Moroccan Style Dutch Oven Garden Pot

A few years ago, Eric's brother gifted us a Lodge campfire Dutch oven. This summer, I've been experimenting with some at home campfire cooking, using our old yard-saled Weber grill and our fire pit. I started with a Moroccan style dish with fennel, onions, homegrown purple carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and garbanzo beans over rice.

I added an assortment of spices and let it cook over the coals for about 50 minutes. The smells emanating from this pot made me deliriously happy.

Right before serving, I added some minced garlic and some fresh spinach and basil from the garden to brighten up the flavor. The rice on the bottom burnt a bit to the bottom of the pan adding a welcome crispiness to the meal.

I'm not remembering the exact measurements of ingredients to this dish, but here are my approximations. When cutting the vegetables, I like to make them larger bite sized pieces as the high heat extended cooking tends to soften them perfectly.

Moroccan Style Dutch Oven Garden Pot
1 1/2 cups Jasmine rice
2 potatoes, cubed
1 bulb fennel, chopped
2 carrots
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoon diced fresh ginger
15 ounces garbanzo beans (drained & rinsed if from a can. About 1 1/2 cups cooked if fresh)
28 ounces diced tomatoes with juice (2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped)
3 cups vegetable stock
olive oil for the pan

spices (about 1 teaspoon each):
turmeric
coriander
Garam Marsala
oregano
cumin
dried ginger
cardamom
1 cinnamon stick

sea salt
pepper

after cooking:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups of spinach
1 cup fresh basil or cilantro
season to taste

Thickly grease the bottom and sides of the Dutch oven with olive oil. Add rice. In a separate bowl, combine potatoes, fennel, carrot, onion, fresh ginger, garbanzos, spices, sea salt & pepper. Mix to coat. Pour vegetable/spice mix onto rice in Dutch oven. Add tomatoes. Add vegetable stock. Cover Dutch oven and lower onto hot coals. Push the coals around the Dutch oven. Cook for about 50-55 minutes.

Pull from fire. Let cool for 10 minutes, then add fresh spinach, basil or cilantro and diced garlic. Serve and enjoy.

Note: the camp Dutch oven has legs for it to sit on top of the coals. If using a regular Dutch oven without legs, it is recommended to set it on top of rocks or bricks rather than directly on the coals.

Addendum: When serving, I highly recommend a small spoonful of harissa stirred into the vegetables. The heat of the harissa opens up the other flavors & has me always opting for seconds.

Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies

I've been meaning to share this delicious and wonderfully simple recipe for a long time. But each time I make a batch, I find the cookie jar empty before I got a good picture. I'll confess, it's usually my fingers trolling the bottom of the jar, mouth stuffed when I realize I've eaten the last photo opportunity yet again.

My mother-in-law's boyfriend shared this recipe with me. The recipe calls for peanut butter and eggs. At times, I have used almond butter and flax meal in place of egg. I suspect those with nut allergies could try sunflower butter instead of a nut butter.

I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does.

Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg (or 1 T flax meal mixed with 3 T of water. Let sit for 2 minutes before adding to other ingredients)

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine peanut butter, sugar and egg. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press down dough ball with fork. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until done. Place cookie sheet on a wire rack. Allow cookies to cool on sheet slightly before removing.

Accidental Baking Day

That mountain of egg shells is what inspired the accidental baking day. Somehow in my early morning stupor, I ended up bobbling two dozen eggs. The one in my right hand survived in tact. The rest were salvaged from various degrees of cracked. The slightly damaged were retrieved for scrambled eggs.


Some eggs went to cupcakes. Great gluten-free recipe from GlutenFreeGirl.com.


A quiche for dinner was made early with fresh basil from the garden. The most damaged eggs went to the dogs who happily enlisted themselves for floor clean up.

Sugar Cookies of Spring

Our oldest son loves sugar cookies. To celebrate spring, we made some cookies.


Everyone lend a hand, from making the dough, rolling it out and decorating.


This recipe is from my mother. It truly is one of the most delicious sugar cookies ever.

White Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Mix sugar, butter, egg and vanilla thoroughly. Blend in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and chill 2-3 hours.
2. Heat oven to 375°. Divide dough into thirds. On lightly floured board roll each third of dough about 1/8" thick. Cut dough using cookie cutters. Place about an inch apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar (or leave plain and frost after baked and cooled). Bake 7-8 minutes until light brown. If frosting cookies, cool completely.

