I have learned that there are two things in life that impress people way more than they should. (1) An undergraduate math degree and (2) homemade marshmallows. I know you mean it as a compliment, folks, but girls are good at math, too. Even ones that no longer have bad perms and pink plastic glasses (childhood friends – you know what I’m talking about).

Now on to number two…also unreasonably impressive. I took . . . → Read More: How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallows (with Local Honey)]]>

I have learned that there are two things in life that impress people way more than they should. (1) An undergraduate math degree and (2) homemade marshmallows. I know you mean it as a compliment, folks, but girls are good at math, too. Even ones that no longer have bad perms and pink plastic glasses (childhood friends – you know what I’m talking about).

Now on to number two…also unreasonably impressive. I took a batch of these into my office Christmas party, met a lot of new people, and will now forever be known as “Marshmallow Girl”. I spent a lot more time on the gingersnaps, but these are what people remember. Homemade marshmallows are much better than store-bought, in my opinion. The texture is better; there’s no chemical taste; and you can flavor them however you’d like. Plus, you can wow some new friends.

Two notes on these. First off, I started with a recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet and doubled it. I think the marshmallows were too hard as a result. Next time, I’d try three packages of gelatin, rather than four (equivalent to 3 tablespoons). Secondly, this involves some very very hot, sticky liquids. Be careful. Use common sense and a much bigger pot than you think you need. Burns caused by hot sugar are not fun and shouldn’t be risked.

Not at all related to marshmallows, but still very important – residents of Dorchester, Boston’s largest and most diverse neighborhood, are working on their first community food system project, a winter farmers’ market. They need less than $1,000 to reach their Kickstarter goal. To read more and give them some support click here.

Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallows

Makes one 9-by-9-inch pan of marshmallows

Directions

1. Put 1/2 cup cold water into the workbowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin on top.
2. In a large pot, mix another 1/2 cup of water, the honey, 1/4 cup of cocoa, and the salt. Don’t skimp on the pot here. I know it’s only about 2 cups, but it will boil up quickly. As an example, I started with a 6-cup saucepan and had to pour everything (very carefully) into a larger pot after about 10 minutes.
3. Bring the liquids to a boil over high heat, watching carefully. Once you reach a boil, put the lid on for 3 minutes. This causes condensation to run down the sides of the pan, removing any sugar crystals, which will mess up the process.
4. Remove the lid and continue boiling until the mixture reaches 240 degrees, stirring occassionally.
5. Using the whisk attachment, beat the gelatin into the water. Then, very carefully and while the mixer is going, pour the hot honey mixture into the water and gelatin. Aim to put a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Once everything is incorporated, turn up the speed to high and let it go for about 12 minutes.
   Note: It will probably start to smell kind of gross at some point. This is normal. Also, your poor stand mixer might start to heat up a bit. This is also normal.
6. While the mixer is doing its thing, prepare the pan. Spray a 9-by-9-inch pan with nonstick spray. Mix together 1 tablespoon of cocoa, the cornstarch and the powdered sugar and dump it into the pan. Roll the pan around and tap it to coat the bottom and sides in the powder. Pour out the extra and save for later.
7. The marshmallows are done when they look like marshmallow fluff and are only slightly warm. Add the peppermint extract and mix for another minute.
8. Use an oiled spatula to coax the fluff from the bowl and into the prepared pan. Spread it out and smooth the top, if it’s cooperating. If it’s not, just do the best you can.
9. Dust the top with some of the reserved powder mixture and save the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to set up for 8-12 hours.
10. Once they’re set, turn them out onto a cutting board and cut however you’d like. A pizza cutter works pretty well. Toss the cut marshmallows and the reserved powder mixture in a zip-top bag or covered bowl until all the sticky edges are covered. Go forth and impress!

While Skyping with Lindsay at some point this week, I mentioned that I purchased some broccoli raab. Her reaction was “but you hate broccoli raab!”, and she was right! I can’t remember a single encounter with it, in a restaurant or otherwise, that I have really enjoyed.

