Pancit canton shrimp salad and potlucks

Sauteed green beans with shiitake mushrooms
and bacon. Two large loaves of artisan-style bread
are in the background.

This is one of those dishes that wasn't prepared with a recipe. Many of my dishes have their origin in the minute. I throw the dish together using ingredients in the fridge and cupboard. These dishes are those that I have prepared many times during my career. You could say that the recipe is embedded in my head.

For the second time in a week Debbie and I offered bread and a vegetable dish for a potluck. The first took place last week at a Thanksgiving gathering of a local church family. I prepared two loaves of no-knead bread and sauteed green beans with shiitake mushrooms and bacon. Three scraps of bread and a couple mushroom pieces were all that remained. One person asked me for the bread recipe after the meal.

Saturday we took pancit canton shrimp salad to a memorial service at the same church. For the second time, I offered a dish that was put together on the spur of the moment. The impromptu salad for the potluck, which followed the service, was inspired by my years of sevice in and of of the Philippines. I combined romaine lettuce, canton noodles, carrot sticks and baby shrimp. The salad was tossed with an Asian inspired vinaigrette. It fit in with the salad and sandwich theme for the potluck.

Pancit canton shrimp salad.

To prepare the salad, cooked 4 ounces canton noodles (called pancit canton or canton sticks) in chicken broth until al dente. (Follow the instructions on the package.) After draining and cooling, I cut one head of romaine lettuce and ran a large carrot through the mandoline using the smallest julienne setting. Eight ounces of cooked baby shrimp were thawed as well. Any number of vegetables could've been prepared at this point, including sliced radish or diakon, halved grape tomatoes and chopped cilantro.

The vinaigrette was prepared without measuring. Three cloves of finely minced garlic, tablespoon or two of cane vinegar, teaspoon or two of toyomansi (Filipino soy sauce with calamani), small spoonful of Dijon mustard, few drops of sesame oil and coarsely ground black pepper were whisked together in a bowl. I then streamed in canola oil while vigorously whisking to form a vinaigrette. While I can't tell you the ratio of vinegar to oil that I used, it was somewhere between 1:2 and 1:3. I enjoyed the garlicky sauce with its peppery bite.

To assemble the salad, I first tossed the shrimp in a couple tablespoons of the vinaigrette.While the shrimp marinated for a couple minutes, the lettuce, carrot and noodles were tossed together in a large bowl. The salad was tossed with the remaining vinaigrette, followed by shrimp. Serve cold.

Notes: Purchase Filipino products in any well-stocked Asianmarket. While Filipino soy sauce (toyo) adds a distinct flavor, any soy sauce can be used. Toyo has a mildly subtle flavor to it. Filipino cane vinegar is prepared from the juice of cane sugar (sukano ilocano). Calamansi is Filipino lime. Lemon or lime can be substituted for the calamansi in the Filipino soy sauce. I have yet to locate calamansi (fresh or bottled) in Northern California.

German red cabbage for a (large) crowd

I realize not many readers of 'Round the Chuckbox have need for six-plus gallon batch of German red cabbage. Faced with a 50-pound of cabbage last September on my mission to Middletown, California, with Mercy Chefs, the natural thing to do was to prepare a large batch of German red cabbage. The cabbage was served with barbecues beef strips, roasted red potatoes, tossed green salad with vinaigrette and peach cobbler.

Two volunteers cut the core out of 24 large heads of red cabbage. They then shredded it by hand after discarding the outer leaves.

I prepared this dish in the 15-gallon tilt skillet on the Mercy Chefs' 32-foot mobile kitchen trailer, known as Mercy One. The red cabbage can also be prepared in one or more large stockpots or in a steam jacketed kettle. See my recipe for a family-sized batch.

GERMAN RED CABBAGE FOR A (LARGE) CROWD

This is a vegetarian recipe. Add 4 or 5 pounds of diced cooked bacon to the cabbage if desired.

50 pounds (1 case) red cabbage, cored, outer leaves discarded and shredded
2 cups vegetable oil
3 pounds yellow onions, diced small
1/4-cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 quarts apple juice
2 quarts red wine vinegar
2 pounds brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cloves

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions. Cover; sweat for about 10 minutes, being careful not to brown. Add shredded cabbage. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat with oil and onions.

