Serenbe Style and Soul

with Marie Nygren

Monthly Archive: October 2013

Thursday

31

October 2013

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COMMENTS

Kevin Gillespie’s Asparagus Salad

Written by , Posted in Recipes

Serves 8
  • Olive oil – about 2 cups
  • Garlic – 2 cloves, sliced thin
  • Basil – 1 bunch
  • Lemon – 1
  • Asparagus – 1 pound, trimmed of woody ends
  • Salt
  • Feta cheese – 4-ounce block (about 1/2 cup), grated or crumbled

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Pour the oil into a loaf pan or one quart casserole dish.  Add the garlic and 2 tablespoons of small leaves from the basil to the oil.  Wrap the remaining basil in a damp paper towel, cover, and refrigerate until time for serving.  Using a fine microplane grater, zest 1/2 of the lemon directly into the oil.  Using a vegetable peeler, strip two large pieces of the peel into the oil; make sure you have a little peel left on the lemon.  Drop the asparagus in the boiling water for 1 minute.  Using tongs, remove the asparagus from the water, tap the tongs on the side of the pot, shaking off any excess water, and lay the asparagus into the dish with the oil.   The asparagus should be completely submerged; add a little more oil if needed.  Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 4 hours.

Thursday

31

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

Sorrel Soup

Written by , Posted in Recipes

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 pound onions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • ½ pound potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • ¾ pound sorrel, trimmed and torn in large pieces
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • sour cream

Heat butter in a deep pot and sauté onions until wilted and turning golden, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add stock and heat, then add potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are done, about 10 minutes.  Stir in sorrel and heat thoroughly.
Transfer to a food processor and puree.  Return to the pot and heat for another few minutes, correcting seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top of each serving.  This recipe doubles and even triples quite nicely and easily.

Thursday

31

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

Witch Craft: A Costume, A Cauldron and a Community

Written by , Posted in Miscellaneous

This will surprise no one: I own a witch costume.

I haven’t always been a witch. When we lived in the city and the girls were little, we had a great house with a stone porch and I’d host a party so everyone could watch the kids walk by. One year Steve and I were a king and queen. Another year we were a biker family with leather jackets. And I’ll never forget the time we went as farmers and Steve brought a real pig and goat to trick or treat with us. They caused such a stir on the street that we had to take them home.

For the first few years we lived at Serenbe, we didn’t have Halloween because we didn’t have the community around us yet, and I missed it terribly. But when it got going, I convinced the family to dress as characters from Wizard of Oz. Garnie was Dorothy, Kara was a sexy scarecrow, Steve was the wizard (of course) and I was Glenda the good witch.

sss-halloween2013

All we were missing were the flying monkeys.

For the past few years, I’ve set up a big cauldron on my front porch, put on a witch costume and given out candy to the kids. Not apples, granola or raisins—I have never been that mother. I firmly believe that trick or treating is about junk: Snickers, Kit Kats and Three Musketeers. And if there happen to be some peanut M&Ms left over, that’s just fine with me.

This year my schedule got the best of me and I thought I’d waited too long to rent my witchy attire. But when I got to Atlanta Costume, they hadn’t even put the outfit on the floor yet. And I said, really? The dress is still here? I’m buying it.

There’s just something about being a witch that suits me. Decades ago, Southern women cooked meals in big black cauldrons over an open flame. And in that same way, we’re constantly cooking something at Serenbe. Our community cauldron is full of ingredients that complement each other in wonderful ways. I love the whole magical process of food—it’s the energy behind my cooking and what we’ve created at Serenbe.

Thursday

31

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

Hugh Acheson’s Crisp Kale and Baby Zucchini Salad with Garlic and Anchovy Dressing

Written by , Posted in Recipes

  • 2 small zucchinis (5 inches around) shaved very thinly
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus a small pinch
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 6 cups kale leaves
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the shaved zucchini in a bowl or platter and pour 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice over it. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and then douse with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Use an olive oil you would be proud of, not the cheapest you can find. Let the zucchini sit at room temperature as you progress through the rest of the recipe.
In a large bowl toss the kale leaves with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and toss well. Lay out on a baking sheet pan and bake in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes.
The kale should crisp well and have a nice amount of color to it but not be shriveled up greenery. We are trying to get to a texture of crunchy while retaining the beauty of green.
Remove the kale from the oven and set aside.
In a small mortar and pestle, pound the garlic into a paste with the mustard, anchovy paste, and the pinch of salt. Slowly add the olive oil to emulsify and then thin with the remaining lemon juice and the vinegar. Taste for loveliness.
Spread some of the dressing down on a platter and then arrange the zucchini on the dressing. Then pile up the kale leaves over that and dot with Parmesan shavings. Eat. It’s good for you.

