The French Broad
  • Paint Pots

  • June23rd

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    WHAT’S IN THE BOX – SIMPLY. GOOD.

    Posted in: Food, How To Cook, Paint Pots

    By now your kitchen should be filled with the goodness of summer!

    What’s In The Box is in full swing, following along with the ripening of most of the vegetables we will be seeing for the summer.  This week when I went to the tailgate market, I had to tell myself: “Mark – LEAVE NOW – you have more food than you can cook or eat”.  The difference of one week is astounding.  Tomatoes are in season, the summer squashes are abundant, cabbages, berries, herbs, lettuces, onions, garlic and the bounty goes on.  All this food presents a challenge – what to do with it and how to manage and plan a weekly menu, especially if all arrives in one day in a CSA share.

    To assist with this and to share my cooking experience, the classes I have been teaching are following what you might get in a CSA share or select at the tailgate markets.  My routine is this: I am at the market both on Wednesday and on Saturday, checking out what is freshest.  I am receiving a box from Jake’s Farm and I go out to Fullsun Farm in Sandy Mush every other week and do a “spontaneous” menu from their garden, planning out my lessons.

    The series of classes build on previous lessons.  Each class has a number of components – a helpful technique, one or more of my “Paint Pots”, a menu and recipes for everything demonstrated in the class.  For example, this week I taught the technique of “dry charring” in on a CHAPA – basically a hot iron plate or a large iron skillet.  the paint pots were a Massaman style curry and basil mint pesto.  You can download a copy of this week’s class here:  WHAT’S IN THE BOX – June 22_Recipes.

    In additon to the classes, I have also been cooking with my #2 – #1 daughter; Bennie, sharing important, but simple, recipes and techniques with her.  All this adds up to a refined approach to cooking and enjoyment of the flavors of our local gardens.  I think of it this way: SIMPLY.  GOOD.

    COME TO ONE OF THE CLASSES!

    -MARK ROSENSTEIN

  • February25th

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    WHAT DO I DO WITH THESE DARN SQUASH? RECIPES!

    Posted in: Food, How To Cook, Paint Pots, Saturday's Kitchen

    Winter Squashes Or Sweet Potatoes, Carrots?  Why not.

    SATURDAY’S KITCHEN. Ubiquitous in the garden, there are more than 150 varieties of the hard skinned winter variety of squashes.  Few make their presence known in the kitchen, which is a shame, as there are few vegetables that when properly cooked blend an inherent creamy texture with an earthy and often sweet flavor.  The color of the flavor reflected in the color of the flesh – deep rust; a rich and lingering earthy taste that haunts the palate, especially when highlighted by a curry spice or one based on clove.  Bright orange – zesty and sweet, when blended with citrus zest and butter makes a wonderful base for simmering mild fleshed birds – turkey, chicken, even game birds.

    How to make it.  This preparation is one of my “Paint Pots” – that is, it is something in my basic cooking palette, especially for Fall and early Winter.

    Use any combination of the following: acorn squash, butternut squash, kombucha squash or other winter squash.  Include sweet potatoes, carrots, or other orange root vegetables.  Preheat you oven to a moderate temperature, like 300F.  Cut the squashes into quarters, scoop out the seeds.  Peel the sweet potatoes or carrots if you are using them.  Place a piece of foil on a baking sheet and oil it, or use a silicone baking pad.  Put the vegetables on the sheet and place in the oven.  Roast until tender.  Check the vegetables every 30 minutes (set a timer if this helps).  Using a small knife or a fork, pierce the flesh, feeling how easily it yields to moderate pressure.  The softer the flesh, the more it is done.  Each squash or sweet potato cooks differently, as they become soft, remove them from the oven and put them in a bowl. Continue cooking them the remainder until they are all soft.  Allow to cool. Read More | Comments

  • February11th

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    Paint Pots – Orange & Clove Pepper

    Posted in: Food, How To Cook, Paint Pots, Saturday's Kitchen

    Paint Pots – Thinking Food Visually

    I often think about food visually, literally, I imagine what a flavor looks like.  I suppose this is in part to my training in design and that I think visually.  Cooking is indeed a lot like painting, mixing together different colors for a particular effect, setting warm and cool colors side-by-side to create depth or an emotional response.  So, I have taken to creating a series of essential “paint pots” that are always on hand when I am ready to “compose” a picture.

    I will write about my paint pots and share how I make them.  You should make up your own, and share them here, as well.  Starting in no particular order, except this is what is happening in the kitchen now, I’ll share something I just made.  Citrus is in season, a riot as a matter of fact, trees ripening fruit faster than it can be harvested, flavors peaking.  Citrus, therefore, is on the menu.  Most of us eat the fruit and throw out the peel – stop that right now!  Eat the fruit, but use the peel.  Lemon peel and orange peel can be a wonderful addition in many ways, as a matter of fact, lemon peel is an excellent substitute for salt. Read More | Comments

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