Going Local: Raspberry Blue Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette from Scratch

There's so much hope in a packet of seeds, especially on the darkest of winter days.  The summer sun was a distant memory as I sat bundled up in extra layers in my Tajik house which was frequently without heat, electricity or water.  On really bad days, we were without all three, but this year those days were very few and far between.  Planning my garden, surrounded by my packets of seeds was a firm reminder that Tajik winters really are quite short-lived and generally pretty mild.

When it comes to gardening, I'm a novice, learning a bit more year after year.  What I've learned is that I love growing mixed lettuces!  They are so forgiving and as long as you are good about harvesting (which I am self-admittedly not), the cut-and-come-again varieties will last you for a good couple of months.  I started this batch in a big galvanized tin about three months ago. 

I trimmed back this bunch today and having popped my head in the fridge to see what was lurking, I came up with this delicious summer salad.

For this deceptively simple salad, I tossed a handful of ripe raspberries, a bit of crumbled blue cheese, about four chopped walnuts and tons of black pepper.  

                     

A simple balsamic vinaigrette finished it off.  

Or, should I say, I finished it off?

Going Local: Pad Thai from Scratch

Last week I was looking for one of those make ahead dishes that can be served later that day or even the next day by simply reheating on the stove top. We've been having work done on the house we live in for the last month, so I've been relying on these dishes to get me through the times I don't have access to my kitchen. 

I decided on this pad thai recipe primarily because I had all the ingredients and because it's the short-cut version of pad thai.  In fact, if you substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce, it's a Going Local recipe, meaning you can find everything here in Dushanbe.  More traditional recipes will call for tamarind paste, coconut palm sugar, shallot and/or banana flower.  If you have banana flower, I say use it!  But if not, this version is perfect for the home cook based in Dushanbe, or Sturgeon Bay, for that matter!

Here's what you need.  The bean sprouts and the tofu can be bought from "the Chinese Ladies at the Green Bazaar".  I froze lime juice from fresh limes I bought in the Green Bazaar last year.  The brown sugar can be made this way -- use local molasses if you don't have any from the US.  The rice noodles were bought most likely at Tim or Paikar.  The rest of the ingredients -- cilantro, green onion, onion, eggs, garlic can be bought almost anywhere in town.

First up, the noodles.  I reconstituted in hot water per the recipe's directions but these noodles need more heat.  I recommend that you follow the directions on the back for cooking. 

I ended up having to cook them in boiling water for about 4 minutes on the stove top after about an hour of soaking.  

Once cooked, set the noodles aside then move on to the sauce:

3 tablespoons of ketchup.

3 tablespoons of fish sauce.  You can substitute soy sauce if you don't have fish sauce. 

I added a hunk of frozen lime juice I had buried in my freezer.  I called it 2 tablespoons.

And 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

And that's your sauce. Put it aside. 

Next are the scrambled eggs.  I decreased the amount of oil in the recipe and put only about 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil into my non-stick wok.  

Beat the three eggs, then place into the hot oil over medium high.  Scramble the eggs until slightly firm.  Don't over cook.  Slide them out onto a plate and set them aside. 

Add another tablespoon of oil into the wok and bring that up to temperature.  Add the onion, 

and the garlic and saute for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. 

Then add your protein of choice, tofu in this case.  Cook the tofu for about 2 minutes. 

Then add your ketchup sauce.

And two cups out of the three of bean sprouts to the stir fry.

And the chopped green onions.   (Pretend they are chopped.  I deleted that photo accidentally).

And the cooked noodles and 1/4 cup of water.   Cook the mixture until the liquid has almost all evaporated. 

Add your scrambled eggs back into the mixture, making sure they are broken up into little chunks. 

Toss in the coarsely chopped cilantro, about 1/4 - 1/2 cup.

Cook until everything is heated through.   Add the last cup of the bean sprouts and toss.   Then it's ready to serve - either on a family-sized plate or in individual bowls.  

Either way, garnish with coarsely chopped peanuts and dig in!

And while I was relegated to the top chan (the raised tea bed) while the "masters" replastered and repainted the earthquake cracks last week, I enjoyed my leftovers.  

And paired with a cold diet coke on a hot day with a dollap of sriracha hot sauce, I dare say it was even better the next day.

Going Local: Tomato Soup From Scratch

Ok.  So maybe tomato soup is more of a fall food.  When the leaves start turning and there's a chill in the air.  For us here in The Dush, we are into the low 80s during the day.  So why tomato soup?  1) I love tomatoes!  and 2) You should see how many canned and jarred tomatoes I have in my pantry. I must have had some irrational fear of a tomato shortage going into the winter season last year.  Not only did I hord store bought jarred tomatoes whenever I found them, I also preserved a ton of them last September. 

This is my quick and dirty version of tomato soup.  The ratio of tomato to onion to garlic is variable and is determined by what I have on hand and how garlickly I think I can go with the soup and still have my five year olds eat it.

Which leads me to the third reason I make this soup.  3)  My girls LOVE it.  

Grab a couple of garlic cloves.

Smash them with the flat side of your knife with your palm.  Do NOT cut yourself.  Again, there's no reason for any of us to be testing the Tajik medical system.  Some things are better left to the imagination.

With the flat side of the blade, sharp edge away from you, bash the cloves with your fist and occassionally sweep the sharp edge at about a 20 degree angle across the crushed cloves.  Ignore this step if that doesn't make sense.  You're just trying to flatten the cloves so you can more easily mince them. 

Once flattened, mince finely.

Then grab an onion or two and dice them.

Grab your olive oil and put a few glugs into the bottom of a good sized pot.  Perhaps one or two tablespoons worth.

Saute the onion for about five minutes, then add your minced garlic, sauteing for another five minutes or so.

Add your jarred tomatoes.  

Plain jarred tomatoes are not always available in these parts (see Hording above).  Don't confuse them with the much more readily available pickled tomatoes.  Although, if you dumped the brine it might not be that bad....

These tomatoes had their skin on so once in the pot I easily slipped the skins off with my fingers.

Fill your jar up about 3/4 of the way with vegetable stock - or chicken stock, or beef stock or even water.

Then add to the tomatoes.

Simmer over medium heat for at least 15 minutes, but longer if you wish.





Then it's time to whip out your handy stick blender.

Notice the orange hue?  It's made so many tomato soups that it's permanently stained.  I like that.

Immerse your immersion blender directly into the pot and carefully puree it until it's smooth.  Eat now or save for later.  It's even better the second day!

Pair it with a grilled cheese, and all's right in the world again.