Sugar Frosting Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1-2 drops food coloring, if desired

Mix together, adding milk by drops to get desired consistency (like a thick milk shake that's just starting to thaw).

Rosemary Nut Flour Torte

Inspired by Leah at Our Yellow House, I made a variation of her clementine cake (via Smitten Kitchen via Nigella Lawson). In my ode to the cake, I used kumquats and reduced their boiling time to one hour. I'll be making that cake again soon. What a perfect venue to fuel my kumquat obsession. Ever so tasty and enjoyed by all in the house.

While savoring the kumquat cake, I thought that the recipe would adapt well to a savory rendition. So with the dinner hour fast approaching, the idea became a mandate. This torte (pictured above) is fantastic. This will become a staple in our house, and one I plan to share at food centered get togethers.

Rosemary Nut Flour Torte
1 cup hazelnut flour
1 cup almond flour
6 eggs
2 1/2 Tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup of milk (I used unsweetened soy)

Preheat oven to 375°. Butter an 8 inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment (I used a 9 inch pan & the torte was rather flat).

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients, add to dry. (Add more or less milk as needed.) Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-50 minutes, covering torte after 20-30 minutes if the edges get too brown. Torte is done with toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven. Let rest on wire rack for five minutes. Remove from pan.

Our dinner was paired with a blood orange salad (the blood oranges a gift from my mom).

Blood Orange Salad
4 blood oranges, without peels, chopped
a handful flat leaf parsley
2 Tablespoons of thinly sliced red onion
salt to taste
drizzle with olive oil

Rice Cream Ice Cream

When Eric and I married six and a half years ago, we were gifted a Cuisinart ice cream maker. I had been cruising garage sales in search of one after some great homemade ice cream experiences, including a big extended family get together at my uncle's in Wyoming and a kayaking trip in Baja Mexico where Eric reigned as the master-ice-cream-trundler while the sun set and manta rays leapt in the distance.

Still, I worried the ice cream maker would be an extra appliance used rarely, taking up valuable space in our small kitchen. So I determined to use it. Thanks to our generous gift six and a half years ago, our ice cream, sorbet and sherbet is almost always homemade. I think I've bought ice cream only a handful of times since it came into our lives.

Above is an afternoon treat made by the boys and me. So simple and so delicious. Below is the recipe we made up. It's adapts to variations well. So use what you have on hand and enjoy.

Blueberry Rice Ice Cream
3 cups vanilla rice milk
3/4 cup agave syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

In medium bowl, whisk to combine rice milk and agave syrup (about 1-2 minutes). Add vanilla. Stir to incorporate. Turn on ice cream maker, add mixture. Mix until thickened, 25-30 minutes, adding blueberries in the last five minutes.

When our little machine breaks and is no longer fixable, I think I will invest in the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment.

No ice cream machine? Don't despair. Follow Sarah's lead at The Small Object and make ice cream without an ice cream maker.

Crispy Kale

I've been meaning to post this delicious recipe from my sister-in-law and brother since they shared it with me a few weeks ago. Each time I make the dish, however, it's eaten before I can photograph it. Baked kale is incredibly light and crisp. Even my kids love it.

Crispy Kale
1 bunch of kale, destemmed
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
salt
sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350°. Destem the kale. Drizzle kale with olive oil. Rub each leaf until it is shiny with oil. Lay flat on a cookie sheet. Salt and toss a scant amount of sesame seeds. Bake in oven for 8 minutes. Flip the kale and cook for 2-4 minutes more.

Sadly, this is the last of our current kale crop. Aphids attacked with such ferocity, the kale was cut back. I'm trying to get some seeds growing. While we wait for the new crop, I'm going to miss the convenience of this dish, from planter bed to oven to table in no time at all.

Sesame Flax Bars

I love the idea of quick nutrition with good food. Real food. And a food that can hold up for awhile knocking around in my purse while out and about helps. Bananas, for instance, don't pass the purse test.

Enter the power bar. Thanks to our friend Phoenix's vision, we've been making quite a few power bars in our house as of late. I came up with this recipe as a variation on a theme.

