Coconut Curry Chickpeas With Pumpkin and Lime - Test 1

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020463-coconut-curry-chickpeas-with-pumpkin-and-lime

1 - Well this was a roaring success! And I learned the difference between light and regular coconut milk. It's all about the texture (duh, like milk vs. whipping cream but, I'd say, even more dramatic). I didn't have enough chickpeas, but even with what I had, it was really good. I also missed the bit about the half cup water, and I'm not sure it's really needed, but I've put it back in to try it out next time. Because there will be a next time.

2 - Still successful. I would like to figure out what would be best to serve it with for a Table d'Hote. It makes a lot of sauce, so I'm introducing a range of chickpea amounts.

4 to 6 servings

3 Tbsps. oil

1 large onion (10oz/285g) chopped

2 jalapeños, seeded or not, thinly sliced or a good pinch of red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1" piece of fresh ginger, grated

4 garlic cloves, minced

1½ tsps. garam masala

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp turmeric

3 cups (16oz/454g) cooked chickpeas, rinsed, can be doubled for more chickpea to sauce ratio

1¾ cups (1 can) coconut milk (do not use light coconut milk)

1¾ cups (1 can) pumpkin purée

½ cup water

1½ tsps fine sea salt, more as needed

¾ cup chopped cilantro, more for serving

2 to 3 Tbsps. fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 
2. Stir in the onion, jalapeño and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is just golden, about 8 minutes.
3. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. 
4. Stir in garam masala, cumin and turmeric; cook for an additional 30 seconds.
5. Stir in chickpeas, coconut milk, pumpkin, ½ cup water and 1½ teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors meld. (Add more water if it starts to look too thick.) 
6. Stir in cilantro and lime juice to taste. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Tarte fine aux pommes - Untested

TARTE FINE AUX POMMES

For a 20–22 cm tart

1 recipe sweet pie dough

Filling

3–4 Calville Blanc d’Hiver apples (about 550–650 g total)

15–25 g sugar 

15 g butter, melted

Zest of ½ lemon (optional but excellent here)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Blind bake the crust. Allow the shell to cool completely before continuing, preferably to refrigerator temperature.
2. Place the oven rack in the lower middle position. 
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
4. Peel the apples and slice to 3–4 mm thick — not thinner.
5. In a bowl mix together the lemon juice, the optional zest, the sugar and the melted butter. Put in the apple sliced and gently toss. Don't let them sit, use them immediately.
6. Starting at the outside edge, overlap the slices tightly, like scales or shingles. Work inwardly in concentric circles. Once done, press them down gently.
7. Bake bake for 35–40 minutes, until the apples are softened and slightly translucent; the edges just beginning to colour and no visible liquid pooling.
8. A final option is, when the tart comes out, brush lightly with apple jelly warmed with a teaspoon of water.
9. If the apples brown before they soften, tent lightly.

Hummus Sandwich - Test 3

Ben invented this sandwich and it's quite good! I don't quite know which tradition it might fit in, perhaps simply 'fusion'. We've had this several times and it's been enjoyable every time. Now I just want to be able to provide some guidelines on quantities. Because.

2 - The original was made with the carrot salad, which is delicious, and the upgrade is with the coleslaw, which Ben calls the Sto-Lat Special. When I make it, I think I can add a bit more horseradish.

3 - Dis is da bomb. I don't know why I have 2tsps of horseradish sauce, that is a death wish. It's just a scrape. I suppose I should check next time to see how much it actually is.

LHSS Score: 8.6 / 10 with Coleslaw with Vinaigrette

LHSS Score: 8.2 / 10 with Salade de Carrottes

Per sandwich

60g hummus

100g Coleslaw with Vinaigrette or Salade de Carrottes

1/8 to 1/4 tsp horseradish sauce

2 slices Commons Yogurt Bread (160g)

1. Toast the bread.
2. Spread the hummus on the bottom piece of bread.
3. Evenly spread the salad on top of the hummus.
4. Spread the horseradish sauce on the other slice of bread (it will be quite thin).
5. Put the two sides together and enjoy!

Cabbage and Frisée Salad - Untested

1 - I'm trying to use the frisée lettuce fresh, but mistrust its level of bitterness in terms of desirability to eat. I thought mixing it with sweeter cabbage would help.

4 cups (300g) shredded green cabbage

4 cups (140g) ripped frisée

Optional additions: grated carrot, thinly sliced onion, chopped parsley or cilantro.

3 Tbsps. (36g) good olive oil

2 Tbsps. (27g) lemon juice

2 tsps. (14g) honey or maple syrup

1 tsp (7g) Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional Toppings:

Toasted sunflower seeds or slivered almonds 

1. Combine the cabbage and frisée (and any optional vegetables) in a large bowl.
2. Whisk or shake together the vinaigrette ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sweetener if using, salt, and pepper) in a small bowl or jar until emulsified.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
4. For best results, chill the salad for 15-30 minutes before serving.
5. Garnish with toasted nuts or seeds if desired. 
6. This crisp, tangy, and refreshing salad is a great side dish.

Mogette de Vendée (White beans) - Testing

https://maison-solidaire-de-lalimentation.fr/la-vraie-recette-de-mogette-de-vendee-avec-jambon/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

1 - Ok. So, 'mogette' is actually the name of a white bean from the Vendée area in France. I don't have any but I do have Cannellini beans, so I will substitute. Apparently the key is to cook the beans with all the fixings at a very low temperature. I'm tempted to simply slow-cook the whole thing. LATER: I liked it! I think Ben found them to be a bit dull, but I thought they were really flavorful. I did not pair them well, at all, with other side dishes (Failed Rutabaga gratin dish, didn't have any bread to go with). I'll likely use the leftovers to make the frisee pasta, but I would also like to make them again with appropriate accompaniments. This may require looking up how the French tend to eat them.

