Mar 31 2014

Ham and Split Pea Soup

My Mom had cooked a smoked ham and decided that it was just too salty for her liking – so I ended up with 3/4 of a smoked ham as leftovers. The first thing I thought of making was split pea soup. I’ve never made it before, but have enjoyed the road signs and ordering it at Pea Soup Andersen’s – which until now –  I always thought was Andersen’s Split Pea Soup… learn something new with each blog post I research. Trips down to Southern California to see Ace’s family began or ended with a side trip to Santa Nella off Interstate 5 for a bowl of Andersen’s soup. Good memories indeed.

I asked a friend if she had any good recipes and she didn’t, so she did a search and found Emeril Lagasse’s recipe on The Food Network website.

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While I didn’t have a ham hock and Parmesan truffled potato chips were just a little too fancy for everyday lunches, I managed to adjust the recipe a bit to accommodate the ingredients I did have on hand. I added more carrots, pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme and water – adjustments are reflected below.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 Pound Dried Split Peas
  • 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 1 Cup Finely Chopped Yellow Onions
  • 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Celery
  • 1 Cup Finely Chopped Carrots
  • 2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
  • 1 Pound Chopped Smoked Ham
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1-2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 8-10 Cups Water
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme

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Directions:

  • Place the peas in a large pot or bowl, cover with water by 2 inches and soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain the peas and set aside.
  • In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook, stirring, until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
  • Add the smoked ham and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown. Add the drained peas, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add 8 cups of water, the bay leaf and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, about 1 hour. (Add more water as needed, if the soup becomes too thick or dry.)
  • Remove the bay leaf and discard. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and serve immediately.

I ended up soaking the peas overnight. The liquid absorbed and I was left with a giant bowl of green peas that fascinated my little helper.

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Seriously the cutest sous chef on the planet…

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I used the strainer to drain the peas – there was a little water left in the bowl.

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In a large pot, I melted the butter over medium-high heat. I then added the onions and cooked, stirring, for 2 minutes. The celery and carrots went in next and I cooked/stirred for about 3 minutes until soft. I added the garlic and cooked, stirring for a minute or so.

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I diced up the smoked ham and added that next.

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My spices went in next – ground pepper, salt and red pepper flakes.

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Water, a bay leaf and fresh thyme were next into the pot.

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Let’s face it, split pea soup is just not pretty… it doesn’t photograph well, but man does it taste good.

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I ended up adding 8-10 cups of water to the recipe ingredients – I used 8 cups and could probably have used 9 if not 10. I thickened very fast. Other than being on the thicker side, the flavor was spot on. Several people mentioned using a combination of chicken stock/broth and water in their recipe reviews, but I felt that the smoked ham was salty as is, and I didn’t have any low sodium broth. I just went with water and wasn’t disappointed in the results. I ended up finishing off my bowls with fresh thyme and some garlic croutons for my lunches during the week.

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A huge thanks to my Mom for giving me the ham and to my friend Kristen for helping me find Emeril’s recipe. Not sure why I waited so long to give split pea soup a try, it was pretty easy. I’m also over my “soak overnight” fear, so lots of other dried legumes await.

Got any good soup recipes for me to try? It’s currently raining and there is nothing better than a big mug or bowl of soup and fresh baked bread on a day like today.
foo

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Mar 19 2014

An Evening at Hock Farm Craft & Provisions

Another restaurant on my “to try” list was Paragary Restaurant Group’s – Hock Farm Craft & Provisions, located at 1415 L Street in Sacramento, CA. When a friend suggested it for our pre-show Blue Man Group dinner destination, I jumped at the chance to give it a try.

Hock Farm

According to the Paragary Restaurant Group website, Hock Farm is a celebration of the Sacramento region’s rich history and bountiful terrain. The restaurant is named after John Sutter’s Hock Farm. The Farm was established in 1841, and was the first large-scale agricultural settlement in Northern California. From the beginning, Sutter recognized the farming potential of the Sacramento Valley and pursued many agricultural ventures including grain, cattle, orchards and vineyards, foreshadowing Sacramento’s modern day designation as the ‘Farm-to-Fork Capital’.

