Jumpin' Jacks: Braised Fennel

We have long since learned our lesson about carving our pumpkins too early in the month of October.  Heck, the pumpkin we carved this year at the carving competition got so moldy that we had to trash it before Halloween which was only 5 days later.

So our new plan is to jack-o-lantern our pumpkins the weekend before Halloween, so they're still standing when the big night rolls around.  Which meant Saturday we spread out our garbage bags, rolled up our sleeves, and went to work.

With Hotel Transylvania on as we did our thing, we scooped and cut.  Well, most of us.  Thatbaby is still a little young for the carving, so Thatboy carved his pumpkin for him.  And then let him go at it with the scoop and pokey-tool.

Thatkid however, did his pumpkin all by himself.  He picked the design, and did all the actual carving!

 

It took us a little longer than usual, with Thatboy not finishing his pumpkin until after the kids went to bed, but overall it was a success!

The weather here even cooled down, as if to give us the perfect fall day for the holiday.  And I turned once gain to some of the heartier vegetables of the season - fennel.  I love the versatility of fennel.  Sliced thin it's one of my favorite additions to a crisp salad - either in the summer, combined with ripe tomatoes, or in the winter, paired with bright citrus and sharp cheese.  But it is equally as delicious served in a more traditional way, roasted or braised.  While roasting fennel adds an earthy sweetness to the vegetable, braising it softens it's tougher exterior, helping it perfectly melt into the flavors of the herbs and wine it's cooked in.  I specify plum tomatoes in this dish, because I find them to be the best kind of tomatoes this time of year.  Smaller and firmer, they stand their ground a little better in the braising liquid as well.

Braised Fennel

4 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut in quarters

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

1/3 cup white wine

1/3 cup water

8 scallions, cut into 2 inch lengths

4 plum tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 Tbsp oregano, chopped

1/3 cup beef broth

12 basil leaves

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the fennel and garlic cloves and saute for 5 minutes.
2. Add the bay leaf, wine, and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the scallions, cover the pan, and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Uncover, add the tomatoes, oregano, and broth and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the basil and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.

Raw Spice Bar Review and Giveaway

Last month Raw Spice Bar reached out to me to see if I would be interested in trying out their subscription service. 


You see the folks over at Raw Spice Bar have put together a service that sends you unique spice blends every month, along with recipes to use them in.  Each month they choose a different region to feature, so its also a global adventure.  The cost is $8 a months, $44 for six months, or $82 for the year, which is really a great value considering that most spices cost at least $4 a bottle.

I love the idea of trying new spices, but even moreso having just enough for the dish you're making.  I have so many random spices in my cabinet that were used once and now just sit collecting dust.  So of course I said, yes!  Send your spices my way!

Not too much later I received a package in the mail.  Inside were three spice packets highlighting "Argentina."  The first "Dark Coffee and Chiles" came with a recipe card for Coffee-Chili Rubbed Steak.  The second, "Sun Dried Tomato Pizza" came with a recipe card for Sun Dried Tomato Pizza Sauce & Pizza Recipe.  And the third, "Chipotle Smoked Salt" had a recipe card for Chipotle Salt Grilled Summer Vegetables.

Each packet has 3oz of the spice mix in it, which was enough for the recipe for my family of four, with some left over.

First up was the Sun Dried Tomato Pizza:

The sauce recipe made enough for the pizza and leftovers (which I used for pita pizzas for our lunches later in the week).   And while I can be picky about my sun dried tomatoes, they work really well in a sauce.

As for the other two spices, since both recipes call for a grill, I decided to combine them.   I was a little worried that they would be too spicy for the kids, but they weren't at all.  Which might be a con for those of you who like spice, but it's a pro for me!

The only complaint I have about the service is the recipes themselves.  I found that often the recipes had ingredients within the recipe which weren't on the ingredient list.  Which is just a pain when you're already halfway through a recipe and realize you don't have something.

But you shouldn't take my word for it, they sent me two of the Argentina Boxes, so I'm passing one along to you!  Just enter below and I'll send one of you these spice packets!


