General Winter

Hello there. We have been experiencing one of the rainiest, wintriest weeks in years, and in a generally mild climated country such as our own I bet you can just imagine the amount of excitement, sentiment and plain out hysteria this might stir. The amount of words poured over this wintry spell in every possible sphere- media, facebook, private conversations-  threatens to exceed the precipitation counts themselves, and it was a pretty fair downpour, I'll admit to that.
So, the last few days have turned me from a not-especially-avid weather report follower into a near zealous weather report shunner, and all for the sake of maintaining a sense of surprise and wonder in life. And proportion, one might add. As far as I'm concerned, once one has noticed the seasons have changed one is obliged to change their wardrobes, shifting the necessary garments up or down in the closet accordingly. Layering should be applied so as to allow the peeling off or piling on of garments as necessary, and if it has been pretty cold for a few days in a row- one might rightfully determine to opt for the heavier coat when leaving the house. It's common sense, no? If the need arises for some planning in advance, by all means, consult the evening news to learn if tomorrow will require an umbrella. But to religiously try and determine just how much rain will fall in every individual back yard? hey, you lost me there. I'll take a general  "actual chance for snow" instead of a knowledgeable declaration of just how many centimeters to expect, and then relish the white cover I wake up to, thank you very much. Which was of the depth of 10 cm, mind you. We measured.

I would like to share several wintry recipes with you. The first is for a tea, a drink that becomes a staple for me in winter. I am constantly boiling, steeping, and sipping it seems, hot mug clenched fast between palms. I juggle between a variety of ready mixtures, and an array of fresh and dried herbs and spices which I mix and much according to need and desire. Warming spices are especially appropriate once the temperatures drop: Cinnamon, cloves, ginger ( fresh and in dry powdered form ), english and cayenne pepper. All of this have therapeutic qualities which are relevant for a host of winter conditions. Starting the morning with a cup of tea made from boiling water poured over about a 1/4 of a teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger in their powdered forms, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper is wonderfully delicious, and it is very quick and simple to prepare since no peeling, dicing or lengthy boiling of roots of barks is required. A warm cup of water with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne is good when I feel groggy or lethargic, and is said to be highly cleansing to the body. Given how hot cayenne pepper is, I find it easy to believe it's reported germ killing qualities. I can only handle a pinch.

The tea I'd like to share with you is one I discovered last winter when I was down with a cold and turned to again this week when I was feeling under the weather (oh, weather again. apologies). Turmeric may not be the most obvious candidate for tea making and the thought of it may even make you shun. It's worth a try though, as it is said to posses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities and is enjoyed regularly by several healthful and long-living communities around the world, mostly in Asia. You can read about it's properties here, and there is plenty more info out there on the web. The flavour takes some getting used to, but accompanied with ginger, lemon and possibly some sweetener ( natural! duh. )  may even be something you'll learn to like. I quite enjoy it now, and it makes me feel great.

Turmeric Tea

*

4 cups of water

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp powdered ginger OR 1 cm long piece of fresh root, peeled and diced as tiny as possible

juice of about a 1/4 of a lemon

pinch of cayenne pepper ( optional)

in a lidded pot bring water to boil. Add turmeric, lower heat and simmer covered for 8 minutes. add ginger and cayenne and simmer for several more minutes ( if you are using powdered ginger you can add it in earlier on). Remove from heat, add lemon. You may want to sweeten this with honey, brown sugar, maple syrup or just have it plain. 

I added the cayenne in this case since I was overcoming a cold, and wanted extra germ killing qualities in my tea. I often make this tea with only turmeric, ginger and lemon. 

The next recipe was a chance discovery, also prompted by the cold, as in, the sickness type one. After a day of mostly tea I needed an easy and nourishing meal and seeing as I had zero inclination towards a lengthy preparation I decided to attempt an Asian style broth with soba noodles. My expectation were minimal to say the least, but the effort was rewarded with a quite delicious bowl of soup which I will most definitely be re-making and elaborating on.

