Chive Flan with Carrot Emulsion by Martha

I won't tell you how many times I tested the flan recipe (okay .... three times). First time I covered the muffin tin in the water bath, but didn't cover it tightly enough, so water condensed on the foil and dripped back into the flan, leaving me with a mixture that wouldn't congeal. Off to Harris Teeter for more chives. Great, none in the store. I had some left from the first try, so I thought I'd just supplement them with some wild chives from the garden. Winter herbs have no taste ... so the mixture was b.l.a.n.d. Off to Giant at 6 AM and eurica chives! Third time is a charm. (I baked it this time with no cover.) This flan is a nice counterpoint to serve with spicy food.

Chive Flan

1/2 cup finely chopped chives plus more for garnish
2 cups half-and-half
3 whole large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks


Equipment: flexible silicone small-size muffin pan. I buttered the pan for safety sake.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Simmer (do not boil) chives and half-and-half in a small heavy saucepan 5 minutes, then let stand, covered, 15 minutes.

Whisk together egg and yolk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. I used a 4-cup measuring cup, which made pouring the hot liquid into the molds fairly easy. Whisk in chive mixture until blended. Put mold on a rack in a roasting pan and fill each cup about 3/4 full.

Bake in a water bath until flan is just set, 15 - 20 minutes. Carefully remove mold from water bath. Cool flans at room temperature, then chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

To serve: Run a thin knife around flans to loosen. Invert mold onto a baking sheet and, pressing gently, pop out flans (or lift out of muffin pans with a small offset spatula). Either decorate the plate with the following carrot emulsion or serve it on the side. I did both.

Carrot Emulsion

1-1/3 cup fresh carrot juice
1/4 tsp. ground cardamon
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. honey
Salt to taste
4 Tbsp. butter cut into small pieces

Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced by 1/3. Whisk in butter to finish the sauce.

Here's a hint when reducing liquid that I picked up from one of Alton Brown's shows. When you pour all of the ingredients into the saucepan, stand a toothpick up in the center. Remove the toothpick and mark the "high-water line" with a marker. As the liquid reduces, do the same with another toothpick and by comparing the "high-water lines" you'll be able to easily judge how much of the liquid has condensed.

Traditional Spanish Tortilla with Red Peppers by Monica

We always enjoy Monica's native Spanish recipes. Here's the dish she served as an entree.

Monica’s Stupendous Spanish Tortilla!

Ingredients:
5 medium-size potatoes (Yukon Gold work best but can use other types as well), peeled, quartered and sliced about ¼” thin;
1 small onion, peeled, quartered and cut about ½” thick;
1/2 to 3/4 cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil (there should be enough to cover the potatoes and onion once in the pot;)
5-6 x-large eggs;
Salt to taste (about a 3/4 tsp. salt)

Utensils:
1 3 quart size pot and lid
1 10” non-stick frying pan
1 slotted spoon, spider, or similar utensil (this utensil will be used for crushing the potatoes while cooking and for draining the potatoes from the oil once cooked;)
1 rubber spatula
1 fork or whisk
1 10” non-stick pan
1 Sieve and bowl for draining oil;
1 bowl for mixing the eggs, potatoes and onion.

Preparation:
Add the oil to the pot and heat at medium heat; add the potatoes and then the onions. With a metal (or wooden) slotted spoon, lightly crush the potatoes already submerged in the hot oil and then cover the potatoes and onions with a lid. Let cook for about 4 minutes and then check the potatoes and onions. They should be soft and cooked through. Once they are cooked, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon or spider and drain well in a sieve over a bowl. Save the excess oil in the bowl for later use in frying the tortilla.

In a mixing bowl mix well the eggs, and then add the cooked potatoes and onion mixture and salt. Heat about 2 tsps. olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, medium heat, and add the eggs and potato mixture. Let set for about 30 seconds and then stir slightly with a rubber spatula so the eggs set. Let cook for another minute and turn down the heat to medium low; cook for another minute. Then place a plate, bigger in circumference than the pan, over the pan and turn over the plate and pan together. Remove the pan, releasing the tortilla on to the plate. Add another 2 tsps. olive oil and slide the tortilla off of the plate and into the pan. Cook the uncooked side for about 2-3 minutes, or until the eggs set. Repeat the procedure a couple of times at very low heat just to ensure the eggs are cooked through in the middle. Remove from the heat, and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Holds well for a couple of days, refrigerated. The tortilla can be served warm or cold.

