Hearty recipes for cold nights plus a Thanksgiving preview

Well, things have a way of evening out, I guess. Other areas have had rains, floods, earthquakes, and fire — and we’ve got early snow and rain; lots of it! All things considered, I’ll take the snow — I just wish my path to the road was a little shorter! 

Chilly weather calls for warming, satisfying foods — and today I’ve collected out a few that should do the trick for a meal or two. Enjoy! 

Southwest rice, bean, corn salad 

Serves 4.

1 garlic clove 

1 small red or white onion 

1 or 2 ears fresh corn (or frozen or 1 can drained kernels 

1/4 cup water 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup regular long-grain rice 

3/4 cup drained canned black beans 

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves 

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 

Mince garlic and chop onion very finely to measure ½ cup. Cut enough kernels from the cob to measure 3/4 of a cup. 

In a small heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, bring water to a boil with garlic, onion, cumin, coriander and salt. Stir in rice, lower heat, cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Stir in corn and cook covered, just 3 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and rice is just tender. Fluff mixture with a fork and transfer to a large bowl to cool completely. When room temperature, rinse and drain black beans and stir cilantro into rice with beans, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Recently, I scored some Chanterelles and added them to store-bought button mushrooms for this rich, savory, incomparable dish! Note — you add the pasta to the sauce, not the sauce to the pasta! 

Mixed Mushroom Pasta 

Serves 4.

12 ounces fettuccini 

2 tablespoons butter 

1 pound mixed fresh button and wild mushrooms, thinly sliced 

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped  

1 teaspoon dried tarragon*, crumbled 

3/4 cup whipping cream 

2 tablespoons rich red wine, Madeira or Sherry 

Chopped fresh parsley 

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente or to your preference; drain well. Cover and set aside 

Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat; add mushrooms and garlic. Saute,  gently stirring until mushrooms begin to release some juices — 2 or 3 minutes. Add whipping cream and wine; simmer just to blend, stirring in gently. Add pasta to the sauce, folding and tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between four plates, garnish with parsley and serve with a glass of red wine.

* I had (thankfully) dried tarragon leaves on hand, and really recommend you use it if possible since it provides the unique, exotic taste this dish calls for. Note for next spring: Tarragon plants in the potagers! 

Thanksgiving’s just a week away, and recently, I provided some good stuffing recipes to bake as main entrees. Many folks don’t go for the traditional turkey but still love dressing. Here’s a take-off that gives you the how-to for some great cornbread, and a savory stuffing to utilize it.

Buttermilk Corn Bread 

2 cups yellow cornmeal 

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 

6 tablespoons granulated cane sugar 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced 

1 1/2 cups buttermilk 

3 large eggs 

Preheat oven to 400 F. Butter the bottom of a 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Mix the first six ingredients well together. Add butter and cut in with two knives (or food processor) until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Beat buttermilk and eggs together in a large bowl to blend. Add cornmeal mixture to egg mixture and blend well. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake cornbread until light golden-brown on top and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in a pan on a rack. 

Enjoy warm with our previous hearty salad or let stand covered for the next day’s recipe — which follows. 

California Oyster Cornbread Stuffing 

Serves 8.

Use all of the cornbread for this recipe; cut or crumble into 1-inch pieces onto a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated 325F oven until slightly dry, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a very large bowl. 

3/4 of a 10-ounce package of ready-to-use fresh spinach leaves, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped (about 8 generous cups) 

2 Tablespoons butter 

1/2 cup minced shallots 

3 celery stalks, finely chopped 

4 garlic cloves, minced 

2 8-oz. jars/cans oysters, drained coarsely chopped 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (2 teaspoons dried) 

3 eggs, beaten to blend 

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or salted water 

Add spinach to a bowl of bread cubes. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, add minced shallots, celery and garlic and sauté, stirring until tender but not brown; stir into bread mixture. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and add oysters. Sauté for 2 minutes. Mix with tarragon and stir into the stuffing mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper; mix in the eggs. 

Preheat oven to 350 F: Butter a 15x9x2-inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/2 cups broth into stuffing mix, incorporating well; transfer mixture to prepared dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is crisp, about 20 minutes longer. 

If you’d like a no-frills-but-delectable dessert for your Thanksgiving piece de resistance — look no further. I just found this old favorite that’s perfect; rich but light, easy and delectable with a side of vanilla ice cream. Best of all, it uses up that last zucchini you’ve been harboring in the crisper.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake 

(12 servings) 

2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 3/4 cup pure cane sugar 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

2 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/2 cup buttermilk 

2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini 

1 6-ounce package (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips 

1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in a large bowl with a hand mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini, blending all together well. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts evenly over top. Bake cake until a tester inserted comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan. 

Editor's note: For many years, Valle Novak wrote gardening and cooking columns for the Daily Bee. "Weekend Gardener" and "Country Chef" became renowned for their humor, information, and common-sense advice on how to do everything from planting to cooking. She left behind many columns such as this one to delight her many fans.

    Chilly weather calls for warming, satisfying foods – such as this southwest rice, bean and corn salad
  

    While Thanksgiving’s less than a week away, many folks don’t go for the traditional turkey but love dressing. Here’s a take-off that gives you the how-to for some great cornbread, and a savory stuffing to utilize it.