Thursday

31

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

Roasted, Marinated Beets with Caly Road Little Stone Mountain Goat Cheese

Written by , Posted in Recipes

  • ½ pound Caly Road Little Stone Mountain Goat Cheese (or similar)
  • 3 pounds medium sized ruby queen or Chioggia beets
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 cups water
  • salt and black pepper
  • 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup fresh blackberries
  • ¼ cup toasted pistachios
  • ½ cup baby arugula

Place washed beets in a deep roasting pan.  Fill pan ½ way up the beets with water.  Add vinegar, butter, honey, salt and pepper.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast in a 350 degree oven for 1 ½-2 hours or until a knife goes easily into a beet’s center.  Remove from oven and remove from cooking liquid; reserve cooking liquid.  Wearing gloves, peel off the exterior skin and quarter beets while still warm.  Strain the cooking liquid through a chinois, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss beets with reserved cooking liquid.  Serve with fresh goat cheese, avocado, pistachio, blackberries and baby arugula.

Thursday

31

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

The Farmhouse Blueberry Cobbler

Written by , Posted in Recipes

Serves: 8
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put butter into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and place in oven while oven is preheating. Remove when butter has melted; this may take up to 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk until batter is smooth. Pour into melted butter in baking dish. Scatter fruit across the top. Bake cobbler 30 minutes or until cobbler is cooked through and top begins to brown. Serve hot or warm with ice cream.

The Farmhouse Blueberry Rum Cocktail

For each serving, puree 1/4 cup fresh blueberries with a tablespoon of brown sugar and some fresh lemon juice. The puree can be strained before it’s mixed with a jigger or two of rum and topped off with a half cup of ginger ale and served on the rocks in a tall glass.  Please enjoy this refreshing libation responsibly.

Thursday

31

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

Chris Hastings’ Shrimp Gazpacho with Lemon Oil

Written by , Posted in Recipes

This is our Southern take on a classic Spanish soup.  Because it is always served cold, it is a light and refreshing meal for a sultry Southern day. You can substitute jumbo lump blue crabmeat for the shrimp, if you prefer.  Many good olive oil companies also produce lemon oil in which the olives are pressed with fresh lemons, creating fragrant, flavorful oil. Lemon oil adds a bright, rich quality to this soup.

Serves 6; about 6 cups
  • 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, about 3 to 4 medium tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced cucumber
  • 1/2 cup finely diced zucchini
  • 1/2 cup finely diced yellow squash
  • 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced tomato
  • 1/2 cup seeded and finely diced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup seeded and finely diced yellow bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup finely diced Poblano pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 26 large (21 to 25 count) cooked, peeled, and diced fresh shrimp, about 1 pound
  • 12 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons lemon oil

Slice each of the tomatoes into 4 quarters. Place the tomatoes in a food mill and turn until all of the juice is extracted. You will need about 2 cups of the fresh tomato juice. Discard the tomato seeds and peel. Alternatively, the tomatoes can be seeded, roughly chopped, and pureed in a food processor or blender. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and discard any solids.

Combine the tomato juice and the next 9 ingredients (cucumber through vinegar) into a large bowl, stirring well to combine. Season the soup with the salt and pepper and stir in the diced shrimp. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the soup is well chilled. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish each serving with 1 teaspoon of the chopped basil and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon oil. Serve chilled.

Thursday

31

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

Green Tomato Pickles

Written by , Posted in Recipes

  • 3 cups thinly sliced green tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
  • 1/2 cup cherry bomb peppers
  • 5-10 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 2-3 sprigs fennel blossom or parsley
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour the mixture over the vegetables in a large glass bowl and cover with a plate to submerge. Let stand at room temperature until cool. Then can place in a plastic container and refrigerate. Good for 1 month.

Thursday

31

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

The Farmhouse’s Collard Slaw

Written by , Posted in Recipes

Apple Cider Vinaigrette
  • ¼ cup wild honey
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together.

Slaw
  • 4 cups raw collard greens, washed, destemmed, and julienned
  • 1 cup carrot, shredded
  • 1 cup radish, shredded
  • ½ cup honeycrisp apple, diced
  • ¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced
  •  ¼-½ cup peanuts, chopped

Place all slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette. Garnish with the chopped peanuts.  Serve and enjoy.

Thursday

31

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

Steven Satterfield’s Roasted Pepper and Eggplant Soup

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  • Oven roast 2 large or three small whole eggplant; cool, peel
  • Oven roast 4 large or 6 small peppers; cool, peel, reserve liquid
  • Oven roast 3 fresh tomatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme sprigs; cool, peel
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 small or 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 hot pepper, seeded
  • ¼ cup local honey
  • 2 quarts chicken stock
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper
  • smoked paprika

Heat butter and olive oil in a soup pot and add onions, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Sweat until translucent.  Add roasted vegetables, stock, and remaining ingredients.  Simmer 30-45 minutes and taste for seasoning.  Remove bay leaf and blend until smooth.  Serve hot in individual bowls.  Garnish with smoked paprika and drizzle with olive oil.