D.I.Y. Delicious: Recipes and Ideas for Simple Food From Scratch (14 page)

Once the artichokes are prepped, this creamy soup is easy and quick to make. A dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of dill nicely balance the soup’s richness. You can use yogurt if you don’t have crème fraîche. I choose small (not baby) or medium artichokes for this. They’re easier to prepare before they’ve had a chance to develop much of a choke or pokey thorns. Use a serrated knife to cut the tops off the artichokes. It’s much safer than a chef’s knife because it won’t become dull and slip
.

TIME REQUIRED:
about 1 hour active; 30 minutes passive (excluding crème fraîche preparation)

YIELD:
4 servings

1 lemon

2½ pounds artichokes (about 6 medium)

1 quart vegetable or chicken broth, or
whey from drained cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large leek, sliced and rinsed well

2 celery ribs, diced

4 to 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Crème Fraîche
for garnish

Chopped fresh chive or chive flowers for garnish

Ready a large bowl of water and squeeze half of the lemon into it. Keep the other lemon half handy. Using a serrated knife, cut off the top 1 inch of the artichokes (work on one artichoke at a time, rubbing the cut edges with lemon as you go to prevent browning). Cut off the bottom ½ inch of the stems. Starting at the bottom of each choke, peel back each leaf and snap it off wherever it gives. Continue working your way up to the top of each artichoke, until the remaining leaves are pale green and yellow, with no dark green tips. Using a paring knife, whittle away the dark green parts of the stem, working your way up and trimming the dark green bottom of each artichoke, continuing to rub with lemon as
you work. Cut each artichoke into quarters and scrape out the furry chokes with a stainless-steel spoon. Slice each quarter into ¼-inch-thick slices and drop them into the lemon water.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the broth to a simmer.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the leek, celery, and garlic and cook gently until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Don’t let the vegetables brown. Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes, without letting it brown. Slowly whisk in the warm broth and bring to a simmer. Drain the artichokes well and add them to the pot along with a little salt and pepper. Return to a simmer, lower the heat, and cover partially. Let the soup cook until the artichokes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Let the soup cool slightly and then transfer it to a blender or food processor to puree. Process in batches to avoid splattering. Return the pureed soup to the pot, warm it up, and taste for salt and pepper. Serve in warmed bowls garnished with crème fraîche and chopped chive or chive flowers. The soup can be made 2 to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

√ TIP
:
You can use this exact method and similar proportions to make any kind of pureed vegetable soup. Simply substitute the artichokes with potatoes, asparagus, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, turnips, or cauliflower. You may need to adjust the amount of liquid slightly and change up the herbs and garnishes to your taste
.

Homemade cultured butter is a revelation. If you’ve ever had butter in France that knocked your socks off, it was probably cultured. Culturing (simply a slight souring) gives the butter a rich, cheesy-in-a-good-way taste that is tangy and complex with layers of flavor. And it’s so easy to make. Culturing butter uses the same technique as crème fraîche, and then you simply chill and whip your crème fraîche. For very little effort, you’ll be rewarded with a superior product, for much less money than you’d spend at a specialty store. It’s also great fun to make flavored butters out of your own cultured butter. Add flaky sea salt and enjoy with bread and radishes; or add chopped anchovies and garlic to flavor grilled fish, roasted vegetables, or beans. Stirring in dried lavender makes a wonderful butter for biscuits and muffins. While the butter is still soft, simply work the flavorings in to your taste. Making small batches of butter is best because homemade butter doesn’t keep as long as store-bought, though it does freeze well. This recipe can be scaled up, but a larger batch will take longer to whip
.

TIME REQUIRED:
20 to 25minutes active (excluding crème fraîche preparation)

YIELD:
about 4 ounces

3 cups chilled
Crème Fraîche

Salt and flavorings (optional; see headnote)

Pour the crème fraîche into a medium bowl and, using a handheld mixer on medium-low speed, begin whipping the crème fraîche as if you were making whipped cream. Stop every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. As the crème fraîche thickens, increase the speed to medium-high. When it’s just past the stage of a stiff whipped cream, the crème fraîche will become yellow and separate into clumps. At this point, decrease the speed to medium-low or you run the risk of spraying buttermilk all over. After this point, the butter will quickly solidify and separate fully from the buttermilk. The whole process takes 8 to 10 minutes. When the butter seems to have given off all the buttermilk it is going to, pour off the buttermilk and save it. (It’s truly delicious,
and it’s also great to use for biscuits or
Aunt Mil’s Jam-Filled Sugar Cookies
.) Push the butter against the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula to squeeze out as much of the buttermilk as possible.

Pour clean, cool water into the bowl and work it around and into the butter with a spatula. Pour off the water. Wash the butter two or three times until the water runs clear. This step is a must, as unwashed butter will spoil quickly.

