Dutch Oven Shepherd's Pie

With the cooler weather, Freddie & I have both been craving "comfort foods".  I had checked out this cookbook at the library (one of my favorite genres!) & found the Shepherd's Pie recipe.  I remember my mother making this often after Sundays when we had leftover mashed potatoes.  Believe it or not, when I was sick in my first trimester, this was my only dinner request from my mother-in-law.  So, we have fallen in love with this recipe & it's becoming a weekly dinner.  We have tried both lamb & beef.  Though we love lamb, we actually prefer the beef here.

Dutch Oven Shepherd's Pie
Serves 6 to 8
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

TOPPING:
2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 medium), peeled & cubed
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
Ground black pepper
2 large egg yolks

FILLING:
2 pounds ground lamb or beef
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium onions, minced
2 carrots, peeled & cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen peas
Salt & ground black pepper

FOR THE TOPPING: Heat oven to 400F. Put potatoes & 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large pan & add water to cover. Bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer & cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 15-20 minutes. Prepare filling while waiting.

Drain the potatoes well, return them to the pot over low heat & mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Off the heat, fold in the butter until melted, then stir in the warm milk & season with salt & pepper to taste. Stir in the yolks.

FOR THE FILLING: Cook the meat in a Dutch oven over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Drain through a strainer, discarding the juice & fat. Let sit.

Add the butter, onions & carrots to the Dutch oven & cook over medium heat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic & thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour & tomato paste & cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the broth & Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits & smoothing out any lumps. Bring to a simmer & cook until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in the drained meat & peas, season with salt & pepper to taste & smooth the filling into an even layer. Dollop the potato topping over the filling, then spread it into an even layer, covering the filling completely & anchoring the potatoes to the sides of the pot.

Bake until the top is light golden, 20 to 25 minutes (takes less time if all ingredients are hot). Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

A Perfect Gift -- and not just another cookbook!

A special friend of mine gifted me this cookbook when I was about 30 years old.  Up until this time, I had not needed to have any cooking expertise (I escaped it that long :).  I always said I didn't enjoy cooking but I realize in hindsight that it was simply because I didn't know how.  I read this book from front to back.  It is most interesting (even for the experienced cook), starting with giving a list of the essential equipment & tools of any kitchen, a list of the three basic knives, etc.  One particular section that I love is the vegetable pages.  The book takes one vegetable per page teaching you how to buy & prepare it and ways to it cook (with times!).  I'm blushing, but it was with this book that I learned to make mashed potatoes!  I can say now that I've come far beyond that & love to cook!

Here's a very condensed list of recipes from the book that are now my standbys (and pretty much committed to memory):

Potato Soup (yes, you've seen that on this blog)
Broccoli Soup
Orange-Glazed Pork Chops
Fried Rice
Potato Salad
Roasted Garlic
Spanish Rice
Beef Stew

(The only recipe that I did not care for was Turkey Salad with Fruit.)

So, if you need a gift for a new bride or graduate, this is perfect!  And if you want to take a peek for yourself, check it out at the library. (ISBN: 9-780028-624518)

"Eating on the Wild Side"

Here's a book I have on my "To Read" list.  I wish I had read it already & had a review for you.  Freddie was listening to NPR the other day & the author, Jo Robinson, was on Fresh Air.  He was sharing a little with me.  One of the interesting facts was about vegetable/fruit peelings.  She claims that most of the nutrients are in the peelings (specifically mentioning carrots).  I am assuming that she promotes buying organic/pesticide-free produce.  I believe this is one of the reasons people peel vegetables.

Therefore, this week we enjoyed Scalloped Potatoes & Ham with the peels intact.  It was just as delicious.  Also, we had Carrot & Raisin Salad -- carrots scrubbed but peels intact. (Note: I always buy organic carrots & celery as much for the flavor as anything.)

I will let you know when I finish the book!

Recommended Reading

Though we do not have children, I am really enjoying learning so much about the common perspective of food in France -- a definite part of their culture.  Their concept of eating is very fascinating.  The author has an interesting section on the farmers' markets in France where most people do their shopping still -- pages 28-30.  Their food culture includes eating very few processed foods, a belief to which I adhere.  Their diets have a tremendous amount of variety.  (Psst...a few of the vegetables, I have not heard of before!)  And perhaps the most surprising concept to me was that they have no snacking.  Anyway...will let you read it for yourself if you are interested!

Book Review

One of our good farmer friends lent us a wonderful book, Blithe Tomato by Mike Madison.  It is a compilation of short essays about farming and farmers' markets.  Of course, we have loved reading it!  I was researching the author and found that his sister, Deborah Madison, has written several cookbooks.  One of them is the above.  I checked it out from the library and am loving it!  The pictures are vibrant.  'Leafing' through it makes me want to go to a farmers market and buy vegetables that I have never bought before.  I am fascinated by this book and I'm only beginning to 'digest' it (no puns intended).

One interesting fact that Deborah mentions is about how far the average supermarket produce travels -- about 1500 miles!  We are so thankful for the opportunity to grow produce for our community and tip our hats to the other farmers who are doing the same!

Recommended Reading

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Here is a book that is most interesting. The author promotes eating more whole/real foods and less processed food products. "The most important fact about any food is not its nutrient content but its degree of processing." The book is divided into four parts. Part I & II are heavier reading, albeit worth reading. I read the Introduction & Part III first and recommend reading it this way. The book below was also written by the same author. He boils down his thoughts into very simple rules. "Food Rules" is a quick & easy read.

Recommended Reading

We bought this magazine last week and are really enjoying it. Next week, I plan to try some of the recipes. Clean Eating also has some cookbooks. The concept of the magazine is to prepare and eat foods that have not been processed. Takes a bit more chop, chop, but very worthwhile!