Creme Anglaise

Sauce for fruit, desserts, churning into icecream

Tools:

Mixer with wire whisk attachment

Candy Thermometer (with range room temp to at least 220)

Heavy Bottomed Saucepan

2 prep bowls for separating eggs

fine mesh wire sieve

Ingredients:

Sugar (2/3 cup, ??? g)

Egg Yolks (5, 88g)

Milk, half+half, or cream (2 cups) (heavier, more ice-creamy with higher fat content)

vanilla extract or other flavoring agent (chocolate, orange extract, almond extract, etc)

corn starch (optional)

salt (optional)

Steps:

0. Separate 5 eggs as per procedure (future blog post about separating eggs), placing yolks in mixer bowl, under wire whisk attachment.

1. Beat in 2/3 cup granulated sugar, adding gradually to avoid clumps and to allow the sugar to dissolve in the egg yolks. Add a pinch of salt. Continue beating for 2-3 minutes until mixture is pale yellow and forms a ribbon.

1 1/2. Optional. If not using a thermometer, add 1 tsp cornstarch to egg mixture.

2. Heat 2 cups milk or cream over high heat, watch and stir. The point here is just to get it hot to minimize the time you have to stir later. When the milk begins to foam, take it off. CAREFUL: milk can jump straight out of the pot the minute you turn your back on it.

3. Pour a small amount of the heated milk into the beating mixer, and wait until it is well incorporated. Then slowly pour the remaining milk into the mixer and whisk for about a minute, until thoroughly blended.

4. Return mixture to saucepan set over very low heat, insert thermometer such that tip is covered but does not touch the bottom. Stir constantly and watch the temperature.

5. When temperature hits 165F, remove from heat and continue stirring. Residual heat in the pan will bring the temperature the rest of the way to coagulation. Sauce should coat the back of a the stirring spoon, and a line drawn with your finger over the back of the spoon should remain visible. Continue to stir until the temperature peaks and begins to recede.

6. Add 1-2 tsp vanilla extract and stir until well incorporated.

7. Strain through a fine sieve to remove any curdled bits.

Notes:

a. Egg yolks are about 50% water, which should be enough to dissolve the sugar. The mixture lightens because of the incorporation of air as sugar raises the viscosity enough to retain bubbles. Granulated sugar (as opposed to powdered sugar) is convenient for mixing air into the yolks, although I'm not sure if that's actually important.

b. Dissolved sugar and milk present around egg proteins raises their coagulation temperature from ~160 F to ~170-180F. Exceeding the coagulation temperature by 5-10F begins to break down the protein structure, producing grainy curds.

c. Heating slowly gives more margin of error for checking the temperature and the state of coagulation

d. Adding hot milk to cold eggs helps bring their temperature up slowly, and prevents them from overshooting their intended temperature and curdling

e. It isn't absolutely necessary to pre-heat the cream at all, but its faster, because it doesnt have to be done all at the end, slowly. Back in the day, scalding the milk killed enzymes which can keep the sauce from thickening, but the pasteurization has already done this for us. I suppose raw milk should be scalded.

f. Starch added to the mixture gelatinizes at ~175F, releasing its own long-chain starch molecules, absorbing energy and interfering with the egg proteins attempts to bind to each other. Chocolate and cocoa can also fill this role. Starch does tend to thicken the sauce, and make it less smooth and flavorful

g. A pinch of salt added to the mixture provides ions to surround charged ends of egg protein molecules, allowing them to extend near each other and bond, creating a more coherent gel. Not sure if this function is also provided by the sugar, or by elements of the milk. Probably adds to the flavor a little.

h. Original Creme Anglaise (or creme brulee) Recipe: F. Massialot, 16.92

i. Adding starch to the mixture prevents egg proteins from binding to each other by releasing its own long starch molecules at about the same temperature that

j. Sprinking sugar over the top surface of the finished cream inhibits evaporation, and prevents a leathery skin from forming on the surface.

k. The number of yolks can be increased considerably, resulting in a thicker sauce

l. An ice-water bath can be used to rapidly cool the creme, with continuous stirring to prevent solidification.

m. When milk is heated to 160F, whey proteins begin to unfold and create a briefly stable foam. The foam could also be abetted by a layer of cream on the top surface, with steam forming just below, as a source for the bubbles. Don't have a great explanation yet.

References:

Mastering the art of French Cooking, pg 588

Joy of Cooking, Pg 771 and 735

On Food and Cooking, Pg. 92-94

http://www.joyofbaking.com/CremeAnglaise.html

Peeling Tomatoes

Tools:
Tongs
2-4 quart pot
Colander
paring knife
chef's knife
Stock Pot

How to prepare tomatoes for canning:

0. Fill 2-4 quart pot to half way point and set on high heat to boil.

1. Use tongs to dunk tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Make sure tomato is completely covered, giving preference to the stem end, as its harder to deal with. Remove and place in colander to cool.



2. Use a paring knife to remove core of whole tomato, starting from the stem end. Try to get all the hard green and white bits out, leaving the yummy parts.





3. From coreing-incision, slide the sharp edge of the paring knife just under the skin of the tomato, and grasp tomato skin with thumb against the side of the knife. The skin should peel easily away from the flesh, coming apart in ribbons. Alternately, peel skin back by pinching and taring with fingers. Repeat around the tomato until the skin is completely removed.


