Siren Song Farm Newsletter
Volume 5
Hello wonderful CSAers!
Boy is it hot outside! This week we have some yummy yellow summer squash, spicy purple stripe garlic (my personal favorite!) some mouthwatering nectarines, the last of the purple and red radishes, butter leaf lettuce and some potatoes for baking. The potatoes were planted especially at the request of the second graders at Catlin Gable School who will be coming to harvest the rest of them soon for a summer school cooking class. Apparently they love baked potatoes.
The exciting news on the farm this week is that our Guinea Hog piglets arrived. They are ridiculously cute and have spent their time so far wandering around the barn blissfully unaware of the concept of a fence. We named them Pasquale and Penelope. The only downside is that they don’t really oink. We were sort of hoping for some oinking piglets and they just grunt and grumble. Pictures will be up on the website soon if you are interested.
I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful holiday weekend and are having a fantastic week. I added a recipe for a quick soda bread this week. It’s great if you need something quick and easy to flesh out a meal or if company comes unexpectedly and you want to wow them with fresh bread. The interns will be enjoying some tomorrow! As always, there are more recipes up on the website.
Jen
Grilled Pizza with Yellow Squash, Mozzarella, and Lemon Thyme
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow squash
2 balls pizza dough, rolled out and chilled
For pizza dough:
2/3 cup lukewarm water (105°F.-115°F.)
a 1/4 ounce package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for oiling bowl
1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons coarse salt
3/4 cup coarsely grated fresh mozzarella (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 2 1/4 ounces)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (preferably lemon thyme)
Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs (preferably lemon thyme)
In a small bowl stir together garlic and oil and let stand 15 minutes.
Slice squash crosswise into 1/16-inch thick rounds, transferring to plate.
Prepare grill: Open vents in lid and bottom of kettle grill and put 25 briquets on 2 opposite sides of bottom, leaving middle clear. Oil rack and position with wider openings over briquets. Light briquets. (They will be ready for cooking as soon as they turn grayish-white, 20 to 30 minutes.)
Remove plastic wrap from 2 pieces of rolled-out-pizza dough (if grill is not large, work with 1 piece at a time, keeping remaining piece chilled) and lightly brush dough with some garlic oil. Trying not to stretch dough, carefully transfer it, oiled side down, with your hands to rack of grill. (If it's a very hot day, the dough may get too soft to transfer easily; if so, pop it into the freezer until firm again, about 15 minutes.) Lightly brush top with some garlic oil. When grilling pizzas, rotate them if 1 side of grill is hotter than the other. Grill crusts, covered, until undersides are golden brown on bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip crusts over with 2 metal spatulas and top each crust with half of cheeses, squash, and thyme. Lightly brush pizzas with some garlic oil and grill, covered, about 5 minutes, or until undersides are golden brown and cheeses are melted.
Garnish pizzas with thyme sprigs and cut into wedges.
To make pizza dough:
In a large bowl stir together 1/3 cup water, yeast, and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt and blend until mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes.
Alternatively, dough may be made in a food processor. Proof yeast as described above. In food processor process yeast mixture with 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt until mixture forms a ball, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, it too dry or more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if too wet, and knead dough by processing 15 seconds more.
Put dough, prepared by either method, in an oiled deep bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk, and punch down. Form dough into 4 balls. Makes enough dough for four 10-inch thin-crust pizzas.
To roll out pizza dough for grilling:
Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil.
On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 ball of dough 1/8 inch thick (about 10 inches in diameter). Brushing off excess flour, transfer dough with your hands to baking sheet and cover surface completely with plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and plastic wrap in same manner, stacking rolled-out pieces on top of one another on baking sheet. Wrap baking sheet with more plastic wrap to ensure that dough is completely covered. (Chill dough until firm, about 1 hour, and up to 4 hours.)
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Pressed Chicken with Yellow Squash and Tomatoes
Under the weight of a second skillet, the "pressed" chicken releases its fat and juices into the pan and ends up cooking in all that sumptuousness. The result is almost unbelievably moist meat. Adding the quick-cooked vegetables and the spicy perfume of marjoram completes what is sure to become a go-to recipe in your dinner arsenal.
