Market to Table with Edible Schoolyard New Orleans

When I landed in the U.S. after a two week food excursion in France, the email at the top of my inbox grabbed my attention: “A little help needed for Market-to-Table tomorrow.” Jet lag couldn’t keep me away from this invitation and I answered with an enthusiastic yes.

Once a year, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans, a signature program of FirstLine Schools, loads up the 3rd grade students from Samuel J. Green Charter School onto buses and over to Crescent City Farmers’ Market. Hand in hand with their chef educators and New Orleans chefs who carve out time to assist with the annual event, the students skip through the market selecting good things from local farms. They will bring their haul back to the kitchen classroom and prepare lunch for their families. 

The vendors at this open air market welcome the inquisitive shoppers and offer them tastes of their bounty. A sampling of thin-sliced cucumbers and sweet peppers prompted a discussion about how fresh and delicious the produce at the market is. “My mom always buys vegetables here!” a proud student announced.

A rough menu had been sketched featuring the best seafood and produce of the season and the teams selected local catfish filets, okra and sweet potatoes, green beans and pomegranates, tomatoes and squash, and satsumas. My team was led by Reed Eldridge, executive chef at Three Muses on Frenchman Street, who drew the dessert card. Chef Reed explained to the kids how he likes to feature seasonal fruits in his desserts and they carried heavy sacks of tangy satsumas back to the bus and into the kitchen. “Let’s make satsuma bars,” he said. My mind drifted to the satsuma tree in my new backyard, heavy with tangerine-looking citrus and I knew what I would get into the moment I got home.

A recess break for the junior chefs allowed time for the kitchen crew to set up the stations for an all hands on deck cooking party. The quiet shifted to lively chatter when the kids jumped in with scrubbed hands, ready to work. 

Our group got busy blending cubes of butter into flour for the crust, cracking eggs, and zesting and juicing the satsumas for the filling. Chef Reed helped the small hands pat the dough into parchment-lined pans and while this buttery crust baked, they whisked the filling together. 

Quiet resumed as the students headed out to the dining room to greet their families at tables set for lunch where they break bread together and celebrate the meal they all helped prepare. For me, it was a gift to take part in this annual event. Third graders chatting with farmers and chefs, shopping and chopping, juicing and stirring, then enjoying the delicious fruits of their labor. Their smiles are forever etched in my mind. Now I'm off to my own kitchen to share smiles and satsuma bars with my neighbors.

Satsuma Bars

I am new to Louisiana, but no stranger to homegrown citrus. Pleasant surprise to have a flourishing satsuma tree in my backyard in Baton Rouge! I had to dive right in with a batch of satsuma bars in my kitchen. Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens ‘Blood Orange Bars’ -- if you don’t have a satsuma supply, try this with tangerines or the BHG version.

For the crust:

• 1 1/2cups unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cool unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small cubes, plus a little for the baking pan

For the filling:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon citrus zest (I chose orange-skinned satsumas and zested with a microplane)
• 1 cup fresh satsuma juice
• 3 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• powdered sugar for dusting

Heat the oven to 350. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, extending the paper up the sides of the pan and lightly butter the paper.

Make the crust: Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter cubes and work together with your hands until mixture is blended and crumbly. Transfer to the prepared baking pan and press evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes until light golden. Let cool on a rack a few minutes before filling.

Make the filling: Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk in the sugar, citrus zest and juice. Add the 3 tablespoons flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, whisking until the flour is blended in. Pour the filling into the crust and bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.

Let cool completely on a rack before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into squares. (Using the exposed edge of the parchment paper, slide the cooled bar onto a cutting board to make cutting easier. Chilling the bar before cutting also makes a neater cut. Cut into squares or rectangles as desired and serve. Keep remaining bars chilled in an airtight container).

Morning Cup

“To me, the smell of fresh-made coffee is one of the greatest inventions.”--HughJackman

Walk into a coffee house and get swept away by the aroma.  Fresh roasted, just ground, and brewed to order. Walk into the home of Rob St. Jean and witness a guy taking the cup-of-joe concept to a whole new level.  This is aromatherapy like no other.

St. Jean, a father of three, house-husband, business owner and swim coach guffaws at the cash Americans shell out daily fueling their coffee habit.  “Outrageous. “You can make awesome, awesome coffee at home for a small fraction of the cost” and have a rollicking good time in the process.  This man loves his craft.