4. Chop the tomato into octants or as desired and chuck in the big pot.

Notes: To process in parallel, have one person boil tomatoes and other persons core, skin, and chop them

Sprouted Wheat Bread

From "Better than Store Bought"
A 'new' bread, that would not be familiar to older generations.

Begin sprouting wheat berries 2.5 days in advance.

Makes 2 loaves:

Ingredients For Sprouting:
1/3 cup wheat berries (grains) picked over
1 cup water

Ingredients for dough:
1.5 cups water at 110 degrees F
2 tbps + 1/2 tsp packed brown sugar
2.25 tsp dry yeast
2 tbsp safflower or other tasteless vegetable oil
1.5 tsp salt
2 tbps cider vinegar
1 tbps molasses
4.5 cups whole wheat flour (or as needed)
1/3 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tbps melted unsalted butter (for brushing the loaves)

1. Sprout Wheat: Soak berries in water overnight (12 hours), drain and set in sprouting jar in a dark cupboard. Rinse 3-4 times daily. Sprout for 2 days, until sprouts are .5 to .75 inches long. Yields 1.25 cups sprouts.

2. Combine .5 cup warm water with 1/2 tsp brown sugar and all of yeast. Let stand 10 minutes until foamy.

3. In large mixing bowl, stir together remaining warm water, brown sugar, oil, salt, vinegar and molasses. Beat in thouroughly 1.5 cups whole-wheat flour, then yeast mixture. Beat in wheat germ, sesame seeds, and thorughly drained wheat sprouts. Work in enough flour (abour 3 cups) to make a stiff dough. Knead thoroughly on a floured board until dough is elastic and not sticky.

4. Form dough into a ball, turn in a large buttered bowl, place buttered side up. Cover with towel and allow to rise until doubled, 1 hour or more.

5. Punch down dough and divide in half, rest 10 minutes covered in a towel. Form each into a pan loaf as follows: roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and as wide as the length of the pan. Beginning with the short side, roll the dough up jelly-roll fashion, pinching the rolled portion to the flat portion every half turn or so. Pinch the ends closed. Fit each loaf snugly into a buttered 8x4" pan shaping it higher at the center than at the sides and ends. Cover with towel, and let rise until doubled.

6. While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

7. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes in the center of the oven. When the bread shrinks slightly away from the sides of the pans, turn out a loaf and rap it on the bottom. If the sound is hollow, the bread is done. If the sound is dull, place both loaves, out of the pans, on the oven shelf and bake them a few minutes longer.

8. Brush the tops of the loaves with butter and cool them, covered with a towel, on a rack.


Notes:
We didn't have enough wheat flour, so we substituted 1 cup bread flour.

Canning Chunky Tomato Salsa

Your basic chunky tomato salsa

From "Complete book of Small-Batch Preserving" pg 182
Made 2009, lovely, didn't make quite enough to last all year, though.
Makes 5 cups.

Ingredients:
2 lbs tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, finely shopped
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
2-6 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded, and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tbps granulated sugar
1 tsp pickling salt
1 tsp ground cumin

0. Peel and chop tomatoes. See (Future Blog Post about peeling tomatoes). Start hot water bath canner heating, if not already hot.

1. Combine tomatoes, onion, green pepper, jalapeno peppers, garlic, tomato sauce, vinegar, parsley, sugar, salt and cumin in a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring frequently.

2. Remove hot jars from canner and ladle salsa into jars with 1/2 inch of head space. Process 20 minutes for half-pint, and pint jars.


Notes:
I dont know how I feel about canning tomatoes with canned tomato as one of the ingredients. Smacks of can-niballism...
Trippled this recipe, may be a bit much
Substituted cider vinegar for red wine vinegar, it tastes strongly of cider, a little too much.
Didnt boil down quite enough, quite a runny salsa.

Canning Tomato Sauce

From Kimball Farms:
25 lbs second tomatoes, half regular, half heirloom, $12
Order saturday Aug 7, pick up monday Aug 9 from Central Square Farmer's Market

Timing:
Peeling, chopping tomatoes ~ 1 hour
Boiling water in canner ~ 1.25 hours
Adding Everything else ~ 45 mins to 1 hour
Boiling the sauce ~ 45 mins
Processing ~ 35-40 mins
Total Time (with poor planning) ~ 6 hours


Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce,
expanded from "Complete book of Small Batch Preserving" - page 230
Makes 5 quarts
Made last year, really liked, Doubling this recipe

Ingredients:
10 lbs coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes
2.5 cups chopped onion
4-5 cloves (35 g) garlic, minced
1 2/3 cup red wine
5/6 cup red wine vinegar
1.25 cup (40g) chopped fresh basil
2 tbps + 1.5 tsp chopped fresh parsely
2.5 tsp pickling salt
1.25 tsp granulated sugar
15 oz tomato paste (2.5 cans)

0. Peel and chop tomatoes. See (Future Blog Post about peeling tomatoes)

1. When tomatoes are chopped, begin heating in in a very large stainless steel or enamel saucepan over high heat. Also put hot water bath canner on to heat up, about half full for 7 quart jars.

2. Add onion, garlic, wine, vinegar, basil, parsley, salt, sugar and tomato paste as quickly as you can chop them. As pot comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring frequently. Its thicker than it looks, so don't need to overdo it.

3. Remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars to within 1/2 inch of rim (headspace). Process 35 minutes for pint jars and 40 minutes for quart jars. See (Future Blog Post about the canner)

Notes:
Substituted apple cider vinegar (5%) for the red wine vinegar, which seems to have worked fine.