A Good Cup of Joe

No, I am not growing coffee in my backyard, nor did I receive any in my CSA box. But I wish I had.

Nothing makes me feel like sitting down with a hot cup of coffee like the onset of cool weather. A good cup of coffee can sometimes be difficult to find or make. Here are some important tips for making a really good cup of Joe.

To make really good coffee you must pay special attention to the following: freshness, grinding, brewing and flavoring.

Freshness:
* if you can afford it, buy your beans directly from coffee retailers. It will be fresher then beans that may have been sitting on the grocery shelves for an unknown amount of time.
*buy whole beans and grind them with each pot you brew
* store coffee beans in a cool, dark, air tight container. Storing your beans in the refrigerator or freezer is discouraged as the beans may take on the flavors of other foods in your refrigerator and freezer.

Grinding:
The grind of the coffee is very important to the taste and aroma of the brewed drink.
First of all, the coarseness of the grind will determine how fast the water passes through during brewing. The finer the grind, the more time it takes the water to be forced through the grounds. Think of water flowing through a layer of sand as opposed to rocks.

This brew cycle time makes can make drastic differences in the taste of your coffee. It’s just like cooking and the brew cycle is the baking. You wouldn’t under or over cook a cake and expect it to taste the same.

Grinding tips:
* grind the beans to the consistency of granulated sugar for drip brewed coffee. This is considered a medium grind.
*If you are shopping for a grinder, buy one that uses conical, or flat grinding burrs. The blade type grinders are extremely inconsistent and generate so much heat that they literally burn the beans.
*Grind a little bit of fresh coffee and then discard. This will hopefully get any old, stale coffee you could not reach after cleaning.

Brewing Tips:
* use cold, fresh water, not filtered water. The water softeners will fail to release the coffee oils.
* do not leave the coffee sitting on the burner for longer than 30 minutes, as the coffee will burn and take on a burnt flavor. If it takes you longer than 30 minutes to drink the coffee, pour it into a thermal container. A given amount of coffee only contains so much of the flavorful and aromatic oils. After those oils have all been extracted, the water will extract acids and other bitter tasting elements. This is called over-extraction
*If you think that black coffee tastes bitter, or you just like weaker coffee. Make the coffee full strength (2 level tablespoons per 6 ounces of water or 2.5 - 3 level tablespoons per 8 ounces) and mix hot water into the strong coffee. The result will be a smoother coffee without the bitterness. Try it, you may not need cream and sugar anymore!
*Wait until the entire pot has brewed before pouring a cup. This will ensure that the water has flowed over all of the beans giving the pot an even consistant flavor throughtout the entire pot of coffee.
* buy a coffee pot with a cone shaped filter instead of a round shaped. Cone shaped filters allow for a more even water flow over the beans.

Flavoring:
* if you enjoy flavored coffee buy flavored syrups and not flavored coffee beans. Grinding flavored beans will contaminate your bean grinder, making it impossible to clean and distasting all other beans you grind in that machine.
* pour flavor syrups into your pot or cup of coffee before adding milk or sugar. The hot coffee will help the syrup dissolve and will amplify the taste and aroma of the syrup.

Bonus Tip:
If you enjoy iced coffee, you must try this tip! Instead of putting ice cubes in your coffee, brew a fresh pot of coffee, let cool to about room temperature and then pour the coffee into some ice trays. Freeze, and now you have frozen coffee cubes! Now, when the cubes melt, your coffee will not become weaker and weaker.

Those little baby cabbage heads!

I was having an enlightening conversation with some friends of mine this weekend. They belong to the same CSA (community supported agriculture) as I do. We were discussing how sad we were getting realizing how quickly our vegetable box will come to an end. We have been enjoying organically and locally grown produce since May and we only have 6 more weeks to go. Then it will be back to the grocery store for us.

My friend usually rides his bike over to pick up his box of produce. With backpack in hand, he loads his produce into his pack and away he goes to deliver the goods to his family. He was commenting on how he noticed his backpack getting heavier lately with the onset of fall and a new variety of produce coming into season. He marveled at the realization that the Creator so wonderfully changes the composition of our produce to meet our needs as the climate changes. Heavier produce grows at the end of farming season, in early to late fall. Typically the most available produce are root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or vine vegetables with thick skin, such as pumpkin or winter squash. These vegetables, when stored in a cool place, will keep for a long time, helping us get through the winter season when nothing is able to grow. Isn't that the coolest thing?

This week I would like to discuss a vegetable that gets a really bad rap- Brussel sprouts (or Barbie doll heads, as my friend once called them). I want to encourage you to give them a try.

Here are some facts you may be interested in knowing.

1. It's overcooking that produces a bad odor, not the sprout itself. So cooks be careful to not overcook them.

2. Smaller heads are more tender and delicate in flavor. Select with this in mind

3. Their peak season is winter

4. Dark green, crisp, tightly closed leaves and never larger than a ping pong ball, are the best.

5. They keep nicely in your refrigerator in a loosely sealed plastic bag up to one week.

Flavors which enhance or compliment Brussel sprouts include-

* balsamic vinegar

* orange juice

* toasted pine nuts

* walnuts

* pecans

* butter

* bacon

Try this easy Brussel sprout recipe.

Sprouts and Bacon

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of Brussel sprouts

1-2 slices of bacon, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add sprouts to boiling water and cook for 4 minutes or until tender. Drain water

2. Cook bacon over moderate heat in a heavy skillet until browned and crisp, 2-3 minutes.

3. Stir in the sprouts, thyme, salt and pepper and cook another 2-3 minutes.

For Variety-

Omit thyme and bacon. Instead heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add one teaspoon of orange zest and 1/4 cup orange juice. Add Brussel sprouts and cook until the juice evaporates.