With youthful enthusiasm, St. Jean explains how he transitioned from ‘cream and sugar coffee’ to his home roasted brew about ten years ago when his wife Dr. Rebecca St. Jean gave him a DIY coffee roasting kit for his birthday. 

The rest is history.

He roasts green coffee beans, ordered from Sweet Maria’s, an online source for all-things home coffee roasting.  Each bean variety is accompanied by specific roasting instructions and intriguing flavor descriptions--”Caramelized sugar sweetness, roasted almond, tangerine.  Honeyed mouthful, layered chocolate.  Mandarin acidity”--is emblazoned across a bag of green coffee beans from Guatemala. Coffee. Just coffee, yet so complex and full of flavor.

On the Sweet Maria’s site, the roasting equipment fills the spectrum from small and simple to huge and expensive.  St. Jean uses a mid-range iRoast machine which he fires up every few days.  Once the beans cool, he lets them rest a day or so before grinding, then brewing.

For grinding his perfect roast, he recommends a burr grinder, a machine that dispenses the coffee as it is ground.  Though if money or counter space is a factor, he won’t chide you for buzzing the beans in the popular whirly bird grinder. 

Once you have expertly roasted and ground your beans, proper brewing is key to a cup of coffee with character.  

St. Jean’s brewing system is the gorgeous stainless steel Technivorm Mocca Master, which heats the water to the perfect 200 degree temperature.  The steaming brew flows into a thermal carafe which keeps the coffee at the ideal temperature for well over an hour.  

“I would stay away from combo grind-brew models,” St. Jean warns.  “Most don’t get water hot enough and have so many technical functions that they often break.  With the conviction of a sponsored spokesperson, he says, “the Mocca Master will beat every machine out there.  It’s the gold standard, a no frills workhorse.  Totally analog, nothing that malfunctions like some of the high-tech machines.”

St. Jean will convert even the most timid coffee drinker to his smooth home roast, loaded with the exotic flavors that the coffee bean label promises, no cream necessary. The sugar on top is that you can savor the intoxicating aroma without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen.

Hungering to Share

With a shaky hand, I wrote my first blog post three years ago. We were celebrating a friend’s birthday with an impromptu dinner party. I supplied the idea and the venue, and the celebrant’s friends came from near and far, bearing most of the ingredients of a great time. We were less focused on the menu and more excited about the memories. At the time, I didn’t dream the dialog would endure. I am grateful for this platform.

My pen is shaky three years later as I struggle to feel festive in this time of extreme hardship across southern Louisiana, yet a gathering of friends, old and new, can be restorative for all. As some of our communities go without water or electricity, as precious time is spent digging out and wiping up from this nightmare, as we reach out to our own who have lost everything, those of us who escaped unscathed can offer the table for gathering. We hunger to share. Food is our foundation, it connects us, especially in crisis when we need it most. 

If the no-holds-barred barbecue is no longer part of your weekend plan, you can still fire up something delicious and feed the hungry masses. Dishes that can be easily multiplied to feed a crowd, meals that don’t require hours over a hot stove or grill, or that don’t rely on precise refrigeration are perfect in this situation. 

I turn to pantry staples for simplicity, comfort, and sustenance. A hearty pasta dish with beans for protein and loads of colorful vegetables, farm-fresh or from the pantry, makes a delicious centerpiece of a communal table. A double recipe will feed a dozen or more, and leftovers make a tasty baked pasta. I’ll add a salad if fresh greens are available, or delegate this to a friend whose garden is flourishing. For a sweet ending, I’ll get the kids to make cookies. One of our favorites are Three Cookies in One, and they say I Love You in every bite. In times like these, the classic Beatles tune is a great reminder. “Oh I get by with a little help from my friends.” I wish you all a safe holiday!

Whole Wheat Penne with Black Beans and Vegetables

Adapted from the forthcoming collaborative cookbook from the American Heart Association and the West Virginia Farmer’s Market Association West Virginia Foods and Flavors, this recipe can be cooked on a campstove. It doubles or triples easily to feed a crowd, and is flexible -- substitute vegetables you have on hand or use canned if that’s what's handy. Leftovers, tossed with grated mozzarella and baked in a casserole, become a delicious vegetarian ‘baked ziti.’

Makes 6 servings

• 12 ounces 100% whole grain penne rigate
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium ears corn, cut off cob
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans,  rinsed and drained well

Prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking just until ‘al dente.’ Drain well and return to the pasta pot. While the pasta is cooking, combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, corn, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil and cook until the bell peppers, onions, and corn are cooked, but still firm. Remove from the heat. Add the cooked penne and the black beans. Serve immediately.

