A Good Dish

making food simpler

Bake My Favorite Easy Cornbread and Make People (and Yourself) Happy!

Yellow stoneground cornmeal cornbread
Blue and white bowl by Wendy Goldsmith

Cornbread is one of those comfort foods that is simple to make and almost everyone loves. The sunny color is perfect for brightening these short days and long nights! I have tried many versions over the years since I made my first one from a boxed Jiffy mix as a teenager. People have strong feelings about the right way to make cornbread. Some say sweet while others insist on no sweetener. Some use half flour half cornmeal while others are cornmeal-only purists. Finely ground corn flour, as Edna Lewis preferred, vs. coarse corn grits or polenta. Add corn kernels, cheese or green chilies? I think all can be delicious (have you ever had bad cornbread?) as long as the ingredients, particularly the cornmeal, are fresh. 

Stoneground white and yellow cornmeal
from Gray’s Grist Mill

Freshly milled cornmeal can be found across the country. On the east coast there is Maine Grains, Farmer Flour, Anson Mills and Marsh Hen Mill, among many others. Our local place, Gray’s Grist Mill, stone grinds flint corn, both white and yellow, and does mail order. Use white or yellow (or blue or red if you can find it), finely or coarsely ground – just make sure it is fresh. And whatever you don’t use, store in the freezer until you bake again.

Cornbread bakes up especially well
in cast iron pans

I make my cornbread without flour because because, after all, it is corn bread and not cake. If you want it lighter and cake-like, use half cornmeal and half flour. There are endless recipes, many collected in Crescent Dragonwagon’s The CornBread Gospels, in which she lays out Northern vs. Southern cornbread plus the sweet vs. unsweetened debate. Sometimes I add some date or maple sugar and other times I don’t sweeten at all. I like to use whole or buttermilk but any kind of milk, even plant milks, work. (If using buttermilk, substituting a little baking soda for some of the baking powder will prevent sourness).You can even use half milk and half cream, if you want it richer. I can’t bring myself to use lard but people do. I find the butter adds plenty of flavor and crispness. Add oregano, thyme, diced chilis, dried cranberries, cherries or diced apricots, corn kernels or diced cheese if you want to vary the taste. For a really sweet treat, slather the top with honey or maple butter as soon as the hot pan comes out of the oven. Cornbread makes a great gift, either baked by you (and given in a pan or towel meant as part of the gift) or given as a kit, all the dry ingredients in a jar accompanied with a recipe.

White cornmeal cornbread
Oval plate by Wendy Goldsmith
Cornbread slice with butter and honey
Red plate by Wendy Goldsmith

Cornbread keeps a couple of days and can be frozen but it is definitely at its best hot out of the oven. You can serve it plain or topped with butter while still warm. It is a great accompaniment to bean dishes, chilis, stews and salads, makes delicious Thanksgiving stuffing and can stand alone as an easy breakfast when warmed or toasted, perhaps  with a spreadable soft cheese (I am thinking baked farmer, ricotta or cream cheese) and jam. And cornbread makes a great ham or turkey sandwich, spread with mustard, cranberry sauce or pepper jelly and topped with fresh greens. And although you can make cornbread in any baking pan, a cast iron skillet is best for holding heat. You want the pan hot to make the batter sizzle when it comes in contact with the bubbling melted butter to achieve a crunchy crust. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. 

Yellow cornbread pieces
White and blue bowl by Wendy Goldsmith

CORNBREAD 

Preheat your oven to 400F and place an 9” cast iron skillet in the oven to heat.

Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine:

  • 2 1/2 cups stone ground yellow or white cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1-2 TBs maple, date or white sugar, optional
  • Beat together in a separate bowl:
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups milk or buttermilk (if buttermilk, use 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp baking powder)

With a potholder, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, set in a safe place and add 2-3 TBs butter.

While the butter is melting, whisk the wet ingredients into the dry.

When the butter is starting to brown and bubbling (don’t let it burn and don’t burn yourself)), pour about half of it in the batter, mix in and pour the batter into the hot skillet (it should sizzle) and then place the skillet in your preheated oven.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until starting to brown and coming away from the sides.