The Incredible Edible egg!

It's that time of year when we find egg salad back on our menu. The Easter season always brings us back to hard boiled eggs. My guess is even you have "eggs" on your grocery list this week.

Didn't you just love to color Easter eggs when you were a child? I fondly remember those tiny plastic bottles purchased in a little cardboard box filled with the primary colors. And oh what a mess the minuted drop made on the kitchen table. But what fun it was to gather around the table together with our siblings, the air rich with the smell of vinegar.

If you are creative enough and still have a bit of a kid in you, coloring eggs may still be an activity you may want to participate in this weekend. No need for those jars of dye, you can use wonderful things from nature to color your eggs. Did you know that the skin from purple or white onions will dye your eggs wonderful rich colors? Try it- you will be pleasantly surprised. Just add the skin of one or 2 purple onions to your boiling water and during the cooking time (6 minutes) you will have colored some beautiful eggs.

Or you could forgo the coloring process and just buy some brown eggs. Did you ever wonder what makes an egg white or brown or speckled? It is the breed of chicken which dictates the color of the shell. White feather, white earlobed chickens will produce white shelled eggs. Red feather, red earlobed chickens will produce brown eggs. The flavor and nutritional value of the eggs will remain the same regardless of the shell color.

To ensure that you are starting with fresh eggs, do this little test: Fill a bowl with water. Place an uncooked egg in the bowl. Does it float or sink? If it floats, throw the egg away. It has passed its prime freshness. As eggs age they lose water through the shell. An egg that floats contains little to no water and is no longer fresh.

Once you hard boil all those eggs, are you wondering what you are going to do with them? Here are a few recipe ideas for you to try.

1. Slice them into fresh green salads

2. Dice the eggs and add to potato or tuna salad

3. Make a Cobb or traditional egg salad.

Or why not try this lower fat deviled egg recipe for a nice change.

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
12 large hard-boiled eggs , (see Tip), peeled
1/3 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives , or scallion greens
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Paprika , for garnish

Direction:
1.Halve eggs lengthwise with a sharp knife. Gently remove the yolks. Place 16 yolk halves in a food processor (discard the remaining 8 yolk halves). Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, chives (or scallion greens), relish, mustard and salt; process until smooth.
2.Spoon about 2 teaspoons yolk mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Tip: To hard-boil eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and cover the eggs with ice-cold water. Let stand until cool enough to handle before peeling.

Nutrition
Per serving: 34 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 71 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 0 g fiber; 85 mg sodium; 31 mg potassium.

Recipe courtesty of Eating Well magazine

Broccoli

Have you had your fill of tomatoes yet? With the cool temperatures we are beginning to see some different produce on the farm stands and in the super market.

I know it has gotten some bad rap over the years, but broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables. It really is quite versatile and enjoyable in a variety of forms. Perhaps you enough it raw with some dip or dressing or maybe you like it cooked instead. I think it makes a great winter soup and is great as a salad.

Here is a little history on broccoli-

One of the most nutritious vegetables on the market is broccoli. Broccoli has been consumed since the Roman Empire century and traces of its use has been tracked 2000 years back in time. Broccoli was first grown by the Italians until the 16th century when its use spread around Europe. Henry II of France introduced the vegetable to the French cuisine, which started its wide use in the kitchen. Broccoli was first grown in Virginia in the 1700s and has been part of the American cuisine for the past 200 years.

The name broccoli comes from the Latin word brachium, which means arm or branch. It belongs to the Brassica family, along with other cabbages. Broccoli is rich in nutrients including, vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, folate, iron and fiber. It also contains phytochemicals that are believed to prevent various types of cancer by preventing carcinogens from forming.

There are many varieties of broccoli and the most common found in the United States is the Italian green or sprouting variety. Broccoli is available in the grocery store year around. For best selection, ensure that the broccoli has a firm stalk, dark green to purple bunches, and no discoloration. Store the broccoli in an open bag in the refrigerator for no more than a day or two for best quality. Fresh broccoli contains more calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin C than frozen broccoli. However, frozen broccoli usually contain more bunches and less stalks. Bunches are denser in nutrients, thus frozen broccoli provide more beta-carotene by weight than fresh. However, frozen contains higher amounts of sodium, thus if you are watching your sodium intake fresh broccoli is your choice.

Broccoli is best prepared steamed, stir-fried, or in the microwave. During boiling more nutrients are lost, thus it is not the preferred choice. Raw broccoli is ideal and can be enjoyed in salads or as an appetizer.

Nutrition information (1/2 cup raw broccoli): calories: 12, carbohydrates: 4 g, protein: 1 g, fat: 0 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, sodium: 12 mg, fiber: 1 g, vitamin C: 58 mg, calcium: 21 mg

Try this tasty recipe soon.

Broccoli Puree

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:10 min
Cook Time:30 min
Serves:4 servings

Ingredients
•1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
•1 pound broccoli florets
•1/2 cup chicken broth
•4 ounces cream cheese
•1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Fill a large pot with enough water to come 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Set a steamer rack in the pot, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the potato chunks and cook until they are very tender, about 18 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl and mash until smooth.

Place broccoli into steamer rack and steam over medium heat until the broccoli is very tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to the bowl of a food processor. Add the broth, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Process until the broccoli is pureed and almost smooth.

Stir the broccoli puree into the mashed potato and blend well. Season the puree to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.