 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Halloween Begins: Stout Braised Cippolini Onions

I don't care what people say about December, in my mind, this is the most wonderful time of the year.  We've already started with our celebrations.  We're watching Halloween movies, listening to Halloween music, the house is decorated (more on that later) and on Saturday we attended Legoland's Brick or Treat. 

We had such a good time last year that we knew we wanted to do it again this year.  And this year Thatbaby is old enough/tall enough to actually partake in some of the rides.

 But not all of the rides.  So while Thatboy and Thatkid rode some of the "big kid" rides (back row)...

Thatbaby and I hung out at the splash park.

Thatkid is very interested in Star Wars, so he made a beeline for the Star Wars lego figures.  And begged me to take his picture with some of his favorites.

 

He also built some kind of starship at one of the many lego tables around the park.

 

  

When it started to get late, the park started transforming into Brick or Treat...and we started our own transformations.

Thatkid had 2 requests for Halloween this year, the first was that he wanted to be Kion, leader of The Lion Guard.  The Lion Guard is a new Disney Jr. show which follows the adventures of Kion, Simba's son, and his friends as they protect the Pridelands from bad guys (mostly hyenas).

His second request is that the rest of the family dress up as the other members of The Lion Guard.  So Thatbaby became Ono, the egret with outstanding vision.

And Thatboy and I became Beshte the strong hippo and Fuli the fast cheetah. 

The decorations were out in full force. 

Both boys got loaded up with candy at the Brick or Treat stations.  Although this year there was no lego-set giveaway.  Thatkid chose not to do the costume contest this year.  Instead, we took in a show - Mad Max's Monster Machine.  Thatbaby was surprisingly focused and interested in it.  Looks like we have another live theater fan in our midst.

I love going to Legoland Brick or Treat.  It's such a great way to ring in the holiday season.  It makes it really feel like fall is upon us.  Which is my other favorite part of October.  I love so much about this month!  And since summer vegetables are officially past their prime, it means I get to move onto heartier stuff.  Sweet onions braised in a rich, dark beer gives it a glaze that definitely says "summer is over. Long live the fall."

Stout Braised Cippolini Onions

12 oz cippolini onions

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 celery stalks, cut into 2 inch batons

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 carrots, peeled

2/3 cup stout

1/3 cup tomato juice

3/4 cup vegetable broth

1 Tbsp brown sugar

 salt and pepper

1.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Place onions in boiling water for 3 minutes, then remove to an ice bath.  Peel outer later of skin.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Add the onions and celery and fry over a moderate heat until golden (about 10-12 minutes)
3. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the carrots.
4. Add the beer, tomato juice, vegetable broth, and sugar, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Arrange the vegetables in a serving dish, then season the sauce and pour over.

My Other Water Baby: Roasted Baby Carrots with Cumin

When Thatkid goes off to college, I've got 3 years to make up for the neglect that Thatbaby is experiencing.  Of course, at that age, Thatbaby is going to want nothing to do with me.

Take swimming for instance.  We enrolled Thatkid in swimming lessons when he was 9 months old.  He spent so much time in the pool as a baby.  Thatbaby?  Well, he's only been in a pool a handful of times.  And at 15 months, we finally enrolled him in swim lessons.

I took these pictures on the one day Thatboy came with us, but typically while Thatboy and Thatkid are soccering it up, I'm in the pool with Thatbaby.

Probably because he's a willful toddler instead of a compliant baby, but Thatbaby was much less cooperative during swim lessons than his brother had been.

He likes being in the water, but mostly just being held.  He doesn't like being on his back, practicing his strokes, or his kicks.  And I definitely blame the fact that we haven't been as proactive about getting him the water.

But I think part of the issue is that we are also in teething hell right now.  Poor kid.  He was so miserable this week, that at dinner the other night he wouldn't even touch his meal.  He ended up just eating frozen peas, which probably felt good on his bloody gums. 

I'm working with finding things that are easy for him to eat.  Carrots are a good example.  I give him raw carrots to gnaw on, which he enjoys when they are nice and cold from the fridge.  But he doesn't really eat them.  They're more like a chew toy. 