Add juice, vinegar and cloves. Stir to combine. Cover; simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, or until cabbage is tender. Check seasoning. Adjust flavor with additional vinegar and salt, if needed. Makes 200 (1/2-cup) servings.

German red cabbage video

While Chef Brett Hoffman's recipe for German red cabbage looks interesting, I'm partial to my family version. Red cabbage is know as blaukraut, or blue cabbage, in parts of Germany, the birth country of my great grandmother Ella.

I limit my seasonings to whole cloves, salt and pepper. The chef adds bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. The key to Karoly red cabbage has to be the bacon, along with quality apple cider vinegar. I rely on the apples and apple juice to impart a bit of sweetness into the cabbage.



Chef Hoffmann's Red cabbage

1 or 2 heads of purple cabbage, quartered and chopped
1 large yellow onion chopped
2-3 Washington apples thinly sliced (applesauce is used in the video)
2 mandarin or navel oranges peeled
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
3/4 cup bacon fat
1-2 cups white wine vinegar
1 cup water
Sugar
1/4 cup red wine

Combine all ingredients except cabbage in a pot and cook down. Add ¾ cup bacon fat and cabbage to the pot with 1- 2 cups white wine vinegar and 1 cup water. Cook cabbage until tender but firm and then add sugar to taste and ¼ cup red wine.

Recipe credit: ABC15 Arizona

Chef Hoffmann's restaurant, Haus Murphy's (Glendale, Ariz.) website

How to dice an onion

In my culinary career I have used two or three onion dicing techniques. The method I used for the first 20 years of my career differed from the conventional technique. Yet it worked most of the time. I now use a method similar to the one demonstrated by Sporting Chef Scott Laysath.


YouTube description: "Published on Aug 28, 2014. Scott Leysath demonstrates the fast and easy way to dice an onion."

20-inch Lodge skillet at Upper Blue Lake

Debbie and I returned from our annual camping trip to Upper Blue Lake with my sister and husband. This year one of our daughters and granddaughters joined us, along with one of the wranglers from Oakland Camp. We enjoyed six days of sun, wind and cool mountain air.

This is the first article from the trip. As I coordinated the menu with my sister, my thought was to prepare several meals in my "new" 20-inch Lodge skillet (model 20SK). I found the skillet at an Eagle Point, Oregon, antique shop last April. Newly re-seasoned, I used the large skillet to cook four meals for the family. I wanted to cook as many meals as possible to hasten the build-up of patina.

Enjoy these photos.

The Lodge model 20SK skillet awaits dinner Thursday evening. I use the large World War II Navy surplus coffee boiler to heat water for washing dishes. The boiler was manufactured by Vollrath.

Spicy Japanese buckwheat noodles (called soba noodles) was on the menu Thursday evening. The sauce was made from sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce. Two (9.5-ounce) packages soba noodles and two pounds shrimp were used.

I fried 1-1/2 pounds thick sliced bacon for breakfast Friday morning. The small pot holds syrup for hotcakes.

Oat blueberry hotcakes were cooked in the skillet. The batter ran until it set in the less than level skillet 

To make the hotcake batter, I doubled my families traditional hotcake recipe, then replaced 1 cup of the flour with a cup of old fashion oats. I dropped a 6-ounce package fresh blueberries to the batter at the last minute.

Friday evening I prepared succotash with kale to accompany grilled chicken. After sauteing onion, roasted red pepper and garlic, I added a bunch of kale.

After adding two (1-pound) packages frozen whole kernel corn to the vegetables, I scooped the dish into the waiting pot. Garlic bread is warming in the foil packages to the left. My brother-in-law grilled chicken for the entree.

We used Saturday's leftover tri-tip to make fajitas for lunch Sunday. I'm seasoning the meat and vegetables with scratch-made taco seasoning.

Cabbage and potatoes with bacon

Debbie and I returned home after four months away. This included a quick trip to Oregon, where I located a rare Lodge 20-inch skillet. After visiting Debbie's sister and husband on the Oregon coast, we made our way to Quincy, California, where I was the chef for Oakland Feather River Camp for the next three and one-half months.

I hauled two 12-inch Dutch ovens to the camp, along with three large skillets. Twice during the pre-camp session I showed the cooks how to cook in cast iron Dutch ovens. Once camp ramped up in early June, long days and large numbers of hungry campers eliminated the opportunity for any Dutch oven cooking.