Either invert the cornbread to serve crunchy side up or slice into wedges or squares and serve right away. Makes 8 generous wedges.

Blue and white bird bowl (about 12″ wide)
by Wendy Goldsmith
Verso of white and blue bowl
by Wendy Goldsmith

Wendy Goldsmith makes charming, appealing handbuilt pots that are a pleasure to use. Her whimsical, nature-based paintings, primarily of birds but also fish, flowers and trees, with decorative patterning make me smile when I use them. Lightweight with compacted, rounded edges and glossy glazes on a porcelaneous stoneware, they hold up to repeated usage. You can find her on her website and on Instagram.

Red bird plate
by Wendy Goldsmith
Vase detail – Wendy Goldsmith
Photo courtesy of the artist
Bird flask set by Wendy Goldsmith
Photo courtesy of the artist

Give This Many Bean Soup Mix Along With The Recipe And It Will Be A Gift Each Time It Is Cooked

Multi-bean soup from a homemade mix
Soda fired porcelain mug
by Gay Smith

Seems impossible it is December already, doesn’t it? Somehow it snuck up and the end of year holidays are upon us. I like to make holiday presents, partly to avoid the craze of shopping and partly because it is fun coming up with ideas and gifting something different and useful. Some years have been better liked than others and the winners have included bath salts, granola, knitted dishcloths, lavender sachets and the “seasoned” fruitcakes I posted last month. One of the most widely appreciated gifts was a quart-sized Mason jar of mixed bean soup mix accompanied with cooking instructions.

Choose different colors and sizes of
beans, lentils and split peas
Bite-sized fresh vegetables
ready to add in

Getting bean soup to taste good without heaps of salt (to raise your blood pressure) can be a real struggle. One workaround is adding in dehydrated vegetables along with herbs and spices. Dried veggies like celery, onions, peppers and mushrooms are great flavor boosters (no chopping involved), keep for ages and boost the nutritional profile. Finding good quality dried vegetables can be challenging but I can recommend several reliable sources: Harmony House Foods, North Bay Trading and Frontier Coop. Another big flavor boost is a good bouillon, either a cube or a generous spoonful, salt-free or regular. You can package the flavorings in a little baggie with the bouillon and salt in their own bag. Curry powder is another option for flavor but everyone doesn’t love curry so if you include it, do so separately. Traditionally, flavor would come from a ham bone or hock, which you add while the beans are cooking, but I skip this as I am trying to avoid adding saturated fat and cholesterol. That said, a handful of chopped cooked ham or smoked turkey could be delicious addition. When I made this soup last week to check amounts, I used a whole cup of barley and it turned out more like a savory vegetable and bean stew. To serve it a second time, I thinned it with stock, added lots of fresh greens and had a different meal. 

This soup is like a stew when thick

You can really adjust the flavor profile of this soup to suit your taste. Almost any firm, non-slimy vegetable (no eggplant or zucchini) will work (think carrots, celery, turnips, celery root, butternut squash). Just wait to add them until the last 20 minutes of cooking so they don’t get mushy. A can of crushed tomatoes can also be added at that point. If you want to add green beans or leafy greens, do it at the very end so they stay bright. Use farro, sorghum or dried corn, if you don’t like or don’t want to use barley. I keep an empty jar handy in my kitchen to which I add small amounts of  uncooked beans and lentils each time I make a recipe that calls for beans. I don’t worry too much about the individuals amounts, just that the total equals 2 cups. This soup doesn’t have to be 8 bean types, it could be 2 or 12 and it will still taste good. For gifting, put the 2 smaller jars or baggies in the larger bean jar, attach a recipe card (or just photocopy the recipe below) and tie a ribbon around the neck. To make it a bigger present, place the jar in a new stockpot or accompany it with a good ladle, a wooden spoon, fresh potholders or a trivet. You can give a pot of soup for one meal or you can teach a friend to make a pot of soup….

A great wintertime gift!

MIXED BEAN SOUP MIX

For the soup mix:

Layer into a large glass jar 1/4 cup each  of 8 types for a total of 2 cups dried beans such as Pinto, Red, Navy Pea, Great Northern, Kidney, Cannellini, Black, Baby Lima,  Green or Yellow Split Peas, Brown, Green or Black Lentils, etc.

