quince and medlars.

Medlars are a rather uncommon fruit one that most people have not heard of. They are native to the Mediterranean and are a close relative to the Hawthorne tree or pear tree.

A few weeks ago, Maggie Nesciur from Flying Fox had a few little boxes of Medlars at The New Amsterdam Market. They had been collected by Ezekiel Goodband of Scott Farm in Dummerston Vermont (whose name I just adore) where she had gone in search of heirloom apples. Though they are native to the Mediterranean, they somehow grow in Vermont where Goddband has some trees sprinkled throughout his orchard. Like the amazing fruitier that she is Maggie couldn't resist sharing some of these tiny gems at her stall at the market.

When I purchased the Medlars they were quite hard and very tart as they were not at all ripe. I kept them on my counter in a little bowl for a full two weeks until they began to soften. A Medlar is ripe when it is almost rotten and very soft and juicy quite like a persimmon and  when it is a beautiful orange red inside. I had a quince around and decided it was high time to make something of these uncommon beauties.

I decided since I had such a small amount to make a Medlar quince butter with a few apples thrown in for good measure.

I cut them up and threw them all in to a pot (seeds and all) with two cups of water, the juice of one whole lemon and let them cook down to a veritable mush. I put them through the Foley food mill; one my favorite kitchen tools and discarded the remaining solids. I ran it through a fine sieve after the food mill just to make sure the texture was very smooth and there were no remaining bits of pulp or seeds. 

I returned the mixture to the stove added one more cup of water and a cup of sugar and let it cook down until it was thickened.

The result is something akin to apple butter but with a subtle quince and pear flavor. The color is a beautiful pink and the three little Weck jars lined up on the counter were incredibly satisfying. I canned two of the jars in a water bath so I could save them for long-term storage.

So far we have been eating it on toast with a little slice of Harpersfield Tilsit cheese from Upstate New York that has been aged with a smoky Lapsang Souchong black tea. The smokiness of the cheese and the tart sweetness of the Medlar is the perfect combination.

rainy day bellocq.

There is nothing quite like a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon. With rain on the horizon this weekend what better thing to do than to head to Greenpoint, Brooklyn to visit the beautiful new Bellocq Tea Atelier. It is a veritable visual feast in there! Every corner is an insanely beautiful tableau. Tea tasting  at Bellocq is a must and it should not be rushed!! My favorites of the moment are the Afghani Chai, Hindu Holiday and Gypsy Caravan.  

If you can't make it to Greenpoint any time soon, you can sometimes catch Bellocq at The New Amsterdam Market at South Street Seaport on Sundays. Check the market list for and update of weekly vendors.

Bellocq teas can also be ordered on line here.

 Copyright © 2011 Andrea Gentl all rights reserved 

prop styling Kim Ficaro

food styling Susie Theodorou

maltagliati. cut brooklyn.

Maltagliati or (badly cut pasta in italian) is my favorite kind of pasta to make. Its large irregular cuts speak to my rustic imperfect side and this knife from Cut Brooklyn the object of my current obsession, is just the knife to cut it! I am seriously obsessed with the knives of blade smith Joel Bukiewicz. I first spotted one of them at the stall of Brooklyn Butcher Blocks at the New Amsterdam Market. I have since used Joel’s knives in any editorial I can squeeze them into. I like to have them on set so I can pine over them! Last week while shooting a feature for a European editorial on Brooklyn Artisans the knives came up again when Joel appeared on the list. I had never been to his studio/shop in Gowanus and was excited to check it out. It happens to be just down the block from Hungry Ghost favorite Four and Twenty Blackbirds and not surprisingly, the  Brooklyn knife maker and pie making sisters are friends!

Joel started making knives about seven years ago when he was living in a small town outside Atlanta. He came to be a blade smith via a hiatus from writing in which he has a degree. Metal work and furniture building eventually led him to this pure precise craft. His knives feel alive, each one carefully crafted for precision, balance and control. They are both light and powerful in hand, each feels as though it has a story to tell.

