Monday, April 27, 2015

Something is in the air & it's not a drone

This morning I was greeted by several trucks and hardworking employees about to replace the wooden pole in front of my property. A crew came through the Village of the Arts recently marking the ones that were at the end of their useful life holding up electric & communication wires.

I didn't realize how badly mine was listing to one side. Yikes! As a "thank you" I baked them Chocolate Chip cookies. It was gratifying to see the smiles under their hard hats.

Also in the works is the replacement of our current street lamps (which give off an orange glow), by brighter white LEDs. As someone who walks around at various hours, I'm grateful for these safety upgrades. It will also make it easier for you to negotiate the Village during evening Art Walks.

Attention sculpture fans -- the long awaited series premiere of "Monument Guys" has been set for May 6 at 10pm on the History Channel. My son Rob is the show runner and I saw some of the fascinating footage when I was in Brooklyn recently. It's about the Crucible Bronze Foundry in Norman, OK owned by two brothers, Mark & Steve Palmerton.

Over the course of an hour you'll see the entire creative process, from commission to execution & installation of a range of bronze statues. The attention to detail by the sculptors is amazing, especially Craig Campbell who sculpted for all 3 "The Hobbit" films. Here's a link to a promo but disregard the misinformation at the end...the show airs May 6 @ 10pm on History Channel.
http://on.aol.com/video/monument-guys--meet-craig-campbell-518646785

The peppers in Mike's Earth Box broke a personal record this week. The total haul was 3 1/2 pounds, pretty amazing considering they were produced by a couple of two year old plants that refuse to die. Now that summery weather is here, I find myself reaching for cold food more often. As a child growing up in Brooklyn we would make a weekly trip to the "appetizing store". I don't think these places exist anymore but it was a very exotic place for a shy 8 year old. There were candies of all sorts; shelves lined with jars of shriveled dried fruit; barrels of sour & half-sour pickles plus sauerkraut; all types of smoked fish; cheese cut to order or scooped out of huge refrigerated buckets; trays of colorful pickled vegetables and a dozen different salads.

I used a combo of green & red cabbage but you don't have to

One of my favorites was "Health Salad", a slew of shredded slaw in a vinegar + sugar liquid. The amazing thing was that it remained crunchy and could last for weeks in the refrigerator. It's a staple in my summer kitchen. You probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen so why not give it a try.

Deli Health Salad Yield : 8 cups

1 small head green cabbage, cut in 1/4s, core removed & shredded finely (1 1/2 – 2 lbs)

2 medium carrots, peeled then grated using coarsest side of a box grater

1 small green bell pepper, sliced very thinly in small strips

1 large rib of celery, cut crosswise into thin slices

3/4 cup white vinegar

2 TBL canola oil

1/2 cup white sugar

1 TBL salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

In a LARGE bowl mix shredded cabbage, carrots, pepper & celery slices. Whisk together dressing ingredients (vinegar, oil, sugar, salt & pepper) & toss well with veggies.

Refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for at least 8 hours before eating. It should remain crisp and fresh tasting for two weeks.

This week pick-up your order at the former BONNI BAKES bakery/cafe building, 930 12th St W. I'll be using the place during the month of May to have an on-going SALE of items I don't plan on taking when I move back to New York. More details & pictures next week.

THIS WEEK'S MENU Pick-up Fri May 1 1-5 pm

THE BIG COOKIE $1.50

Each cookie has its own personality & unique flavor profile. Some are seductive, using the allure of Belgium chocolate to get your attention. Others invoke memories of childhood or a less complicated time. Find your match amongst Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Orange Walnut Belgium Bittersweet Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate.

CHOCOLATE ORGASM COOKIES $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made with melted Belgium bittersweet chocolate throughout, toasted fresh almonds, chocolate chips & very little flour. Sold in packages of 4 because you must have more than one.

PUMPKIN DATE WALNUT MUFFIN $2

A rich muffin with the background flavors of pumpkin & warm spices studded with plump dates, raisins and roasted walnuts. I love to cut mine into thick slices then schmear cream cheese on each slab.

MANDARIN CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI $2.50/pkg of 2

A delicious combination of toasted almonds, fresh orange, pure vanilla and big chunks of Belgium bittersweet chocolate joined together in a dippable or munchable crunchy cookie.

SPANIKOPITA $4/square

The traditional Greek pie made with sauteed fresh spinach, garlic & three cheeses (Feta, ricotta & parmigiano) encased within layers of flaky phyllo dough. Crispy outside, creamy inside.

DADDY'S BROOKLYN PLETZEL $4/pkg
A Sunday morning favorite, this classic Jewish flatbread from Flatbush is a thin dough covered with sauteed onions, poppy seeds & salt. Softer at the edges; crackling in the center. Schmear with butter, cream cheese or memories. Requested politely by Miz Imogene Whaley.

