Four Square Meals September 1st

Posted on August 28, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

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Fandango Stew – pinto beans, seasonal vegetables and jalapeno
Mushroom Pullao – basmati rice and einkorn with shiitake mushrooms, ginger and garam masala

Tofu Zeera – marinated tofu and seasonal vegetables in roasted cumin sauce
Potato Salad – with seasonal vegetables and celery

Masoor dal – red lentil with rich spices and seasonal vegetables
Days Go By Salad – brown & black rice with baby greens and caramelized onions

Autumn Spirit – seitan and seasonal vegetables in roasted garlic-leek sauce
Chinese Parsley Pilaf – jade pearl rice and buckwheat with seasonal vegetable, cilantro and lemon

Produce and grains purchased locally at Echollective Farm, Friendly Farm, Grinnel Heritage Farm, Iowa City Farmer’s Market, Muddy Miss Farm, New Pioneer Food Co-op and Oak Hill Acres Farm.

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Recipe – zucchini-gold beet skillet with fresh herbs

Posted on August 27, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cubed
¼ cup unbleached flour
2 gold beets, peeled, cubed (¼ inch) and steamed for 10 minutes.
12-18 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
¾ t apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Large pinch of salt

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide bottomed pan to medium. Sprinkle the flour over the zucchini and toss gently. Lift the zucchini out carefully, shaking off excess flour. Carefully place the zucchini in the pan and sautee, stirring occasionally. You may need to turn the heat up slightly after the zucchini first go in, but reduce again as needed. I should always sizzle.

After the zucchini has browned some, add the gold beets and stir well. Cover, turn heat down a little and cook for 3-5 minutes or so. Add mint and salt. Stir. Place in a bowl and add vinegar and stir well.

Recipe – Groundnut Stew

Posted on February 14, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

An old Red Avocado recipe from an African recipe originally found by Derek and much adapted over the years. Great warm to your bones food.

Note – T=tablespoon, t=teaspoon, c=cup

4 T oil
1 inch cinnamon stick, whole
½ t whole cumin seeds
5-10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 leek, washed (see below) and roughly chopped
3 sweet potatoes, peeled, diced 1 inch
1 celeriac, peeled and diced, ¾ inch
2-4 carrots, rinsed, diced, 1 inch
1 can diced or crushed tomato
1-2 inches ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
¾ t turmeric
1 t paprika
Handful spinach
Large pinch sugar
¾ c peanut butter
1 t salt, or to taste
½ a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
1-4 T fresh lime juice

Add oil to wide, heavy bottomed pot and heat to medium-high. Add cinnamon and whole cumin seed. Heat for a few seconds (it should bubble at edges). Add garlic and fry until golden, add diced onions and stir often, coating all with oil. After 5 minutes (still stirring often, at lively heat), add the leeks and stir thoroughly again.

After five minutes or so add sweet potatoes, celeriac and carrot. Stir. Add tomatoes and water to just cover vegetables. Stir in ginger. Turn heat up high, partially cover pot.

Meanwhile mix 1 t cumin, 1 t coriander, 1 t paprika and¾ t turmeric. And this spice mixture and stir. Re-cover pot and bring to a boil. When it boils, stir and turn heat down to low and cover completely. Cook until vegetables are soft, 30-45 minutes.

Ladle out 1-2 c cooking liquid and add 1 c peanut butter off the heat and whisk until smooth. Add peanut butter mixture to pot and stir.

Add salt, chopped cilantro and lime juice to taste, off heat.

Valentine’s Day from Four Square Meals

Posted on February 7, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

If you are looking to avoid the elbow bumping and non-intimacy of a restaurant on Valentine’s Day, have a look at our 4-course feature, available for pick up or delivery to enjoy at home by the fire…

Canapés – sliced bread with toppings: fried shallot-gold beet and curried white bean
Coconut Corn Soup – creamy and slightly spicy
Tempeh Cutlet Zeera – breaded marinated tempeh in a rich creamy roasted cumin sauce
Persian Rose Pilaf – aromatic basmati rice, amaranth and seasonal vegetable infused with sumac and rose petal essence
Herbed Ragout – carrot, red beet and baby greens with tarragon
Sweet Potato Sorbet – with berry jam

