Roast Duck

Roast Duck

When I make roast duck I follow Julia Child's recipe in "Mastering The Art Of French Cooking."

The secret of making delicious duck is to not over cook it.

ROAST DUCK

1 5 1/2 lb. duckling
1/2 t. sea salt
1/8 t. pepper
a pinch of thyme
1 small sliced onion
1 medium slice carrot
1 medium sliced onion
Shallow roasting pan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Season the inside of the duck with sea salt, pepper, herbs and sliced onion.  Secure the legs, wings, and neck skin to the body.  I use twine.  Prick the skin around the thighs, back, and lower breast.  Dry the duck thoroughly with a paper towel.

Place the duck breast up in the roasting pan and strew the carrot and onion around it.  Set the pan in the middle level of the oven for 15 minutes to brown slightly.

Reduce the heat to 350 degree and turn the duck on its side.  Remove accumulated fat occasionally with a bulb baster.  Basting a duck is not necessary.

About 20 minutes later turn the duck to its other side.

15 minutes later salt the duck and turn it breast up.

The duck is done to medium rare if the juices from the fattest part of the thigh or drumstick run faintly rosy when the meat is pricked.  The duck is well done when the juices run pale yellow.

When done, discard trussing strings and place the duck on a platter.

SAUCE FOR DUCK

To make a sauce spoon out all but 1 Tablespoon of fat.  Add 1 - 2 c. of stock and boil rapidly scraping up roasting juices and crushing the vegetables until the liquid is reduced at least by half.  Correct the seasoning.  Add some butter and swirl around in sauce.  Pour sauce over sliced duck and serve.

Wild Foraging

In the winter in southern California you can grow a wonderful assortment of vegetables in the backyard garden.  Cool season vegetables that do well in the winter are lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, leeks, green onion, garden peas, endive, escarole and kale.

In the winter I always seem to get out of a garden mood.  I really like the IDEA of a winter garden.  I have yet to actually do one.

Come winter I like to spend my time hiking in the hills. The hills are green and as the rain comes wild edibles and wild flowers begin to appear.  When I am out hiking in the winter if I keep an eye out I might find wild edibles such as wild onion, miner's lettuce, mallow, rose hips, or wild strawberries.

Foraging is fun.  If you are interested in learning more about wild foods I recommend getting a good plant identification guide or taking a class.

Homemade Lacto-Fermented Sodas

All summer long Carrisa and I perfected our soda making skills.  Soda making turned out to be one of our favorite on-going food projects.  We made so much soda that we ended up giving a lot of it away as gifts.  Of all the recipes that we tried this one got the most reliable results.

HOW TO MAKE LACTO-FERMENTED SODA

Phase I

2 c. filtered water
1/2 c. fruit juice, or tea
1/4 c. organic sugar
1/4 c. whey

Heat the juice or tea with sugar until it just begins to simmer.  Remove mixture from heat and stir in the filtered water.  Let it cool to about 100 degrees and stir in the whey.  Pour into a quart-sized mason jar and seal with the lid.  Set the jar aside in a warm location for 2 - 5 days.  If the weather is warm the process will be faster.  Open the jar and check it everyday to release a little gas.  When you hear a fizzy sound the brew is ready for Phase II.

Phase II

Jar of base
2 c. filtered water
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. sea salt
1 T. lemon juice

In a large ceramic or glass bowl combine the soda base with the additional sugar, sea salt, and lemon juice. Then add the filtered water.  With a funnel pour it into strong glass bottles.  Carrisa and I used old soda and kombucha bottles. Cap the bottles tightly and set them in a warm location for an additional 2 - 5 days.  Refrigerate for at least one day and enjoy your own home-brew.

SODA TIP FOR THE DAY:

It is fun to experiment with different flavors.  When Carrisa and I were gifted with a jar of homemade blackberry juice this summer we added a few drops of rose hydrosol used that to prepare the base for what became a delicious Blackberry-Rose Soda.

