Sunday, June 26, 2011

Obsessing about Purple Basil at the Atlanta Underground Market!

Last week started like any other week… I knew that the Atlanta Underground Market (AUM) was coming up on Saturday, June 25th, but I kept thinking, “Hey, it’s only Monday!”… then Tuesday… then Wednesday… then Thursday… “Oh-oh!  It’s Friday and the Market is TOMORROW!”  My friends kept asking me what I was making – and truth be told, by Thursday morning, I still had not committed to a menu!  I’m naturally competitive – even with myself, so I think my “block” was that I was trying too hard to out-do myself from last time… though I don’t do this professionally, I’m keenly aware of the fact that a “one trick pony” gets tired after a while… so I wanted to keep it fresh!  By Friday morning, I had formally committed to beets and purple basil… Beets are fairly easy to find these days, but purple basil – not so much!  


I have been obsessing about purple basil since early spring.  At the end of the organic market “season” last fall, I bought a huge bunch from a Ukrainian couple at the East Lake Farmer’s Market (http://elfmarket.org/).  I was at their stand admiring the deep purple color and sweet smell of the basil leaves when I wondered aloud, “What would I do with all this basil other than make a huge batch of pesto?”  That’s when I learned about Purple Basil Lemonade!  It’s genius!  Basically, after steeping the basil leaves in water to make a concentrate or “tea” – which results in a very ugly black water, you add simple syrup to sweeten and then the lemons… OMG!  The citric acid in the lemon juice reacts with the basil water and turns the water FUSCHIA!  It’s an absolutely beautiful, natural chemical reaction!

So, back to my obsession (indulge me… recipe later…).  I began hunting down purple basil plants when the garden centers first began their spring offerings… I’d park my car and head straight to the herb section and…. No purple basil!  One place after the other, I struck out!  Green basil was everywhere!  (Yes, I could make it with green basil, but then I wouldn’t be able to watch the pretty colors!)  My friends were also on the lookout with instructions to purchase without question… Got one at Whole Foods in Midtown… 3 at Hastings in Buckhead… 2 at Intown Ace Hardware in Decatur… and we even bought seeds – which went nowhere my garden!  I ended up with 3 curly-leafed, purple basil plants… but not nearly enough for “tea” for the AUM… What could I do?  Well, if you did the math, there were a total of 6 plants…  I had 3… my friends had the others, but we had just “raided” their plants for Father’s Day gatherings…. Thus began the hunt on Saturday morning (yes, the day of the AUM) through the local farmer’s markets.  After visiting several and calling a handful of herb farms, I finally found 2 lonely, small bunches from the folks at Ora Farms (“Backyard farm that also uses its operation to educate neighborhood children on the techniques of urban farming”) which are located in the East Lake neighborhood of Atlanta.  I cost me a whopping, $1.00/bunch!  Little did they know that I would have paid anything!  I played it cool as I handed them my money… then made a dash for the car before my excitement took over!  I was ready to make my Purple Basil Lemonade!


A BIG SHOUT OUT TO MY FRIENDS, LINDA CHAPLA AND KYRA VICORY (check out Kyra’s blog at www.themoddog.blogspot.com!)


On the Menu - Atlanta Underground Market 6/25/2011:



Purple Basil Lemonade
Makes 1 Gallon of Lemonade

Ingredients
2 bunches of Purple Basil, including stems
10 lemons, seeded & juiced
2 cups confectioner’s sugar (or other sweetner to taste)
Water
Ice
1 lemon sliced thin
1 bunch green basil, leaves only

