Monday, December 10, 2012

The Gruyere Affair

If you haven't met the delectable, buttery, savory cheese known as Gruyere, you better get yourself to the nearest dairy section as soon as possible.  You will thank me.  For best pricing, I advise shopping a traditional grocery store, versus a Super Target-type establishment, or a co-op.  My love for G was recently rekindled when my mother and I made the Pioneer Woman's Turnip Gratin - starring Mr. G - for Thanksgiving: 
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/11/turnip-gratin/


Ta Da!  Isn't it lovely?

The reason I am posting this recipe today, is that I just made this for dinner tonight.  In fact, here it is - still bubbly!  Mine looks a bit different because I had cream to use up so I used a little more than the recipe called for.  Also, I made a little root vegetable harmony by substituting half of the turnips for a small rutabaga and five small red potatoes.  (If you choose to follow this variation, I recommend cooking for 30-40 min, rather than the PW's 20.  Also, you might have noticed this is not in a skillet - a 9x13 Pyrex worked just as well.  Just melt the butter separately and pour into the Pyrex.)



Also on the menu tonight...venison!  I am sure this strikes fear into many of your hearts, however, it's probably because you have not had venison prepared the correct way - from the actual skinning process through the cooking process.  My father is an avid hunter and excellent sportsman - his venison is never "gamey."



I was so focused on the gratin (or the Gruyere...) that I hadn't bothered to decide how to prepare the venison.  It was pre-cut into stir-fry sized pieces, so I just heated a some olive oil in a pan with salt, cayenne, basil, and garlic powder.  They had a little party and invited the venison to join in.  Mmmm. 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Stopping by My Home on a Snowy Morning

I fully intended to post the chocolate and coconut checkerboard brownies I made yesterday in honor of National Brownie Day. Fellow Slainte contributor Kileen came over to enjoy them and can attest to their goodness. However. This happened overnight:



The forecast was calling for anywhere from three to seven inches of snow to fall after midnight, but I always anticipate the opposite of what I want to happen and figured that there would maybe be a dusting. But when I opened my eyes this morning and saw the soft white-blue light filtering through the blinds, I knew. We have about eight inches so far, and it’s almost 6:00 pm now and still coming down.

This means that I cannot post about brownies right now because there is something more urgent to be made that must be started the moment you know it’s not going to stop snowing for a little while yet. You need to get a bowl out in your front yard as soon as possible, you see, so it can fill up with fresh snow.




When I was growing up, snow in Washington State was an exciting and not-so-frequent weather event, and as long as I can remember, whenever the big flakes started falling, we’d quickly deposit metal bowls out in the yard to fill up for snow ice cream. At home it’s made with half & half, since we were almost never without a half gallon of it in the fridge for Dad’s morning coffee. I don’t have the morning coffee ritual in my own little place, but with a dollop of coconut cream standing in (left over from yesterday’s brownies, happily), it almost tastes better than I remember.



Snow Ice Cream

2 cups freshly fallen snow
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon half & half OR 
1 tablespoon coconut cream (skim off the top of regular canned coconut milk)
2 tablespoons milk (may need more)

Sprinkle the sugar over the snow. Drizzle snow with vanilla extract. Stir in the coconut cream with a rubber spatula. Drizzle milk in a tablespoon at a time until the mixture blends together and is more slushy than snowflake-y. Don’t be afraid to smoosh it into submission with a spatula if it doesn’t look like it’s coming together at first. Serve immediately, before it melts. Makes about 1 cup.