Serving  from 100 to over 300 campers three times each day is rewarding in itself. But I missed the chance to cook in cast iron. While we occasionally used the skillets in the kitchen, the Dutch ovens lacked the capacity to feed the crowds. I knew I'd have to wait until we came home to get back to cast iron cooking.

Layered cabbage and potatoes with bacon made a great welcome home dish. As a one-pot meal, it was relatively easy to prepare. And it has a great flavor. The marriage of two of my favorite vegetables makes for a succulent meal.

Enjoy ...

LAYERED CABBAGE AND POTATOES WITH BACON

Sufficient liquid should be released from the cabbage to keep the dish moist. If the cabbage and potatoes are dry during baking, add 2 to 4 tablespoons water or chicken stock to the dish. When served, you should see a light coating of delicious liquor on the bottom surface of the Dutch oven.

Feel free to substitute your favorite sausage (sliced) for the bacon. Or to add a second layer of bacon, boost it to 12 or 16 ounces and spread half over each layer of cabbage.

8 ounces bacon, diced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1-1/2 pounds green cabbage, shredded
3 pounds red or gold potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a 12-inch Dutch oven over medium high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to plate. Pour off most of the rendered fat, leaving about 3 tablespoons.

Add onion and cabbage. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, until it’s just beginning to brown and the volume of cabbage is reduced by one-third. If necessary, add an additional tablespoon or two bacon fat to keep cabbage moist. Remove to separate plate or bowl.

Layer potatoes, cabbage mixture and bacon, lightly seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Place 1/3 potatoes on bottom of Dutch oven. Spread 1/2 cabbage mixture over potatoes, then spread all of the bacon over the cabbage. Place another third of the potatoes over the cabbage and bacon layer. Layer of remaining cabbage over potatoes. Place remaining potatoes over the cabbage.

Place lid on Dutch oven. Add coals for 375 to 400 degrees, approximately 8 under the oven and 20 on the lid. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and they are beginning to brown.

As an entrée, cabbage and potatoes serves 6 hearty eaters. It serves up to 12 as a side dish.

Meals during pre-camp

During the first week of the season at Oakland Feather River Camp, staff are on their own for meals. The half-dozen employees that commute from nearby Quincy bring lunch. Debbie and I fend for ourselves. Other than the camp manager, who lives on the property with his wife, we're the only ones living at camp.

The dietary kitchen -- so-called because campers prepare special diets in it -- serves as our home kitchen for the first week. Late next week the cooks begin cooking breakfast and dinner for the dozen pre-camp employees. The sous chef and pre-cooks arrive on Thursday to clean the kitchen and begin preparing meals on Friday.

Sometimes breakfast for dinner is the best meal. Friday evening I cooked bacon (not pictured), cottage potatoes and fried eggs in the Lodge #12 skillet. Sorry, there were no leftovers!

I brought two 12-inch Dutch ovens for use during pre-camp and a couple cook's evening cookouts. Three large Lodge skillets (including the 20-inch skillet I found in Eagle Point, Oregon, in April) were also packed for use in the main kitchen. Pre-camp gives me the opportunity to do a lot of Dutch oven cooking. Once camp opens in mid-June, I'm too busy to cook in Dutch ovens.

Thursday evening, our first full day at camp, Debbie and I visited Moon's, our favorite restaurant in Quincy. Mike and Lisa Kelly are wonderful hosts, and they serve great food. Hickory smoked ribs with rosemary-garlic mashed potatoes and freshly baked garlic bread is my most ordered meal. Debbie enjoys the twice-baked potato. She always returns to camp with leftovers to use for lunch or dinner.

Saturday's dinner was bratwurst with layered cabbage and red potatoes in a Lodge 12-inch camp oven. A layer of sliced red potatoes went on the bottom. Sliced onions came next, then shredded green cabbage. The dish was baked with charcoal briquettes for 350 to 400 degrees for around 45 minutes. Don't forget to season each layer. Adjust quantities of sausages, potatoes and cabbage as needed to feed your group.

Friday and Saturday evenings we cooked dinner in cast iron. You can see the results in the two photographs. I'm planning a busman's holiday cookout for cooks this Friday. After two busy days cleaning and organizing the kitchen, it'll give the cooks time to bond as the culinary team at Oakland Camp. And off their skill. Everyone, along with maintenance and housekeeping staff if they choose to join in, will have fun.

