1 cup milk $.60 1/4 cup oil Preheat oven to 400° F. Mix cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Mix egg, milk, oil, and corn in a medium bowl. Stir in dry ingredients, until just mixed. Pour batter into a greased round pan. Bake 20 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Beans and Greens 1 bunch greens, chopped (collard, turnip, mustard, or kale) $3.00 1 small red onion, diced $.50 2 cups pinto beans, cooked $1.00 2 tablespoons vinegar 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or red chile powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup water Meal Total: $7.95/ Cost per serving: $1.99 Combine all ingredients in a heavy stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve beans in a bowl topped with a slice of buttered cornbread. If you’d like to dress up this down home meal, garnish with sour cream, fresh herbs, tomato slices, or chopped green chile.
CHICKEN STOCK Greens and Beans with Cornbread GREENS AND BEANS WITH CORNBREAD Serves 4 Greens and beans are a classic, inexpensive Southern dish, often livened up with a little vinegar, brown sugar, and chile. Buying local fresh beans makes a big difference. They cook faster and have a wonderfully creamy texture compared to store-bought beans, which are often quite old and don't cook properly. Schwebach and several other farms sell beans for about a dollar a pound. Cornbread is the traditional accompaniment, which in combination with beans makes a complete protein. Local cornmeal from Santa Ana Pueblo is available through La Montañita Co-op. I love cornbread with a little fresh corn in it, though you could leave it out. You could also use this same batter to make corn fritters, maybe adding more fresh corn and a little chopped bacon and/or jalapeño. Cornbread 1 1/2 cup cornmeal $1.50 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels $1.00 1 egg $.35 22
edible Santa Fe | FALL 2014
Really good chicken stock is cheap and easy to make, and can be used to enhance the flavor of all kinds of dishes. You can make a lovely pureed soup out of just about any kind of vegetable using this stock, an onion, and some cream. Think butternut squash, roasted red pepper, cream of asparagus, corn chowder, or even a light zucchini soup. This project takes a few hours, but much of it is hands-off time. Chicken backs and necks are always cheap, and I like to roast them in the oven to give the stock a rich flavor. This stock's price per quart is a small fraction of what you'd pay for chicken stock in cans or cartons. As a bonus you will also have a nice quantity of chicken fat that can be used for cooking other things (like frying latkes or breakfast potatoes). 1 pound chicken backs or necks $1.00 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 gallon water Price per quart $.25 Preheat oven to 450° F. Spread chicken parts on a large baking tray, sprinkle with salt, and roast until well-browned, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a stockpot, fill with water, and simmer 2 – 3 hours. Pour the chicken fat into a small container and refrigerate for another use. Strain the stock into containers and chill or freeze. If you freeze it, be sure to leave about an inch at the top of the container for expansion.