to pound vegetables for approximately 15 minutes. Pounding vegetables releases their natural juices. Pack kraut into jars, being sure to have the vegetable juice cover kraut mixture completely. If temperatures are warm, store approximately 3 days on counter top. If temperatures are cooler, store for as long as a week or until desired taste is reached.poundingkraut in jarThis delicious fall kraut goes well with roasted chicken and pork. It is also excellent tossed with roasted winter squash in a salad. Try this recipe and let us know what how your home ferments go. We welcome your comments and questions always.

Boulder County Home & Garden

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BOULDER COUNTY HOME & GARDENH&G Logo_web

Fermented Foods Find a Following

Fermented foods are making a tasty new splash as “good-for-you-foods”–although our grandparents knew it all along. By Mary Lynn Bruny

RECIPES FOR FERMENTING

fermenting-redrice Red Rice Make this recipe once, and I promise you, your family will ask for more. My daughter, Kailee, would never let a beet near her lips in any other way! Ingredients Butter or olive oil, to taste 1 jar Ozuké the best pickled things Beets, Dulse & Kale 3-4 cups rice, cooked 1 teaspoon garlic (or to taste), minced Toasted sesame oil Optional: sprouts, kale, fried eggs Directions Put butter or olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add one full jar Beets, Dulse & Kale. Sizzle for a bit, then add cooked rice. Stir over medium heat until everything mixes together. Add minced garlic and drizzle with toasted sesame oil. We serve this rice with a fried egg on top with sprouts and baby kale on the side. You can always snazz this up with another kind of protein and call it dinner. —Mara King, Esoteric Food Company

Golden Quinoa & Pickled Beets Salad

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Running around taking care of things such as work, kids, and chores can make it challenging to eat well every day. Here is a protein rich quinoa salad that can be made anytime and refrigerated, making it easy to just grab-n-go. The best part is that this colorful dish can be eaten hot or cold, and the ingredients are simple, and nourishing.

Our ozuké pickled beets, dulse, & kale is the SUPERFOOD ingredient adding brilliant color and intense nutrients to this meal. In addition to being a great source of iron, beets have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. Dulse, a mineral rich sea vegetable, contains trace elements and is a protein source. Kale, a member of the mustard family, is high in calcium and vitamins A,C, and K. And, of course, ozuké pickled beets, dulse, & kale, like all of our fermented foods, is raw, organic, and probiotic.inthejarWhat makes puts the ‘gold’ in golden quinoa? Turmeric! Dubbed by some as the ‘world’s healthiest food’, turmeric comes from the roots or rhizomes of the plant species Curcuma longa (Ginger family).  Perhaps best known as an ingredient in curry, turmeric is what gives mustard its bright yellow color.  It is rich in manganese, iron, vitamin B6, fiber, and potassium. Turmeric’s color and flavor make it a great spice to incorporate in so many recipes.
ingredientsIngredients: 
1 cup of quinoa
½ teaspoon of turmeric
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or Olive oil
½ small onion, chopped
1.5 cups of water
1 cup edamame, frozen
1 clove garlic, peeled & smashed
½ cup each of fresh cilantro, and mint, and parsley, lightly chopped
½ cup carrots, shredded
½ cup cashews, toasted
1 TBSP or more of lemon juice & zest
Salt & pepper to taste
½ cup or more ozuké beets, dulse, & kaleinthepanDirections:
In a medium saute pan with lid or sauce pan, heat oil. On medium/high heat saute onion and quinoa for about 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add water, edamame, garlic clove, and stir. After bringing to a simmer, cover and let cook about 15 minutes. If possible, let cool, then fluff. While quinoa is cooling toast cashews in a pan on medium heat. Add remaining ingredients, stir and top with ozuké beets, dulse, & kale.
peasgarliccooked and fluffed

Serve Golden Quinoa as a meal or a side dish, hot or cold. As an alternative to shredded carrots, consider using this Cranberry Carrot Salad recipe.

Cranberry Carrot Salad:
4 cups shredded carrots     
½ cup or more dried cranberries     
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice     
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest     
2 tablespoons honey
Salt to taste
Fresh dill leavescarrots

Salsa Roja en Molcajete (or blender)

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A good homemade salsa will liven up any dish. It’s a quick way to add a ton of flavor in a single spoonful. At home, we like to put salsa on eggs, grilled vegetables, and meats. Although right now our favorite way to eat salsa roja is along with citrus & ginger pickled things on corn chips. Luckily, zuké pickled things travels well!

20130710-114921.jpg Here, in Mexico, it’s common to spread a dollop (or several) of salsa roja on a handmade corn tortilla and devour at least 5 with a bowl of caldo (a flavorful broth) or menudo (tripe soup). Perhaps more popular and pervasive, is using it as a condiment on tacos. It’s available at every corner road side stand.

Of course, you can use a blender to make this salsa in just a few minutes, but this morning, my aunt Juana prepared salsa roja for our breakfast using one of the oldest kitchen tools in Mesoamerica, the molcajete. Molcajetes are available at most Mexican mercados (stores) and are made from different materials such as volcanic stone or plastic. They are used to make salsas, moles, guacamole, and more.20130710-115949.jpg20130710-120250.jpgSalsa Roja Ingredients:
5-6 medium tomatillos, roasted
7-10 chile de arbol (spicy=more chiles/mild=less chiles), roasted
1 clove garlic, roasted
~ 1/2 tsp water
Salt to taste

Directions:
Roast tomatillos (see note below), chile de arbol (approx. 1 minute each side), and garlic (approx 2 minutes each side) on stove top or grill using flat cooking surface such as a cast iron skillet or griddle. Use aluminum foil to wrap the tomatillos as they roast over the heat. Foil acts as a steamer and receptacle for tomatillo juices, ensuring that all liquid will be reserved for salsa. Roast tomatillos until they become charred and are lighter in color, approximately 10 minutes. Be sure to turn every few minutes for even roasting.

MOLCAJETE: Begin by slowly crushing roasted chile de arbol in the molcajete with salt. Add a bit of water to prevent chile from ‘jumping’ out of the molcajete. Then add the roasted garlic, continue to crush. Add tomatillos, one at a time until all ingredients are blended together well (see photo).

BLENDER: Place all ingredients in blender, puree for approx. 1 minute or until consistency is as desired. Transfer to bowl for serving or jar for storing in refrigerator.

When all ingredients are blended well, taste first, then add more salt if needed.
20130710-120759.jpg20130710-121349.jpg20130710-121425.jpg20130710-121448.jpg20130710-121508.jpgLet me know how your salsa roja turns out, and as always, tell me how you use it. Andale!20130710-122832.jpg20130710-122929.jpg

FEED Fermentation Evening

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FEED Fermentation Evening

Lovely evening with the Catamounts at 63rd Street Farm.

Very cool concept of five course meal punctuated by performances, all on a common theme. Mara was a guest chef for this event and she made some seriously steller fermented goods. Cider sun fermented mustard, juniper pickled mackerel, saffron kombucha with Cava aka the SCOBY crocus, and anchovy pear kim chi roses atop each dinner plate. Such a treat.

For more on upcoming FEED events: http://www.thecatamounts.org/

Next dinner theme: Preservation. Yum.