Refreshing End Of Summer Salad

Serene Cuisine Signature Salad -

On hot days I find salad so satisfying.  This salad features tender butter head lettuce, diced Fuji apples, sliced bacon, avocado, and a dressing made with olive oil, rice vinegar, fresh basil and honey.

Serene Cuisine Signature Salad

Whey

THE ARTISANAL CRAFT OF LACTO-FERMENTATION

I keep a bottle of whey on hand expressly for the purpose of lacto-fermentation.  I use whey to make sourdough pancakes, soured oats, pickled cucumber, pickled turnips, pickled carrots, pickled radish, beet kvass, sauerkraut, apple cider and a wonderful array of lacto-fermented sodas.  I have made pickled kale stems and pickled green beans.  I am not too fond of pickled green beans though I still have a jar of those kale stems somewhere in the back of my fridge.  I pickled watermelon radish, and though they tasted good, I was disappointed to find that the distinct green and red watermelon-like coloring faded away in the brine.

Lacto-fermented sodas are a unique and wonderful summer treat.  Carrisa and I made ginger ale, blackberry rose, elderberry punch, and orange soda this summer.  Ginger ale was my personal favorite.

Bottle Of Whey

HOW TO MAKE WHEY

1 qt. whole milk yoghurt

Line a large strainer with a clean dish towel and place it over a large bowl.  Pour the yoghurt into the strainer, cover with a towel, and let it stand at room temperature for several hours until most of the whey has separated into the bowl.  Then place it in fridge and let it continue straining overnight.  In the morning store the whey in a jar.  Spoon the yoghurt, which will be the consistency of cream cheese, into a covered glass jar.  The whey keeps about 6 months.  The thick creamy Greek-style yoghurt will keep for about 1 month in the fridge. 

WHERE TO FIND RECIPES

You will find a variety of recipes for lacto-fermented food and beverages in Sally Fallon's cookbook "Nourishing Traditions."

Carrisa's New Weston A. Price Foundation Diet

Dietary Guidelines

1.  Eat whole, unprocessed foods.

2.  If you eat beef, lamb, game, organ meats, poultry or eggs make certain that they organic and pasture raised.

3.  Eat wild fish (not farm-raised) and shellfish from unpolluted waters.

4.  Eat full-fat milk products from pasture-fed cows, preferably raw and/or fermented, such as raw milk, whole yoghurt, kefir, cultured butter, whole raw cheese, and fresh and sour cream.

5.  Use animal fats such as butter.

6. Use traditional vegetable oils only - extra virgin olive oil, expeller-expressed sesame oil, small amounts of expeller-expressed flax oil and the tropical oils - coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.

7.  Take cod liver oil regularly.

8.  Eat fresh fruits and vegetables - preferably organic - in salads and soups, or lightly steamed with butter.

9.  Use whole grains, legumes and nuts that have been prepared by soaking, sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and other anti-nutrients.

10.  Include enzyme-enhanced lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis.

11.  Prepare homemade stock to use in soups, stews, gravies, and sauces.

12.  Use filtered water for cooking and drinking.

13.  Use unrefined salt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation.

14.  Make you own salad dressing with organic extra virgin olive oil.

15.  Use natural sweeteners in moderation.

16.  Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals.

17.  Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel.

18.  Use only natural food-based supplements.

19.  Get plenty of sleep, exercise, and natural light.

20.  Think positive thoughts and practice forgiveness.

Red Gooseberries

I always thought gooseberries were green.  Check out these little gems.

While visiting Salt Lake City this summer with Carrisa we found a thriving farmer's market on Saturday morning at Pioneer Park.  In August there is an incredible selection of local and artisanal foods to be had such as meats, cheese, honey, bread, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits.  I loaded up on local fruit that I don't usually see in the southern California markets such as three varieties of currants (purple, red, and white), two varieties of gooseberry (green and red) and two varieties of raspberry (purple and red). The flavor and sweetness of the red gooseberry reminds me of grapes.