Transfer the washed butter to a sheet of parchment and work it for a minute or so with the spatula to press out any additional water. Pat dry and then use the spatula to work in any salt and flavorings. Transfer to a clean dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You must keep your homemade butter refrigerated or frozen, as it is more perishable than store-bought.

Mascarpone is a sweet, luscious dairy product that I fondly think of as a cross between whipped cream and butter. It’s the traditional creamy ingredient in tiramisu. You can create easy desserts with nothing but mascarpone and seasonal fresh fruit. One of my favorite combinations is mascarpone and dates drizzled with honey. You can blend mascarpone with maple syrup and cinnamon and serve over Pain Perdu for breakfast or dessert. It’s simple to make using one of two methods: Follow the recipe below using cream of tartar, or simply drain your own Crème Fraîche for a tangier version. Truthfully, I like the sweeter version a little better, but I love the idea of repurposing crème fraîche. You need about two days advance planning for the draining and setting-up process
.

TIME REQUIRED:
15 minutes active; 32 to 36 hours passive

YIELD:
about 2½ cups or about 1¼ pounds

3 cups heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized; see
Crème Fraîche
)

1 cup half-and-half

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Pour the heavy cream and half-and-half into the top half of a double boiler. Over medium-low heat, slowly warm the mixture to 185 degrees F, stirring occasionally. When the mixture comes to temperature, sprinkle the cream of tartar over the surface and stir it in. The mixture should thicken immediately, but it won’t form large, visible curds. Maintain the temperature for 5 minutes, without stirring or allowing it to boil. Let cool slightly, transfer the mixture to a nonreactive glass or ceramic bowl, and cover. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight.

Line a strainer with a coffee filter or clean towel and place it over a bowl. Transfer the mascarpone to the strainer; it should be rather thick, but pourable. Cover the bowl and set in the refrigerator to drain for 24 hours. The mascarpone is now ready to use and should be enjoyed within 5 to 7 days. Transfer it to a container, cover, and refrigerate.

French pain perdu is translated literally to “lost bread,” which is so much more romantic than American “French toast.” Such a sexy term befits this extremely decadent way to use leftover bread. Serving it with homemade Mascarpone Cheese decked out with maple syrup and cinnamon elevates it to the category of special treat. Add a little fresh fruit if you like. It’s great for breakfast (especially if you plan on going back to bed!) and dessert, too
.

TIME REQUIRED:
30 minutes active; 1 hour passive (excluding bread, butter, and mascarpone preparation)

YIELD:
2 breakfast servings; 4 dessert servings

½ cup whole milk

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup sugar

1 large egg, beaten

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

4 thick slices day-old
Half-Wheat Sourdough Bread
or
Sourdough Cornmeal-Pumpkin Seed Bread
or purchased bread

2 tablespoons
Cultured Butter
or store-bought butter

½ cup Mascarpone Cheese

2 teaspoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Fresh fruit (optional)

In a shallow casserole, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla until the sugar is dissolved. Add the bread, arranging it in a single layer. Let the bread sit, turning occasionally, until it absorbs as much of the custard as it will hold, about 1 hour.

In a large, cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. When the pan is hot and sizzling, but not smoking, add the custard-soaked bread slices. Cook on each side until dark brown on the outside and custardy but set on the inside, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and blot on paper towels.

Whisk together the mascarpone, maple syrup, and cinnamon and serve on top of the warm pain perdu, with fresh fruit, if desired.

Corn Tortillas

Tips for Tortilla Success

Pinto Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with All-Purpose Red Chili Sauce

Chilaquiles

Flour Tortillas

Zucchini and Mushroom Quesadillas

Sourdough Starter

How to Tell if Your Starter is Ready to Bake With

Half-Wheat Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Feeding and Bread Baking Timeline

Eduardo Morell’s Bread—It’s Got Soul

Sandwich Inspiration Guide

Sourdough Cornmeal-Pumpkin Seed Bread

Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes with Caramelized Apples and Crème Fraîche

Sourdough Pizza Crust

Guide to Pizzas Through the Seasons

Fresh Pasta

Fresh Pasta with Cabbage, Bacon, Sage, and Brown Butter

Whole-Wheat Sesame Crackers

Cornmeal, Parmesan, and Poppy Seed Crackers

Granola Your Way

Mix-and-Match Guide to Custom Granola

Whole-Grain Porridges

Two Porridge Recipes

Mix-and-Match Guide to Porridge Add-ins

SOCIETIES FROM PRIMITIVE TIMES onward have turned whole grains into flours and fermented them to make bread, before bread machines and stand-up mixers were even invented. Whole grains cooked into nourishing porridges have been staples in diets worldwide. Grocery store breads and crackers and most breakfast cereals are heavily processed, over-packaged, and filled with chemicals and additives. Our food system has taken simple foods and made them complicated, less tasty, and certainly less healthful than they once were. If our ancestors could bake breads, tortillas, and other flatbreads, we certainly can in our well-equipped modern kitchens.