Beef Stew

I have never been a huge fan of beef stew but usually once a year I get a hankering for it.  Part of the reason is that I like my vegetables to not be mushy which is why I use small vegetables in almost whole pieces. This time I wanted to really develop good flavour so it wasn't just some beef broth with meat and veggies in it.  My inspiration came from the pantry vegetables I still have from the CSA (onions, potatoes, garlic).  I read quite a few recipes and came up with one of my own.  I have to say I was pretty pleased with the results and it was all because the broth was so delicious.  They key was working the stock all day so it was full of layers of flavour and marinating the meat again to build the flavour base.

Beef Stock
20 cups of water
10 beef boullion cubes
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Bunch of fresh parsley
1 T black peppercorns, crushed
2 T kosher salt
1 t fennel seeds, crushed
1 t ground sage
3 bay leaves
1 whole onion, cut into quarters
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
4 cloves of garlic, in skin and smashed
2 celery stalks, cut into quarters

Combine all the ingredients in large stock pot, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and let cook on stove uncovered for several hours. Stock should reduce by half.  Drain out vegetables & herbs and reserve stock to make stew. 

Marinated Beef
1 1/2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1" chunks
Salt & Pepper
3 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed
Good quality red wine

Make sure beef is cut into pieces all similar in size and seasoned with salt & pepper. Place in a glass bowl with bay leaves and garlic. Pour enough wine to just cover the meat  Put mixture in fridge and let it sit at least 4 hours or as much as overnight.  Remove bay leaves and garlic.  Scoop meat from wine with a slotted spoon and reserve both  meat and wine.

Beef Stew
Olive Oil
1 c of flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
Marinated Beef
1 1/2 lb boiling onions, peeled
1 lbs fingerling potatoes, cut in half
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed from stems
1 sprig of rosemary, leaved minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
Reserved wine from beef marinade
1 lb baby carrots
Beef Stock

Heat oil in a large dutch oven.  Dredge meat lightly in seasoned flour.  Shake excess flour off meat before placing in dutch oven.  Brown meat on all sides and if necessary do so in batches taking care not to crowd the pan.  Set browned meat aside.  Add more oil to the dutch oven if needed.  Put onion in dutch oven and cook 2-3 minutes and then add potatoes and garlic.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in thyme, rosemary and tomato paste.  Add red wine and make sure heat is on high.  Bring wine to a boil and ensure you are deg-lazing the bottom of the pan.  Add beef and carrots and then pour in beef stock.  Add just enough stock to cover the meat and vegetables.  This is a big mistake people make in adding too much stock so then it boils the meat and doesn't taste as good.  Once this mixture is simmering, turn the heat to low, cover and cook 1 hour until vegetables are cooked and meat is tender.  Serve with chopped parsley on top. 

BEEF STEW

Apple Crisp with Honey Cinnamon Ice Cream

I've done a couple of posts about pumpkins this fall so I thought today I'd turn my attention to the other abundant crop this time of year - apples.  However I don't have my own recipe to post tonight because when it comes to baking I tend to relay on others expertise.  I am a big fan of Ina Garten because she loves to cook classic dishes with a twist to elevate the flavours but doesn't make things too complicated.  I have been itching to make some type of cinnamon ice cream and of course what would go better with that then apple crisp. This past weekend afforded me the perfect opportunity as we were having a family get together. 

For the apple crisp check out Ina Garten's recipe here - I didn't change a thing but really appreciated the citrus zest and juice especially with it being both lemon and orange.  My crisp didn't crisp up in the 60 mins cooking time so I then turned on the broiler and cooked it for a few minutes more - beware I did not leave the oven during this time because a second too long and it could easily burn.

In my quest to find a cinnamon ice cream I thought it would be even better to find a one that used honey as the sweetener instead of sugar. I also didn't want to make what I'm discovering is a custard ice cream base and those use eggs.  So I wanted a more simple preparation.  I found the perfect recipe in terms of what I was looking for here and it turned out to be delicious. This is the reason I bought the ice cream maker - the chance to make flavours you don't find in the store when you have an inspiration. 

This was the epitome of a fall dessert - sweet apples with a crispy crunch and a creamy, warm ice cream melting over the top. Yummy!

APPLE CRISP & HONEY CINNAMON ICE CREAM

Ziti with Pumpkin and Sausage

Happy Halloween!!

I saw a recipe for Pumpkin and Sausage Penne recently and that was my inspiration for this dish which I thought was a perfect dinner for Halloween. Some carbs you can burn off while walking the neighborhood with good protein and spinach for vitamins.  Plus yummy pumpkin for a very festive feel!  Be sure to check out my post on making your own fresh pumpkin - so worth the effort. 

Ziti with Pumpkin and Sausage
1 lb ziti pasta, I used semolina but a whole wheat pasta would be great here
12 oz chicken apple sausage, cut into 1" pieces
Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Chicken Stock, about 1 1/2 cups
Pumpkin Beer, half a bottle
2 cups fresh pumpkin (or 1 can pure pumpkin)
Fresh Grated Nutmeg
Grated Cinnamon
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Spinach, 9 oz bag
Heavy Cream, one turn of pan

Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente and reserving 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining - be sure to salt your water well so your pasta tastes good.  Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet and add sausage, cooking until brown.  Add onion and cook for few minutes then add garlic and cook until onion is softened being careful not to burn garlic.  Also season with salt at this step.  Add pumpkin, stock, beer, a good grating of nutmeg, a good punch of cinnamon and pepper.  I add quite a few turns of black pepper as I want to be sure to add the heat from the pepper to counteract the sweetness from the sausage and seasonings.  Bring this mixture to a simmer, reduce heat and cook until it starts to thicken.  If it gets to thick this is where you can add the pasta water to thin it out. 

