Laura Eats Local

A NOLA gal's adventures in Louisiana food

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SELF CARE: I made this just for myself today, and sat down and ate it, every bit. Gluten free buckwheat waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and applewood smoked bacon. Maybe we don’t normally get out the waffle maker just for ourselves, and maybe sometimes we should.

HOW TO MAKE IT: I used Shauna Ahern’s (aka Gluten Free Girl) recipe for buckwheat waffles just as she wrote it. The link is here:

https://glutenfreegirl.com/2017/02/gluten-free-buckwheat-waffles/

I will note however that in my Belgian waffle maker this recipe produces 4.5 very FAT and delicious waffles. I did add just a touch more baking powder than she asks for too, and I did not add any of the extra half cup milk suggested to thin out thick batter. I used almost the highest setting on my machine to be sure they got golden and crisp. You will want to experiment with yours.

So yes, the hubs will benefit from my waffle bounty when he comes home at lunchtime. But this morning, this bounty was ALL for me.

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Delish, gluten-free blueberry muffins with lemon zest! The organic berries are from Blue Tara farm in Mississippi, of course. I was inspired by Gluten Free Girl’s wonderful muffin mix recipe. (You can find it here: https://glutenfreegirl.com/2016/10/how-to-make-a-gluten-free-muffin-mix/ ) Those expensive packaged GF muffin mixes? You don’t need them. Make your own mix from the GF flours you prefer, and when you’re ready to bake it’s as simple as oil, milk, eggs, mix-ins, GO! One final thought - if you have the time, make this batter at night and leave it in the fridge until morning. It allows the flours to fully hydrate, so you get a tender muffin that rises to great heights. Also, warm muffins for breakfast with as little work as possible? YUM!!!

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How does a girl transport her herb starts and other tasty loot home from the Crescent City Farmer’s Market on her SCOOTER? Very carefully. Crazy gorgeous tomatoes in the boot and these aromatic green beauties on the board between my feet. If you plan on using a lot of herbs in your cooking this summer, I would recommend making the up front investment in plants for your yard or patio. An startup cost of $20-$40 will provide you with a summer’s supply of bright, fresh flavors – a heck of a lot cheaper and better for the environment than those little plastic packages of supermarket herbs!

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Happy 4th of July! Brunch today: cornmeal hoe cakes with blueberry compote. 

Believe it or not, I’ve never made hoe cakes before today, but I’ll be doing so often in the future. Not only are they delicious, gluten free, and economical (made from inexpensive corn flour) -- they are also way more forgiving to cook than pancakes, as they don’t burn as easily. The recipe below makes a ton of hoe cakes, but that’s OK -- stick what doesn’t get eaten in the fridge and pop them in the toaster oven to reheat. They are delicious served up with savory meals like hot chili, Indian-style vegetarian dishes, or sautéed shrimp in a tomato-garlic sauce. Or pile an enormous, gloriously well-dressed salad on top! Silver dollar sized cakes are a perfect base for bite size appetizers of all sorts -- right now, I’m thinking that pulled pork and pickled relish, or smoked salmon with crème fraîche would be good options. 

Cornmeal Hoe Cakes

IMPORTANT: You will want to begin this recipe about 2 and a half hours before you intend to serve, or even the night before, as the batter tastes best after resting for about an hour. 

2 cups yellow corn meal (Country Boy brand, Walker, LA)

1/2 cup oat flour or 1/3 cup rice flour (I prefer oat flour here, because it tends to be more binding and have a more pleasant texture than rice. However, I’ve been unable to identify a “Louisiana local” source for oats. In either case, if oat or rice flour is not readily available, you can use a blade coffee grinder to quickly grind rolled oats or uncooked rice kernels into the small amount of flour called for its this recipe. If you don’t need to be gluten free, you can experiment with about 1/3 cup of white flour.)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup milk (Feliciana’s Best Creamery)

1 cup plain, whole-fat yogurt (Country Girls Creamery is a very good one)

1 egg (Local eggs purchased at Hollygrove Market)

Leaf lard or vegetable oil for frying (I used leaf lard from Cleaver & Co, because it enhances the savory quality of the hoe cakes, and because this very pure fat is also very heat resistant, making it less likely to scorch. You can of course use a variety of oils, from canola to olive, and if you have some handy, the reserved and strained fat from your last batch of bacon!)

DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, making sure there are no clumps. In a second bowl, blend together the milk and yogurt, then whisk in the egg. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until combined and lump free. 

ALLOW BATTER TO REST AN HOUR IN THE REFRIGERATOR. I find that corn meal products are way more delicious and tender when the grain has had adequate time to soak up the liquid before cooking. To me, this makes all the difference. 

When the batter has rested, fire up your favorite nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over a medium heat. Add fat of choice. Start cooking by using a ladle to pour in a single test cake. The batter will spread a bit, so go smaller rather than bigger. Allow this first cake to cook, like pancakes, until the edges start to look dry, and the bubbles that pop through the surface retain their shape.  Then, flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Taste. Make adjustments if you think necessary. Batter too thin? Add a teaspoon of oat flour. Too thick? Start by adding a tiny bit of milk. But only do that if it seems really necessary, and don’t overstir to combine. Lower or raise the heat if they are cooking too slowly or too quickly. 

Once you feel good about batter and temperature, cook up the hoe cakes in batches, and transfer them to a plate in a warm oven. 

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SUNDAY lunch: Spiralizers are a great way to use summer garden veggies like squash to make tasty salads that quickly soak up seasonings and dressings! This was a combo of Hollygrove veggies – Spiralized yellow zucchini squash and cucumber combined with julienned roasted beets. Topped with Bergeron pecans and basil from my front porch. Dressed with pecan oil, Envie garlic farm garlic, Steen’s cane vinegar, and salt. This would be lovely with some slices of Country Girl’s Creamery mozzarella or other local cheese. The cornbread peeking in on the left is gluten free, and made by my good friend Wendi using country boy brand corn flour. (Quick note on spiralizing cucumbers: you'll want to allow them to drain a few minutes on some paper towels before using, because they produce a lot of moisture which can dilute your dressing).

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Fast FRIDAY dinner: Simple herb omelette (eggs from Hollygrove, home grown herbs) topped with a yogurt sauce (garlic and fennel fronds from Hollygrove and Country Girl's Creamery yogurt). Mashed local sweet potatoes and slices of creole tomato, both from Rouses.

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Happy FRIDAY morning! This morning's grits (Country Boy) made extraordinary by macerated white nectarines (Cherry Creek Orchard), pecans (Bergeron) and whole milk (Feliciana's Best Creamery). The nectarines were in Hollygrove's reduced price area -- $1 a pound -- and so I couldn't resist scooping them up.

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THURSDAY dinner with our good friend Alice. Corn maque choux, grilled shrimp, and yellow tomato salad with basil!

Maque choux can be made a bunch of different ways, but I used a classic Emeril Lagasse recipe as the inspiration for this meal. To me, it’s a Louisiana interpretation of risotto with fresh summer corn – sweet, savory and spicy all at once. The shrimp make it a complete meal, and a little simple tomato basil salad adds a fresh, cool counterpoint to all the heat. 

 RECIPE (serves 4)

 Maque choux 5 ears of sweet corn (Glaser’s Produce) 

1 large onion (Two Dog Farm) About 1 ½ cups of diced peppers, at least some of them with some heat. The more heat in the peppers, the more kick to the finished dish. I used a mix of peppers I found in the Hollygrove reduced price area. 

 4 or 5 garlic cloves (Envie Garlic Farm, Chauvin, LA) 

2 or 3 tablespoons of cooking fat or oil (pecan oil, leaf lard, butter, etc.)

 3/4 cup heavy cream (Feliciana’s Best) 

 3/4 cup whole milk (Feliciana’s Best) 

 About 2 tablespoons fresh diced oregano (from my porch herb pots)

salt

Shrimp

About 20 medium gulf shrimp peeled, deveined, seasoned with salt

Tomato Salad

1 large whole red or yellow tomato (last one from my Hollygrove box!)

Dash of Steen’s Pure Cane Vinegar

Basil from my porch herb pots

DIRECTIONS

Shuck corn and slice kernels from the cobs. Dice onion and peppers, medium dice. Dice garlic, fine. 

