Stir Fry

Sometimes you just have to make stir fry.  It takes a wee bit of prep work but comes-together in its final form in a matter of minutes.  Serve with rice or udon noodles and top with crispy Asian noodles.  Low fat, lots of veggies and generally healthy if you skip an egg roll course.

We like shrimp but tonight it's boneless, skinless chicken breast.

Get your wok on the stove top with some oil heating and assemble all of your ingredients. 

Mise en place; starting a nine o'clock, stock, crispy noodles, chicken (sliced in thin strips), rice, diced green scallions, onions, carrots, bok choy (coarsely chopped), sugar snap pea pods, broccoli, water chestnuts (sliced) and oyster mushrooms....

Start your onions and garlic - soften, don't burn.  Add carrots....

Then your chicken.

Give it a stir and toss in the mushrooms and veggies.

Add chicken stock followed by a slurry of corn starch to thicken.

Serve on white, basmati rice topped with crispy noodles and chopped green scallions.

Enjoy!

Leftovers make for a quick lunch.  Pretty good chow if you can get it...  

 

Drum

Recent travel to visit with family found us in Mobile Alabama for a week with an opportunity to become temporary Mobilians and soak-up the history, food and ambiance of this coastal city.  A boat ride of the delta estuary provided an opportunity to take-in the waterfront, port facilities and Austal Shipyard up-close and personal.  Including this:  The USS Drum. 

Forward Torpedo Tubes

USS Drum (SS-228) is a historic Gato-class submarine of the United States Navy that served during World War II.  She was laid down September 11, 1940 and commissioned November 1, 1941.  Her builder was Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine and the boat's nickname became "Mighty Drum"

The Helm

Drum conducted 13 total (April 1942 – April 1945) war patrols resulting in 15 confirmed enemy ships sunk, totaling ~80,580 tons. Drum was the first U.S. submarine to conduct a war patrol from Pearl Harbor after the attack by Japan on December 7, 1941; earning 12 Battle Stars and a Navy Unit Commendation.

Electric Motors

She was decommissioned February 16, 1946 and subsequently permanently berthed on display at USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, Alabama.  Drum is the oldest WWII submarine on public display in the U.S.

 

 

Engine Room

 Fast Facts:

• The Drum survived depth charge attacks and serious damage multiple times.

• Her crew performed numerous daring attacks in Japanese-controlled waters.

• Despite being battle-hardened, no crew member was lost to enemy action during war patrols.  She is a Lucky Boat.

  

  Galley

Max Miller is an American YouTuber and cook known for being the creator and host of Tasting History, a culinary and history fusion web-show that recreates ancient or historical recipes and explains the history around them.

Being a crew member aboard a submarine during World War II was one of the most dangerous jobs in the US military with a fatality rate of over 20%. This, and the extremely cramped and uncomfortable quarters, were why the food aboard a US sub was really good. If nothing else, at least you had delicious food to keep you going.

In this episode Max takes a couple pages out of the Official WWII Navy Cookbook to prepare Swiss Steak with Mashed Potatoes.  These steaks cook up to be fall-apart tender and delicious, and the mashed potatoes have wonderful flavor, even if the texture is a little different from regular mashed potatoes. According to Max the spuds kind of remind him of the mashed potatoes he'd get as a kid in school, which were also probably made from dehydrated potatoes.

Housewife School

Today's music has been replaced with a lesson in Cooking Terminology.

The staff here at The Platz is working double overtime to make America great again....

Got Venison?

Yesterday I was thinking about what to cook for Sunday, game day.  Taking stock of what we had on hand all I needed was a package of fresh mushrooms to whip-up a pot-full of venison stroganoff.  As near as I can figure it has been more than a few years since I made this dish.  And, again, as it turns-out I shouldn't let so many years pass as this is one of the best comfort foods on the planet. 

This also happens to be one of those meals that impresses with its complex taste profile under the guise of thriftiness.  Doesn't matter if you're feeding your family tribe, throwing a dinner party, or like us - cooking for two and don't mind leftovers; this happens to be a recipe that stretches your valuable grocery dollars.

VENISON STROGANOFF 

Directions- 

Fetch a couple of packages of venison steaks or a roast from the freezer.  Because this is a low and slow stove-top braise you needn't use your best venison; a roast works really well. Thaw and cut into strips, cubes or chunks – you pick.  Be sure to trim every last vestige of silver skin and tallow from your cuts.  Season generously with fresh cracked pepper and cracked sea salt.  Dredge in flour and set aside.