4 chicken breast halves with skin and bone (2 to 2 1/4 pounds)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 teaspoons chopped marjoram, divided
Pat chicken dry and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
Add chicken, skin side down. Cover with a round of parchment paper, then a heavy pot or skillet, followed by a 3- to 5-pound weight (such as two 32-ounce cans or a brick wrapped in foil). Cook 10 minutes, then remove weight, pot, and parchment.
Turn chicken over and re-cover with a clean round of parchment, pot, and weight, then cook until just cooked through, about 8 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm, covered.
Add squash, tomatoes, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to fat in skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until squash is just tender and tomatoes have become saucy, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in any juices from plate and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken.
Sprinkle chicken and vegetables with remaining teaspoon marjoram.
Serve with: a green salad tossed with red-wine vinaigrette
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smothered Yellow Squash with Basil
Smothering is a Cajun cooking term that refers to browning anything from meat to vegetables in oil, then braising it in a small amount of liquid, tightly covered, until tender.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lb medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add half of squash and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer browned squash to a bowl, then heat remaining tablespoon oil and sauté remaining squash in same manner. Return squash in bowl to skillet. Add garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add water, salt, and pepper and simmer briskly, covered, until squash is tender and most of liquid is evaporated, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in basil.
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Roasted Garlic Crostini with Assorted Toppings
Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy: Delicious Recipes for Your Home Kitchen
Editor's note: This recipe is from chef Wolfgang Puck.
I grew up only about 280 miles west of Transylvania, as the bat flies. So maybe my mother cooked with so much garlic to keep the vampires away from my sisters, my brother, and me. Actually, Austrians, like many Europeans, love the powerful bulb, and as a child I ate more than my share of it in soups, stews, sautés, roasts, and other savory dishes. But only as a professional chef did I learn the secret of roasting garlic. Because its texture is buttery and rich, I like to spread it on crostini. Once you've spread the roasted garlic over your toasts you can choose from a number of toppings.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
For the roasted garlic:
2 heads garlic
1/8 cup olive oil
For the crostini:
12 slices of baguette or country-style Italian bread, sliced at a 45-degree angle about 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pureed garlic from 4 whole roasted heads of garlic (see above)
Assorted topping options:
Shaved Parmesan, dry jack or Gruyère cheese
Fresh, creamy goat cheese, at room temperature
Roasted red bell peppers, home-roasted or bottled, cut into thin strips
Prepared tapenade (black olive and anchovy paste)
Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
Capers, drained
Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced, or halved, seeded, and diced
Fresh basil leaves, cut into fine julienne strips or left whole
Crushed red pepper flakes
Balsamic vinegar
Thinly sliced prosciutto
Anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, drained
Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the garlic in a roasting pan and drizzle on the olive oil. Toss to coat thoroughly. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the garlic bulbs are very tender but not overly brown. Test by carefully giving a bulb a gentle squeeze while protecting your hand with a folded kitchen towel or an oven glove. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
2. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each head of garlic crosswise in half, midway between its leaf and root ends, to expose all the cloves inside. Their pulp will be golden brown and as soft as butter. You can squeeze it out of each half by hand or scoop it out with a small spoon or knife. Transfer the roasted garlic to a small bowl, pour in any olive oil from the baking dish, and stir and mash with a fork to form a smooth purée. You'll have 1/3 to 1/2 cup of purée, depending on the size of the garlic heads.
3. To make the Roasted Garlic Crostini, preheat the oven to 375° F. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake them until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Spread the puréed roasted garlic evenly on the tops of the crostini. Top the crostini with any of the options listed above, or make an assortment. Spread some with 1 tablespoon each of goat cheese; then decorate the cheese with strips of roasted bell pepper or a mixture of sun-dried tomato strips and capers, or a smear of tapenade. In place of the goat cheese, top others with diced tomato tossed with some fresh basil, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar; with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese; with anchovy fillets and freshly ground black pepper; or with slices of Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella, topped with fresh basil leaves.