Shiitake Broth with Soba Noodles

6 cups of water

2 dried shiitake mushrooms

1.5 long piece of ginger, peeled and finely diced

1 clove of garlic, halved

2-3 tbsps Tamari soy sauce

2 tbsps Sake

1 tsp brown sugar

a bit of rice vinegar

1 small carrot, sliced into thin, long pieces

1-2 scallions, chopped into 2 cm long pieces

1/3 of a package of Soba Noodles.

1/2 a package firm tofu, cubed 

In a lidded pot, place water, ginger, garlic, mushrooms, soy sauce, sake, sugar and vinegar and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Add carrot, tofu and noodles, and cook till noodles are just about ready, then add scallions and continue cooking till noodles are done. Check seasoning and serve.

I realize Sake is not something people normally have lying around, but I happened to have some in my fridge for a while now. I thought of using it since I haven't been able to find a high quality Mirin, a Japanese condiment made of rice but less alcoholic than Sake,and sweeter. In any case, the Sake was perfect here. Garlic, Shiitake and Ginger are all reported immune boosters and thus seem a likely combination for a vegetarian "chicken soup" which doctors often order to treat a cold. I also found that despite my fears Soba  noodles  hold together quite well in leftover soup and don't become overly soggy and mushy, thus making it possible to cook the noodles along with soup and store any leftovers. It was delicious the next day, possibly even better.

That's it for now. I still have a soup recipe that I owe you, but I think we shall save it ( once more for next time). This post is already a little word-heavy, and I do not want to weary you. Keep warm, dry and well fed!

A simple pasta

Last week I went up north to stay with dear friends for a quick break. They live on the foothills of the Carmel, overlooking the sea. They have a small vegetable garden, a welcoming array of pillows and covers for guests, open hearts and open doors, a table in the front yard which has, as mentioned, a perfect view of the sea, which at the right hour becomes a shimmering expanse of brightness.

Greeted upon arrival by numerous cats and the newly green nature surrounding their home, I turned to satiate a small but definite hunger. The rains which fell recently mean an abundance of young green things which grow wild on any spot, so I gathered a bunch of  young nettle leaves ( with a plastic bag on my hand! ) and wild mustard greens. The mustard greens are delectable, and extremely simple to come by in winter if you live around here. Gather the young tender leaves. Along with the nettles, which are said to be highly nutritious and  cleansing to the body, this made for a delicious, simple, light lunch. Rinse the greens well, warm a little olive oil in a skillet, toss  the clean greens in along with some salt and pepper, and cook just until wilted, stirring occasionally. That's it. I had this with a piece of dense, dark rye toast slathered with raw tehina. You could serve the greens as a side to any dish you please. They also like a squeeze of lemon juice right before you eat them and a bit of garlic quickly fried in the oil before they join the skillet. But the simple way works more than fine.

Since the purpose of the visit was Rest, and since I still wanted to cook something for my hosts and myself, Pasta seemed the choice of the hour. Preparation was kept simple and minimal, but some fine ingredients gave the dish a luxurious feel and comforting flavors. 

Fusilli with Scallions, Dried Tomatoes and Goat's Cheese

1 pckg Fusilli ( I used Tricolor )

1 cup ( about 1 small bunch ) of scallions, cut into pieces about 2 cm long

100 gr pine nuts

1 bunch arugula

125 gr dried tomatoes, sliced ( about a cup )

150-200 gr crumbly goat's cheese ( I used an Israeli type which was rather soft and crumbly with an ash coating. yum ), crumbled or grated 

about 1/4 of a cup olive oil

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. cook pasta till al dente. while the pasta cooks, warm about half the olive oil in a large skillet. Add scallions, dried tomatoes, and pine nuts. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. cook very shortly. When the pasta is ready and drained, combine with the sauce, stir well and remove from heat. Wait till the pasta cools a bit, then add arugula and cheese. You could either eat this immediately, or let sit and eat at room temperature. In any case, don't add the arugula too soon so that the leaves will maintain some crispness and not become cooked by the heat of the pasta. This would probably be good cold, too.