Three Cookies in One

From Counter Intelligence The Best of April’s Kitchen, these cookies are 1-- peanut butter 2 -- oatmeal 3 -- chocolate chip and always a hit. Deliver a plate of cookies to a friend for an instant pick-me-up.

Makes about 4 dozen

• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), slightly softened
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup PB powder*
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or peanuts

Heat the oven to 350. Cream the butter and peanut butter together and mix in the sugars and salt.   Mix well and add the eggs, vanilla, PB powder, cinnamon and baking soda, mixing to incorporate. Add the oats, chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts and stir to blend.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes until golden (for a chewier cookie) or 12 minutes for crunchy cookies. Cool on the sheets for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool. Store in airtight containers.

Cooking Therapy

"Shake the hand that feeds you"-- Michael Pollan

The checklist looked something like this: find a school, sell the house, buy a house. Jump through a thousand hoops and off you go. We were racing through the necessary steps of a mid-life relocation, check, check, check. We said our long goodbyes to friends, departing from a state that we called home for 24 years, just as this wild and wonderful place was cleaning up from catastrophic flooding. We landed in a friendly new city in time for our youngest daughter Emma's first day of school.

Left to right: Saying goodbye to West Virginia at a flood relief benefit with my friend Danita Nellhaus and Charleston native Jennifer Garner. Emma's brand new school Lee Magnet High

Baton Rouge, Louisiana. You've seen this precious place making headlines of every sort. On the third day of school, Mother Nature drew back her protective wing and allowed the rain to fall for days without ever stopping. The news became a different shade of grim. 

Before the storm even cast its shadow on the radar, this new girl went in search of necessities, starting with local growers. I discovered Iverstine Family Farms in one of the local magazines and started following their progress on Facebook. They were scheduled to open their sparkling butcher shop by the time LSU hosts their first kickoff, but instead of an opening day update, the Facebook post read:

“Anyone in the Central area who is working to recover and rebuild, Iverstine Farms will be serving hot meals at 18721 Magnolia Bend. Breakfast and lunch...Don’t bother your mind with what you’re going to eat while you’re cleaning up. Come out, take a load off, and hug your neighbors...” 

Left to right: beneath the tarp, a cooler for Iverstine's butcher shop ready for transport. Emma Hamilton, 16, flipping pancakes in her Tiger tee. Galen Iverstine's friends make shelter during a brief period of sunshine.

The ‘Call Now’ button seemed to be in neon. I pressed it and was greeted by Galen Iverstine, the young farmer-entrepreneur on the line. “My daughter Emma and I would like to help,” I said, and he welcomed us out to make breakfast for the neighbors whose homes had been ripped apart by the flooding. Emma and I packed up the car with pancake supplies, including a jug of West Virginia maple syrup that made the move with us. We whisked, flipped, and served stacks of pancakes, witnessing sadness healed by Iverstine family hospitality. Galen crowned us honorary Tigers and in the midst of tragedy, this new town feels like home.

Nestled on a shady street that turned into a wrathful river, Galen's family's home was spared, perhaps a miracle. In between tending his hogs and herds, raising flocks and wrapping up the build-out of the new butcher shop, he and his friends rolled out their smokers and fed the community of Magnolia Bend. Banquet tables heaped with hearty plate lunches of farm-fresh chicken and salads, cold drinks and snacks to go. And every Saturday until his butcher shop opens, he is selling the bounty of his farm at Red Stick Farmer’s Market. Stop by and shake his hand.

Buttermilk Pancakes, Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

No need for a mix!  Homemade pancakes are so easy and the perfect comfort food—this is my most requested recipe and a fun one for kids to master at an early age.  When my daughter Emma was very small, she dragged a stool over to the stove and started pouring the batter on the griddle.  “OOPS!  Those are a little too close,” I warned.  She knew exactly what she was doing, making a Mickey Mouse shape.  I created a little song to help my girls remember the recipe:  “Flour, sugar, soda, salt.  Milk, egg, oil,” sung with a fun rhythm.  Next they have to recall how much of each.  One step at a time! I like to encourage kids to make an “X” and an “O” with syrup to help as a ‘serving size’

• ½  cup all purpose flour
• ½  cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Additional oil for greasing griddle
• Butter and maple syrup for serving

COMBINE the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the buttermilk, egg and oil to the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth.