Now when I cook them, they become softer and much easier for him to eat.  This is a twist off the glazed carrots I had growing up.  Especially around the high holidays - honeyed carrots are a great way to start a sweet new year.  To this classic, I've added a little bit of spice, cumin.  It still has the sweetness, but it's a little more balanced.

Roasted Baby Carrots with Cumin

2 tsps cumin

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 garlic clove, minced

2 lbs baby carrots, peeled

2 Tbsp honey

juice and zest from an orange

1. Preheat the oven to 400.  Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat.  Add the cumin and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
2. Add the olive oil and garlic.
3. Stir in the carrots and toss until they are lightly golden all over.
4. Add the orange juice and zest and stir to combine.  Place skillet in oven and cook for about 9 minutes.

Trail of Crumbs: Gratin de Salsify

If I learned one thing from my experience introducing Thatboy and Thatbaby to vegetables it's that everything is better gratin-ized.

If I learned two things, it would be that bacon gets most people to like vegetables.

These are two very important rules to keep in mind when you are embarking on a new adventure with a new vegetable.  Which is why I was only a little scared when I saw this recipe for salsify.  Salsify is a new one for me, and not an especially attractive vegetable, since it looks like a stick.

Sunee says that this is a twist on a Belgian dish using endives and ham.  Between you and I, I think I might like that version better, based on my experience with celery gratin.  But this wasn't bad, which is to be expected when you have a vegetable wrapped in prosciutto and buried in a cheesy creamy sauce.

Gratin de Salsify (From Trail of Crumbs)

4 to 5 stalks salsify, trimmed, peeled, and rinsed

2 to 3 lemon slices

2 to3 bay leaves

1/2 to 1/2 tsp salt

6 to 8 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 to 2 cups Mornay sauce

12 slices prosciutto

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Cut salsify into 4 inch pieces.
2. Combine salsify and next 3 ingredients in a large pot.
3. Add enough chicken broth or water to cover.  Bring to a boil and let cook about 8 minutes or until salsify is tender but not mushy.  Gently remove salsify with a slotted spoon and let cool.
4. Spoon a third of the mornay sauce in bottom of a baking dish.
5. Wrap each salsify with prosciutto and place seam side down on top of sauce in baking dish.
6. Cover with remaining mornay sauce.
7. Top with grated cheese and a crack of fresh pepper.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly.

Trail of Crumbs: Spring Pea Salad with Minted Cream and Grilled Cheese Toasts

Don't forget to enter my TeaVivre giveaway and get your hands on 5 different teas!

I get stumped on sides most nights.  I'm great at coming up with entrees, but as you may have noticed, the plate is usually a little bare aside from that.  It's a combination of both lack of time and lack of creativity.  So steamed veggies have become a near-constant around here.  That and black beans.  I've been trying to work on that by adding some new side recipes to my repertoire.  Like the caramelized green beans and almonds I made earlier this week.  Or the roasted brussels sprouts in browned butter. 

This is a recipe that is for sure getting added to my side dish list.  Mostly because it went over so well with Thatbaby who is going through the typical toddler "I don't like green" phase.  But he loved these peas, he loved the prosciutto, and he loved the cheese bread.  The dish makes a lot, so he even loved it the next day.  I especially liked it because sometimes it's too hot out for warm vegetable sides.  This is a nice, cool, refreshing summer treat.

Spring Pea Salad with Minted Cream and Grilled Cheese Toasts (From Trail of Crumbs)

 2 cups fresh, shelled, English peas

1 cup fresh snow peas

3 slices prosciutto

1 cup creme fraiche

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

fleur de sel and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

2 to 3 Tbsp julienned fresh mint leaves

1. Cook the English peas 1 to 2 minutes in salted boiling water.
2. Add snow peas and let cook 1 minute more.  Shock peas in an ice bath and let drain.
3. Cook prosciutto in a hot pan until crispy.  Remove from pan and reserve. 
4. Combine creme fraiche, lemon juice, fleur de sel, pepper, and fresh mint ina  bowl.
5. Add peas and stir gently to combine.  Let chill in refrigerator about 1 hour.  
6. Top with crispy prosciutto and serve with grilled goat cheese toast.