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I was immediately drawn to the restaurant’s signage – including the wood routed sign on the exterior of the building.

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We walked through the front door and made our way to the patio where another friend was waiting. I really liked the interior. They used regional fabricators and artisans and the originality showed in the decor. 12M Design created custom metal and reclaimed wood pieces that gave the restaurant that “industrial” feel that I’m so drawn to.  Reclamation Art + Furniture was used to create beautiful reclaimed Douglas Fur tables with blackened steel bases. I loved the mash-up of chairs and stools, especially the aqua colored ones.

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I was eyeing several menu items and had a hard time deciding. The menu changes with the season and availability of local produce. While some favorites remain for the duration of the season, others change weekly, along with daily ‘market’ specials. Chef LaRoche sources items directly from farmers, but also frequents some of the local farmers’ markets in downtown Sac.

Cocktails and appetizers were enjoyed by all as we decided on our dinner orders.

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Dressed Eggs with pickled beets, capers, mayo and anchovy.

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Chicken Liver Mousse with Bosc pear & butternut compote served with crostini.

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The Daily Smash – Napa Valley vodka, with smashed up fresh blackberries, herbs, and citrus.

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Mac & Cheese with Shaft’s Bleu Vein, cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, sage breadcrumbs and crispy prosciutto.

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I started off with a Roasted Beet Salad with baby & Tuscan kale, endive, pistachio, pear and Shaft’s bleu cheese vinaigrette.

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I am a big beet fan, so this was right up my alley… I loved it.

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Clearly the menu confused me, ha-ha… I saw the section “From the Wood-Fired Oven” and the listed items included a Daily Pizza and Pizza Margherita. The list also included Pork Belly & Maple Glazed Pumpkin with pickled raisins, toasted pecans and bitter greens. I thought it fell into the pizza category because I had pizza on the brain. So I ordered the Pork Belly and Pumpkin Pizza. Our server wrote it down and went on to the next person. Turns out it wasn’t a pizza – it was a Wood-Fired Oven entree. She sensed my disappointment upon delivery to the table. I asked if she thought it was weird that I said “pizza” when I ordered and she laughed. Another friend asked if it was a common mistake and she said, “yes.” She then told me how wonderful the dish was and that I should give it a try… she also offered to bring me a pizza instead as a second option. After one bite I knew I’d be keeping the entree. It was delicious and definitely not something I would have normally ordered – I am a safe order pizza girl through and through, but I’m glad our server suggested to give it a try and we sure laughed about how it all went down. I WILL be getting Pizza Margherita next time.

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Seared Dayboat Scallops with cauliflower puree, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, brown butter and sherry vinegar was another entree ordered at the table.

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Next up was Fritto Misto – Gulf shrimp, Dwelly Farms pole beans, cauliflower and kabocha squash with an aioli sauce.

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Our Blue Man Group show started at 8 p.m. and we were just down the street from the Community Center Theater. We had plenty of time to order dessert, so we decided to order four different items to share. It was starting to get dark, so the photos were the best my iPhone could produce. Trust me, taste was the only thing that mattered and I pretty much fell in love with the Butterscotch Pot de Creme with hazelnut brittle.

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I seriously could have finished this off all by myself. I would have licked the ramekin if I was at home, LOL.

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Chocolate Caramel Tart with Maldon sea salt and whipped cream. This was the richest of all four desserts, one bite was enough for me.

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Apple & Cinnamon Crostada with Larsen Apple Barn granny smith apples, cinnamon and vanilla bean gelato. The dessert came in third place for me, but it was a very close race. It was delicious!

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Creme Brulee with blackberries. This was my second place dessert – I popped through the golden brown crackly crust and was not disappointed by the creaminess underneath. 

