No oven, no fridge, no prob
Lo-fi veggies & sauces
Hey there friends of Bare Bones,
It’s been a minute! We just wrapped our 6-week summer class, and had a blast learning all kinds of new ways to make the most of our CSA boxes. Today, we’re featuring a tasty currant vinaigrette from Kris of Corning, N.Y. that goes great over summer veggies, cold meats or soft cheeses, and we answer Elizabeth of Wayzata, M.N.’s question of what on earth to do with kohlrabi.
Our next round of Bare Bones Cooking Class starts Sep. 28!
Registration opens in late August — more soon here in the newsletter on how you can join us.
Without further ado…
Cooking Without a Kitchen
I won’t pretend that I’ve loved living through the remodel of our summer cabin. Here on the shores of “The Great Sea” (Gichi Gami/ Lake Superior), cooking without an oven or a fridge has been challenging at times, but has also allowed me to channel my inner kid. I was the one, after all, who would pitch a tent in the backyard at the first sight of fireflies each summer. My dad, after much begging, would let me roast hot dogs on a stick over a fire in the grill, delighting in their hiss and blister. And after the feast, I reveled in the sticky delight of s’mores, experimenting with the ideal marshmallow-to-flame distance, peacefully tossing the burned ones in pursuit of golden-brown perfection.
So, as we’ve camped out on our cabin porch until back-ordered lumber and appliances arrive, I’ve relied on my childhood pluck to make easy, light summer meals. Kip and his gal Alli, having car-camped their way from D.C. to northern Wisconsin, brought along with them a few no-kitchen-cooking tips that have kept me sane and happy these past few weeks.
The first is to lower your expectations. Keep it simple, and don’t stock up on anything but wine (if you do imbibe), and maybe peanut butter and jelly. Buy small quantities and be prepared to feed the compost, especially when things get a little soft or stinky.
Be sure to bring two sharp knives, a 10-inch French knife and a small paring knife. Sharpen them well, along with your sense of humor.
For cooking, we’ve used two small grills, one charcoal and one propane. We use the gas stove for more delicate and tender foods – zucchini, eggplant, summer squash, fish, peaches and cherries. We do bell peppers, onions, potatoes, bruschetta, hot dogs, burgers and meatless meat on the charcoal grill, which — even after weeks of dedication to the very fine art of stacking and stoking and turning briquets until they turn that ashy white — still feels like a crapshoot in terms of temp. Above 350F and below 550F has done the trick, so long as we keep a close eye on the food as it cooks.
After a few nights, I renewed my feel for what each vegetable looks like when it’s just about done. Kip prefers zucchini lightly charred and tender-crisp; I let them cook until they’re blackened and thin, nearly as dry as a potato chip.
Our pantry consists of good olive oil, balsamic, white wine and red wine vinegars (see Kris’ recipe below for a creative way to use), and a couple of seasoned sea salts. We keep lemons and limes on hand for spritzing veggies and fish as they come off the grill, along with mixing basic cocktails. Breakfast consists of granola and oat milk, and coffee and tea from an electric pot.
In a cooler we keep hard cheeses, cured meats, hummus, and yogurt — which turns out keeps longer than milk. Apples, cherries and berries don’t last long, so eat them quickly; peaches and other stone fruits can ripen on the shelf. Veggies that have kept well without a refrigerator include tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini.
Cucumbers, lettuces, beans, peas, corn go into the cooler, or a shelf without sunlight. A few condiments can save slightly bland or overcooked veggies: ketchup, mustard bbq sauce, soy sauce. We’ve officially converted to vegan mayo (don’t tell my husband), which is made with chickpea froth rather than egg-whites. The Sir Kensington’s brand is shockingly good.
For fresh meat, we buy only enough for a meal or two. And for hamburgers, go with frozen patties and frozen sausages that can thaw slowly while keeping other food cold in the cooler. Veggie burgers tend to last longer than fresh meat, and sourdough buns and bread have a longer shelf life.
