9F on the 9th of December

I woke up at 6 o'clock this morning, went down to the kitchen to make my cappuccino and looked at the thermomether: 9F!!!
There is ice on the corners of my windows and I can see the landscape as though through a surreal picture frame. There is a light dusting of snow and the first gleams of dawn are just starting to soften the contrast between the white powder and the darkness left behind by night.

My mind wanders to times past, before cars, before electricity, before running water, when this was a working farm. The entire household would be awake by now. Someone would have milked the cows, brought in water, lit the stove and started breakfast for everyone. They would have done all this by the light of an oil lamp, without thinsulate-waterproof boots, without polypropilene underarmour or pile sweaters. I shiver at the thought!

When I first moved into this farmhouse with my family, several years ago, one of my goals was to return to a more simple lifestile. I fully appreciate the comforts of modern civilization and I have no intention of giving them up, but I believe that reaching a balanced compromise between living a healthier life and taking advantage of technological progress, will help me deal better with the stress of the everyday grind.

I have always preferred good, simple earthy food, to the over-processed genetically-altered alternatives available at fast-food restaurants or as ready-to-eat-meals at supermarkets, not merely because they are better for me, but mostly because they taste better, and are more fun to prepare. My recipes are not always "healthy" ones, often my meals are not perfectly balanced according to the food pyramid. I do make an effort to keep wellness in mind, but the main drive of my choices is taste. Good food makes me happy, I can work on quantities and frequency of certain items, but I will not sacrifice the flavors I like to just have a "healthy meal". Now, if it is healthful and tastes good... well then my goal is reached!

While Spring and Summer provide a wide range of fruits and vegetables to make salads and fill my diet with fibers and vitamins, etc., the Winter months call more for warming and fulfilling fares. This for me is the time for soups (which are a great way to get your vegetables) and hearty stews.
Living in the heart of Pennsylvania, even someones who does not hunt has several occasions to come across a fair amount of venison. Coming from a country where deer is a protected animal, I never had a chance to taste venison until a few years ago. I had heard the praises of this meat for years before I could actually taste it myself, and in all honesty I was quite disappointed. I found it tough, dry and not much flavorful.

I did not give up, thinking that if so many people loved this meat something good must come from it. I tried it over and over, without much satisfaction, until I decided to try and cook it myself. I went through my share of trial and error, until I tried this recipe. I adapted for use with a slow cooker from a recipe found in a book, and as usual changed a few ingredients according to taste and to what I had on hand. This is definitely one of my best stews, and one of the best venison dishes I have had.


APPLE VENISON STEW

2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp of mixed peppercorns
2 whole cloves
2 lb venison cut in 1 1/2 in cubes (I used a leg cut)
2 Tbs butter
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
2 Tbs flour (I used whole wheat, but white flour will work too)
1/8 tsp coarse salt
2 cups water
2 Tbs Marsala
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, cut into wedges
2 ribs of celery, sliced
flour or cornstarch for thickening, if necessary

Wrap bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves in a double thickness of cheesecloth and tie securely. Set aside.

You can get all your ingredients ready before getting started, but I suggest to wait to cut the apples until you are ready to use them, so they do not turn brown.

(If you do not have cheesecloth on hand, don't give up. I did not have any either, so I used a tea infuser; worked just fine.

In a large skillet, brown venison on all sides in butter, over medium heat.

Add onions; cook until lightly browned.

Sprinkle with flour and salt.

Add the Marsala and stir gently until about half has evaporated. Gradually add the water, stirring. Heat to boiling.

Transfer to a slow cooker and add spice bag (or infuser).

Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours, until venison is tender.

As slow cookers vary, you may have now too much or too little liquid in your stew. At this point you may use a ladle to remove some of the liquid (save it to flavor a broth or to add to the stew to reheat leftovers) or add boiling water if your stew is too dry.

Add carrots, celery and apples.

Cover and cook for 1 hour or until vegetables and apples are tender but not mushy.

Remove the spice bag and thicken with flour or cornstarch, if necessary.

I served this stew with bread rolls, corn on the cob and stir-fried green beans. I wish I had some polenta, though....

Minestra di Spinaci

"Minestra di Spinaci" (spinach soup) is a basic soup we enjoy year round, as it is easy and fast to make, nutritious enough to be served as a main dish, and everything needed to make it is usually on had in the house at any given time. In warmer weather it can be enjoyed warm, as an appetizer, first course or main dish, or accompanied by a seasonal salad. In cold winter days such as these I like it as hot as can be managed, served with cheese sandwiches or focaccia or some sturdy home made bread.

Yesterday was my day off, and although I had a million things to do, as usual, I pretty much wasted it trying to keep warm and to get rid of this annoying headache that has been tormenting me for too long now. I am still recovering from a stomach flu that floored me last weekend and as part of my path to better health I am trying to eat more balanced meals. During the last few days I have pretty much survived on the B.R.A.T. diet, or just fasting, now I need to recharge with some vegetables. What better way than concentrate some in a hot bowl of soul fulfilling soup?

Since I was in a lazy mood and did not want to make a second course, I decided to load-up the soup with some home grown corn I had in the freezer. Also I only had enough Parmigiano for the recipe, so I shredded some Muenster cheese I had on hand for serving. Everyone had seconds and there were no requests for dessert... so I guessed it worked out pretty well.

Here is my new variation on this classic soup:





Ingredients:

1 ear of corn (I had 3 small chunks, frozen)
1 TBS olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 c small pasta (I used tubetti)
3 c frozen spinach
3 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano or Grana
3 beef bouillons cubes
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese
(serves 6)

Place 2 qts of water and frozen corn in a soup pot and bring to boil.




In the meantime, slice the garlic and sautée with the spinach in olive oil until spinach are completely thawed and no excess liquid is in the pan.





Beat the eggs with the Parmigiano, nutmeg and salt.



When the water boils add the bouillon and stir to dissolve. Set aside one ladleful of broth and let cool.
Let corn boil in water for 5 minutes, then add the pasta.



Remove corn from water, cut from cob and return to the pot.




Add the cooled broth and the spinach to the eggs and stir.
When the pasta is cooked, add the spinach mixture to the pot and boil for 2 minutes, stirring.




Serve in warmed bowls and garnish with a generous sprinkle of the Muenster cheese.