Chicken succotash skillet with kale

Last time I prepared succotash for the pages of 'Round the Chuckbox, it featured Southwestern flavors. Mild poblano chili peppers, pinto and lima beans, tomatillos and whole kernel corn combined in the skillet for an interesting flavor profile. Succotash is a great way to add interest to vegetables at the dinner table.

Though often viewed as a mixture of corn and lima beans, succotash takes its name from Narragansett Indian name for boiled or broken kernels of corn. It has its roots in the Native American cuisine. You could say that any mixture of vegetables is succotash.

I enjoy cooking succotash because of it's versatility. Unless you're looking authenticity, let your culinary creativity be your guide. I often begin with whole kernel corn as my foundation. From there, I add meat or vegetables to create the flavor that I'm looking for. It's also a great way to use leftover meat or vegetables.

I prepared this version last night in my outdoor kitchen. It includes flavors that I enjoy. I've included a series of photos to show you how I prepared the succotash. Remember that you can use any combinations of vegetables you desire. Enjoy ...

This Wagner's 1891 Original reproduction 11-3/4-inch skillet is used for most of stovetop cooking at home. My wife and I purchased it over 30 years ago at a Davis, California, hardware as newlyweds. A vintage Griswold skillet with domed lid is one of my key cast iron pieces in the camping outfit.

You can use any cooked chicken or turkey for the succotash. I sautéed a large chicken breast (about 16 ounces), butterflied, in the skillet over medium-high heat. After a brief rest, the chicken was cubed and set aside.

From this point, each step builds on the last. Crisp 4 ounces bacon over medium-high heat. Push the bacon to one side and spoon out the excess grease. You need about 2 tablespoons of fat for the dish.

Next, 1 onion, diced, and 1 red bell pepper, diced, are tossed into the skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and continue cooking for an additional two or three minutes.

Roughly chop 1 bunch of kale. Heap in the skillet. Gently stir into the bacon, onion and pepper mixture, taking care not to spill the kale.

The kale will cook down within 3 to 5 minutes. At this point, watch the heat under the skillet so you don't burn the kale.

Pour 16 ounces of frozen whole kernel corn over the kale mixture. Stir into the onion, pepper and kale mixture, and continue cooking until the corn is hot.

Add the diced chicken to the succotash and stir. Bring the dish to serving temperature and season with salt and pepper to taste.

The finished dish -- chicken succotash skillet with kale. It serves 6 to 8.

Dutch oven roasted Brussels sprouts with apple cider

Last week I reduced a half-gallon jug of Barsotti unfiltered apple cider down to little less than two cups. A cup of the cider reduction was used to prepare apple cider mahogany sauce. With a bit over one-half cup remaining in the refrigerator, I though it would nicely enhance the Brussels sprouts that I'd recently purchased.

DUTCH OVEN ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH APPLE CIDER

1-1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed
4-6 lemon slices
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
6 tablespoons apple cider reduction
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Pre-heat a 10-inch Dutch oven with charcoal briquettes for 450-degrees (6 charcoal briquettes under and 21 on lid). In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts, lemon slices, bay leaves, mustard seeds, caraway seeds, salt and pepper with olive oil until coated. Pour Brussels sprouts into the Dutch oven. Roast about 30 minutes or until Brussels sprouts begin to brown. Do not burn.

Combine stock, cider reduction and mustard. Set aside. Remove coals from lid and arrange into a neat pattern under oven, being careful not to dump ash on Brussels sprouts. (You can place Dutch oven over camp burner if desired.) Pour braising liquid over Brussels sprouts. Cook over medium-high heat until braising liquid reduces and sprouts are tender. Serves 4 to 6 portions.

Ideally, most of the braising liquid should evaporate, leaving wonderfully tender Brussels sprouts. You need a lot of heat to accomplish this so don't fret if some of the liquid remains. It's good stuff!

Fruit on the barbie

Tyrone posted a fruit carving how-to at Tyronebecookin last week. Here's a carved watermelon from Oakland Feather River Camp:

We had a guest chef in camp three weeks ago. She carved several watermelons as the centerpiece for arriving campers. Of all her carvings, the Webber kettle grill is my favorite.