There are a variety of ingredients one can add to this recipe. The “farmer’s” version has the potatoes and onion, and then fava beans, peas, carrots and green beans. One can also add sauted mushrooms, chopped chorizo or Spanish Serrano Ham.

The tortilla can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish accompanied by a mixed salad and Baguette.

Piquillo Peppers Salad
Ingredients:
1 can Piquillo Peppers, drained (reserve the brine they are packed in) and sliced bite-size;
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped;
2 T. Spanish Sherry vinegar;
2 T. Spanish extra virgin olive oil;
½ tsp. salt.

Preparation:
Arrange the sliced peppers in a serving bowl or platter; sprinkle with the salt, chopped garlic, sherry vinegar, the reserved peppers brine and olive oil. Let the salad rest at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve over Spanish Tortilla or Baguette bread slices. This salad keeps well for several days in the refrigerator and tastes fantastic with time as the flavors meld together.

Clams with Chorizo

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh clams in the shell, cleaned (make sure not to use frozen clams as they change the taste and texture of this dish;)
1/3 c. Spanish Chorizo, chopped (on sale at Tienda.com, Wegman’s supermarkets, Dean & Deluca and some Hispanic markets—please make sure to use only Spanish Chorizo as the other varieties are not suitable for this recipe;)
1 large garlic clove, chopped;
1 medium size onion, peeled and chopped fine;
1 small Roma tomato chopped;
3 Bay leaves, whole;
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and chopped in bite-size cubes
1 c. white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viogner, Spanish preferably;)
½ c. water;
3 T. Spanish extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation:
Sauté the chopped onion, chopped tomato, chopped garlic, bay leaves, potato and chorizo until the onion is translucent and the potato and chorizo have started cooking (about 5 minutes,) in medium to medium-high heat. Add the clams and sauté another 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook for an additional 3 minutes and add the water. Turn down the heat to medium-low and let cook until the potatoes are tender and the clams are cooked. Serve hot with chunks of a hearty bread or Baguette.

Borscht with Porcini Mushrooms by Ingrid

We loved that Ingrid added porcini mushrooms to a traditional borscht. She served it with a wonderful horseradish sauce.

Ingrid's Comments about Preparation

Thank you for the kind words, Martha, but the credit for the borscht recipe, including the addition of the porcini mushrooms, goes entirely to the extraordinary vegetarian chef Deborah Madison. She has received numberous awards and is the author of several cookbooks, including "Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets". The recipe is on page 200. I followed it quite closely. And, although she indicates that you have the option of not making a stock with the porcinis, I think that would be a mistake. The porcini stock adds, I believe, a bit of depth to the stock. The recipe does take some time, but based on everyone's enjoyment, was certainly worth it.

Coeur de la Cream by Susan

Susan brought along a special Valentine's treat at Monica's on Thursday. Actually she brought two treats. She made two versions of coeur de la cream. One with made with cream cheese and one with marscapone. Please note how we served this with an empty glass of wine!

Black Bean Salsa and Chili Cheddar Wafers by Janet

Here are the appetizers that Janet brought along for dinner at Monica's. The cheddar cheese wafers are an especially nice treat with red wine!

Black Bean Salsa

1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 C. corn kernels
1/2 C. chopped red bell pepper
1/2 C. chopped cilantro or parsley
8 green onions, sliced
3 Tbs. lime juice
2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt.

Mix all ingredients together. I added a little more vinegar, cumin and also added a little sugar. You could add chopped jalapenos if you prefer.

Chili Cheddar Wafers

1 stick butter
1 C. flour
1 C. finely shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 C. yellow cornmeal

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Cut butter in several pieces and place in food processor along with the flour, cheese and chili powder. Pulse several times to combine, then process about 1 minute until the dough comes together.

Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll them in cornmeal until they are well coated. Place on ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart, then flatten with the bottom of a glass.

Bake about 8 minutes, until the bottom and edges are golden brown. Makes 20-24