Woman Connected to Recipe: Patti Brown
Submitted by Maribeth, Mark, David, Chris, and Matt Brown (Patti’s five kids)
Our family has a group text thread called The Brown Family Circus that helps keep us connected across the miles.
While we are scattered across the country, we are united by growing up in Iowa under one (often very loud) roof.
One thing is clear with pulling together this recipe story is that our mom instilled in each of us a strong sense of voicing our opinions — we couldn’t agree on just one recipe.
So here are five of our mom’s favorite recipes, one for each of her opinionated kids!
CEASAR SALAD (submitted by Maribeth)
Our family would eat most meals out in the gazebo for nearly 8 months of the year (April through November). When my son was little, he called it the ZA-BE-BO. We didn’t correct him. This salad reminds me of summer evenings eating dinner in the gazebo. Cicadas buzzing and lightning bugs twinkling outside the screens while we sat inside eating, talking, laughing. My mom makes the best Ceasar salad I’ve ever had. In fact, I don’t really order them anywhere else because they just aren’t as good.
Ingredients:
6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
1 small garlic clove
Kosher salt
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more
¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
croutons
3 romaine hearts, leaves separated
shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Chop together anchovy fillets, garlic, and pinch of salt. Use the side of a knife blade to mash into a paste, then scrape into a medium bowl. Whisk in egg yolks, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, and mustard. Adding drop by drop to start, gradually whisk in olive oil, then vegetable oil; whisk until dressing is thick and glossy. Whisk in Parmesan. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Skip the tongs. Use your hands to gently toss the lettuce, croutons, and dressing, then top off with the Parmesean.
GAZPACHO (submitted by David)
My mom's gazpacho recipe reminds me of summers growing up in my home in Des Moines. We played all day out in the blistering hot sun and needed something that was both nutritious and refreshing in order to revitalize our sweaty bodies. Nothing contrasted and complemented the summertime better than this fresh and cool soup. It took her years to perfect the recipe.
Ingredients:
Broth:
32oz. Low Sodium V8 Juice
32oz. Bone Broth
1/2 cup Red or White Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Cumin Powder
1 tspn Minced Garlic
Salt to Taste
Pepper to Taste
1-2 tspn Tabasco Sauce (optional)
Salsa:
2-3 Chopped Tomatoes
1/2-1 Red Onion (depending on size)
1 Yellow Pepper, chopped
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Bunch of Cilantro for garnish
1 Avocado, thinly sliced
Directions:
Mix together all ingredients for the broth into a large pot or container that will fit in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate the broth mixture for 24 hours to allow the flavors to mix.
Cut and mix the peppers with the red onion to make the "salsa."
Chop the cilantro and set aside for garnish.
Slice the avocado to top the gazpacho.
When ready to serve, ladle 1-2 scoops of the broth into a bowl, add 2-3 tablespoons of the salsa to the broth.
Finally, add a few slices of avocado and a pinch or two of cilantro.
RISOTTO (submitted by Chris)
I really like the risotto mom makes for Christmas every year. It’s as much a tradition as turkey for thanksgiving. As with all things, mom just seems to do it better than anyone else, and it simply isn’t the holidays without mom and her inimitable ability to feed the masses that are our family.
Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds mushrooms (portobellos and morels are delicious!)
2 shallots, diced
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
4 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
LEG OF LAMB (submitted by Matt)
A leg of lamb is a staple of holiday foods with our family. My mother and I, and I'd say most of my siblings, share an intense love for this dish. Mom will usually serve this meal on Easter with the family and it is so good there are usually no leftovers. This dish reminds me of my mom, my siblings, growing up in Iowa, and that a good meal can fill you up with love and joy. This dish pairs well with a dark fruity red wine, roasted potatoes (which can be cooked with the lamb), and green beans.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup coarsely chopped shallots
1/2 cup crushed garlic cloves
1/3 cup each thyme leaves, parsley leaves and chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
One 5-pound well-trimmed boned and butterflied leg of lamb
Kosher salt
Pepper
2 pounds cherry tomatoes
2 thyme sprigs
Olive butter
Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine the shallots, garlic, thyme, parsley, rosemary, mustard and 1/3 cup of the olive oil; blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the butter.
Arrange the lamb fat side down on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the herb butter all over the lamb, leaving a 1-inch border. Refrigerate until the butter is semifirm, 30 minutes. Roll up the lamb with the butter inside and tie securely with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Rub the lamb with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 130° for medium-rare. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring, until softened.
Discard the strings and thinly slice the lamb. Serve with the roasted tomatoes and olive butter.
FISH BOIL (submitted by Mark)
There used to be a big hammered copper pot that housed old newspapers in the back room of our parents house. One summer, after the family went to help clean up in New Orleans after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, the copper pot became our mother’s favorite cooking utensil. In the back yard, over a very old outdoor fireplace, my mother would boil fish, corn, shrimp in the hammered copper pot and we would feast on one of the most flavorful summer bounties. The meal reminds me of the sound of cicadas, the damp smell of their old backyard creek, and a large family squished around a round table inside a screened-in gazebo. She always made sure we were well fed.
Ingredients:
8 quarts water
1/3 cup canola oil
6 yellow onions, unpeeled
4 celery stalks, halved crosswise
2 lemons, unpeeled and quartered
12 garlic cloves
5 bay leaves
2-inch piece fresh ginger, thickly sliced
Crab boil spice mix (see above) or 6 oz. packaged whole-spice crab boil
1/2 to 3/4 cup sea salt, or to taste
1 Tbs. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 Tbs. black peppercorns, or to taste
2 to 3 lb. small red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled
24 live blue crabs or 4 to 6 small live Dungeness crabs (you can substitute small portions of white fish tied up tightly in cheese cloth)
6 ears of corn, husked and halved crosswise
5 lb. large shrimp, with heads attached
Directions:
Pour the water into a large stockpot. Add the oil, onions, celery, lemons, garlic, bay leaves, ginger, crab boil spice mix, salt, cayenne and black peppercorns and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes.
Add the potatoes and boil for 5 minutes. Add the crabs and boil for 15 minutes. Add the corn and boil for 5 minutes.
Add the shrimp and boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.
Using tongs or a skimmer, retrieve the seafood and vegetables from the pot and serve them warm atop several thicknesses of newspaper or large sheets of parchment paper, or transfer to a large serving platter. The seafood can also be served at room temperature or chilled. Use a nutcracker or a table knife to crack the shells.