RUB a little oil all over a griddle or large frying pan using a paper towel. Heat the griddle or large frying pan over medium heat.  Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter onto the heated griddle or frying pan for each pancake. Flip when the pancakes begin to bubble on the top and the bottom is golden brown.  Don’t rush the flipping or you’ll just end up with a big mess.  Cook the second side for about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

*Some buttermilk is very thick.  You may have to add a few tablespoons of regular milk if your batter is really thick. To make your own buttermilk combine 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk.

• To make blueberry pancakes, sprinkle a few blueberries on each pancake immediately after you have poured the batter on the griddle.  Continue as above.
• To make apple cinnamon pancakes, add 1 peeled, shredded apple and ½ teaspoon cinnamon to finished batter.  Cook as directed above.

Makes 12 4-inch pancakes

Happy Kitchen Chaos

“Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.”—

Craig Claiborne

A dozen years ago, I got a crazy idea: rent a church kitchen for a week and host a group of kids for a hands-on cooking camp. It was so much fun and the feedback proved it was a success, so it became an annual tradition. Sharp knives, hot stoves, fresh ingredients, happy kids. We always started with an earnest 101 of kitchen safety and each week concluded with a homemade banquet fit for kings and queens.

Watching kids master some essential life skills always fueled me to continue, despite the potential recipe for disaster. I call it happy kitchen chaos. These kids have enriched my life. This year, my summer schedule did not allow a week off to chop, sing, dance, and sizzle in the kitchen with the pint sized set, but when I learned that the YMCA was opening their action-packed summer camp to children who have been affected by the flood, my lightbulb illuminated.

For just one day, we converted the Oak Room at the Coonskin clubhouse into a makeshift kitchen. We split the group of 80 aproned campers into age-group sessions and they rotated between four stations for a Friday Fiesta. My kitchenette was the setting for hand-chopped fresh tomato salsa. I showed the kids how to safely chop grape tomatoes for salsa using a ‘pinch and saw’ technique. They chopped green onions and cilantro and stirred it all together with some fresh garlic and minced jalapeño pepper and a pinch of salt. The occasional outburst of “I don’t like tomatoes” turned into “this is soooooo gooooood!!”

A team of middle-school volunteers led the guacamole smash. Cora Clark, a cooking camper from my church kitchen days and ever excited in the kitchen invited her friends Jenna and Tatum to help with the project. At their station, they transformed a mountain of avocados and limes into tons of silky guacamole.

Adam Flack, a new dad with a passion for good health streamed Mariachi music at the griddle station, keeping the mood festive. He led the cheese grating and quesadilla making, where each child prepared a crispy, melty quesadilla which they devoured with their handmade salsa and guacamole. Of course we had a little sweet treat, too. My daughter Sara, born in the kitchen and a graduate of the first cooking camp circa 2005, rolled and dipped cookie dough with the crew for dozens of snickerdoodles.

Our tables were set with parchment placemats and cups of fruit-enhanced water and the happy chefs dined together, enjoying this feast they helped create. Hands-on fun and full bellies. Then the buses arrived to shuttle them to their next activity, bringing the next group to repeat the fiesta fun.

Recipe for a pint-sized fiesta — we didn’t actually refer to any recipes, but using my brilliant husband’s advice for all things (“don’t get hurt, have fun!”) we chopped and stirred, squeezed and smashed, brushed and grated and griddled our way to a delightful feast!

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Some like it hot…some do not. The best part about homemade salsa is tweaking the heat and seasonings to your preference. Grape tomatoes are easy for kids to cut in half and in half again for a chunky salsa fresca.

• grape tomatoes, rinsed
• green onions, roots trimmed and discarded
• cilantro leaves
• garlic, peeled and crushed or minced
• jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped (an adult job)
• salt to taste

For kids: pinch the grape tomato by the sides with thumb and forefinger and saw it in half using a  sharp paring knife or serrated knife. Turn them flat (cut) sides down and pinch and saw in half again. Place the tomato pieces into a bowl.

Slice the green onions into thin rings and add them to the tomato. Chop the cilantro and add to the bowl, along with some garlic, a little jalapeño, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine and serve with chips or quesadillas or as a taco topping.

Guacamole

The word that ends in ole’! No fiesta is fit without a big bowl of guacamole for dipping andtopping

• ripe avocado
• lime
• salt

Cut the avocado in half, putting the tip of the knife in by the stem and cutting in to the pit. Turn the avocado and knife in opposite directions until the knife is back at the stem top. Twist the halves to pop the avocado open. Tap the pit with the knife blade and gently twist the knife to remove the pit. Using a spoon, scoop out the soft green flesh and let it fall into a bowl. Squeeze in some lime, sprinkle in some salt, and mash it all together with a fork or a pastry cutter. Serve immediately.

