Food Mill

▻ 2 lbs apples, stems and seeds removed and quartered
▻ ½ to1 cup water

In a large pot place the quartered apples with one-half cup of water. Bring apples and water to a boil, lower heat to medium, cover pot and cook about ten minutes until apples turn to mush. Stir the apples half way through cooking and check to make sure that they are not scorching. Add additional water if necessary. Better to have a little too much than not enough water. Process with the food mill. Season with lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar to taste. Some cooks add a pinch of cloves too.

This is a quick, simple marinara sauce that will only be good if your tomatoes are ripe. If you have a food mill, you don't have to peel and seed the tomatoes; you can just quarter them and put the sauce through the mill.

▻ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
▻ 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced (to taste)
▻ 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill, peeled, seeded, and diced if you don't
▻ 1/8 teaspoon sugar
▻ 2 sprigs of fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
▻ Salt
▻ 1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil
▻ Freshly ground pepper

1. In a wide, nonstick frying pan, or in a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil or thyme sprig, and salt (begin with 1/2 teaspoon and add more later), and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring often, until thick. Pulpy tomatoes like romas will usually take 20 to 30 minutes. However, if the tomatoes are very juicy, it will take longer for them to cook down. The longer you cook the sauce, the sweeter it will be. You can speed up the process by turning up the heat, but stir often so the sauce doesn't scorch. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the slivered fresh basil and some freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

2. If using quartered tomatoes, put through the medium blade of a food mill. If you used peeled seeded tomatoes but want a sauce with a smooth, even texture, remove the basil sprigs and discard. Pulse the sauce in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

[via NYTimes.com]

There are many ways and many tools with which to mash potatoes, from your grandmother's potato masher to a food mill to the bottom of a mason jar.

The method we are illustrating is only one example. It's no secret mashed potatoes taste better to many people when they are made with lots of cream and butter, so we don't skimp on the butter and cream in this illustration! Keep in mind you can use as much or as little butter and cream as your tastes and dietary requirements demand.


1. We used a blend of red and russet potatoes. This combination creates a slight texture variation in the finished mashed potatoes. Instead of having one consistent texture, you will create very small lumps in the mashed potatoes. If you prefer completely smooth mashed potatoes, this method still applies, but russet or Yukon Gold potatoes - with their high starch content - are the best mashers. (Potatoes with a high water content are better for frying or in potato salads, where they will hold their shape.)

▻ We used 6 potatoes, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup salted butter, and salt to taste.

2. Peel the potatoes, removing as many of the eyes as possible with the tip of your peeler. The skin and eyes, while containing additional nutrients, do not mash well. Remove and discard them. (If you prefer more rustic mashed potatoes, keep the skin on half of them.)


3. Submerge the potatoes in a bowl of cold water to keep them from turning brown while you are chopping them.



4. Cut the potatoes into similar-sized chunks so they will cook evenly: the cubes should be about 1½ to two inches wide.



5. Use a pot large enough to hold the potatoes with enough water to cover. Add salt, if desired. Place the pot over a high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.



6. Simmer, covered, until tender - about 15 to 20 minutes. A knife tip inserted into a potato should meet no resistance; if the potato clings to the knife, the potatoes need to cook longer. When potatoes are done, remove from heat and drain immediately.


7. Reserve the potato water when draining the potatoes if you would like to use it in place of butter or cream when mashing, or if you plan to make a vegetable soup stock or sourdough bread.



8. Let the potatoes sit for a minute to dry and to allow any excess water to drain from the bottom of the colander. Meanwhile, heat the butter and cream in a small saucepan at a low temperature. (You can also use the microwave for this step.)


9. We used a food mill to make these mashed potatoes. A food mill or potato ricer are probably the best tools for mashed potatoes, as they avoid over-mixing them, which can result in a gluey texture. Other tools work just fine, however - but the finished product might not be as smooth and fluffy.


10. Using a ricer or mill ensures once the potatoes have passed through the grate at the bottom, they'll be lump-free: the potato is forced into small "grains" like rice. The biggest drawback with using electric mixers is that they can overwork the potatoes to the point where the starch molecules break. Use care: mix the potatoes enough to avoid lumps, but not so much that they take on a sticky, gummy consistency.

11. Once the potatoes have been passed through the mill, drizzle half of your hot cream through and around the grate to get every last bit of potato. Clean off the bottom of the ricer, and add any additional mashed potatoes to the bowl you have been working in. Gently stir in the remaining butter and cream.


12. At this point, taste the potatoes for proper seasoning and adjust it to taste. Test for consistency, too: if the potatoes are too thick, add more cream. Other herbs and spices can be added at this point as well - chopped chives, Italian parsley, Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, roasted garlic, chopped scallions, or creamed leeks are all delicious matches.

13. To reduce the fat content of traditional mashed potatoes, use low-fat sour cream in place of butter, and milk or broth rather than cream.

[via Allrecipes]

BASIC VEGETABLE RECIPE
(Makes 8 food cubes)

Do not add salt, sugar, or fat.

▻ 1 cup cooked fresh or frozen vegetables without salt (use potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, yellow squash)
▻ 4-8 Tablespoons cooking liquid, formula, or water

Press vegetable chunks through a sieve or baby food mill, thinning with cooking liquid or formula to eating consistency. Or, puree vegetables and liquid in blender until smooth. Serve or freeze.

Note: After trying single foods, good combinations are potatoes and carrots or carrots and peas.


FRESH FRUIT
(Makes 4 food cubes)

Try different varieties of fruit in this recipe.

▻ 3/4 cup ripe fruit (uncooked peaches, nectarines, bananas, pears, apricots, apples)
▻ 1 teaspoon unsweetened fruit juice
▻ 1 teaspoon lemon-flavored water (1 teaspoon lemon juice to 1 cup water to prevent darkening)

Remove skin and seeds from fruit. Puree ingredients in baby food mill or blender until smooth. Serve or freeze.

[via The Vegetarian Resource Group]