Kitchen Ranch

Removing the Skins from Hazelnuts

There is absolutely no easy way. The best method I have found is to pour boiling hot water over your hazelnuts along with a pinch of baking soda. Wait 3-5 minutes. Then de skin with your hands. After, toast in the oven at 400 F for 10 minutes.

Thanks Malia!

Camping in Downieville or A Fun Method to Remove the Husks of Garlic

Camping in Downieville offered good times. The town itself is small (pop. 325) and situated along a river in Northern California (see wiki entry here). The annual Downieville Classic invites 800 men and women to sweat on their bikes.

While watching the energetic festival unravel in Downieville was fun, I was very pleased not to be sweating on my bike. However, I will take the job of pit crew to our bad-ass bike riders any day.

I prefer sitting at camp drinking beer and pondering what I would eat next with Ryan's secret recipe salsa. Time spent chilling out with the kids, building fairy houses, and playing tic tac was time well spent. 

Unlike my choice meal of sprouts on tostadas and beer, the kids decided out that anything chocolate was their official meal of the camping trip. Nana Mensa, the dog that was from Africa (below) decided that eggs were his favorite meal of the journey.

Josh arrived Saturday afternoon and offered to remove the husks from the garlic cloves. Kirstin looked on with doubt.

His method introduced a garlic like instrument and included a small dance:

The result was positive and we all agreed was more fun than a simple crushing of the clove with a knife..:

We are already looking forward to Downieville next year...

How to toast pine nuts

I like to toast pine nuts (well, pretty much all my nuts) in the oven on a cookie sheet. While it is popular to toast pine nuts in a skillet... I usually burn the nuts.

Oven to 400 F and toast pine nuts until they are golden brown... a few minutes. Keep a close eye especially when the kitchen becomes fragrant.

Homemade Croutons

Before I get started about homemade croutons...

Tomorrow (Thursday, June 7th) we are shoving off for a few days to explore Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park. I will resume posting mid next week.

A great solution for that day old crusty bread is to make croutons. Croutons are simple to make and embellish so very many dishes such as salads, soups and casseroles.

• Preheat to 350 degrees
• Chop your day old crusty bread into bite sized pieces
• Toss bite sized pieces onto a cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil all over the bread bits
• Sprinkle Herbes de Province all over the bread bits
• Do a bit of mixing so olive oil and the spice are evenly distributed

Bake for about 15 minutes-until your croutons are golden brown. Croutons can be stored for a few days in a tightly lidded container.

Vegetable Stock Recipe

Although it is May and I live in Southern California the weather has been grey and blustery as of late. I am talking about the type of grey days that put one in the mood for hot chocolate, mulled wine and soup. You know those kinds of days- in which socks are pulled up and anything warm and comforting should be sipped beside the fireplace.

So tomorrow, a soup recipe but today a recipe for vegetable stock. I swear to you that a soup is much better tasting when one makes their own stock. There was a time when I was lazy and believed those bouillon cubes or the canned stock would suffice. And suffice they did but why settle for sufficient? 

Vegetable Stock 

• Olive Oil glugs to start off the stock
• Add 4 garlic cloves and 2 chopped onions
• Cook until aromatic and brownish

 

Add the following ingredients and 8 Cups of water:

• 1 tomato
• 2 carrots
• 2 basil sprig
• A handful of parsley
• 8 White Peppercorns
• 1 Bay leaf

Making vegetable stock is easier and quicker than anyone seems to imagine. Because you strain the veggies out at the finish line, you can simply cut up a few bits and toss them in and have your stock brewing in a moments time. Vegetable stock is a great solution for uneaten and wilting vegetables. And if you need to add or take away an item based upon preference or simply what is in your kitchen at the time, feel free.

Bring the stock to a boil and then lower the heat a notch to simmer. Simmer for an hour-your home will smell delicious.

A few words about salt. I personally like to add salt to the soup recipe rather than the vegetable stock. To me, the stock is pure vegetable flavor.  Feel free to include it with your stock recipe if you prefer.

The stock will keep for up to a week.

 

 

 

Blanched Broccoli

Last night for dinner I decided to blanch the broccoli. I cut the stems off, washed the florets, and proceeded to break the broccoli florets into bite size chunks. I filled a pot with about one quart of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. When the water was boiling furiously I tossed in the broccoli. After two minutes the broccoli emerged a vibrant dark green (Blanching is commonly used to accentuate the colors of vegetables). I then tossed the broccoli in olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette and chopped garlic. Delicious.

 

Onions Make Me Cry

The daughter, usually very keen to help with the cooking, runs out of the kitchen as soon as the onion is set on the cutting board. The husband wears his swimming goggles if he must chop an onion.

When an onion is cut, cells are broken that combine with enzymes that release gases into the air.  Our eyes dissolve the irritating gases.

There are several techniques for avoiding the tears but what I do is light a candle beside the cutting board while chopping an onion. The flame burns the gases before they reach my eyes.