4 posts tagged “carrots”

Equal parts white vinegar and water make up this brine, along with a few bay leaves, garlic cloves, onion slivers and halved Serrano peppers. I used fresh, young carrots from the farmers' market. You know the baby ones with their tops still on. These come in the perfect size. Don't you dare throw those tops away. They make an excellent addition to vegetable stocks.

I simmered my peeled carrots in the brine until they were cooked but still really crunchy. They will continue to cook a bit as the brine cools. Once at room temperature, transfer your jars to the refrigerator to chill. I couldn't resist eating a few that night, but I think they were best after a few days. Refreshing, crunchy and spicy these were great just out of the jar. B and I also cut these up into slivers for sandwiches and used them in place of pepperoncinis/pickles. Delicious!

Making vegetable stock has become somewhat of a weekly ritual for me. The increased frequency is in part due to a tip from Bourgeois Bee. He told me that he uses his carrot tops for stock. And though I enjoy eating the carrot tops, it's more of a once in a while, not a weekly sort of thing for me. Hooray for more stock ammo!

With stock production at its peak in Julie's Kitchen and the Lakers-Celtics series going on, there couldn't have been a more perfect time to entertain. I always like starting with something light to awaken the taste buds. Sometimes it's a salad. This night is was a soup. I roasted a bunch of yellow carrots to concentrate their sweetness and add a nice brown caramelization. That equals more flavor. When you are making a vegetable puree sort of soup, the more sophisticated and complex your flavors are the better. Simple ingredients are great. Simple flavor is not. Under season your stock and your guests will wonder why you are serving them mushy baby food! Ick! 

Another way to keep the flavor of simple soup from falling flat, is garnish. A nice pop of flavor. Contrast is key. You've heard of people eating watermelon with salt, right? My parents have been doing this forever. As a child this idea seemed a bit alien to me. Now I love mine with a sprinkle of fleur de sel. There is no sweetness without saltiness. Since these carrots were amazingly sweet, I wanted to accentuate their earthiness with a salsa made with roasted beets, yellow corn, Fuerte avocados and red peppers spritzed with lime juice. This lent a nice touch of acid and sweetness. This soup was well received by both Lakers and Celtics fans alike.

Last weekend, I went up North for a wine tasting/50k bike ride. I love biking and I love wine, so why not do them together? That doesn't sound dangerous at all. :) Since this was a family event, I stayed with my parents and whenever I go home for a visit, I give pops a night off from the kitchen and plan a meal (Yes, it's the dad in my family that does the cooking). This time I decided on a braised oxtail and tendon stew. Don't make faces now. I'd rather eat tendon than chicken breast any day. When you grow up in a family like mine, your culinary repertoire gets quite expanded. Needless to say, I'm a huge supporter of snout to tail eating. Waste not.
Back on subject... during the bike ride I was concentrating on what I wanted to eat after the ride, rather than the road. Oops. A 50k bike ride sure works up the hunger. I was remembering the tender, falling off the bone oxtail meat frm the night before and had one of those ah-ha moments. Pulled oxtail meat inside a banh mi would be delicious. I bookmarked the idea in my head and my thoughts returned to "look at the legs on this one"... don't be perverted, I'm talking about the wine.
With B out of town at a "Future of Web Design" conference, I took this as the perfect opportunity to cook some meat. With two pounds of beef oxtails from Wild Oats, I was ready for some fun. I blanched the oxtails in simmering water for about 10 minutes and drained them to remove some excess fat/scum. My asian-inspired braising liquid included star anise, five spice, ginger, garlic, onions, jalapeños, shishito peppers, dark soy sauce and Chinese black bean sauce. I added just enough water to cover the oxtails. I braised them for about 12 hours for maximum flavor and tenderness. I pulled the meat off the bones with two forks. Traditionally, banh mi is served with pickled daikons and carrots. The daikons sure are stinky, but I assure you, they are an integral part of the taste composition. I thinly julienned carrot and daikon and soaked them in a mixture of sugar, water and rice vinegar (separately or else your carrots will stain your daikon orange). All I needed was a good French baguette to bring everything together. It would be a waste to spend so much time on the meat and condiments and serve it with crappy bread. I was determined to find a baguette that would do my meat justice. I tried 3 Square Bakery on Abbott Kinney, but all they had were pretzel baguettes. Eww. They're good on their own, but would be wrong in so many ways for a banh mi. Next, I tried Pioneer Bakery on Montana and left with a baton of bread that was destined to become croutons/bread crumbs/duck food. What does a girl have to do to get a great French baguette in this city???
Just when all hope was lost, my friend Jamie suggested a brunch at Campanile (conveniently right next to La Brea Bakery). Great brunch in the tummy and great baguette in hand, I was ready to assemble my banh mi. Back in the kitchen now... I sliced the baguette in half and spread mayo on both halves. Then I put on a layer of warmed oxtail meat, pickled daikon, pickled carrots, cucumber, jalapeños and cilantro. The meat was warm, spicy and tender. The vegetables chilled, crunchy and refreshing. What an amazing contrast.