Grilled Goat Cheese Toast
Slice baguette and grill or toast lightly.  Rub with garlic and place cheese on top.  Broil for a few seconds, sprinkle with some fresh herbs and/or a drizzle of good olive oil.     

Cucumber Salad

We're very into cucumbers lately.  It's one of those vegetables that Thatbaby can't get enough of, and Thatboy and I enjoy equally.  Cucumber seems flavorless, but there's something about their cool, fresh taste.  I think of them as a very summery vegetable.  Like the veggie version of watermelon.  I add a little tang to them for the spring - the vinegar gives them a bit of a kick.


The fun thing about this cucumber salad in particular is Thatbaby helped make it.  If by "helped" I mean he stood beside me while I sliced cucumbers and onions, picking them up and eating them before they made it into the bowl.  Yes, even the onions.  Apparently he likes a little bit of a kick too.

Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1. Combine cucumbers and onions in a medium bowl.
2. In a separate, small bowl, combine vinegar, salt and pepper, garlic, sugar, and olive oil.
3. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and onions and toss to mix.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Slow Cooker Ratatouille with Goat Cheese Polenta

For Thatboy, Easter means ratatouille.  It's a very weird connection.  Ratatouille is hardly a spring food.  Taking advantage of vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant it really is a summer dish.  At the same time, since it's so thick and stew-ey, I could certainly make an argument that it's a great fall dish.  But TMIL makes it every Easter.  Served alongside lamb, it's a rather heavy meal.

This winter Joanne posted a great, wintery ratatouille.  Sure it had tomatoes, but it also has kale, squash, and potatoes.  TMIL serves her ratatouille as a side on its own, but I always like it with polenta.  Joanne must agree with me because she serves hers over polenta too - creamy, cheesy, polenta!  Just in case you also think ratatouille is an Easter dish, here's the scoop:

Source: Eats Well With Others

2 large eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tbsp coarse salt, plus more to taste
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb fingerling potatoes, quartered
1 bunch kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
28 oz whole peeled tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 cup vegetable broth
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups polenta
4 oz goat cheese
freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with the salt, tossing to combine. Drain for 45 minutes.  Rinse and dry with paper towels.
2. Spray the slow cooker with olive oil. Add the butternut squash, fingerling potatoes, and kale to to the slow cooker, tossing to combine.
3. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add in the onions and garlic, along with a pinch of salt. Saute for 5-8 minutes, or until onions are tender. Add to the slow cooker.
4. In that same pot, melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp olive oil. Whisk in the flour and tomato paste. Stir constantly until flour combines with the paste. 
5. Slowly stir in the whole peeled tomatoes. Simmer, mashing the potatoes against the side of the pot, until mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. 
6. Stir in the Italian seasoning and vegetable broth. Add to the pot.
7. Add the eggplant to the slow cooker. 
8. Add in freshly ground black pepper and stir to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours, stirring halfway through.
9. Before serving, stir in the basil and remove from heat.
10. For the polenta, bring the vegetable broth and water to a boil. Stir in the salt. 
11. Slowly whisk the polenta into the boiling water and lower to a simmer. Simmer until polenta reaches desired consistency, stirring frequently, anywhere from 15-30 minutes. 
12. When polenta is done, stir in the goat cheese and black pepper.
13. Serve ratatouille atop a big scoop of polenta.

Verdict: Keeper!!


Thatboy loved this.  Which is good, because the recipe made a lot.  So he had it for lunch leftovers too.  Thatbaby liked it more than he thought he would, although he did mostly just eat the potatoes and squash.  And polenta.  Kid likes polenta.

Poor Baby

Welp, it only took us 7.5 months, but we have our first sick baby alert. 

Yesterday I got the call as I was on my way into work - Thatbaby was running a fever and I needed to go pick him up.  When I got there he was asleep in his crib.  I scooped up his hot little body and brought him home.  We spent the day cuddled up on the couch.  He was just sleepy for most of the day, but when he was awake he was his usual chipper self.    When we called the after-hours nurse last night after his fever spiked she asked "is that him squealing and playing in the background?"  It was.  We didn't need to bring him in.