Simple camp meal prepared cast iron skillet and grill

Tonight's dinner began as a way to use some Farmer's Market produce, the country sausage that I prepared last week and a container of crushed tomatoes in the refrigerator. Since the forecast called for temperatures in the 100s in the California Mother Lode, cooking the meal outdoors save us from overheating the house. Except for the pasta, I used my Griswold #10 skillet and Camp Chef Sport Grill to cook the meal.

Here's the menu:

• Spaghetti with country sausage tomato sauce and garnished with toasted bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese
• Grilled summer squash marinated in a balsamic reduction
• Sliced cucumbers with sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the tomato sauce, I sauteed about 1 pound of country sausage with 1/2 chopped onion until the sausage was cooked. I then poured a 1/2 cup of Madeira wine over the sausage and cooked it until most of the wine had evaporated. About 2 cups of crushed tomatoes and 6 tablespoons of half and half were then stirred into the skillet. The sauce simmered over low heat for about 30 minutes. Since I let the sausage season the tomato sauce, no additional seasoning was needed.

I served the sauce over a plate of cooked spaghetti and garnished it with toasted bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. The bread crumbs added an interesting contrast in texture to the pasta dish.

To prepare the balsamic reduction, I simmered 1 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 4 fat cloves of minced garlic in a saucepan until reduced by half. I then stirred in 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. Two sliced summer squashes were then marinated for several hours in the refrigerator.

I grilled the squash until browned and tender on a Camp Chef grill box. While the grill box doesn't give food traditional grill marks, it does give food great flavor.

Roasted Brussels sprouts

An older episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives rekindled my interest in Brussels sprouts. Chef Louis Silva of Naglee Park Garage, San Jose, Calif., tosses the sprouts in olive oil, lemon slices, bay leaves, sage leaves, fresh garlic cloves, salt and pepper. He then wraps them in parchment paper and aluminum foil and roasts the sprouts in a 350-degree oven until they pass the smell test.

"When I smell them," explained Louis, "I know they're done."

The roasted Brussels sprouts come out the oven, cool for a minute or two and head straight for a skillet. A healthy pat of butter, ladle of hot chicken stock and handful of cooked crumbled bacon join the sprouts. The vegetable quickly cooks as the stock reduces.

The adventure of trying a new vegetable on the residents intrigued me. I purchased five pounds at the market and prepared them for dinner one evening last week. My goal was to duplicate the Chef Louis' process.

Yet, I had reservations. I've always had this love-hate affair with the little cabbages. While I enjoy the bright cabbage flavor when cooked right, bitter compounds that leach out during cooking ruin the experience. And as I entered this new experience, I didn't know how the residents would react to Brussels sprouts.

The residents surprised me (as they have in the past). Enthusiasm for the vegetable surfaced early in the afternoon. "We're having Brussels sprouts," a resident exclaimed as I trimmed the sprouts. "We're have Brussels sprouts!"

My initial purchase of five pounds proved inadequate. Almost all 26 residents took a serving of roasted Brussels sprouts that evening. It didn't help that they accompanied tri-tip roast, mashed potatoes and brown gravy, one of the most popular meals at work.

The kitchen workers missed out on the dish with its bright lemon aroma. Only one sprout remained when it came time to serve the kitchen workers. I was only able to taste one sprout myself earlier before the meal was served.

I will add to the menu often this fall and winter. And next time, I may need to purchase six pounds for the residents.

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

This recipe easily multiplies to feed larger groups. I've found that 5 pounds is the minimum quantity needed for the 26 residents at work. As an alternate to the skillet step, I open the foil, stir in the remaining ingredients (bacon, stock and butter) and turn the oven heat up to 400 degrees. Once the sprouts caramelize a bit, I remove the pan from the oven and serve.

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 cloves garlic
3 sage leaves
2 bay leaves
3 slices fresh lemon
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts, garlic cloves, sage leaves, bay leaves, lemon slices, salt and pepper with olive oil until well coated. Lay out a 20-inch piece of parchment paper over aluminum foil on a sheet pan and pour the Brussels sprout mixture into the middle. Fold the foil over itself.

Place in a 350-degree F oven. Cook for about 30 minutes or until they smell done. A larger batch will require 10 to 15 additional minutes. Remove from oven, open foil wrapper and cool slightly.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add Brussels sprout mixture, chicken stock and bacon crumbles. Cook over medium-high heat until stock reduces and sprouts are tender. Serves 4 to 6 portions.