 

 

Assemble a couple cups of beef base, half of a chopped onion and chopped garlic.  

 

In a cast-iron Dutch oven heat olive oil to screaming hot and brown your venison in shifts so that the oil stays hot. 

 

 

Remove the browned venison and set aside.  Add the chopped onion and sweat for a minute or two.  Add the chopped garlic.  

 

 

Deglaze your kettle with a bunch of red wine (I prefer Merlot) to get all the browned bits of goodness off from the bottom of the pot. This step is critical. 

Return the venison to the pot along with enough beef base to cover the meat.  Cover, and simmer 2 -3 hours.  Check periodically and taste for seasoning.  

 

 

Add the sliced mushrooms, cover and simmer a couple more hours.  Add more red wine as needed. 

Remove the lid and continue to simmer over medium heat while the sauce reduces.  Start another large pot with salted water to boil.  This is for the noodles. 

 

 

After the stock has reduced to your satisfaction stir-in sour cream slowly to create a silky-smooth result.  Sour cream is totally personal.  When it is right for you, turn down the heat allowing it to continue to thicken. The flour used to dredge the venison should be sufficient; however, If needed you can thicken it further with slurry of corn starch and water.   

When the pot of water reaches a boil add your noodles of choice – we chose egg noodles.  Following the package directions cook your noodles until done.  

 

 

Serve your venison stroganoff over a bed of noodles in a bowl along with dinner rolls, unsalted sweet cream butter, maybe some garden peas on the side.  Red wine or an Oktoberfest beer is a terrific pairing to wash it down.  Throw your low-carb diet out the window and dig-in.  This is damn good chow if you can get it.  And it won't cost you a king's ransom.

Pro-Tip -  If you're feeling ambitious or you have an extra hand in the kitchen, substitute mashed taters or German spaetzle for the noodles.  No venison?  Substitute stewing beef.

Thin Soup

 

Pizza Margherita

A gloomy, on-again, off-again, rain means brick oven cooking. 

Pizza Margherita - the simplest Neapolitan pizza. 

 

The Italian city of Naples is generally-accepted as the home to the creation story of pizza.  Founded in the 16th century the urban peasants of Naples were quite impoverished and thus it was that pizza - a flatbread with toppings - easy to make and could be eaten for any meal that affordably fed the working class of Naples.   

The popular interpretation of the origin of this particular pie is an account from 1889 and a visit by King Umberto I and Queen Margherita to Naples. The Queen summoned the famed pizza-maker Raffaele Esposito to bake three pizzas for her. The first two - an anchovy followed by a marinara were uninspiring to the Queen.  The third - featuring the green, white and red colors of the Italian flag - met with the Queen's approval.  Esposito named his pie for Queen Margherita and requested of her a Royal Seal.  But I digress - I watch to many Stanley Tucci Italian cooking shows on streaming television.

This pie features a long cold fermentation dough, sauce, whole milk mozz, fresh garden basil, salt, and a drizzle of EVO. 

Also broke-in a new professional peel for ease of oven entry and egress….

Recipe of the Day

We had a reasonable expectation that today would be rainy.  It wasn't necessarily cold by Wisconsin standards but it was dank.  We had a plan for a rainy day as I removed a ginormous four pound Marchant's chuck roast from the freezer to thaw in the garage fridge a couple of days ago.

And I have a ginormous inventory of potatoes, onions and carrots from this year's garden.

I had an appointment out in the woods late morning to meet with a logger about a possible logging operation for this winter.  And by the time we returned to the house it was already drizzling.  Bidding him adieu I got to the kitchen just in time to observe the heavens open-up to the accompaniment of sheets of rain and thunder.

Time to initiate the plan.

Instructions here.....

Rainy Day Pot Roast

Ingredients

 

 

Fresh-cracked pepper and sea salt

Olive oil

One 3- to 5-pound chuck roast

2 garden onions, peeled and quartered

6 to 8 garden carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 3-inch pieces

6 medium garden potatoes, peeled and halved

1 cup red wine, optional

3 cups beef base

 

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275F.

1. Generously salt and pepper the meat.

2. Heat 3T olive oil your Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the pot, browning them on all sides. Remove the onions to a bowl.