But, Lindsay’s not around and we have a blog on local food and the raab is the thing right now (the raab, the ramps, and asparagus). . . . → Read More: Me vs. Broccoli Raab (Ginger-Honey Broccoli Raab)]]>

While Skyping with Lindsay at some point this week, I mentioned that I purchased some broccoli raab. Her reaction was “but you hate broccoli raab!”, and she was right! I can’t remember a single encounter with it, in a restaurant or otherwise, that I have really enjoyed.

But, Lindsay’s not around and we have a blog on local food and the raab is the thing right now (the raab, the ramps, and asparagus). For ramps, eat them raw wrapped around a piece of cheese. As for asparagus, I’m good with asparagus and will post on it soon. But first comes the raab. I had to try.

Lindsay pointed me to this recipe in one of her cookbooks (3 Bowls : Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery), and the verdict is: winner! I don’t know whether it’s a better preparation than I’ve had before or whether my tastes have changed. I do eat a lot more vegetables now. In any case, you should try it because it is very good for you, and this is a good gateway recipe.

One thing about broccoli raab (or rabe, or rape) is that it only loosely related to broccoli. It’s also called Rapini. Usually when a food is named after another food it’s a total misnomer. It can be confusing. If you are at a farmer’s market and dealing with a new plant, just ask about it. They will be happy to tell you what it is, what it tastes like, how to prepare it, etc.

Ginger-Honey Broccoli Raab

Makes 2 servings as a main or 4 as a side

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Cut the ends off of the raab; remove the last inch of stem. Cut the rest into segments that are about 1.5 inches long, all the way up the stems as well as the leafy parts.

   

2. Add the TBsp of salt to a pot of water and put it on the stove on high to get the boiling started.
3. Mince the garlic. Grate the ginger (as we’ve said before, we use only frozen fresh ginger because it is so much easier to grate).

   

4. Heat the oil in a skillet or pan over medium heat for about one minute. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for about three minutes. Measure out the honey and lemon juice while you do this.

   

5. Stir in the honey and lemon juice and cook while stirring vigorously for about one minute. Turn off the heat.

   

6. Whenever the pot of water is at a boil, add the broccoli raab and let it boil for two minutes. Drain it through a colander and give it a few good shakes to dry it off. Toss it around with tongs or salad serving utensils while it’s in the colander in the sink. Put the raab and the ginger-honey glaze into a bowl and toss to coat. Simple!

I made this dinner solo yesterday, and it was the easiest meal I’ve ever made. It took less than 10 minutes to prep. Despite the fact that it looks like brown mush, it was very good. Today for lunch the leftovers reheated well in the microwave.

The one downside is that I had to cook dinner at 8:00am. It’s a slow cooker recipe. It takes some forethought and commitment, but the slow cooker . . . → Read More: How to Make Slow Cooker Honey Lentils]]>

I made this dinner solo yesterday, and it was the easiest meal I’ve ever made. It took less than 10 minutes to prep. Despite the fact that it looks like brown mush, it was very good. Today for lunch the leftovers reheated well in the microwave.

The one downside is that I had to cook dinner at 8:00am. It’s a slow cooker recipe. It takes some forethought and commitment, but the slow cooker makes cooking so easy.

Slow Cooker Honey Lentils

Ingredients

Directions

1. The night before put the beans in a bowl and fill it with water. Leave to soak overnight. Be sure to go through the dried beans beforehand to pick out any pebble beans or actual pebbles (see here). If you use canned beans, skip this step and reduce the water to 3 cups.
2. Using a mesh strainer, drain the beans and rinse them thoroughly. Put them in the slow cooker.
3. Using a mesh strainer, rinse the lentils. Add them to the slow cooker.
4. Dice the 1/2 red onion. Add to the slow cooker
5. Shred the carrot. Add to the slow cooker
6. Add everything else to the slow cooker, except for the bay leaf. Stir to mix.
7. Add the bay leaf to the top of the mixture. (Just place it on top.)
8. Put the cover on the slow cooker and set it for 6-8 hours on low or 3-5 hours on high. When it’s done you can leave it on warm for as long as you need to. I left it on warm for 2 hours before eating dinner.

10 minutes + 8 hours = a great meal!