Saute onions and peppers in large skillet using a tablespoon of cooking fat until soft, translucent, and lightly caramelized. 

Add a second tablespoon of fat to pan, and add the corn, oregano and garlic. Season with salt. Taste as you are cooking. Continue to saute until the corn is cooked through and takes on a little bit of color. Medium heat, you don’t want the sugars in the corn to burn. 

When the corn is cooked through, pour in the milk and the cream, make sure heat is medium low, the liquid should just be simmering. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, allowing the dairy to thicken into a creamy sauce. When the sauce has thickened taste and adjust seasonings. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm. 

Chop tomato into large chunks. Julienne basil. Season with a little salt and cane vinegar – not too much. Allow the tomato and basil flavors to shine through.

Quickly sear the shrimp under the broiler or in a frying pan with a little fat until just pink through.

Plate the corn on 4 dinner  plates, with 5 shrimp per person and equal portions of tomato on top. 

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THURSDAY breakfast: back to posting, and hoping to finish out the week strong. I'm happy to share that I finally found a good local source for grits, thanks to my lovely friend Wendi. Picked up Country Boy Grits (Denham, LA) at Rouses (along with that gorgeous LA cantaloupe on the table behind breakfast.) The blueberries are from J&D Blueberry Farm, Poplarville, MS. Bergeron Pecans. Whole milk from Feliciana's Best Creamery.

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MONDAY lunch: Sweet potato oven frites and roasted poblano aioli for dipping. Happy solstice everyone! Roasted poblanos taste pleasantly of spice and smoke. Aioli is basically a garlicky mayonnaise sauce. And frites are, well, just a fancy name for French fries. Since it's the height of summer, and I am cooking for 1, I used the toaster oven. RECIPE: Frites 2 small sweet potatoes (Louisiana local, Hollygrove) 1 tablespoon leaf lard (purchased from Cleaver and Co., a local butcher whose animals are raised in Como, LA) veggie oil of your choice also works well Salt (This makes enough frites for 1 person, adjust your recipe accordingly.) Aioli 1 medium sized poblano pepper (from the Hollygrove reduced price area) 1 egg yolk (Local eggs, Hollygrove) 1/2 cup Inglewood pecan oil (Alexandria, LA) 1 clove garlic (Envie garlic farm, Chauvin, LA) 1 tablespoon Steen Pure Cane Vinegar Salt (Makes enough for 4 servings) HOW-TO: Roast poblano pepper whole at 400 degrees, turning often to blister skin evenly on all sides. When pepper is softened and skin charred, remove and allow to cool. When cool, skin should pull off easily. Remove skin and then split open and remove seeds. Mince pepper flesh. Set aside. Peel and finely minced garlic clove. Set aside. While pepper is roasting, prep sweet potatoes. Slice long-ways into french-fry shapes, but leave the skins on! Put leaf lard into microwave safe bowl and melt briefly. In a bowl, toss potatoes with lard until coated. Spread potatoes in a single layer on greased baking sheet, or use parchment parchment paper instead. Try to make sure all the potatoes are touching the baking sheet rather than being piled on other potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees until roasted, tender on the inside and crisp on the outside, about 45 minutes. While potatoes are roasting make the aioli. Crack the egg, carefully separating the yolk from the white. Reserve egg white for another use, like tossing into your next omelette. In a ceramic bowl (do NOT use plastic for this!) beat up the egg yolk and vinegar with a whisk until frothy. Then, very slowly and whisking continuously, add the oil. You are creating an emulsion, so start with just a few drops at a time. Asking a friend to pour while you whisk is a great idea if you are doing this for the first time. You will be amazed as, like magic, the mixture starts to thicken and get creamy. The more you beat it, the thicker it will get. When all of the oil is incorporated and the mixture is thick, yellow, and creamy, add the minced garlic and poblano. Whisk, taste, and add salt. Taste again. Then allow the sauce to sit while the potatoes finish roasting. The sauce will thicken a little more and the flavors will meld while you wait. When the potatoes are done, toss in a metal bowl with a little salt and any fresh herbs you might like (Rosemary is great). Serve immediately while piping hot with a little bowl of sauce on the side. Enjoy!