Eggplant Steak with Mushrooms and Sage

Posted on November 6, 2014 by davidmacleodburt

1 or 2 globe eggplant
Salt
¼ c extra virgin olive oil
Flour for dredging
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
8 oz mushrooms
1 small clove garlic
1/4 tsp choped sage
2 tbs balsamic or white wine vinegar
Large pinch salt
2 tbs water

Cut eggplant lengthwise into ¾ – 1 inch “steaks”. Sprinkle liberally with salt and let stand in a colander for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. Wash off salt and dry with towels. Heat a pan to medium and add half of the oil. Dredge the eggplant in flour and shake off. Add to pan. Try not to mess with them too much, just let them cook. After 5 minutes check that they are not burning.

If they are charring turn them and add oil to pan (not to eggplant), let oil heat up and then turn heat down slightly. Cover. If they are not charring or browning, let them cook another 5 minutes then add oil to pan (not to eggplant), let oil heat up and then turn heat down slightly. Cover.

Check after 5 minutes by gently pressing eggplant. When done it should be very soft to the touch. Ripeness affects cooking time greatly, so it could take another 10 minutes. When done, place on paper towel (or towel) to drain off excess oil and serve.

While eggplant cooks, prepare the mushrooms and sage. First, take 1 tbs of the flour from the eggplant dredging and whisk with 4 T water. Set this slurry aside. Heat a pan to medium-high, add 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil followed immediately by onion and garlic. Sautee 2 minutes, sizzling and stirring. Add mushrooms and continue stirring until oil is evenly spread. Cover, turn heat down and cook 1 minute. Remove lid and add vinegar. Cook 2-3 minutes at a simmer, then add slurry. Continue stirring until sauce thickens a little.

Beet Remoulade

Posted on February 10, 2014 by davidmacleodburt

Beet Remoulade

The wonderful savory flavors of capers and mustard meet the earthy sweetness on red and gold beets.

1 medium red beet
1 medium gold beet
1 cup vegenaise or mayonnaise:
3 tbs capers
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar

Peel the beets and cut into 1 inch cubes. First cutting in half and laying flat surface on the cutting board.
Steam the beets for 25-45 minutes, checking first after 20. They should be soft like a cooked potato.
While the beets steam, place the capers, Dijon and white wine vinegar in a food proceesor and process briefly a few times, scraping the sides between blands. When faily uniform add the vegenaise or mayonnaise and blend for 30 seconds or so. Try not the overblend as the vegenaise and mayonnaise both become bitter woth over-blending. This is the remoulade.

When the beets are done, take half the remoulade and mix with the beets and serve. Alternatively, blend the beets with the caper, mustard and vinegar, before adding the vegenaise/mayonnaise.

Kale chips ‘n’ more

Posted on May 27, 2012 by davidmacleodburt

What to do with all those spring greens? Kale chips are popular but experiment with other greens that often end up yellow at the bottom of your crisper. Radish greens, beet greens, mustard greens, turnip greens. Just make sure to cut the spine and make a thinnish layer on the oven pan.

Use the stems, cut finely, to thicken sauces, or toss into the stockpot for great added flavor and depth to your home made stock.

Spring green chips

1 bunch kale or other spring/fall green
2 tsp sunflower oil, or extra virgin olive oil
1/8 t salt
1/8 t paprika

Optional: pinch cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Strip the spine from the greens either with a knife, or by pulling your hand firmly along the spine to remove leaf, Cut leaves into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle salt and paprika over greens. Be sure to sprinkle widely so that the powders do not clump in one place. Drizzle oil over greens and gently toss to evenly distribute the oil over the leaves. Place the in a thinnish layer on an oven pan or cookie sheet. It doesn’t need to be a single layer, just not a bunch of them piled on top of each other. Check after 5 minutes, but usually takes 7 or 8 minutes. May take 10 or 12 minutes if it’s a thick pile. Greens should be browning and a little crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to remove excess oil if necessary.

Four Square Meals

Potato pancakes at the Iowa City Farmer's Market

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