Directions

  1. Simmer the purple basil in 4 cups of water until the color is mostly “drained” from the leaves – DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 
  2. Pour basil water into a 1 gallon pitcher. 
  3. Add confectioner’s sugar/sweetner, using a whisk to ensure all lumps are dissolved.….here it comes! 
  4. Add the lemon juice and watch as the mixture turns a bright pink… which is best observed in a glass pitcher! 
  5. Fill the pitcher with ice and water to your taste… being careful not to dilute the concentrate too much. 
  6. Tweak the sweetness to your liking! 
  7. To serve:  Fill a tall glass half with ice.  Place a basil leaf and lemon slice on top of the ice and pour lemonade into the glass.  Voila!  Purple Basil Lemonade!
Tips:

  • If you can’t find purple basil, you can use green basil… Thai Basil is a terrific substitute! 
  • Online recipes call for just “muddling” the basil and sweetner, rather than steeping… In my opinion, steeping the basil creates a deeper flavor and aromatic flavor. 
  • Try this recipe with limes or a combination of lemons and limes!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

GirlyEgg on the Road: Georgia Mountain Eggfest!

Note:  If you're here for my Mountain Eggfest recipes, sorry for the delay!

Let me just get this out…. I’m afraid of fire!  In the days before my Egg, I had gas grills.  One after the other, the ignite switch would stop working and the heating element would rust.  The only way to light it would be to turn on the gas and light from below – while shielding my face, hoping that the flame wouldn’t fly up and catch my hair on fire… still a scary thought!  So, because I dreaded the whole igniting routine, I avoided it…

This "Egg-thing" started out quite innocently.  I had passed the Big Green Egg store (then located on Clairmont Road, off of Buford Highway in Atlanta) and was always curious at the funky name in big block letters… I was thoroughly disgusted because I needed a new grill again.  Through the “miracle of the internet”, I found myself on the Big Green Egg website (www.biggreenegg.com). I admit it was a vulnerable time for me… I had just bought chicken breasts and was weighing the thought of firing (literally!) up the gas grill.  I read through the site with wide eyes.  I watched in wonder as Chef Kevin Rathbun demonstrated the versatility of the egg with the incredible foods he was cooking!  I could hear the sizzle and almost smell the sweet smell of grill ecstasy!  I was hooked…well, rather, EGGED!

Soon after purchasing my Egg, I discovered the Egghead Forum (www.eggheadforum.com …stay with me!)… this was a place where I could learn and mingle with people – just like me!  Sidenote:  I’m really not a “discussion group” type of gal…. I have a personal Facebook page, but really only to see what other folks are doing – I don’t actually post myself… I really don’t understand why anyone would want to “tweet”… I’ve got better things to do – like cook on my Big Green Egg!  But, I digress… so the forum is an interesting cross-section of the BBQ nation – which is an international group… We all have “handles”… I’m GirlyEgg – of course!  The forum runs 24/7 at sometimes lightning speed!  Anything you want to know about cooking or accessorizing the Big Green Egg can be found on the Forum… It’s a community like no other!  Eggfests provide an opportunity for the folks on the Forum, as well as, other Big Green Egg enthusiasts to  come together to share food , fun and the Egg!   The Eggest “season” runs from about March through October – with the Atlanta-based, Eggtoberfest being the season finale!  Folks travel from near and far to attend the fests, so there’s always something to learn…

It was exciting to attend the Georgia Mountain Eggfest in Hiawassee, GA – just over yonder from my cousin’s cabin in Blairsville, GA.  We missed the “meet-n-greet” on Friday evening since we drove up from Atlanta, but I hear that John Hall and the folks at Hiawassee Hardware put on a great gathering… next time, I’ll take the whole day off and drive up the night before!

The day of the fest started with the traditional “Lighting of the Eggs” at 9:00 a.m. And so it started with breakfast entries, then lunch/dinner, then snacks and dessert!  This was a great location, and though it was hot, the shaded booths and walk-ways were a welcome change to most fests that are based in a parking lot under tents!  At the fests, there are cooks and tasters… the cooks provide the food and demonstrate their skills on the egg – and while it’s not a competition (let’s face it… we’re a competitive bunch!) – you’ll find a good mix of grill items (pork tenderloins, beef, veggies) to the more unusual… homemade alligator sausage, funnel cakes, paella… and not to be outdone, I usually choose a non-meat selection – usually involving beets!  Tasters walk through the booths and get to taste and talk to the cooks to learn about the Egg and grab a few recipes to try on their own eggs when they get home!  We love to talk about the Egg and our food – and we have fun doing it! 
p.s. I’m still afraid of fire!

