Simply Organic (24 page)

MAKES
10
SERVINGS

Vanilla ice cream or warm vanilla custard are dreamy with this hearty dessert. But I really like it best the next day for breakfast with a cup of steaming hot English Breakfast tea.

1 medium, wide-based, short pumpkin (about 2 to 3 pounds)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1 loaf (¾ pound) dense white bread, such as Italian, challah, or English muffin bread

¾ cup golden raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1½ cups whole milk or half-and-half

3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the top off the pumpkin. Clean out the seeds and scrape out the stringy membranes, and discard.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Brush the inside of the pumpkin with 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, break the bread into bite-size pieces and put in a large bowl with the raisins and nuts. Pour the remaining butter mixture over the bread and toss to coat well.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk or half-and-half and eggs.

When the pumpkin is tender, remove it from the oven and carefully fill it with the bread mixture. Top with the egg mixture. Push the ingredients down so that everything is soaked in the liquid.

Return to the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until the pudding puffs up in the middle and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Place on a rack and cool for at least 30 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.

MAKES
8
SERVINGS

Apples, pears, Fuyu persimmons—any hearty autumn fruit is great in this recipe. The cranberries add tartness and color.

Topping

2 cups whole grain pastry flour

2 cups rolled oats

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened slightly and cut into pieces

Fruit Mixture

8 to 10 pears, apples, or Fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut into thin wedges

1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish.

To make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, and cloves. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are about the size of peas.

To make the fruit mixture: In a large bowl, combine the cut-up fruit, cranberries, and sugar. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cut the butter into small pieces and sprinkle evenly over the fruit mixture.

Crumble the oat topping over the fruit. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and the topping is lightly browned.

ORGANIC TIP

To keep this crisp true to the spirit of this book, use whatever seasonal organic fruits are available. In spring, cherries and apricots are wonderful; in summer, use berries and peaches; and in the dark of winter, consider plumping up dried fruits along with some fresh apples for a hearty crisp. The topping stays the same.

MAKES
10
SERVINGS

This recipe, which was developed by a former pastry chef at Flea St. Café, remains my son’s favorite version of apple pie. A twist on the classic combination of Cheddar cheese and apples, it may sound a bit unusual, but to us it’s even better.

Crust

1½ cups whole grain pastry flour

1½ teaspoons dried thyme

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

½ cup milk

Topping

1 cup whole grain pastry flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup grated Asiago cheese (about 4 ounces)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Filling

6 large crisp apples, such as Granny Smith, Crispin, or Gala, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

To make the crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour, thyme, and salt. Grate the butter into the mixture. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are about the size of peas. Add the milk, ¼ cup at a time, and blend until a soft, moist dough is formed. Add a few more tablespoons of milk if the dough seems dry. It should be somewhat sticky.

Form the dough into a ball, then flatten into a round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cheese, and pepper. Grate the butter into the mixture. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are about the size of peas. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. When the piecrust dough is chilled, place it on a well-floured surface and roll to about a 1/8-inch thickness, turning and flouring the dough often to keep it from sticking. Fold the dough in half and place in a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Unfold the dough, turn under the edges, and crimp them.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg. Transfer to the prepared crust.

Crumble the crumb topping over the apples. Bake for 1 hour, or until the crust is browned and the apples are soft. Place on a rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

MAKES
10
SERVINGS

My family always enjoys a gooey nut pie, and somehow, it seems to disappear by the sliver. Organic nuts are more widely available now, and a combination of them is what makes this pie unique. I don’t like to refrigerate it because I prefer the taste at room temperature.

Crust

1 cup whole grain pastry flour

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

½ cup ice water

Filling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

3 large eggs

1½ teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups mixed nuts, such as pistachios, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

To make the crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Grate the butter into the mixture. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are about the size of peas.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and water. Add to the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, and blend until a soft, moist dough is formed. It should be somewhat sticky.