Wolfgang's Easy Tips:
•The roasted garlic will keep for up to 3 days, covered, in the refrigerator.
•In addition to using the garlic for the crostini below, try mixing it into stir-fried vegetables and spooning it onto pizzas; stir it into risottos or your mashed potatoes; add it to sauces for meat, poultry, seafood, or pasta; or purée it with butter to make the best garlic bread you can imagine.
And just for fun…. Irish Soda Scones
Soda bread has been a specialty of Ireland for over a century. As its name implies, 'soda' bread gets its rise, not from yeast, but from 'baking soda' (bicarbonate of soda). It belongs to the family of 'quick' breads, like scones, and contains baking soda along with flour (all purpose and/or whole wheat), salt, and buttermilk (or soured milk). When raisins (currants or sultanas) and a little sugar are added to the dough the name changes to Spotted Dick or Spotted Dog.
For this recipe I have decided to make scones instead of a usual round of bread. You can use all white flour, all brown flour, or a combination of the two flours. The important thing to remember when making soda scones is to have a quick light hand because baking soda starts to react as soon as it becomes wet. So get the scones into the oven as soon as possible. Also, these scones contain buttermilk which has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste that makes baked goods tender. Whereas in the past it was the liquid left over after churning butter it is now commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Recipe:
3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour (or a mixture of whole wheat flour and white all purpose flour)
1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add most of the buttermilk. Using one hand, or a wooden spoon, mix (adding more buttermilk if necessary) until you have a soft, moist dough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough into a 7 - 8 inch (18 - 23 cm) round that is about 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick. Cut this circle into 6 triangular sections. Place the scones on your prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with a little extra buttermilk and then dust with a little extra flour. This gives the baked scones a wonderful floury brown crust.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Test by tapping the bottom of a scone - it should sound hollow. Remove from oven. These scones are best served warm from the oven with a little butter and jam.
Makes 6 large scones.
Volume 5
Hello wonderful CSAers!
Boy is it hot outside! This week we have some yummy yellow summer squash, spicy purple stripe garlic (my personal favorite!) some mouthwatering nectarines, the last of the purple and red radishes, butter leaf lettuce and some potatoes for baking. The potatoes were planted especially at the request of the second graders at Catlin Gable School who will be coming to harvest the rest of them soon for a summer school cooking class. Apparently they love baked potatoes.
The exciting news on the farm this week is that our Guinea Hog piglets arrived. They are ridiculously cute and have spent their time so far wandering around the barn blissfully unaware of the concept of a fence. We named them Pasquale and Penelope. The only downside is that they don’t really oink. We were sort of hoping for some oinking piglets and they just grunt and grumble. Pictures will be up on the website soon if you are interested.
I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful holiday weekend and are having a fantastic week. I added a recipe for a quick soda bread this week. It’s great if you need something quick and easy to flesh out a meal or if company comes unexpectedly and you want to wow them with fresh bread. The interns will be enjoying some tomorrow! As always, there are more recipes up on the website.
Jen
Grilled Pizza with Yellow Squash, Mozzarella, and Lemon Thyme
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow squash
2 balls pizza dough, rolled out and chilled
For pizza dough:
2/3 cup lukewarm water (105°F.-115°F.)
a 1/4 ounce package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for oiling bowl
1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons coarse salt
3/4 cup coarsely grated fresh mozzarella (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 2 1/4 ounces)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (preferably lemon thyme)
Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs (preferably lemon thyme)
In a small bowl stir together garlic and oil and let stand 15 minutes.
Slice squash crosswise into 1/16-inch thick rounds, transferring to plate.
Prepare grill: Open vents in lid and bottom of kettle grill and put 25 briquets on 2 opposite sides of bottom, leaving middle clear. Oil rack and position with wider openings over briquets. Light briquets. (They will be ready for cooking as soon as they turn grayish-white, 20 to 30 minutes.)