On the Menu - Georgia Mountain Eggfest 5/21/2011:

Balsamic Glazed Beets
I made these at the Atlanta Underground Market - and as a bonus,  you'll find my recipe for Golden Beets with a Ginger-Citrus dressing… find the recipes HERE!

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes (Bon Appetit, November 2000)
I’d love to take credit for this recipe, but it’s important to give credit where due! I changed it only to indicate a cast iron skillet for the Egg and using butter instead of vegetable oil to brush skillet.

Servings: 12 medium sized pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter

Directions:
1.       Preheat Egg to 350° or medium heat and set up for indirect cooking (platesetter legs up).
2.    Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend.
3.      Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well.
4.      Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick).
5.      Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry.
6.      Fold whites into batter in 2 additions.
7.      Brush large cast iron skillet with butter
8.      Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet.
9.      Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.
10.   Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with butter between batches.

Tips:
  • Serve with a flavored honey, such as Braswell's Ginger Honey, Amaretto Honey or Cinnamon Honey (see recipe for Balsamic Glazed beets for more information about finding this product).
Grilled Gingerbread S’mores Cake (Everyday with Rachel Ray, June/July 2010)


Ingredients: 
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
8 ounces chocolate bars, such as Hershey's, broken into pieces
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions:
1.      Preheat Egg to 350° or medium heat and set up for indirect cooking (platesetter legs up).
2.      In a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter, then pour into a medium bowl; let cool slightly. Reserve the skillet.
3.      In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
4.      In the bowl with the butter, add the brown sugar, eggs, molasses and 1/2 cup water; whisk until smooth.
5.      Whisk the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until just combined; scrape the batter into the reserved skillet.
6.      Place the skillet on the Egg, cover with foil and bake until springy to the touch in the center, about 25 minutes. Remove the skillet from the Egg and increase the heat to 400° or medium-high heat.
7.      Top the gingerbread with the chocolate and marshmallows.
8.      Place an inverted 2 1/2-inch-high cake pan, such as a springform pan, on the Egg.
9.      Place the skillet on top of the pan, bake until the marshmallows are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

GirlyEgg Gourmet takes on the Atlanta Underground Market!

No... it's not at the Atlanta Underground!  The Atlanta Underground Market is a "foodie heaven" (http://www.atlantaundergroundmarket.com/).  You've probably heard of or seen the concept of a "pop-up" restaurant on shows like Top Chef - or perhaps even attended on in New York or San Francisco.  Atlanta Underground Market is similar - but more like a pop-up food court!  Once a month, members of this "underground" food club are sent an email just prior to the event alerting them to the time and location. Basically, it's "a private club and the event is in a private venue for members, by invitation only..." - which adds to the excitement and mystery!  What you'll find at the market is a collection of folks selling portion sized goodies averaging $1-$4/each.  The food is "home cooks and food artisans in Atlanta,  who have awesome dishes to share, but who don't have the platform to do so outside of their circle of friends"... and apparently, that's ME!

I heard about the market through my neighborhood message board and thought it would be a neat thing to attend!  So I signed up to become a member, and 24 hours prior to the event, I received an email alerting me to the time and location:  The Castleberry Point neighborhood in downtown Atlanta.  So amid the horrid monsoon that evening, we enjoyed a plethora of fun and exiting foods!  We found everything from professionals honing their recipes to food artisans "testing the waters" to homecooks - like me! So... as I always say when I see something that interests me..."Hey!  I can do that!"... so I decided to check it out - this time as a vendor!