Form the dough into a ball, then flatten into a round disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

When the dough is chilled, place it on a well-floured surface and roll to about a 1/8-inch thickness, turning and flouring the dough often to keep it from sticking. Fold the dough in half and place in a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Unfold the dough, turn under the edges, and crimp them. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup until well blended. Add the eggs, cornstarch, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.

Scatter the nuts on the bottom of the chilled pie crust. Top with the egg mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

pioneer profile
FROG’S LEAP WINERY

About the time I was opening my first restaurant, John Williams sold his motorcycle to start Frog’s Leap Winery. Ever since, it seems as though we have been on parallel tracks.

It’s difficult to say enough about the delicious wines of Frog’s Leap Winery. Over the twenty-five years I have had them on one wine list or another, they have always delivered great pleasure to my guests (and I must admit I have popped a few of their famous “Ribbit” corks for my own research).

Be it the crisp, lively Sauvignon Blanc, the wonderful non-Californian–style Chardonnay, the lip-smacking Zinfandel, or their classic Merlots and Cabernets, Frog’s Leap wines always go well with whatever I’m cooking. Actually, though, it’s when you look beyond the great wines and the iconoclastic labels that you start to discover even more to like about Frog’s Leap.

First of all, and perhaps closest to my heart, Frog’s Leap Winery was the first winery in the Napa Valley to commit to growing its grapes organically, certifying its first vineyards in 1988. Frog’s Leap has gone beyond farming its own two hundred acres organically. Working with my dear friend “Amigo” Bob Cantisano, it has also mentored many other Napa Valley growers who are now following suit.

Frog’s Leap farms all its vineyards without irrigation. Less than thirty years ago, nearly all vineyards in Napa were dry-farmed. Now it is exceedingly rare. John, Frog’s Leap’s owner and winemaker, explains that growing grapes without irrigation forces the vines to sink their roots more deeply into the ground to get water. Frog’s Leap’s grapes have deep natural flavors with great balance and finesse, and the resulting wines deliver great flavors at lower alcohol levels—something that my diners appreciate.

A visit to Frog’s Leap is a sensory and ecological delight. One always leaves the acres of gardens and orchards (all organic, of course) that supplement its vineyards with a few garden goodies under the arm.

Frog’s Leap has also been an early advocate of socially responsible business. Its winery is entirely solar powered, its offices are heated and cooled with geothermal energy, and its newly constructed buildings meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, the ultimate badge of green building. Frog’s Leap has also shown leadership in everything from river restoration to socially responsible farmworker employment. It is an example of how business can make a difference while making a profit.

Last, but not least, I have to say this about Frog’s Leap: These people know how to have fun! In addition, they seem eager to have you and me join in. From their Ribbit cork to the dire warning at the bottom of every bottle (“Open other end”), their sense of humor and sheer joy in life show through everything they do. I hope you get to know Frog’s Leap as I have over the years. You won’t regret it.

My cooking is always at its best during the winter months. Even though I live in Northern California, winter still brings back memories of the days when I lived in a rural town in central Maine. Winters there were stubbornly long. The lake within view of my front yard sometimes didn’t thaw until May. Summers quickly came and went. It was there that I really learned about winter cooking. I During the shorter days of winter, I tend to spend more time at home, watching videos, folding laundry, or in other homey activities while a pot of goodness simmers on my kitchen stove. I rely on more canned, dried, and frozen organic foods. I prepare a lot of savory, slow-cooked dishes made with grains and pastas, and use more spices and heartier herbs. Winter cooking can fill a house for hours with wonderful aromas that waft and dance from room to room and warm me like a favorite throw blanket or thick wool sweater. Since there is less fresh food available, I honor anything that I can get my hands on. Winter foods may not be as bright and light as summer crops, but they provide soulful comfort. I At this time of the year, nurturing and hearty meals are savored. During cold months, we naturally hunger for dishes that fill our bellies with warmth and satisfaction and provide the energy we need.