Instead we took turns going in to work today so one of us could stay home with our sick boy.  His fever seemed to have broken last night, but then started trending upwards this morning before heading back down to normal again.  We're playing it safe and doing split duty tomorrow too.

One of the signs that Thatbaby wasn't feeling up to snuff was that he turned his head at his usual food favorites.  He was still eating fine from his main food source - me.  But the watermelon and butter noodles went untouched.  Today it was clear he was feeling better when he was back to gnawing on bread and shoving spinach in his mouth by the handfuls.

Spinach, that dark, green, leafy, magic vegetable which I can only imagine is chock full of the kinds of things that a sick baby needs to get well again.  And as a special treat, I stirred some cheese into this one - because we all know how much I love cheese.  Almost as much as I love spinach.  But only a fraction of the amount I love that sick little boy of mine.

Cheesy Spinach

10 oz frozen spinach
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp onion, chopped
1/2 can evaporated milk
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Cook spinach according to directions on package. Drain and reserve liquid. 
2. Melt butter in a pan over low heat.
3. Add the flour, stirring until a paste forms and bubbles.
4. Add onions and sauté 3-5 minutes or until translucent. 
5. Add evaporated milk, spinach liquid and Worcestershire sauce slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook mixture until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. 
6. Add pepper, celery salt, garlic salt, and cheese.  Stir until melted.
7. Stir in the spinach.

Roasted and Covered

It should come as now small surprise that we like roasted veggies in this house.  There are several reasons that go beyond how tasty they are.

Like how easy they are to make.  Most of the time if I'm cooking something in the oven, it just makes sense to throw a tray of vegetables in their too.

Sometimes I do this even when I'm not going to be using them with that meal.  Thatbaby loves to snack on roasted veggies, so having some on hand is an easy addition to any of his meals.

But it also means that on nights when I'm not using the oven (like, say, when I'm serving quesadillas) I still can have some roasted vegetable goodness.

Roasted vegetables work just as well cold as they do hot.  In fact, one of my favorite potato salad recipes uses cooked, roasted vegetables, tossed in a creamy dressing.

This cold roasted veggie salad expounds on that - adding some cooked green beans and beets into the mix.  Each brings a different kind of sweetness to the salad, tempered by a tangy sour cream dressing.

 Cold Roasted Veggie Salad

1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dry mustard
cayenne pepper
1 cup roasted beets
1 cup roasted green beans
1 cup roasted new potatoes

1. Combine the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and a dash of cayenne.  Blend well.
2. Toss the dressing with the beets, beans, and potatoes.

Our Favorite Aspic

This is it - the last aspic you'll see round these parts for a while.  Thatboy is a good sport, but I can only rely on his patience for so long.  I know his breaking point.

And I know to quit while I'm ahead.  So when he gobbled up this aspic declaring it his favorite, I thought it would be a good one to end on. 

With the crisp green vegetables and vinegar, this almost reminded us of a cole slaw.  Of course, that could also be the cabbage element.  It was perfect for a warm spring day - back before these spring days got cold and wet. 

Jellied Vegetable Ring (from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

1 envelope gelatin

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped cabbage

1/8 cup peeled, seeded, and cubed cucumber

1/4 cup defrosted frozen peas

1. Mix 1 cup cold water, gelatin, and sugar in a saucepan.
2. Stir over low heat until dissolved.  
3. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, and salt, and chill until as thick as an unbeaten egg white.
4. Stir in the vegetables, pour into a 4 cup bowl and chill.

Tomato Aspic Take 1

Meanwhile, back on the ranch...

I mentioned last week about playing around with aspics.  In the mid-20th century, one of the more popular aspics was a tomato aspic.  In fact, if you ask someone if they've ever heard of aspic, the tomato based form might be the one they're most familiar with.

I tried playing around with various tomato aspics.  I found them to be similar to gazpacho in taste - a cold tomato base.  Of the ones I tried, the most basic, made with gelatin and tomato juice, was also the least appetizing.  The one that won us over was this pretty little number, studded with vegetables.  Which perhaps makes it even more like a gazpacho.