I sent an email to the organizer and asked "how" to sign up - they don't just take everyone, you see!  They want to make sure there is a variety of exciting and unusual things... so what's more interesting than BEETS!  Thus, I began the journey of making my Balsamic Glazed Beets and Ginger, Citrus Glazed Golden Beets for several hundred folks in a portion sized manner.... what they heck was I thinking?!?

So, where does one get so many beets?  At the Dekalb Farmer's Market - of course!  Yes, I became one of those folks pushing a cart with a 25# bag of red beets and 25# bag of golden beets... while people stared at me wondering, "What the heck is she gonna do with all those beets?"  I was wondering that myself, as I loaded them into the car!  Thus began the week long journey of "egging" 50# of beets on my Medium Big Green Egg!  Not only egging, though.... cooling, peeling, cubing, packaging for travel, packing cooking supplies, buying a catering stove, butane, forks, serving bowls, signage, table decorations... and many, many more things that see like a blur at this point!  Let's just say that by the time the week of prep was over, I was exhausted and my kitchen looked like the St. Valentine's Day Massacre!  There was red beet juice everywhere!  Clean up would have to wait until after the event!

The day of the market, was a hot day... I knew it was going to be outdoors, but didn't think to bring my tent.  Luckily, we were against a building and the shade came upon us quickly with the shifting of the sun.  My cousin, Colleen and aunt, Gerry were there as my "sous chefs".  Things actually went quite smoothly... though it was the day before Mother's Day and there were several big event in town, so attendance was smaller than the 1200 in the past - but just right to be able to keep a relaxed - but steady service, which enabled me to chat with folks as I prepared the dishes... one hot and one cold!

On the Menu - Atlanta Underground Market 5/9/2011: 
Balsamic Glazed Beets
Servings: 8

Ingredients
3 lbs beets
2 cups mango, cubed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp splenda - brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp kosher salt

Directions
1.    Preheat Big Green Egg/Oven to 400 degrees.
2.    Wrap beets in aluminum foil (2 or 3 to a foil pack for small beets or individually for larger ones). Do not peel or cut beets. 
3.    Place in BGE or oven for 1 hour or until a knife can be inserted into the beet. Consistency should be a firm "baked potato".  If placing in the oven, put beets on a cookie sheet covered with foil to catch the "sugars" and prevent "leaking" in your stove.
4.    Prepare Glaze: Bring balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to boil in a large, oven proof or cast iron skillet over medium heat, stirring until the brown sugar dissolves.
5.    Reduce heat and simmer until vinegar thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. 
6.    Add butter and salt and stir until butter melts and set aside. 
7.    Prepare Beets: Remove beets from Oven and unwrap. Allow to cool slightly for easier handling. 
8.    Slip or Peel skins from beets and cut into 1 inch chunks.
9.    Add mango to beets.
10.  Pour glaze over beets and mango; mix well. 
11.  Place skillet in the BGE or oven and roast for an additional 15-20 minutes, stirring at least once. The glaze should start to carmelize on the beets. The longer the mixture is left in the BGE/oven, the more the beets will carmelize. Note that the beets, themselves, will also provide additional sugars for glazing. 
12.  Remove pan from oven and transfer to serving dish.

Tips:
  1. This recipe is great with any root vegetable (sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets, etc.) or fall “squash” (acorn, pumpkin, butternut).
  2. Root vegetables, especially beets are fairly dense and take a long time to cook! Therefore, if you're in a hurry, you can parboil the vegetables (not the pineapple) in the microwave or on the stove-top (don't’ forget to save the healthy “broth” for other uses!) prior to adding to the balsamic mixture…
Variations:
  • Reduce the amount of brown sugar to 1 ½ tablespoons, and add 2 tablespoons of Captain Morgan’s Rum! The glaze will not get as thick in the skillet, but will glaze nicely in the roasting pan! 
  • Add 1 cup of fresh cranberries. The cranberries will “burst” and produce a nice sweet/tangy taste with the veggies! This is the way I do it when I do this recipe with onlysweet potatoes…. The red and the orange colors are spectacular!
  • Add some toasted pecans!
  • To serve it in a salad, omit the butter from the glaze (it will congeal), and roast as usual. Let it cool and then serve over a bed of arugula, and sprinkle the top with gorgonzola, feta or any other salty cheese…. And don't forget those toasted pecans!