We finished up dessert and then walked to the theater. We had 2nd and 3rd row orchestra section seating and were provided with plastic ponchos because materials may splash into the first four to five rows closest to the stage. Think washable paint, Cap’n Crunch, marshmallows, etc. It was my first Blue Man Group show and I purposely didn’t go online to see what it was all about. I knew there were drums, paint and black lights involved in the show, but that was about it. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount I laughed and the dance party towards the end of the show… good times indeed.

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Keeping the gigantic lit up balls floating through the audience was my favorite part – the music was bumpin’, everyone was dancing and it felt like we were in a club.

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Machines launched toilet paper streams into the audience too… It was the perfect ending to a great show and a fun evening out with friends.

foo

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Mar 11 2014

Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch Bars

Part of my big blog/baking/cooking day with Carolyn included making something sweet to cap off our carrot pickling and sandwich adventures. Carolyn suggested something with oatmeal and then we found Anne Burrell’s recipe on The Food Network website for Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch Bars. SOLD, we gathered supplies and gave it a go.

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While I’ve never really connected with any of Anne Burrell’s Food Network shows, I do like the style of food she cooks and have tried several of her recipes.

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Ingredients:

2 Sticks Unsalted Butter – room temperature, cut into pea-sized pieces, plus more for pan

2 Cups All-purpose Flour

1 1/2 Cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar – firmly packed

1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 (11-ounce) Bag Butterscotch Chips

1 (8-ounce) Package Cream Cheese – room temperature

1 (14-ounce) Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Lemon – zested and juiced

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

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Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Drape a 9 by 13-inch pan with overlapping pieces of aluminum foil, creating handles for easy removal. Butter the foil, and reserve.
  2. In a food processor add the flour, oats and brown sugar and pulse to combine. Add the 2 sticks of butter, the cinnamon and the butterscotch chips. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture forms clumps when pressed between your fingers. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer, reserve the other half. Bake in the preheated oven just until slightly golden and set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
  3. Beat together the cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice and vanilla in an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle, or with an electric hand mixer until no lumps of cream cheese remain. Spread evenly over the baked and cooled oatmeal mixture. Sprinkle the remaining half of the oatmeal mixture over the cream cheese. Bake until the top is golden, about 40 minutes.
  4. Cool and chill before cutting. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and using the foil handles, transfer the bars to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife and serve.

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We skipped the cut butter into pea-sized pieces part… and actually started off using the mixer instead of the food processor, whoops! It was getting late in the day and one of us started getting punchy. It also could have been the adult beverages. FUN! Exactly how cooking or baking should be. Did skipping the pea-sized pieces make a difference? Maybe… did our oatmeal crumble turn out to be delicious, absolutely. 

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I may or may not have extracted a small handful of butterscotch chips straight into my mouth.

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Into the oven at 350° F for 12-15 minutes.

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We used the stand mixer to beat together the cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice and vanilla. I missed the photo op of the cream mixture in the middle before more of the oatmeal crumble was added. We did have some lumps, but I don’t think it changed the texture or taste one bit.

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I did manage to get the oven shot… We baked at 350° F until the top was golden brown, about 40 minutes. We let the bars cool for a good 45 minutes before placing them in the fridge for a few hours to harden up a bit before cutting.

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The foil transfer went o.k. – there was some corner breakage, but we ended up cutting the corners off and I’m pretty sure Carolyn used that as an ice cream topping – genius!

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We were both exhausted and had cleaned the kitchen 3 times already… so we went to sushi for dinner. The entire time I was eating sushi I was thinking, save room for butterscotch bars, save room for butterscotch bars. I ended up eating 2 bars and knew there was no way I could take a plate home because I’d probably eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner for days. Dessert with every meal… why yes, don’t mind if I do. So I said goodbye to the bars and knew they would be enjoyed by others.

And now I want another bar…

foo

 

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