The cool refreshing flavor makes it a nice treat for a summer day, and the vibrant red and green hue make it seem fitting for Christmas.  Even more so when you slice it open to reveal the treasures inside.

What aspic will our heroine pull from the kitchen next?

How many varieties of tomato aspic can there possibly be?
Why doesn't she just stick to jello?

Stay tuned to our next episode for the answer to these and all your other pressing questions.

Tomato Aspic with Vegetables (From the Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

1 lb 12 oz can of tomatoes

1/2 tsp sugar

1 onion, sliced

2 bay leaves

6 basil leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 envelope gelatin

1/3 cup beef broth

1 1/2 cups finely diced raw vegetables

1. Simmer the tomatoes, sugar, onion, bay leaves, basil, salt, and pepper 15 minutes.
2. Soak the gelatin in the beef broth plus 2 Tbsp water.
3. Strain the tomatoes.  Mix the gelatin into the hot liquid until thoroughly dissolved.
4. Fill the bottom 1/2 inch of a 1 quart bowl with the liquid.  Chill until just set.
5. Distribute the vegetables over the surface and add remaining liquid.  Chill until completely set.

Like jello, but not

Have you ever heard of aspic?  Thatboy hadn't. I had - but only in a vague Great Gatsby-esque sort of reference. I knew it was served as some kind of side dish, a side dish that never gets made anymore.  Or at least not in my circles.

Which means it's time for a resurrection.  What's old is new again.  As evidenced by the neon 80s outfits that are seen in every store right now.

Except, I know nothing about aspics.  So, I turned to someone who I'm sure made a quite a few in her time - Fannie Farmer.

So get ready, buckle in to you time machines, and take a journey with me.

Meat aspics came first, dating back to the 1300s, but we'll start with something more user friendly - the cucumber aspic!

Everyone likes cucumber, and the texture isn't too far off from the cucumber itself - cold and refreshing.  It's the perfect introduction.

Cucumber Aspic (from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 envelope gelatin

2 medium cucumbers

3 scallions

4 sprigs parsley

1 tsp salt

3 Tbsp lime juice

1. Put the orange juice in a small pan and sprinkle the gelatin over.  Stir over low heat just until the gelatin dissolves.  
2. Peel and split the cucumber lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds, then chop cucumber roughly and put in the blender.
3. Roughly chop the scallions and add them to cucumber along with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Add the orange juice and blend until pureed.
5. Chill until the mixture begins to set, then stir well and pour into a lightly oiled mold.  Chill until set.
   

Leftover cabbage?

After St. Patrick's Day was over I had a half a head of cabbage staring at me every time I opened the fridge.  Does this happen to you too?  It's my constant cabbage complaint.  There's always too much.  I always need to plan for 2 cabbage dishes everytime I pick up a head.

For some reason, St. Patrick's Day always starts slaw season for me.  Probably because Passover follows closely on it's heels.  And slaws are fantastic snacks for during Passover.  Last year I slawed up almost every fruit and vegetable I could get my hands on - mixing them together, tossing them with vinegar.

While last year led to the discovery that I love slaw in all forms, it's the traditional cabbage slaw I'm writing about today.  According to Wikipedia, the term "Coleslaw" is an Anglicisation of the Dutch term "koolsla" referring to cabbage salad.  Wikipedia also notes that coleslaw is originally an Irish dish.

An Irish dish to use up leftover cabbage from colcannon?  Sounds like a winner to me!  I don't like mayonnaise, so this coleslaw doesn't use it.  Instead, it relies on a boiled salad dressing - fairly light and unassuming, which is just perfect to let the tangy vinegar shine through. 

Coleslaw

1/2 head of cabbage

 3/4 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 Tbsp sugar

1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

cayenne pepper

3/4Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp vinegar

salt

1/2 tsp celery seed

1.  Place the cabbage in a bowl of cold water and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Make the dressing: Combine flour, mustard, and sugar in a pan.  
3. Slowly add the egg yolks, a sprinkle of cayenne, melted butter, milk, and vinegar.  
4. Heat, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and add salt to taste.
5. Drain the cabbage, shred, and toss with the dressing and celery seed.