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SUNDAY dinner on my own. Hubbie is working tonight, helping to make our dreams come true. And honestly, if it weren’t for this challenge my dinner would have been jumbled into a bowl, and eaten thoughtlessly in bed after a long day on my feet. But after taking care of myself, making pretty plates and lighting some candles, i feel like making the effort wasn’t just worth it for my “faithful readers” (Hi Jolene!) but for me too. Dinner deets: a Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomato (Fekete Farm, Hungarian Settlement, LA) sliced and dressed with herbs from my porch. Leftover “locally burnt” baked beans I shared in my previous post (note: that post is unfinished due to a technical glitch while publishing. This will be remedied tomorrow.)

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SUNDAY afternoon snack – to reward myself after a LONG day, it was time for a peachy pecan smoothie: peaches from Hollygrove (leave the skins on!), Bergeron pecans (New Roads, LA), Inglewood pecan oil (Alexandria, LA), whole milk (Progress milk barn, McComb, MS), yogurt (country Girls Creamery, Lumberton, MS), Louisiana Gold bee pollen, Dixie Crystals Sugar and a pinch of salt. Whirled up in the vitamix until creamy and frothy, garnished with a blueberry. I highly recommend sharing this velvety smooth and decadent beverage with your friend or beloved of choice.

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This grey and rainy SATURDAY morning got so much better with a bowl of yogurt, macerated peaches, and pecans. The yogurt (from Country Girls Creamery in Lumberton, MS) is pretty tangy – so lots of probiotic goodness! When you macerate fruit with sugar, it’s a good idea to add just a tiny pinch of salt – yes, salt! It will bring out the sweetness and aromas of the fruit. (Peaches from Hollygrove, Bergeron pecans, Dixie crystals sugar). Happy Caturday, all!

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THURSDAY Dinner: I burned the beans.

I was only aware off this tragedy at about 8:30 PM, after a day of grocery shopping and meal planning. I was about to begin a five day stretch of work days on my feet, and I wanted something yummy in the fridge to come home to, when I am too tired to cook a single damn thing, and I’m craving the comfort of a plate to stick in the microwave. And it’s not like I haven’t made baked beans before. It's the tried-and-true, delicious recipe my mom used to use. And all afternoon yesterday I could smell the comforting aromas of bacon and onion, mingled with cane syrup and vinegar, permeating the house as they baked. But I wasn’t paying attention, and they got way too dark. They’re not inedible, so yes, I’ll be eating them anyway – all weekend long.

Despite my failure, I wanted to share the recipe anyway, in the hopes that you’ll give it a go and have better luck than me – because they really are a delicious, time-saving, and economical summer meal. Add a pot of rice and a summer salad and you have a feast.

Also, I wanted to tell you about my very first visit to Cleaver & Co. where I picked up my locally sourced bacon.

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I think I overdid it in the heat yesterday! Woke up with a pounding headache, nausea, and no will to post. I'll try to be back in action on my streetcar ride to work, this afternoon, but for now I thought I would share a snap of my little porch herb garden. It took awhile to get the plants re-established after transferring them from their little plastic pots, but they are finally starting to thrive. Basil, oregano, thyme, and catnip for the kitties.

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Breakfast today was a smoothie made with the last of my Hollygrove blueberries, Mauthe’s farm milk, honey and bee pollen from Louisiana Gold Honey Farm in Denham Louisiana. Bee pollen is amazing stuff! It’s considered one of nature’s most completely nourishing foods, containing nearly all nutrients required by humans -- proteins, free amino acids, and vitamins, including B-complex and folic acid. By itself, it tastes slightly chalky, but also sweet, fruity and floral. In addition to adding it to a smoothie, you can eat it with your morning granola, sprinkle it over ice cream or fruit salad, or even take it straight mixed with a teaspoon of honey. Just don’t use it in anything hot, or you’ll destroy it’s raw goodness.

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WEDNESDAY was laundry day, so I nibbled on remainders and kept on working. Dinner for my hubby and I was a little leftover chicken and this tomato cucumber salad, made with pecan oil, cane vinegar, and fresh thyme and oregano from my porch garden. (You can find all of the product details in my weekend grocery post.) Some days you have to keep it real and keep on moving, right?