Kif Candy(Majoun) as told by Paula Wolfert

This past October 08 our home was shot by This Old House Magazine. As a "Thank You" I invited the TOH crew and folks that helped make the shoot happen over for meal at the old farm house on Bone Hollow Road. I asked Amy Rosenfeld, Creative Director, what sorta meal she would like? I suggested Moroccan, she loved the idea.

Gregory and I researched the Tajine meal and the recipes through Paula Wolfert's "Couscous and Other Good Moroccan Foods"(food stylist Roscoe Betsil suggest's that the cookbook is one of the best Moroccan cookbooks). Gregory spyed this little diddy which we prepared as an ending to a truly fun meal. I might suggest placing a sliver of Kif Candy on a peice of Dry Soppressa Sausage...savory and sweet on your palate. yummmmmmm

1 pound of Smen (Cooked and Salted Butter) in a casserole with plenty of water and about 3 cups stalks, seeds, and leaves of kif (Cannabis). After bringing it to a boil let it simmer 2 hours, then carefully strain it into a large, deep roasting pan. Then, throw away the stalks, seeds, and leaves and let the butter cool and rise to the top in the refrigerator overnight. Then place the butter in the casserole with 1 pound chopped dates, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon aniseed, 1/2 cup dark, heavy honey, and 1/2 cup each ground almonds and walnuts (these proportions are from The Hashish Cookbook). Then cook all this together until it gets very thick, bubbly and brown. Add some orange flower water and ras el hanout to taste, pack the majoun in clean jars.

*eat with care! enjoy and play fun music for hours of fun!

Cheese and Nut Loaf with Wild Mushroom Sauce

The other day, Gregory came home from family business & the scorching Miami heat to the “chilly” Hudson Valley (we have been having a terrific summer!!!) Anyway, he needed a hearty, nice meal to arrive home too. Last Christmas our wonderful neighbors across the street Anna, David and their super kids Julian and Violet Yaffe, gave our home a vegetarian cookbook "The Greens Cookbook" by Deborah Madison. Anna had suggested the Cheese and Nut Loaf with Wild Mushroom Sauce. So, I took Anna’s suggestion and whipped up this wonderful hearty delight. Boy! Was the vegetarian terrine tasty and rich, cooked in an Emile Henry Loaf Pan it came out like magic!!! The loaf was soft, dense and was definitely a satisfying main coarse, served with a side of garlic string beans from Davenport Farms. The next day, as a left over, we put slices on toasted12 Grain Bread for lunch. A extra yummy sandwich….

Cheese and Nut Loaf

1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
1 ½ cups walnuts
½ cup cashews
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Salt to taste
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
½ cup mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
½ to one ounce dried shitake or porcini mushrooms, soaked for 20 minutes in hot water and chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons thyme leaves, chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
1-tablespoon marjoram, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1-teaspoon sage, chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried sage
4 eggs beaten
1-cup cottage cheese
9 to 12 ounces cheese, grated (use a variety of cheeses, depending on what you have on hand and make sure they go well together…I used Gruyere, Mild Cheddar, Jack.
Ground Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Begin by cooking the brown rice, unless you have some cooked. Roast the nuts in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, and then chop them finely.

Cook the onion in the butter over moderate heat until translucent; then season with salt and add the garlic, chopped mushrooms, dried mushrooms, and herbs. Cook until the liquid being released by the mushrooms has been reduced. Combine this mixture with the rice, nuts, eggs, cottage cheese, and grated cheese. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and additional salt, if needed.

Lightly butter an Emile Henry Loaf Pan; then line it with buttered wax paper or parchment paper. Fill the pan and bake the loaf at 375° Fahrenheit until the top is golden and rounded, about 1 to 1 ¼ hours. The loaf should be firm when you give the pan a shake.

Let the loaf sit 10 minutes before turning it out onto a serving plate, then take off the paper. Serve with the Wild Mushroom Sauce (see below)

Wild Mushroom Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups Wild Mushroom Stock or Broth
1-tablespoon tomato sauce or 1 teaspoon of pureed sun dried tomatoes, I combo-ed and used both!
4 tablespoons cream
Salt
Pepper

Melt the butter in a Viking Cookware Saucepan, then stir in the flour with a sauce whisk, cook over a low flame for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat to let cool slightly. Bring the mushroom stock to a boil; whisk it into the cooled roux. Stir in the tomato and the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy!!!!

SBN

Grilled Sweet Potato Spears

When I first moved here last summer, Sean and Gregory were kind enough to let me move in for a few months....boy was I lucky!

Summertime for them means lots of grilling and well, I was spoiled!

I thought I'd share one of my favorites... something that is unusual, but goes great with anything!

Sean cooked this up for me one night and I was hooked! Between his killer Turkey Burgers (recipe to come) and these Sweet Potatoes it's a wonder I moved out...

Grilled Sweet Potato Spears:

Cut Sweet Potato into 4 long shaped spears

Soak in Friankies 457 Olive Oil (my absolute favorite)

Sprinkle liberally with Salt and Pepper

Add a dash of cayenne pepper to each spear

A bit of paprika

Lay Sweet Potatoes skin side down on the grill 8-10 minutes

Flip and grill for 3-5 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft inside (test with a fork)

Serve with your favorite meat or fish or just eat as a snack....

Quick, easy, healthy, and delicious to boot!!

xo,

g