3. Add the carrots into the same very hot pot and until slightly browned. Add the carrots to the onions.

4. If needed add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for a couple of minutes on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate. 

5. With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot. It is imperative to scrape-up every last tasty browned bit of flavor with a spatula. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to reach halfway on the meat. 

6. Cover the meat with a layer of carrots followed by the onions.

7. Put the lid on and place in the oven. Roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast and 4 hours for a 4 to 5-pound roast. The roast is ready when it's fall-apart tender.

Pro-Tips – Remove the lid from the pot the last hour of cooking to reduce the liquid and brown the vegetables. 

Sometimes I like my potatoes smashed from the stove top. Sometimes I like them prepared in the same fashion as the carrots and onions. This is a matter of personal taste and mood. 

Final thought - if you plan to make gravy from the pot liquor it is wise to use a fat separator.

Good chow if you can get it.

 

Door County Cherry Muffins

Tom’s Cherry Muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a large mixing bowl mix together the following:

2 C of flour

12 oz walnut pieces

3 t of baking powder

1/3 C of sugar

1 t of salt

In a second bowl mix together the following:

1 egg

2 containers of all-natural, unsweetened apple sauce (they come in a 6-pack of 4 oz portions)

½ C of canola oil

¾ C of milk

12 oz of dried, Door County Montmorency tart cherries (more is better than less)

Pour the bowl of mixed wet ingredients into the bowl of mixed dry ingredients. Gently blend together.

Anoint muffin tin with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check towards the end as ovens vary.

Yields one dozen muffins. These don’t last but a couple of days in our house. Enjoy!

Takes a Beating - Keeps On Cooking

Founded by William Coleman this company is known for producing a wide variety of camping and recreational use products. The first dating back to 1900 – the gasoline pressure lamp. 

The first pressurized gasoline camp stove was introduced in 1954 – the Model 413E. This variation was sold from 1954 thru 1961.  As a child I recall camping with mom and dad out of our venerable American Motors Rambler station wagon. Lacking a tent mom and dad bunked in the back of the wagon and I slept on the front seat. Dad hand-built screens to insert in the open windows for ventilation. Mom cooked on a borrowed and battered Coleman gasoline camp stove and I’d bet it was the first model 413E. 

I have pictures in my possession somewhere but I digress. 

In any event I brought these up out the basement last weekend thinking they might get some use this fall/winter. 

These are called Coleman Suitcase Camp Stoves. The smaller on top is a Model 425E manufactured January 1967. I purchased it used. The larger on on the bottom is a Model 413G manufactured April 1980. I purchased it new at Fleet Farm. 

They’re both two-burner models with the smaller stove capable of 14,000 BTU output on the main burner. If the secondary burner is engaged the output is 7500 BTU on the right and 6500 BTU on the left. The larger 413G replaced the 425E and not only boasts an output of 17,000 BTU (9,000 right and 8,000 left) but has a stronger grate capable of supporting heaver cast iron cookware. 

Both of these stoves have surface rust, dings and dents and plenty of scorching.  A camp patina I suppose. And they’ve cooked countless meals outdoors under a year-round range of conditions in both Canada and the United States. If only they could talk. 

I added some fresh gas and after tightening a loose fitting or two they both operate like champs. 

Manufactured in Wichita Kansas, USA - after 93 combined years of service – I figure the amortized cost per use is pretty small.

The lesson is:  hang-on to the good stuff - you never know when it might get put to use for a camping experience - or an emergency.  

Daily Round-up

Much accomplished today.  Dump run, mowing, weeding, harvesting, freezing, a siesta for the girls, cooking and this.

A frosty vodka tonic - lime, rocks, curing club pint glass with a bendy straw on the porch following a shower.
 

There was freshly-picked, lightly dressed, garden salad
 

Homemade pizza pie - crispy thin crust too

And this for dessert 

An altogether decent July day.......

The Best Roasted Pumpkin Seeds in the World

After more than six decades walking this third planet from the sun it has occurred to me that I've roasted a lot of pumpkin seeds over the years.  It all started with my parents following the carving of the jack-o'-lanterns.  This continued into adulthood and more jack-o'-lanterns. And it has evolved to serious pumpkin growing specifically for the seeds. 