In a small jar or baggie:

  • 1 bouillon cube (or a heaping teaspoon bouillon powder)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • In another small jar or baggie:
  • 1 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1/3 cup barley, pearled or hulled (optional but good balance)
  • 1/3 cup dried veggie flakes
  • 1/4 cup dried onions
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsps chili powder
  • 2 tsps thyme
  • 1 tsp dried dill weed

Fresh ingredients:

  • Up to a quart of mixed chopped carrot, celery, mushroom, winter squash, turnip, celeriac, potato, sweet potato, green beans and/or cauliflower, optional
  • Up to a quart of chopped leafy greens, optional
  • Juice of half a fresh lemon (or a TBs vinegar) for finishing and a big handful of chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or dill for serving

Soup Instructions:

Rinse and pick over beans. Put into a stockpot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and soak 1 hour. Drain. Alternately, soak overnight without boiling and then drain.

Add 10 cups of water or stock to the beans plus all the other ingredients except the salt and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer about 1 – 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally until tender and adding more liquid as necessary. 

Uncover, increase heat to medium, add salt and bouillon and chopped vegetables, if using, and simmer, stirring often, until soup thickens, about 20-25 minutes. Discard bay leaves and adjust if you think it needs more salt or pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lemon (or a splash of vinegar) and serve with chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or dill and a flavorful olive oil, hot sauce or cayenne. Grated Parmesan is also a tasty addition. 

Makes 10-12 cups.

A meal in a cup
Soda Fired Porcelain Mug by Gay Smith

 

Gay Smith is a thoughtful, articulate and skillful potter who makes generous, comfortable and sturdy (because they are so well crafted) pots. Her once fired porcelain pieces are full of animation and exuberance. Sometimes they feel like they are dancing. Gay’s work is available on Etsy as well Penland Gallery Shop and many juried shows.

Soda fired porcelain teapot by Gay Smith
Photo courtesy of the artist
Soda fired porcelain canister set by Gay Smith
Photo courtesy of the artist
Assortment of orange soda fired porcelain by Gay Smith
Photo courtesy of the artist

Listen to a recent interview with Gay by Ben Carter on his podcast Tales Of A Red Clay Rambler

This Is Not Your Great Aunt’s Fruitcake – It Is Moist, Delicious And Makes A Great Gift

Fruit and nut loaf cake
White stoneware beaver platter
by Hannah Niswonger

Fruitcake gets a bad rap for legitimate reasons. It can be dry and full of bitter bits of unidentifiable fruit and rinds. People generally have very strong feelings about fruitcake—either you love it or hate it. I was on the fence for years, thinking it looked attractive but not liking the dry, dense way it tasted. Then my friend Deborah introduced me to Sylvia’s fruitcake, a recipe Marian Burros adapted from food writer, editor and recipe developer Sylvia Shur and printed decades ago in The New York Times. It was full of soft, flavorful dried fruit and nuts, redolent with brandy and barely held together with a simple batter, more boozy fruit and nuts than cake. We made that fruitcake together for years right before Thanksgiving so it would have time to age and “ripen” from repeated feedings with said brandy over the course of a month to six weeks, often varying the fruit or nuts, depending on what we had procured.

Ginger and pineapple make good replacements
for citron and green glacè cherries
The main ingredients are
dried fruits and nuts

With our kids grown and less time spent cooking in Deborah’s big kitchen, we stopped baking together. But every year around Thanksgiving, my husband starts asking if Deborah is sending us a fruitcake. Eventually Deb moved to an apartment and, sadly, the fruitcakes never again materialized. This year, as I started to think ahead to the holidays earlier than usual, desperate for a dose of holiday cheer, visions of fruitcakes started to dance in my head and I dug out the old recipe. You might think “why is she publishing a holiday recipe now?” Fruitcake takes time to cure so 2 months is not too long ahead to make it but even a few weeks will do, if you get a late start. For a stronger flavor, soak the fruit in a little brandy (or your liquid of choice) before adding the batter. Please note that if you (or someone for whom you are making the cake) can’t drink alcohol or you want to eat the cake for breakfast, apple, cranberry or orange juice is a decent substitution, although it won’t work as a preservative. If you don’t have any brandy or don’t like it, use rum, sherry, port, or my favorite, bourbon.