But the real key to no-kitchen-cooking isn’t in the technique, but the attitude. Let yourself goof around. Kip rediscovered an old favorite by tossing kale and collards on the grill for a few minutes to make a crunchy topping for seared whitefish. (We learned not to do this with snap peas, as they turn bitter and blacken quickly). And in a true “screw it” moment, thickly sliced beefsteak tomatoes doused in olive oil, seared for a minute on each side, and finished with plenty of chopped basil, was nothing short of a revelation.
Currant Vinaigrette
Created by Kris of Corning, N.Y. in the Bare Bones Cooking Class!
This is a cross between a vinaigrette and a relish, adapted from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons. He uses it to garnish parsnip soup, we like it over cold meats or soft cheeses on a cheese plate.
¼ cup currants
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup roughly chopped celery leaves
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
¼ cup olive oil
Soak the currants in the red wine vinegar for 15 minutes. While the currants are soaking, toast the pine nuts in a skillet on the stove over medium heat until they are golden. Put everything but the olive oil in a bowl, including the currants and their soaking vinegar, and give it all a toss. Add the olive oil and whisk with a fork, being careful not to crush the currants.
Taste the vinaigrette and adjust the seasoning. All red wine vinegars are different – if yours tastes too tangy add a little salt. It seems counterintuitive but the salt will balance the vinegar nicely. If it tastes too sharp, add a few drops of honey. This vinaigrette doesn’t keep well, so eat it all right away.
What to do with…Kohlrabi
Thanks to Elizabeth from Wayzata for reaching out to ask “what on earth do you do with kohlrabi?”
In German, kohlrabi means “cabbage turnip, so it tastes, you know, cabbage-y and turnip-y: slightly bitter and grassy, like broccoli but a touch sweeter. Inside its thick skin, kohlrabi is crisp and juicy, and as a member of the brassica family (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower), its high in antioxidants.
If yours come with the greens attached, cooks them as you would turnips greens or kale. And when you get to use the bulb, be sure to peel away the fibrous layer. It’s as delicious raw with a dip as it is cooked. Here are a few ways to enjoy:
Roasted Kohlrabi and Beet Salad with Chèvre
Serves 4
This dish showcases the best of both vegetables without a lot of work. Turn this into an entree by topping with a couple of fried eggs or sautéed chicken or dust with Parmesan and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve over pasta or rice.
1 to 1 1/2- pounds kohlrabi, about 2 medium-sized
1 to 1 1/2 pounds beets, about 2 to 3 medium-sized
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 head coral or leaf lettuce
2 oz chèvre, broken into little pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and trim the kohlrabi and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Trim and scrub the beets and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Toss vegetables with 2 tablespoons of the oil to coat and spread them out on a baking sheet so the pieces do not touch. Sprinkle with the salt. Roast until tender and slightly browned, shaking the pan and turning at least once or twice for even cooking and browning, about 30 to 35 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and lemon juice.
Arrange the lettuce on a serving plate and arrange the vegetables on top of the lettuce. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Scatter chèvre pieces over the vegetables. Season with the salt and pepper and garnish with the parsley before serving.
Kholrabi Home Fries: Peel and cut the Kohlrabi into fingers, toss with a little oil, and sprinkle with sea salt, ground pepper, and a little chili power, then spread out on a baking sheet and roast at 400-degrees until the exterior is crisp and the fingers are tender.
Kohlrabi & Potato Mash-Up: Serves 4 - 6. Lighter and tangier than straight mashed potatoes, this is great with fried or roast chicken or grilled steak.
1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes (2 medium), peeled and diced
1 pound kohlrabi, peeled and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons playing, whole milk Greek yogurt, to taste
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place the potatoes and kohlrabi in a pot and add enough water to cover by an inch. Add salt to taste (like the ocean), bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until both vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off most of the water.
Using a potato masher, smash the vegetables and add in the butter and yogurt working until you have a lumpy puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bare Bones features weekly-ish essays on food, family and what nourishes us from Beth Dooley and Kip Dooley. Their Bare Bones Cooking Class with start again on September 22. Registration opens in late August - stay tuned!