Remove plastic wrap from 2 pieces of rolled-out-pizza dough (if grill is not large, work with 1 piece at a time, keeping remaining piece chilled) and lightly brush dough with some garlic oil. Trying not to stretch dough, carefully transfer it, oiled side down, with your hands to rack of grill. (If it's a very hot day, the dough may get too soft to transfer easily; if so, pop it into the freezer until firm again, about 15 minutes.) Lightly brush top with some garlic oil. When grilling pizzas, rotate them if 1 side of grill is hotter than the other. Grill crusts, covered, until undersides are golden brown on bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip crusts over with 2 metal spatulas and top each crust with half of cheeses, squash, and thyme. Lightly brush pizzas with some garlic oil and grill, covered, about 5 minutes, or until undersides are golden brown and cheeses are melted.
Garnish pizzas with thyme sprigs and cut into wedges.
To make pizza dough:
In a large bowl stir together 1/3 cup water, yeast, and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt and blend until mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes.
Alternatively, dough may be made in a food processor. Proof yeast as described above. In food processor process yeast mixture with 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt until mixture forms a ball, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, it too dry or more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if too wet, and knead dough by processing 15 seconds more.
Put dough, prepared by either method, in an oiled deep bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk, and punch down. Form dough into 4 balls. Makes enough dough for four 10-inch thin-crust pizzas.
To roll out pizza dough for grilling:
Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil.
On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 ball of dough 1/8 inch thick (about 10 inches in diameter). Brushing off excess flour, transfer dough with your hands to baking sheet and cover surface completely with plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and plastic wrap in same manner, stacking rolled-out pieces on top of one another on baking sheet. Wrap baking sheet with more plastic wrap to ensure that dough is completely covered. (Chill dough until firm, about 1 hour, and up to 4 hours.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pressed Chicken with Yellow Squash and Tomatoes
Under the weight of a second skillet, the "pressed" chicken releases its fat and juices into the pan and ends up cooking in all that sumptuousness. The result is almost unbelievably moist meat. Adding the quick-cooked vegetables and the spicy perfume of marjoram completes what is sure to become a go-to recipe in your dinner arsenal.
4 chicken breast halves with skin and bone (2 to 2 1/4 pounds)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 teaspoons chopped marjoram, divided
Pat chicken dry and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
Add chicken, skin side down. Cover with a round of parchment paper, then a heavy pot or skillet, followed by a 3- to 5-pound weight (such as two 32-ounce cans or a brick wrapped in foil). Cook 10 minutes, then remove weight, pot, and parchment.
Turn chicken over and re-cover with a clean round of parchment, pot, and weight, then cook until just cooked through, about 8 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm, covered.
Add squash, tomatoes, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to fat in skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until squash is just tender and tomatoes have become saucy, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in any juices from plate and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken.
Sprinkle chicken and vegetables with remaining teaspoon marjoram.
Serve with: a green salad tossed with red-wine vinaigrette
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smothered Yellow Squash with Basil
Smothering is a Cajun cooking term that refers to browning anything from meat to vegetables in oil, then braising it in a small amount of liquid, tightly covered, until tender.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lb medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add half of squash and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer browned squash to a bowl, then heat remaining tablespoon oil and sauté remaining squash in same manner. Return squash in bowl to skillet. Add garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add water, salt, and pepper and simmer briskly, covered, until squash is tender and most of liquid is evaporated, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in basil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roasted Garlic Crostini with Assorted Toppings
Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy: Delicious Recipes for Your Home Kitchen
Editor's note: This recipe is from chef Wolfgang Puck.