Balsamic potato salad with grape tomatoes

Often the best salads are those created at the last minute. I often buy produce because it looks good or appeals to me in some fashion. I figure that I'll find was to use it during the week.

That's what I did yesterday when I prepared a potato salad for dinner at my mother's house. My son and I contributed a pot of beans and the potato salad. She had returned after a three-month visit with my sister in Northern Virginia.

I had purchased a bag of red potatoes and a pint of grape tomatoes at the market earlier in the week. The salad was the perfect way to use the tomatoes. As long as I can remember, my mother welcomed tomatoes to the dinner table throughout the summer.

After cooking, cooling and peeling a pot of red potatoes, I whisked together a quick balsamic vinaigrette to dress the salad. A heaping tablespoon of horseradish mustard in the dressing gave the salad its rustic appeal. The pint of grape tomatoes seemed to belong in the salad.

One reason I like this potato salad is because it can be changed on a whim. Trading roasted potato wedges for simmered potatoes gives the salad greater appeal. Almost any vegetable or herb can be used to enhance the salad.

I used horseradish mustard because I had an open jar in the cupboard. While Dijon mustard is traditionally used to flavor most vinaigrette dressings, experiment with flavored mustard.

The horseradish mustard came from a gift pack. Two others remain, maple champagne mustard and blue cheese herb mustard. I'll have to work one of them into the salad somehow.

My mother and sisters enjoyed the potato salad. I left the leftovers at her house for lunch sometime this week.

POTATO SALAD WITH GRAPE TOMATOES

To prepare the potato salad, cover 1-pound red potatoes (6 to 7 small potatoes) with salted water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; and reduce to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until fork tender. Cool, peel and dice the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a medium bowl.

Meanwhile, prepare tomatoes, onions and parsley for the salad. You'll need 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved; 3 green onions, sliced thin; and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Place the vegetables into the bowl with the potatoes and gently toss.

To prepare the dressing, place a heaping tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 minced garlic clove and 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme in a small bowl. With a fork, whisk in 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. While whisking, stream 4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil into the vinegar. The dressing should hold together when done.

Pour the dressing over the salad and lightly toss to combine. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving. Serves 5 to 6 portions.

Broccoli with garlic and thyme

I started dinner this evening by reducing a quart of chicken stock. One cup remained nearly two hours later. Packed in that cup was all the rich goodness from the meat and bones of a chicken.

I resisted the temptation to gulp the broth concentrate down. It was that good.

Since Debbie and I had enjoyed bacon cheeseburgers and fries at Old Town Grill in Placerville this afternoon, I was looking for a quick meal for dinner when broccoli with garlic and thyme came to me.

I minced three fat cloves of garlic and quickly chopped about 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme. After melting a pat of butter, I sauteed the garlic for a minute. The aroma cut was amazing!

The broth reduction next went into the saucepan along with the thyme. I brought the broth to a boil, dumped a pound of frozen broccoli florets in and placed the lid on the saucepan.

The broccoli was soon ready. After spooning it into two waiting bowls, I squeezed a couple lemon wedges over the broccoli and topped it with grated Parmesan cheese.

Dinner over, I strained the remaining broth from the saucepan. It was too good to toss it down the drain. Infused with garlic and thyme, I'm certain it'll become part of dinner on Monday or Tuesday.

Or I could drink as an appetizer!

Satueed bok choy

I introduced baby bok choy to the residents at work last night. Flavored with ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce, they ate almost the full 2-inch hotel pan.

For 25 servings, briefly saute fresh minced ginger in a mixture of canola & sesame oils. Add cabbage in batches and saute until wilted, but not browned. Five bunches of baby bok choy will feed 25 persons. Transfer cabbage to waiting 2-inch hotel pan.

Combine 1-1/2 cups chicken stock, 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar and 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce. Pour over cabbage in hotel pan. Cover and place pan over medium heat. Gentle simmer for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. I like to cook the cabbage so the stems are tender but crunchy.

I plan to serve bok choy again. At $1.50 per bunch from the mid-town Sacramento Farmer's Market, the vegetable (also known as Chinese cabbage) will be featured on the menu through the summer.

Next time I may toss the baby bok choy in garlic, olive oil and kosher salt. After roasting in a 450-degree oven until wilted and crisp-tender, a drizzle of lemon-basil vinaigrette, it'll be ready to serve.