2 - I have discovered how to eat them! I've already matched it with a whole plate, I suppose it could be considered a 'table d'hote'. I'm starting to include the chemistry of a recipe to help me understand why things are done the way they are.

The key to mogettes is low, steady heat and patience. The beans should be soft all the way through — yielding under pressure — without losing their shape.

500g dried mogettes de Vendée (or cannellini as a substitute)

1 onion, studded with 2 cloves¹

2 carrots, sliced into rounds

1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay, parsley)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper

1. The night before, soak the beans. Cover generously with cold water and leave for a minimum of 12 hours.² 
2. Drain and rinse, then place in a large pot. Cover with fresh cold water. Add the clove-studded onion, carrot rounds, crushed garlic, and bouquet garni. Do not add salt yet — see step 4.
3. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer.³ Cover and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours, checking regularly.⁴ 
4. Salt in the last 15 minutes. Add salt and taste for seasoning.⁵
5. Check for doneness by pressing a bean between your fingers. It should be completely tender all the way through — soft but not disintegrating. This tactile check is more reliable than the clock.
6.  Drain the beans, reserving a little of the cooking broth.
7. To serve, arrange in a dish, spoon over some of the reserved broth, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a few turns of black pepper, and a few drops of wine vinegar if desired. Traditionally served with slices of ham.

1. ---

   Notes

   ↑1 Note on the cloves: Two cloves is the right number. Cloves contain eugenol, an aromatic compound that is also a mild inhibitor of the enzymes that break down pectin in bean skins. More than two or three cloves risks slowing the softening of your beans.

2. Note

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   Notes

   ↑2 Soaking rehydrates the beans and leaches out some of the oligosaccharides responsible for digestive discomfort. It also reduces cooking time significantly.

    

3. ---

   Notes

   ↑3 Note A hard rolling boil agitates the beans physically, breaks their skins, and produces a cloudy, starchy broth with unevenly cooked beans — mushy outside, firm inside. A gentle simmer keeps them intact and cooks them evenly.

4. ---

   Notes

   ↑4 Note on older beans: Dried beans that have been sitting for over a year may take closer to 2 hours. There is no way to know the age of your beans from the package. If they are still firm at 1.5 hours, simply keep going.

5. ---

   Notes

   ↑5 Note The traditional instruction to delay salting is sound, though the reason is more nuanced than commonly stated. Salt itself does not toughen bean skins — in fact, brining beans in salted water before cooking can improve their texture. The real culprits are calcium and magnesium ions present in hard water, which bind to pectin in the bean skins and resist softening. Salt helps displace those ions. However, delaying salt until late in cooking remains a safe and reliable practice regardless of your water hardness.

500g de mogettes de Vendée sèches (white beans)

1 oignon piqué de 2 clous de girofle

2 carottes

1 bouquet garni (thym, laurier, persil)

2 gousses d’ail

Sel et poivre du moulin

1. La veille, mettez les mogettes dans un grand saladier et couvrez-les largement d’eau froide. Laissez tremper pendant 12 heures minimum. 
2. Le lendemain, égouttez et rincez; placez-les dans une grande casserole et couvrez-les d’eau froide. Ajoutez l’oignon piqué, les carottes coupées en rondelles, l’ail écrasé et le bouquet garni. 
3. Portez à ébullition, puis baissez le feu et laissez mijoter à couvert pendant environ 45 minutes à 1 heure. Vérifiez régulièrement la cuisson en écrasant une mogette entre vos doigts – elle doit être tendre mais pas en purée. Environ 15 minutes avant la fin de la cuisson, salez l’eau (jamais avant, car le sel durcit les légumineuses).
4. Une fois les mogettes cuites, égouttez-les en conservant un peu de bouillon de cuisson. Disposez-les dans un plat de service, arrosez-les d’un filet d’huile d’olive. Servez immédiatement, bien chaud, avec quelques tours de moulin à poivre.
5. Habituellement servit avec des tranches de jambon.

Macco di Fava (broad bean purée) - Untested

https://www.gustiamo.com/gustiblog/macco-di-fava-with-fave-di-amelia-from-umbria/?srsltid=AfmBOooACzMSZ7nSK9Ith8rL4-JbPEJOO-ncW8O0fMl0RgSGwqzHseUW

Another version with potato: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/may/20/rachel-roddy-recipe-fava-bean-puree-wilted-greens

SERVES: 4 as a main, 6 as an appetizer

TIME: 1 hour

1 to 2 Tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

250g / 8.8oz fresh fava beans

600-800ml or 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 cups Vegetable broth, warmed

500g / 1 lb leafy greens, such as spinach, chicory, or chard 

Salt Flakes

Bread, to serve

1. Heat a glug of olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. 
2. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
3. Raise the heat to medium and add the fava beans. Cook for 2-3 minutes, moving the beans about the pan.
4. Gradually add the stock, “mano a mano”: one ladle at a time. You don’t want to totally submerge the beans in liquid, add just enough stock for them to cook through. The fava will be done in approximately 25-30 minutes. When the fava beans are ready, turn off the heat, lid the pan, and allow to rest.
5. In a separate pan, braise the greens in some olive oil and a splash of any leftover broth.
6. The final texture of the macco di fava is up to you, from ultra chunky to super smooth. Blend the macco to your desired consistency with an immersion blender.
7. To serve, spoon the greens around a mound of macco in each plate. Nestle a hunk of bread on the side, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and finish with crunchy salt flakes.