Pressed into a parchment lined loaf pan
and ready to bake
Fruitcake baked and cooling
Baked fruitcakes dowsed and cheeseclothed
Just need heavy duty foil wrap

Burros used white flour and sugar in her recipe, as well as the traditional candied fruit (like citron and green(?) and maraschino cherries. No thanks. So I substituted whole wheat pastry flour (almond or gluten free flour flour works fine, too, since it is just a binder, not for rising) and date sugar (dried, ground dates), added lemon and orange zest, and spices. I substituted lots of dried ginger chunks and pineapple forf the candied fruit while dried tart cherries and cranberries replaced the maraschinos. Use what you like and want to eat. Dried figs, blueberries, goji berries, papaya, etc. could all work. Don’t be daunted by the list of ingredients. It is a very simple process. I find the recipe makes two good sized loaves (or four smaller loaves) rather than the one originally described. All the better to share with friends!

Sliced fruitcake on
Patterned chicken plate by Hannah Niswonger

SYLVIA’S FRUITCAKE PLUS

  • 16 oz walnut halves/pieces or a mix of walnuts and pecans
  • 8 oz Brazil nuts
  • 16 oz pitted dates
  • 12 oz pitted prunes
  • 16 oz dried apricots
  • 6 oz candied fruits (ginger, pineapple)
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 cup dried cherries or a mix of cherries, cranberries and/or goji berries
  • Zest of one lemon or orange 
  • 1 1/2 cups flour (ww pastry, almond, gluten-free or regular old unbleached)
  • 1 tsp baking powder 
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Optional-1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp dried ginger
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup sugar (maple, date or cane all work)
  • 2 tsps vanilla
  • 2 tsps brandy or apple juice
  • 3/4-1 cup brandy plus more for feeding 

Preheat oven to 275 F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 8 or 9” loaf pans. Line with brown paper. (I cut up a paper bag but you can use parchment paper)

Combine all the nuts, fruit and zest in a large mixing bowl. 

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices, if using, and toss with the fruit/nut mixture to coat. 

Beat or whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and 2 tsps brandy. Pour over the nut mixture and mix gently to combine. 

Fill the prepared loaf pans and press the mixture into the pans firmly. Cover each lightly with a piece of parchment paper. Bake 2 hours, removing parchment half way through baking. (If using smaller pans, they will bake faster so adjust the time accordingly).

Remove pans to a wire rack in a shallow pan to cool and spoon a 1/4 cup of brandy over each loaf. Let stand one hour. Peel off paper, wrap each with cheesecloth, pour remaining brandy into the shallow pan and turn each wrapped loaf in the pan until cheesecloth is wet with brandy. Wrap each loaf with heavy duty foil (I use two layers) and store in a cool, dry place or in a large covered container. 

Check after a few days and if dry, add more brandy and rewrap tightly. Check every 10 days or so, adding brandy if dry, until ready to eat or gift. 

White stoneware chicken plate
by Hannah Niswonger
Chicken plate verso
by Hannah Niswonger

Hannah Niswonger makes delightful functional white stoneware pottery with remarkable drawings of wildlife set amidst lively patterns and shapes as well as sculpture, prints, drawings and tiles. See more of her work on her website.

It Is Shell Bean Season And Borlotti/Cranberry Beans Are An Easy, Fresh Protein Source

Borlotti/Cranberry beans simmered with herbs and garlic
Porcelain bowl by Silvie Granatelli

Borlotti beans, also called Cranberry beans because of their speckled fuschia pods and interior dots, are a type of shell bean that shows up at farmers markets in fall. You may find the bright pink and cream-colored pods still tinged with green or yellowing – either way, they are all okay. I’ve even found pods that look like the ends are rotting but the beans inside were still fine. Sadly, as gorgeous as they are raw, they lose most of their vibrant color when cooked. Unlike green or wax beans, which can be eaten raw or cooked, shell beans, like dry beans, need cooking to be digestible. You simply remove them from their pods (as you would shell fresh peas) and simmer in water or broth until tender.