I grew up only about 280 miles west of Transylvania, as the bat flies. So maybe my mother cooked with so much garlic to keep the vampires away from my sisters, my brother, and me. Actually, Austrians, like many Europeans, love the powerful bulb, and as a child I ate more than my share of it in soups, stews, sautés, roasts, and other savory dishes. But only as a professional chef did I learn the secret of roasting garlic. Because its texture is buttery and rich, I like to spread it on crostini. Once you've spread the roasted garlic over your toasts you can choose from a number of toppings.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
For the roasted garlic:
2 heads garlic
1/8 cup olive oil
For the crostini:
12 slices of baguette or country-style Italian bread, sliced at a 45-degree angle about 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pureed garlic from 4 whole roasted heads of garlic (see above)
Assorted topping options:
Shaved Parmesan, dry jack or Gruyère cheese
Fresh, creamy goat cheese, at room temperature
Roasted red bell peppers, home-roasted or bottled, cut into thin strips
Prepared tapenade (black olive and anchovy paste)
Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
Capers, drained
Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced, or halved, seeded, and diced
Fresh basil leaves, cut into fine julienne strips or left whole
Crushed red pepper flakes
Balsamic vinegar
Thinly sliced prosciutto
Anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, drained
Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the garlic in a roasting pan and drizzle on the olive oil. Toss to coat thoroughly. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the garlic bulbs are very tender but not overly brown. Test by carefully giving a bulb a gentle squeeze while protecting your hand with a folded kitchen towel or an oven glove. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
2. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each head of garlic crosswise in half, midway between its leaf and root ends, to expose all the cloves inside. Their pulp will be golden brown and as soft as butter. You can squeeze it out of each half by hand or scoop it out with a small spoon or knife. Transfer the roasted garlic to a small bowl, pour in any olive oil from the baking dish, and stir and mash with a fork to form a smooth purée. You'll have 1/3 to 1/2 cup of purée, depending on the size of the garlic heads.
3. To make the Roasted Garlic Crostini, preheat the oven to 375° F. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake them until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Spread the puréed roasted garlic evenly on the tops of the crostini. Top the crostini with any of the options listed above, or make an assortment. Spread some with 1 tablespoon each of goat cheese; then decorate the cheese with strips of roasted bell pepper or a mixture of sun-dried tomato strips and capers, or a smear of tapenade. In place of the goat cheese, top others with diced tomato tossed with some fresh basil, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar; with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese; with anchovy fillets and freshly ground black pepper; or with slices of Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella, topped with fresh basil leaves.
Wolfgang's Easy Tips:
•The roasted garlic will keep for up to 3 days, covered, in the refrigerator.
•In addition to using the garlic for the crostini below, try mixing it into stir-fried vegetables and spooning it onto pizzas; stir it into risottos or your mashed potatoes; add it to sauces for meat, poultry, seafood, or pasta; or purée it with butter to make the best garlic bread you can imagine.
And just for fun…. Irish Soda Scones
Soda bread has been a specialty of Ireland for over a century. As its name implies, 'soda' bread gets its rise, not from yeast, but from 'baking soda' (bicarbonate of soda). It belongs to the family of 'quick' breads, like scones, and contains baking soda along with flour (all purpose and/or whole wheat), salt, and buttermilk (or soured milk). When raisins (currants or sultanas) and a little sugar are added to the dough the name changes to Spotted Dick or Spotted Dog.
For this recipe I have decided to make scones instead of a usual round of bread. You can use all white flour, all brown flour, or a combination of the two flours. The important thing to remember when making soda scones is to have a quick light hand because baking soda starts to react as soon as it becomes wet. So get the scones into the oven as soon as possible. Also, these scones contain buttermilk which has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste that makes baked goods tender. Whereas in the past it was the liquid left over after churning butter it is now commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Recipe:
3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour (or a mixture of whole wheat flour and white all purpose flour)
1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add most of the buttermilk. Using one hand, or a wooden spoon, mix (adding more buttermilk if necessary) until you have a soft, moist dough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough into a 7 - 8 inch (18 - 23 cm) round that is about 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick. Cut this circle into 6 triangular sections. Place the scones on your prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with a little extra buttermilk and then dust with a little extra flour. This gives the baked scones a wonderful floury brown crust.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Test by tapping the bottom of a scone - it should sound hollow. Remove from oven. These scones are best served warm from the oven with a little butter and jam.
Makes 6 large scones.
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