South Bay Cooking Light Supper Club: Comfort Food November 2012

Kim hosted a Comfort Food Supper at her house.

Courses included soups, biscuits, Shepard's Pie, and poached pears with caramel sauce.

The main course, made by Kim, was Shepherd's Pie with Caramelized Onions & Cheddar Smash. I have loved this dish since I first made it as a test recipe for the website Leite's Culinaria

Shepherd’s Pie with Caramelized Onions and Cheddar Smash

from Cooking with Shelburne Farms | Viking Studio, 2007

A true shepherd’s pie is always made with lamb (the similar dish made with beef is properly called a cottage pie). It’s one of the most comforting and homey dishes around. Traditionally, it was made with odds and ends from the Sunday roast, finely chopped. Grated cheddar melted on top is not traditional, of course, but with all that great Cheddar around, it was a natural and delicious addition.–Melissa Pasanen

INGREDIENTS
For the caramelized onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds (about 6 medium) onions, thinly sliced crosswise into rounds
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

For the potato smash
3 pounds all-purpose potatoes, such as Yukon gold, scrubbed but not peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

For the filling and to finish the shepherd's pie
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium (about 1 1/2 cups) carrots, scrubbed or peeled and finely diced
2 pounds ground lamb
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste (ketchup will do in a pinch)
2 cups chicken stock (homemade or low-sodium canned chicken broth)
1 cup (about 3 1/2 ounces) grated Cheddar

DIRECTIONS
Make the caramelized onions
1. In a large, heavy- bottomed saute pan or skillet set over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onions to the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low.
2. Sprinkle the onions with the salt and cook, stirring frequently to make sure they brown evenly, for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are completely softened and golden brown. You should have about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of onions. (You can cover and refrigerate these for up to 1 week.)
Make the smashed potatoes
3. Select a large pot that can accommodate a steamer insert or heatproof colander large enough to hold your potatoes. Fill it with water up to the bottom of the steamer insert, add the potatoes and garlic cloves, and sprinkle them with the salt. Cover the pot, set it over high heat, and bring the water to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to maintain an active simmer and steam the potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes, until they break apart easily when poked with a fork.
5. Remove the potatoes and garlic from the steamer, pour off the hot water, and return the potatoes and garlic to the pot. Cover the potatoes with a clean dish towel and let them dry out for about 5 minutes. (Do not allow the potatoes to cool before mashing or they will get disastrously gummy.) Add the butter to the pot and use a potato masher to smash the potatoes and garlic until blended but not completely smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. (You can cover and refrigerate these for up to 24 hours.)
Make the filling and assemble the shepherd’s pie
6. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
7. In a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the lamb, thyme, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink. Carefully pour off all the fat.
8. Sprinkle the flour over the lamb and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Then stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Add the stock and 1 cup caramelized onions, increase the heat slightly, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the gravy thickens slightly.
9. Spread the lamb in a shallow round or oval 3-quart casserole or a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread the potatoes on top. Distribute the remaining caramelized onions over the mashed potatoes and then sprinkle the Cheddar evenly over the potatoes. Bake until the cheese is golden and crusty, about 20 minutes.

Stephanie made a sweet potato bisque. Here is her recipe:

Recipe is for single serving

1 sweet potato

1/4 red bell pepper

1 cup vegetable broth or water

1 tsp finely grated peeled ginger root

1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp miso paste, diluted in 1 tsp hot water

Seasoning to taste. I used "mansmith's dry fire"

Combo of salt, black pepper, red pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, cumin, cilantro, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil.

Peel and cube sweet potato. Cook in boiling water until tender, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, roast whole red pepper on gas stove top or grill turning frequently until evenly charred. Put pepper in bowl and cover for 10 min. Peel off skin and remove seeds.

Place sweet potato, pepper, broth, and all other ingredients in blender. Reheat when you serve. Yummy.

I (Katharina) made a (kind of ) Minestrone soup

My self-invented Minestrone soup (aka "guess what was in my CSA box this week") can be made with pretty much any vegetables you happen to have in the house. This batch was made as follows:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 can (14oz) chopped tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 large potato, diced
1 kohlrabi, diced
Greens from one bunch of beets, stemmed and finely cut
1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (thyme, oregano)
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat up the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 min. Add the carrots and cook another 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the potato and kohlrabi, cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the greens and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the herbs and adjust the seasoning with pepper and salt to taste.

I (Rebecca) made whole wheat buttermilk biscuits from the Daring Bakers.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits (makes 6-8)

Ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or half whole wheat and half all purpose)
2 teaspoons fresh baking powder (non-aluminum variety)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons frozen grated butter (or a combination of lard and butter)
Approximately 1⁄2 cup cold buttermilk
Optional 1 tablespoon milk or buttermilk, for glazing the tops of the scones

Instructions:

Preheat oven to very hot 475°F and place a baking sheet inside the oven to heat up.
Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Rub the frozen grated butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
Add nearly all of the liquid at once and mix with a fork until a sticky dough forms.
Dump the dough out and knead it gently once or twice to get it to hold together smoothly.
Optional, but makes a nice flaky biscuit: Pat or roll the dough out gently into a rectangle and fold one side lengthwise over by about 2/3 and then bring the other side over the top. Repeat this step 3 times (See photo below).
Roll out the dough 1/2 - 3/4 of a inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Gather scraps and re-roll (the scraps won't make as flaky a biscuit, so try to minimize waste).
Brush the tops of the biscuits with milk or buttermilk.
Place the biscuits very quickly onto the preheated baking sheet with sides just touching.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and the sides are set.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a rack before serving.