Citrus & Ginger Honey Glaze Golden Beets
w/Arugula and Goat Cheese
Servings:  8

Ingredients
3 lbs golden beets
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup Braswell’s Ginger Honey
Arugula
Goat or Feta Cheese

Directions
1.    Preheat Big Green Egg/Oven to 400 degrees.
2.    Wrap beets in aluminum foil (2 or 3 to a foil pack for small beets or individually for larger ones). Do not peel or cut beets. 
3.    Place in BGE or oven for 1 hour or until a knife can be inserted into the beet. Consistency should be a firm "baked potato".  If placing in the oven, put beets on a cookie sheet covered with foil to catch the "sugars" and prevent "leaking" in your stove.
4.    Prepare Dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice and Ginger Honey until well blended.  Set aside.
5.    Prepare Beets: Remove beets from Oven and unwrap. Allow to cool slightly for easier handling. 
6.    Slip or Peel skins from beets and cut into 1 inch chunks.  Cool completely.
7.    Pour glaze over beets; mix well. 
8.    Place arugula on the bottom of each salad plate or bowl.
9.    Spoon beet mixture on top of arugula and top with goat or feta cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips:  
1.    Braswell’s Ginger Honey can be purchased directly from their website: http://www.braswells.com/.  It’s a bit pricey on their website, but you might be able to find it in specialty grocers.  I get mine at the Dekalb Farmer’s Market for about $3.50/jar.  If you are unable to find the Ginger Honey, use fresh honey and 3 tablespoons of fresh grated ginger.
2.      The glaze can be poured over warm beets and left to “marinate” while cooling off.  This will create a more intense ginger flavor.

Variations:
·         Add dried cranberries to create a burst of color.
·         Substitute fresh orange juice for the lemon juice… or use half of each!

What the heck am I doing?

Growing up, my mom did all the cooking for our family... I grew up on Northeast Ohio in a small, steel town.  My dad worked on the railroad and my mom was a "stay at home" mom, as were most moms in the late 60's and into the 70's.  Our daily routine included a family dinner at 5:00 p.m. every evening, which my mom prepared from scratch.  The only time I remember eating fast food was occasionally on the nights that my dad was bowling when we went to Arby's and on Fridays during Lent, when we got takeout from Arthur Treacher's.  Holidays and special occasions would join us with our extended family where we would act out one of those picturesque tables scenes with spirited conversations ranging from sports (we are all big Pittsburgh Steeler fans!) to politics to religion, and, kids running around, crying and being told to "sit still"...and then there was the food!  Turkey and ham for Thanksgiving, lamb and ham for Christmas, pork spareribs on New Year's Eve and a pork roast for New Year's Day, lamb and ham for Easter, hamburgers on the 4th of July... then the cycle starts over.... My mom was always the one to volunteer to make spaghetti and meatballs for 50 people, stuffed cabbage for 100 people... weddings, graduations, funerals... (Hey, it's a small town!)  So food has been a big part of my life! 

Cooking actually seems to come naturally to me. I love to read a good cookbook, but rarely follow a recipe as written!  I love a good cooking challenge and I found that in the Big Green Egg (BGE)... hence the name of my blog!  I will share both my experience in using my BGE, adapt my "recipes" for non grill/smoker use and talk about my food experiments beyond the BGE - next on tap is homemade Greek Yogurt!

Thank you for reading and I look forward to sharing with you!