Fresh cranberry/borlotti beans in their pods
Shelled beans ready to cook
Sometimes you get a batch of very colorful beans

Fresh Borlotti/Cranberry beans may be one of the most versatile beans. Once cooked, you can add them to salads, pastas, soups (especially good in a minestrone) or even just tossed with butter and salt. They make a delicious bean salad with a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Whoever discovered there were edible beans in these pretty pods and that you had to cook them before eating was a brilliant risk-taker. Fortunately for us, that someone was adventurous because these beans are both tasty and high in protein and fiber.

Beans in their pod
Dry shell beans are shelf stable but need soaking and longer cooking
Simmer beans with fresh or dry herbs, garlic or onion until tender

My favorite ways to eat cooked Borlotti beans are 1- simply simmered with garlic and herbs, drained and drizzled with olive oil and 2- combined with corn and red pepper in a succotash. You can store cooked beans in the fridge for a couple of days so they work well as a cook once, eat several times ingredient. Plus, you can freeze cooked beans and always have a protein available to add to a soup or pasta mid-winter. Buy a few pounds at your local farmers market, shell and simmer until soft and please share with the rest of us how you used them.

Succotash made with shell beans
Porcelain bowl by Sylvie Granatelli

See a piece I wrote on Sylvie Granatelli‘s work here.

Napa Cabbage Sauté With Carrots, Onions And Sesame Is Easy Anytime Of Year

Napa sauté
Plate by Dehmie Dehmlow

Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage, is the most common ingredient in kimchi, appears in soup and stir-fry recipes in many cuisines around the world and also makes a good salad. It is milder and sweeter than head cabbage and a great back-up vegetable to keep on hand. Like other cruciferous vegetables, it lasts a pretty long time in the fridge – up to two weeks. If, after a long refrigerator nap, the outer leaves look spotty or wilted, just peel them off and use the rest. I find it in Northeast farmers markets from spring to fall and it is widely available in mainstream chain groceries and Asian markets year round. Napa shrinks down dramatically as it cooks because of its high water content so don’t be afraid to start out with a lot of raw cabbage.

Napa at our farmers’ market
If you cut napa lengthwise and lay cut side down,
it is easier to cut into pieces
Cut carrots into slices and then matchsticks

My favorite way to prepare Napa is in a macrobiotic/Japanese style sauté with onions, carrots and sesame that I learned how to make when I took a macro cooking class my first year out of college. I make it the same way all these years later because it is simple to prepare, good leftover and everyone seems to like it. Why mess with a good thing?

Napa sauté with toasted sesame seeds
Boat bowl by Dehmie Dehmlow

SAUTÉED NAPA CABBAGE WITH ONIONS AND CARROTS

  • 2 TBs neutral cooking oil, like avocado or grape seed
  • 1 large onion, peeled, halved and sliced
  • 3-4 large carrots, cut in thick matchsticks
  • 1 small or 1/2 large Napa cabbage, cut in squares (make 2-3 lengthwise slices and then slice crosswise)
  • 2 TBs tamari or soy sauce
  • 1-2 tsps dark sesame oil
  • 1-2 TBs toasted sesame seeds or gomasio (sesame salt)(optional)
  • Heat the oil in a large high sided skillet or wide stockpot.

Add onions and cook until wilted but don’t brown.

Add carrots and cook 3-4 minutes more.

Add Napa and tamari, stir, cover and cook about 4-5 minutes until wilted but still some bright green evident. 

Turn off heat, add sesame oil and toss. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. 

Put in serving dish and top with sesame seeds.

Serves 4-6 and stores 2-3 days refrigerated.

Dehmlow plate recto

Dehmie Dehmlow is making some of the most inventive plates, bowls and cups round. She considers shape, volume, rhythm, line, color, surface and use, producing generous, painterly and sculptural pieces that are both thoughtful and playful.

Dehmlow plate verso