Southwest succotash

Succotash is one of those vegetable combinations that doesn't garner confidence in my ability to inspire the residents at work. Aside from a couple off-handed remarks about Sylvester the Cat (known for countering Daffy's "You're despicable" with "Sufferin' succotash"), most had never heard of the dish.

Until I watched a video of Chef Bob Vaningan preparing succotash for Good Day Alabama last week, the only succotash I had ever cooked was a mixture of corm and lima beans. In the five-minute segment I learned that succotash can be much more. Chef Bob uses a variety of vegetables to boost the flavor of an otherwise mundane vegetable dish.

Chef Bob sautes diced onion and green bell peppers for a minute. He then tosses fresh lima beans and black eye peas into the skillet. After the beans are hot, he adds freshly cut corn and halved grape tomatoes. Once the tomato softens in the skillet, he flavors the succotash with fresh chopped thyme and a splash of olive oil. (Click for Chef Bob's recipe.)

I prepared succotash at two different venues yesterday. As often happens, I bring lessons from a dish that I prepared home with me. I prepared the succotash with frozen lima beans, frozen whole kernel corn and canned pinto beans at work. I used just enough tomatillos and poblano chiles to give the succotash a flavor boost without overpowering the corn and beans.

Since I had originally planned to test the dish at home, I already had the ingredients on hand. Even though the dish at work was good, I enjoyed the home version because I used corn that was freshly cut from the cob. The fresh corn gave the succotash a sweet, succulent quality that I didn't get from the version with frozen vegetables.

SOUTHWEST SUCCOTASH

For best results, cut fresh corn off the cob for this succotash.

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
2 poblano chile peppers, diced small
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 pounds cooked pinto beans
2 pounds cooked lima beans
1 pound tomatillos, diced
2 pounds whole kernel corn
1 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, poblano chiles and garlic and saute several minutes until vegetables begin to soften.

Add pinto beans and lima beans to skillet. Continue cooking, stiring frequently, until beans are heated. Add corn and tomatillos and continue cooking until tomatillos break apart. Add 1 or 2 cups water if needed to keep succotash from drying out.

Season to taste with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Stir lime juice and cilantro in before servings. Served about 25 (1/2-cup) portions.

Working on Southwest succotash

Steven C. Karoly (@SeabeeCook) has shared a Tweet with you:

"SeabeeCook: Workin' on SW succotash at work - saute onion, garlic & poblano, add pintos & limas, finish w corn & tomatillos, season w cumin & lime juice"

--http://twitter.com/SeabeeCook/status/90897262905012224

Steven
Sent from my Samsung Captivate(tm) on AT&T

Braised cabbage with leeks and carrots

This is a work in progress. After browsing through Molly Steven's All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking, I converted her recipe for braised cabbage (World's Best Braised Cabbage on page 59) for a 12-inch Dutch oven. While I enjoyed the cabbage, I need to re-visit my technique one more time. I'll post once I prepare the dish a second time.

Christian Chefs International Conference in Canby, Oregon

What do a group of chefs do when they gather for a conference? We cook!

I'm grilling grape tomatoes on the flattop for Chef Bob Vaningan's Grilled Vegetable and Black Quinoa Salad.

We grilled fennel, red onion, red, green and yellow bell peppers, pears and green apples on the flattop for the salad. After chilling the vegetables, Chef Bob diced them. The salad will be served to conference attendees at lunch tomorrow.

Chef Bob prepares a mire poix for a vegetable stock. He used the stock to simmer the quinoa in.

Chef Ira Krizo sautes onions and mushrooms for a dish. Chef Ira is the chef for the Canby Grove Camp and Conference Center.

Cranberry-glazed carrots

Faced with over a quart of leftover cranberry sauce at work, I added it to glazed carrots at dinnertime.

CRANBERRY-GLAZED CARROTS

Seven pounds as purchased should yield 5 pounds edible portion.

5 pounds carrots, sliced on the bias 1/4-inch thick
4 ounces butter
4 ounces sugar
3 cups chicken stock or water
Salt, to taste
1 cup cranberry sauce

Melt margarine in saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar, salt, and stock or water. Add carrots and cook, covered, over low heat until almost tender. Remove cover, stir in cranberry sauce and continue cooking, until liquid to reduces to a glaze and carrots are tender. Serves 25 (1/2-cup) portions.