The knives of his assistant Moriah Cowels, a former blacksmith from Northern Vermont are just as beautiful in their own right. Where his are dark and masculine hers are more feminine and whimsical, but no less powerful.

 

 Knife Cut Brooklyn, Bladesmith Joel Bukiewicz

 

Knives Moriah Cowles at Cut Brooklyn 

where the wild things are. no.4. black walnuts. a tough nut to crack.

 

I am definitely into squirreling away Black Walnuts this year!

While working in Hudson, New York this past week we stopped to gather a bushel that had fallen from a tree we spotted at the woods edge.

Gathering and cleaning Black Walnuts can be a bit of an ordeal, but totally worth the time.The walnuts can be gathered once they have dropped to the ground. Pick them up when they have a green husk. They can then be laid out to age in a dry spot until the husk turns a yellow brown. At that point the outer husk will come off fairly easily, however if you have any trouble just circle around the husk with a small sharp paring knife. Make sure to wear gloves while removing the husk, as the tannins will stain your fingers. The hull should be removed to allow the walnuts to dry out. If the husk is left on, the heat caused by the decomposition of the hull will change the flavor of the walnut. I do know some people who prefer to leave the nut in the hull for a year or more before removing it because they feel it ages the walnut like a great wine or cheese. 

Once the nuts are free of the husk it is best to let them sit a month or two to age. Lay them out on newspaper or brown paper bags. The dryer the nut, the easier it will be to remove the nutmeat without damaging it. I leave them to dry for a few months or more in a well-squirreled proofed place! 

There is much written about the black walnut being that it is a very tough nut crack. You will find many bizarre and unfamiliar suggestions  such as driving over it with a car or wearing heavy work boots to crack the shell, however I have found that a small hammer or a vice will do just fine without damaging the meat inside.

The black walnut has a distinct taste and smell that is unlike the commercial walnut that most of us are used to. Black Walnuts taste of dirt, mushrooms and wine and smell a tiny bit sour, but I promise they taste delicious! The taste is very earthy and lends an interesting rich flavor to many foods. Use them anywhere you would use walnuts.

Recently I made a raw milk panna cotta with a maple and black walnut glaze. I also dropped some into a jar of local honey and served the honey and walnuts with an aged tilsit. Add them to a pesto for an earthiness or to a traditional brownie recipe for an earthy bite.

Next year I will  try pickling black walnuts which has to be done before the shell starts to harden. 

 PANNA COTTA WITH MAPLE AND BLACK WALNUT

Adapted from an Alice Water's recipe from the Chez Panisse Cookbook.

1/4 ounce package of unflavored gelatin

flavorless vegetable oil or almond oil

vanilla bean

3 cups of heavy cream

1 cup of whole milk (I used raw milk)

1/4 cup sugar

Put three tablespoons of cold water in a stainless steel bowl, sprinkle on the gelatin and set aside to soften.

 Lightly brush the ramekins or vessels you will be using with the almond oil or vegetable oil. Set them aside in the fridge to chill while proceeding with the recipe.

Cut the vanilla bean and scrape the inside into a medium sized sauce pan along with the cream, sugar and milk.

Bring to a simmer and cook for about a minute.

Remove from the heat and let the cream mixture cool, stirring occasionally for ten minutes or so.

Pour about one cup or so over the softened gelatin.

Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved, pour it back into the remaining cream mixture and stir well.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve and pour into ramekins or vessels.

Refrigerate for four hours or overnight.

If you are turning the Panna Cotta out of the ramekin, slide a knife around the outside the panna cotta and turn out onto a dish.

I choose to leave them in their vessels.

Maple Black Walnut Glaze.

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

4 black walnuts 

shell the walnuts and coarsely chop. Set aside.

Put the 1/2 cup of maple syrup in a sauce pan and heat on medium heat until it just simmers. Turn it down to low and cook for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.

Spoon the warm maple syrup over the individual panna cotta and add a few pieces of black walnut to each.

Serve while the syrup is warm.

 

 

 Copyright © 2011 Andrea Gentl all rights reserved