Sesame Flax Bar (in homage to the delicious Bumble Bar)
1 cup flax seed
2 cups sesame seeds
1 cup raw peanuts
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Soak flax seeds in 1 1/2 cups of water for 4-6 hours. After soaking flax seed, add sesame seeds, raw peanuts, agave nectar, cinnamon and salt. Stir well.
2. Spread out on non stick sheets til about 1/4 inch thick. Place in dehydrator at 135 degrees for 6-8 hours or until dry, flipping the large bar halfway through or when dry to touch.
3. Cut into bars. Store in airtight container.


The pictured batch of bars were made using a GooD4U dehydrator. I'd love to make a solar dehydrator.

Turnip and Parsnip

I stopped in at Figueroa Produce, my neighborhood's local green grocer, right before Thanksgiving. The store was filled with people and charged with that day-before-the-party energy. As I picked up the freshest ginger I've ever encountered, a woman next to me put turnips and parsnips in her basket. I asked her how she prepared them.

Parsnip and Turnip Deliciousness
1 parsnip
1 turnip
1 potato
1 T butter
nutmeg, freshly ground to taste

Cut parsnip, turnip and potato into 1/2-1 inch chunks. Place chunks in sauce pan and cover with water. Boil until tender (15-25 minutes). Drain. Mash cooked parsnip, turnip and potato. Add butter and a bit of freshly ground nutmeg.

"It's very French country," she said. I went home and followed her instructions. So simple and insanely delicious. I find some of the best recipes for vegetable cooking/preparation come from people in the produce section of stores.

Breaded Zucchini Blossoms Revisited

Our friend and guest Phoenix continues to share his wonderful cooking. These blossoms came from the Santa Monica Farmer's Market.


The blossoms were coated in egg and dredged in a 50/50 mix of hazelnut and rice flour, a dash of salt and cracked pepper. Then they were fried in a shallow bit of coconut oil.

Beautiful and unbelievable delicious.

Phoenix's Gluten Free Chocolate Bread Recipe

Camp Ramshackle is enjoying the fine company of our friend and fine cook Phoenix. We have been experimenting with gluten free cooking in our house. Thanks to Phoenix's amazing culinary acumen, gluten free life is very delicious indeed. He whipped up this fantastic bread in no time at all: recipe here. Last night, he made the most delicious meal with a spicy jicima and apple salad and a spicy vegetable main dish that included figs. So delicious.

Phoenix makes a mean plate of beans.

On the very left, a most delightful treat. Hazelnut and rice flour breaded squash blossoms. The picture does not do it justice. So amazingly good.

Pavlova Dessert

About a year ago, the Los Angeles Times ran an article about pavlova desserts. I had never tasted one, much less made one. The idea of a light meringue with a fruit topping intrigued me. Sometimes a great dessert notion needs time to come to fruition.

Here she is. Her rather earthy exterior hides her divine taste. Surprisingly simple. Bake the pavlova shell, let cool. Then top with fruit. I used a fantastically tasty balsamic rhubarb compote with fresh strawberries.


Pavlova Shell
4 egg whites room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups of superfine sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Serves 4-6.

Heat oven to 350°F. Draw 4-5 inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper and line a baking sheet with parchment.

Beat egg whites and salt with whisk attachment on mixer (if you do it by hand, holy-moly, please share your story in comments) until peaks form, about 3 minutes.

With mixer on medium speed, whisk in the sugar a little at a time, then turn machine back to high to fully incorporate.

Add the cornstarch and whisk to blend, then add vinegar, when incorporated, whisk in vanilla.

Pile meringue onto parchment paper, using spatula to spread the meringue around the circle and piling the sides slightly higher than the middle. Put into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 300°F.

Bake the meringue for 1 1/2 hours, then turn the oven off and prop open the door. Let the meringue cool down completely. It can be stored uncovered for several hours.


Balsamic Rhubarb Compote
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger root
2 fresh rhubarb stalks, leaves discarded, ends trimmed, and stalks cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Mix together in saucepan. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Makes about 2 cups.

Homemade Granola

Today is the last day of the first year of preschool. A tender day, for sure. I hope the most important lesson my son has learned is that school can be incredibly fun.

As a thank you to the teachers, I made some homemade granola and included a recipe card.

Homemade Granola (from the now defunct Blueprint magazine)
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, pecans, cherries, cranberries, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine oil, honey, and sugar. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Drizzle syrup over oat mixture; toss with a wooden spoon. Pour granola onto sheet pan and spread evenly. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden (about 25 minutes). Let granola cool completely on a wire rack. Break it into chunks and store in an airtight container.