WHOLE WHEAT RAISIN WALNUT LOAF $5/loaf

This is my version of the bread used in the "Chock Full 'O Nuts" famous sandwich...just add a schmear of cream cheese. It's also wonderful toasted. THIS LOAF IS NOT SWEET & DOESN'T CONTAIN CINNAMON.

JAM & CHUTNEY $4/jar

Made in small batches with locally available fruit, including Keitt mangoes & Meyer lemons from my own pesticide-free trees. MANGO CHUTNEY, GINGER PEAR CHUTNEY, BERRY BASKET JAM &MANGO PINEAPPLE RUM JAM.

No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives EVER!!

ORDER BY 5pm WEDNESDAY

all items in limited supply... first come, first served

PICK UP FRIDAY 1-5 pm at former BONNI BAKES bldg

in the Village of the Arts

930 12th Street West

TO PLACE AN ORDER

email bonnibakes@gmail.com

or call me at (941) 746-6647

PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK TO BONNI BROWN

Hugs from my kitchen,

Bonni

Monday, April 20, 2015

BASIL IN THE BOX BURSTS OUT

For years I tried to nurse straggling basil plants along. I planted them in sunny raised beds with compost enriched soil, but they were modest at best. This time we put one little plant in amongst other herbs in an Earth Box and the results were like Audrey Jr in "Little Shop of Horrors". It seemed to double in size each day. This first cutting back of the leaves produced an entire quart of homemade pesto. Look for some of it in the Roasted Veggie Stromboli below.

Completed Pesto, more than the sum of its parts

If you find yourself in a similar mega basil situation, here is Marcella Hazan's wonderful recipe for BASIL PESTO.
2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 TBL pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine before putting in the processor
salt to taste
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 TBL pecorino romano cheese, freshly grated
3 TBL butter, softened to room temperature

Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly DRY with paper towels.
Put the basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, and an ample pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to a uniform, creamy consistency.
Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand. It is worth the slight effort to do it by hand to obtain the notably superior texture it produces.
When the cheese has been evenly amalgamated with the other ingredients, mix in the softened butter, distributing it uniformly into the sauce.
When spooning the pesto over pasta, dilute it slightly with a tablespoon or two of the hot water in which the pasta was cooked.
Freezing pesto: Make the sauce through to the end of Step 2, cover with a layer of olive oil and freeze it without cheese and butter in it. I like to use a plastic ice cube tray. Add the cheese and butter when it is thawed, just before serving.

Then, if you have extra Pesto left over (like me) here's a quick vinaigrette that you can use with salad or to brush on kebabs for the grill.

Bonni's Pesto Vinaigrette

½ Cup Olive Oil (4 oz)

¼ Cup Pesto (2 oz)

Juice of half a lemon

Whisk the olive oil, pesto & lemon juice together.

The little Lemon Thyme plant is doing very well. I suspect we'll be seeing some its leaves showing up in recipes in the coming weeks.

And there has been a lot of Monarch butterfly activity around the Butterfly Bushes over the past few weeks. We're hoping for a basket of eggs, followed by multi-striped caterpillars turning into a flurry of Monarchs. You go girls!!

Here's what you can expect out of my nature inspired kitchen.

THIS WEEK'S MENU Pick-up Fri April 24 1-5 pm

THE BIG COOKIE $1.50

CHOCOLATE ORGASM COOKIES $5/pkg

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFIN $2

A rich blending of fresh sweet banana punctuated by loads of melty dark chocolate chips. So satisfying it could pass for dessert. Perfect with a glass of milk!

POPPYSEED (MOHN) BARS $3.50/pkg

In Yiddish poppyseeds are known as "mohn", and they crop up often in eastern European recipes. In this case they are used as a moist filling between a shortbread base and a streusel topping sprinkled with powdered sugar. Cut in small bars so they're easy to share.

SEEDED FLATBREAD CRISPS (vegan) $4/pkg

When you want something very light, crisp and full of flavor, try a bag of these. Each one is rolled out by hand, seeded and cut into unique shards. Perfect with soup, salad, dips or in a bread basket.

ROASTED VEGGIE STROMBOLI $4.50

Straight off the menu at BONNI BAKES Bakery/Cafe, an individual portion complete with BONNI BAKES Red Sauce for dipping. Under the crisp stromboli shell you'll find roasted veggies (zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, onion & peppers) slathered with homemade Garden Pesto & topped with mozzarella and parmesan. Add a salad & there's dinner!

WHOLE WHEAT OATMEAL HONEY $4.50/loaf

This perfect sandwich bread is also delicious toasted or grilled. White whole wheat flour provides the nutrition without a strong bite, along with oats and a subtle taste of honey.