I've grown pumpkins for carving, roasting on the grill or making pie filling. You can get a can of pie filling just about anywhere.  But where can you get a good roasted pumpkin seed?   If you're a fan of roasted pumpkin seeds you absolutely need to check this out.  Not only are these pumpkins terrific for fall décor they are prolific seed producers.  Furthermore, their seeds lack the tough outer hulls of other more pedestrian pumpkins making them perfect for roasting.  On top of that they're a bush-variety and don't take-up large amounts of space in the garden.  

Behold the Kakai pumpkin....  

click on images for a closer look

A fetching bright orange pumpkin accented by dark green digital camouflage.  A non-GMO, organically-raised gourd of about 3 to 8 pounds.  

And chock-full of hull-less green seeds - pure kernel - without the tough shell.  All you have to do is open them up, insert your hand into the pulp and all of those seeds will slip right out.  And plenty of them too.  

Pour your seeds into a stock pot and add enough cold water so that they float freely.  Add to that as much kosher salt as you can stand (about a half cup - give or take).  Bring your pot to a boil and then turn-down the heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes. 






Drain your seeds in a colander.  
  

Spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees - stirring every 30 minutes with a spatula for about two hours.  Since ovens vary when your seeds begin to snap, crackle and pop they are telling you they are almost done.  

Finished product!  

A light, nutty, salty, snack that is full of vitamins, minerals and healthy antioxidants.  I am told that they promote prostate health too.  Serve with a frosty beer during the Packer game and at deer camp. But beware - these seeds can be addictive. 

 

If you  want to avoid eating your entire harvest in very short order I recommend that you package most of them with your FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer.  They'll keep for up to a year in the freezer.

Want to try something really decadent?  Mix a bag of M&Ms, dried cranberries and beer nuts in a big bowl along with these.

Cheers!

 

Dutch Brunch Visits The Platz

Our bicycling friends recently returned from a trip to the Netherlands and brought with them a craving for poffertjes - mini Dutch pancakes.  They even went so far as to purchase cast iron poffertjes pans on Amazon.  

These baby pancake puffs are traditionally served with unsalted, sweet cream butter and sieved powdered sugar.   We included blueberries, sliced strawberries and vanilla ice cream.  After-all, what’s Sunday brunch without ice cream…

click on images for a better look

 

Venison Stroganoff

I don't rightly know why I haven't made this dish for such a long time because it is likely one of the best comfort foods around.   

In a nod to Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian intervention in the 2016 election the notorious venison stroganoff has returned.  It was universally acclaimed as yummy good.  I’ll make it again – yet will wait a bit so we do not tire of it.   

VENISON STROGANOFF 

Directions- 

Fetch enough venison steaks from the freezer to feed however many hungry people you’ve invited to dinner.  Thaw and cut into strips, cubes or chunks – you pick.  Season generously with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.  Set aside.  

In a cast-iron Dutch oven heat olive oil to screaming hot and brown your venison in shifts so that the oil stays hot.  Remove the browned venison and set aside.  Deglaze your kettle with a bunch of red wine (I prefer Merlot) to get all the browned bits of goodness off from the bottom of the pot. This step is critical. 

Return the venison to the pot along with a couple of chopped garden onions.  Add enough beef base to cover the meat (3-4 cups – depending), cover with the lid and simmer all afternoon while you go back to the woods to freeze your tuckus in a deer stand.   

After you’ve returned home and hung your deer check on your stroganoff.  Add another cup of Merlot and three pints of fresh sliced mushrooms.  Return the lid and cook another hour while you thaw-out and enjoy cocktail hour and snacks with your friends.   

Remove the lid and continue to simmer over medium heat while the sauce reduces.  Start another large pot with salted water to boil.  This is for the noodles.  Continue to reduce the stock adding salt and pepper to taste.  After the stock has reduced to your satisfaction stir-in sour cream slowly to create a silky-smooth result.  Figure a pint-plus for the sour cream.  When it is right turn down the heat allowing it to continue to thicken.  If needed you can thicken it further with slurry of corn starch and water.   

When the pot of water reaches a boil add two large packages of the noodle of choice – we chose egg noodles.  Following the package directions cook your noodles until done.  Drain them in a colander and return them to the pot with a generous drizzle of olive oil so the noodles don’t stick.   

Serve your venison stroganoff over a bed of noodles in a bowl along with French baguettes, unsalted sweet cream butter and red wine to wash it down.  Throw your low-carb diet out the window and dig-in.  Damn good chow.

Cheers!