Quesadillas

A canvas for any fillings your heart desires. We went with straight cheese, grating white cheddar which was sprinkled onto whole wheat tortillas

• whole wheat tortilla
• 1 ounce white cheddar cheese, grated with the large holes of a box grater
• olive oil for brushing

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Place the tortilla on a work surface and brush one side with a drizzle of olive oil. Turn the tortilla over and sprinkle the cheese evenly on the un-oiled side and fold in half. Place the cheese-filled half-circle onto the hot griddle and cook for a minute or two on each side until golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut into triangles and serve.

Snickerdoodles

Chewy sugar cookies with a cinnamon topping. Recipe adapted from averiecooks.com

Makes about 3 dozen

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

for rolling:

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl (preferably in the bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer). When fluffy, beat in the egg and vanilla until egg is blended into the butter mixture.

Add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix on low to combine. Cover and chill the dough for at least one hour and up to overnight.

Heat the oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Combine the 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl for rolling the dough. Roll walnut sized bits of dough into balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes until cookies are light golden and slightly wrinkled but still puffy in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheets for a few minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

92 days til chez Julia -- fireworks and feeding people

The weather has not been kind to West Virginia but the outpouring of support has been palpable.  Here at the Bible Center Church in Charleston, a Union Mission tractor-trailer collects food to distribute to families in need. 

America's Got Talent winner Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., a West Virginia native, is donating to flood victims and recovery efforts. Download his song  Come Home to West Virginia to show your support! He entertained a full house under the canopy at Haddad Riverfront Park with a Fourth of July concert and fireworks celebration.

Country music star Brad Paisley, a talented West Virginian himself, launched a million dollar GoFundMe campaign after touring some of the sites devastated by the late June flooding. While singing the state's anthem Take Me Home, Country Roads he describes the heartbreak our beloved state has endured and appreciates the outreach from far and wide.  

Kindness continues with our local YMCA offering free summer camp to all children who have been affected by the flood. Transportation is provided and kids can swim, swing a racket, hike, and even learn some cooking! The generosity of so many will help heal these wounds.

Thank you!

Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze.

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.
West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads.

All my memories gather round her, miner's lady, stranger to blue water.
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky, misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye.

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.
West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads.

I hear her voice in the morning hour, she calls me, the radio reminds me of my home far away.
And driving down the road I get a feeling that I should have been home yesterday, yesterday.

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.
West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads.

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.
West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads

Take me home now, country roads,
Take me home now, country roads.

93 days til chez Julia -- helping hands and hope

"It's something else, that's for sure." -- Kroger manager, Charleston, West Virginia

A visit to my neighborhood grocery store always brings a smile. Yesterday's outing was no different, but the smile was prompted by this outpouring of love. I watched as the bins filled to overflowing, so many truckloads of 'relief.' We grieve with our community while happiness intercedes with this show of support. 

94 days til chez Julia -- after the storm

When the world around you washes away in an instant, ecstasy is replaced with despair. West Virginia, this beloved state with twin nicknames “Almost Heaven” and “Wild and Wonderful” had an unwelcome visitor last Thursday. A summer storm parked over these mountains and rivers and the rains did not stop. Twenty-three lives were lost. Thousands of homes were destroyed, leaving their occupants with nothing. Small towns were ripped apart by angry waves of filthy water. My family was inconvenienced only by some travel delays. Many weren’t so lucky.

As I have done each of the last seven summers, on Sunday, I packed my daughter and two weeks worth of camp gear into the car and headed for Camp Twin Creeks. A three hour drive from Charleston, this slice of paradise is less than an hour from the world-renowned resort, The Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs. In the past, when we cruise through this resort town, it’s all hands on deck in preparation for the annual Greenbrier Classic, a PGA golf tournament that draws crowds of celebrities and thousands of spectators from all corners of the world. This time, the sparkle had been stolen and they were in the thick of their third day of digging out. Instead of preparing for a star-studded golf event (which has been cancelled), the resort is opening its doors to victims of this disaster. Heart wrenching becomes heart warming.

Over the next few days, I will chronicle some of the images of this disaster and recovery. Watching all around as West Virginians band together to clean up and rebuild, a quote from John F. Kennedy reminds us all what this state is really about. “The sun does not always shine in West Virginia, but the people always do.” 

