September Slipping Away

I keep looking at my calendar like it's insane. Because it is right? Wtf happened to September? Was I even present for September? It went by so quickly I barely remember it happening. It's almost October, October! If it weren't for the slew of photos I take on the regular I wouldn't even know what I did this month.

As it turns out, I did a fair amount! I had a birthday dinner for my mother-in-law, I had dinner with Bruce Neyers of Neyers Vineyards (then proceeded to drink way too much wine with an assortment of awesome people from G-Housen distributors, Kermit Lynch Importers, Pistou, Hen of the Wood, and Zev Rovine of Zev Rovine Importers).

I also went to a wedding early in the month and went on a vacation to Maine for a few days. Here is a timeline via pics and recipes of my super-fast, where'd it go, September. Also read far below for a sneak peek of what I'll be cooking soon, hopefully in a new house!

Early September found me in Stowe for the wedding of my friends Corey and Lindsay. The scenery was beautiful, the company, totally fun and awesome and the food was lovely. The highlight though, and I say this as a "not so into sweets" person, was the salted caramel, chocolaty pretzel cupcakes my friend Carrie made. OMG. Salty, sweet heaven. They, and several Stoli and sodas, gave me the ability to literally dance all night. Good times.

My mother-in-law doesn't like to make a fuss about her birthday. I do not share those feelings, however we had a nice quiet dinner with her and my parents at my house. I stuck to a Provencal theme - Herbs de Provence Chicken Thighs, potatoes roasted with anchovy, olives, and tomatoes and Ratatouille's Ratatouille (recipe from Smitten Kitchen). I gotta say, everything tasted pretty damn good. Check out the recipe for the potatoes!

Provencal New Potatoes Recipe

INGREDIENTS
2 lb small new potatoes (look for the smallest you can find, the potatoes should be no bigger than 1 1/2 inches, if they are bigger, cut them into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces)
1 medium onion, sliced in the direction of root to top
6 cloves of garlic, crushed with peel on (do not remove peel)
2-3 small to medium vine-ripened tomatoes, or plum tomatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
10 pitted olives, green and black (Kalamata and Nicoise)
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 Tbsp herbes de Provence
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 anchovies, chopped
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 400°F

2 Put all ingredients into a bowl, toss with your (clean) hands to coat completely with oil and seasonings.

3 Spread out in an even layer in a roasting pan.

4 Put the potatoes in the oven, cook for fifteen minutes at 400°F. Then reduce the heat to 375° and cook for 30 to 40 minutes more, until the onions and tomatoes are somewhat caramelized and the potatoes are cooked through. Halfway through cooking, stir the potatoes so that they remain well coated with oil and do not get dried out, and the bottom of the pan stays coated with oil.

5 Remove from oven and serve warm or can be served at room temperature.

My trip to Maine came at the end of the summery feeling weather. In fact, I came back with a cold. Fortunately it didn't last long but it spurred a need for comfort food. French Onion Soup is a favorite of Josh's and I usually have everything I need on hand to make it. There are various recipes out there but my favorite that I always go by is from my beloved Joy of Cooking. It's tried and true, classic and easy. Here ya go...

French Onion Soup (From The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer)
Serves 4

The secret to this beloved classic is long, slow cooking of the onions to allow their natural sugars to caramelize; this gives the soup its characteristic depth of flavor and rich mahogany color.

Heat in a soup pot over medium-low heat until the butter is melted:
--2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
--2 Tbsp. olive oil

Add and stir to coat:
--5 medium onions, thinly sliced
--Pinch of dried thyme

Cook, stirring occasionally, and keeping a vigilant eye on the onions so they do not scorch, over medium heat. As soon as they start to brown, after about 15 minutes, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, covered, stirring more often, until onions have a rich brown color, about 40 minutes.

Stir in:
--2 Tbsp. dry sherry or cognac
Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until all the sherry has cooked off. Stir in:
--3 1/2 cups stock (vegetable, chicken, or beef)

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Season with:
--1 to 1 1/2 tsp. salt
--1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Place 8 ovenproof soup bowls or crocks on a baking sheet. Ladle the hot soup into the bowls and top each serving with:
--1 to 3 slices French bread, toasted if fresh
--3 Tbsp. grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese

Broil or bake in a 450 degree oven until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Serve immediately.


Here is something I will be cooking next month. Duck Confit. Just let that marinate in your brain for a bit. I've avoided making my own duck confit because I was under the impression that it was rather cumbersome. But whilst reading this months Bon Appetit, I stumbled upon a recipe that totally has my eye (and stomach). Here it is! Who's coming for dinner?!

Duck Confit with spicy pickled raisins (From Bon Appetit)

INGREDIENTS
8 skin-on, bone-in duck legs
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more freshly cracked
2 tablespoons plus 1 tsp. kosher salt
9 sprigs thyme, divided
6 dried chiles de árbol, crushed, or 1 ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, divided
½ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 sprig rosemary
1½ cups golden raisins

PREPARATION
Using the tip of a knife or the sharp tines of a carving fork, prick duck leg skin all over. Rub with garlic (slices should stick to skin) and season with 1 tsp. ground pepper and 2 Tbsp. salt.
Preheat oven to 250°. Arrange duck, skin side down, in a roasting pan or large Dutch oven and add 8 thyme sprigs, 4 chiles (or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes), and ½ cup water. Cover pan with foil or lid and cook until fat is rendered (don’t be surprised: there will be lots), about 2 hours. Turn duck skin side up and nestle it into rendered fat. Cover pan and continue to cook until meat is very tender and bones easily wiggle when pulled, 2–2½ hours longer.
Meanwhile, bring vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, rosemary sprig, remaining thyme sprig, 2 chiles (or ½ tsp. red pepper flakes), 1 tsp. salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Mix in raisins, remove from heat, and let cool at least 1 hour.
Increase oven temperature to 400°. Remove duck from fat and place, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet; reserve fat for another use (it will keep 3 weeks in refrigerator or 3 months in freezer; reheat and strain before using). Season duck with cracked pepper and roast until skin is brown and crisp, 30–35 minutes. Serve duck with pickled raisins.

DO AHEAD: Raisins can be pickled 1 week ahead. Cover and chill; bring to room temperature before serving. Duck can be cooked 1 week ahead. Pack duck in fat in an airtight container and chill.