I am a proud contributor to my local newspaper, The Charleston Gazette-Mail, that circulates statewide. Their coverage of the storm and the aftermath is remarkable and the flood stories are archived here. 

95 Days to chez Julia--Welcome Home Cinnamon Rolls

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James A. Michener

Anticipation. This waiting for a traveler to return. Sara wrapped up college in what seemed like a blink, and before the ink was dry on her diploma, she jetted off to Russia, then Israel with college pals. She is almost home. The proper welcome is the family favorite Cinnamon Rolls, warm from the oven. The dough is rising as I write, the airplane will arrive in the morning. There will be a never let go hug, then we will race home to savor our treats. We may never leave the kitchen, sharing untold stories from our time apart.

Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:

• 4 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons ‘instant’ yeast (Rapid Rise)
• 3/4 cup butter at cool room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk at room temperature

Whisk together the flour and yeast in a medium bowl. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl, preferably using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the eggs and milk, then add the flour/yeast mixture. Mix together on low speed until well blended. (Draping a kitchen towel over the whole mixer will help prevent the flour from flying out).

Scrape the bowl down to the bottom to ensure everything is well incorporated. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and allow it to rise until doubled, about one and a half hours. Fold the risen dough with a large spoon or scraper. Transfer to a one gallon size zip-top bag and chill at least 6 hours or up to 3 days.

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup ground pecans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs

Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Remove from heat. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, pecans and breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Set aside and let cool while you roll the dough.

Roll the dough out on a large well-floured cloth into a 9” x 20” rectangle (about 1/4-inch thick). Spread filling out evenly over dough, leaving a half-inch border on the far long side. Wet your fingertips with a little water and lightly dab a bit of water along the half-inch border.

Starting with the long edge next to you, roll up the dough into a long log shape, gently pressing the wet edge to the log to seal. Slice the log into 1-inch pinwheels. Place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each roll.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about one and a half hours. OR refrigerate overnight: Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and chill overnight. Then let rise at room temperature and bake as directed

Preheat the oven to 350. Uncover the rolls and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown (edges may brown more quickly than center--be sure rolls in center of the pan are at least golden). Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes before glazing. Serve warm.

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add additional milk if a thinner glaze is desired. Drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls.

makes 20

96 days until chez Julia -- Ratatouille

“Humans don’t just survive; they discover; they create...I mean, just look at what they do with food!”--Remy (the adorable rat from Ratatouille)

Just as the strawberry moon peeked up from the horizon, I was leaving the gym, pleasantly surprised to find a pop up market in the parking lot. Baskets of early season tomatoes and squash, tiny eggplant and peppers, and beautiful heads of leaf lettuces covered three tables beneath a canopy. My eureka sense took over. Ratatouille! Growing up in the kitchen, I watched my mom and sister labor over this classic French vegetable stew and I would have no part of it. I deprived myself of the delicacy until my second baby was born twenty years ago. My sweet neighbor Claudia delivered dinner for our family -- I can still hear her saying, “It’s nothing fancy, just a roast chicken and potatoes, and some ratatouille.” My grown up palate devoured the silky vegetables and I was forever converted. 

Flash ahead to 2007 and this dish stole the hearts of all with the animated film Ratatouille. starring an adorable rat residing in a famous restaurant in Paris. The plot is much thicker than even a pot of succulent vegetable stew and has a fitting denoument. Children across America fell in love with the darling rat, Remy and this ornate collection of summer vegetables. Julia’s version is a pot brimming with fall-apart tender vegetables. The animated dish deconstructs it into art. I created my own version with my haul from the pop up market. Happy Cooking!

Ratatouille 

classically made on the stove top, here I arrange the sliced vegetables in a ceramic pie pan and roast it in the oven. Simple and delicious!

• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, divided
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 slender zucchini, ends trimmed and very thinly sliced
• 1 slender yellow squash, ends trimmed and very thinly sliced
• 1 slender eggplant, ends trimmed and very thinly sliced
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored and quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 375. Toss the tomato and garlic together in a glass or ceramic pie pan and add 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread across the bottom of the pan. Combine the sliced zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant in a medium bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the remaining 2 teaspoons fresh thyme. Toss to lightly coat the vegetables, then sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Arrange the vegetable circles on top of the tomatoes in the dish, alternating to make a pretty pattern, if desired. Sprinkle with the sliced bell pepper and drizzle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a final sprinkle of salt. Roast in the oven until vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown on the edges, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 6 servings