Just before pasta is done add the spinach to the pumpkin mixture and stir until wilted.  Drain pasta and add to skillet and combine.  Taste to adjust seasoning and you may need to add a little more pasta water to help sauce cover all pasta.  Add cream just before serving and be sure to combine.  You can also use a little sour cream or creme fraiche here or just omit it. I don't want to make a cream sauce but think the small addition at the end helps round out the sauce. And of course be sure to taste and adjust seasonings before serving!

Vegetarian Option: You could easily substitute hearty mushrooms for the sausage here and use a vegetable stock to make a vegetarian dish.  It would be delicious!

ZITI WITH PUMPKIN & SAUSAGE

Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of my most favorites and most often made dinners is Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I make this many ways depending on how much time I have and what ingredients I have on hand. Sometimes I add black beans or corn and omit the chicken.  Sometimes I roast the chicken or use leftover or put raw sliced chicken into rapidly, boiling stock to cook it in the soup.  Tonight I took the time to make a really flavorful stock and roast the chicken it their own seasonings.


Jenabeth's Chicken Tortilla Soup
Olive Oil
Chicken Breasts, on the bone with skin
Salt
Ancho Chili Pepper Powder
Cumin


Roast chicken ahead of time.  Drizzle olive oil over chicken breasts and then season with salt, ancho chili pepper and cumin. Use your hands to rub seasonings into chicken.  Cook chicken on sheet tray in a 375° over for 30 minutes.  Let chicken cool.  Remove skin & bones and shred chicken. Set chicken aside while preparing soup.

Olive Oil
Onion, chopped

Jalapeno Pepper, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
Red Bell Pepper, chopped
Salt

2 T Cumin
1 T Ancho Chili Pepper Powder
2 t Mexican Oregano
4 T Tomato Paste
1/4 cup Silver Tequila
Chicken Stock

Couple tablespoons of honey

Make soup base.  In large dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, season, and cook until softened.  Add jalapeno and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.  Add bell pepper and cook until starts to soften.  Add cumin, ancho chili pepper, oregano and tomato paste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add tequila and cook for a few minutes.  Add chicken stock and taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary.  If heat is too much add a few squeezes of honey.  Bring stock to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add shredded chicken and cook for 10 more minutes. 

Serve the soup with your favorite toppings.  I top with crushed tortilla chips, slices of avocado, squeeze of fresh lime juice, sprinkle of diced red onion and lots of fresh cilantro!

CHICKEN & TORTILLA SOUP

Fresh Pumpkin

The week before last we got a small pumpkin from the CSA and it's been sitting on my counter as decoration. But I LOVE everything pumpkin - pumpkin bread, pumpkin beer, pumpkin pie, pumpkin coffee - so I really wanted to use the fresh pumpkin to bake something.  Making fresh pumpkin isn't that hard and is so worth the effort.

Baked Fresh Pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 350 Cut the pumpkin in half and clean out the seeds. Cover a sheet tray with tin foil. Place the sides cut side down on the sheet. Cook for around an hour or until the pumpkin is soft. Cool. Scoop the pumpkin from the ski and put into a food processor until the mixture is smooth.  Use just like canned fresh pumpkin in all your recipes.  It can be frozen and saved for up to 6 weeks to use later.

I used my first fresh pumpkin of the season to make a Pumpkin Bread Pudding.  Click here for the recipe I used.  I tried it with dried cranberries which I love but I did not like in this recipe. I made it a second time with pecans and it was so delicious. 

I'm going pumpkin picking this weekend and will be picking up several sugar pumpkins to make lots of fresh pumpkin.  My Mom is responsible for the pies at Thanksgiving so I'll give her the fresh pumpkin. But I suspect I'll be making another batch of bread pudding before the fall is over!

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

Soups On! Big Time!!

Wow this blog things turned out to be harder than I expected - at least doing it with any consistency. It seems it's like most things in my life I either do it 150% or not at all - there isn't much middle ground in how I do things.  Today was the last CSA pick up of the season. I can't believe 20 weeks has gone by!  One of the things I love about this time of year is having a big pot of soup on the stove.  In the last few weeks I've made Linguica and Kale Soup two times.  It seems I like kale more than I realized which I guess one of the points joining a CSA - trying things I may not normally have tried.  Living close to New Bedford and Fall River there is a large Portuguese population and we can get great linguica and chorizio in our grocery stores.  I've been really enjoying this soup - you need to try it as it's a great one pot meal with lots of flavour and with beans & kale very good for you. 

Tonight in putting away the last CSA pick up my mind was already thinking of the many soups I could make in the coming week. Instead I decided to do a marathon cooking session and freeze some of the soups.  This will be great as the hectic holiday season approaches and I can have homemade soup for dinner on the nights I don't feel like cooking.  You can see the three soups I made below - Charred Eggplant & Tomato, Leek & Potato and Roasted Butternut Squash.  I did puree all the soups but I love serving them with a big piece of crusty bread. 

Linguica and Kale Soup
Olive Oil
1 lb linguica, cut into half circles
1 onion, chopped
Handful of baby carrots, cut into thirds
3 potatoes, diced
1 cup Pumpkin beer
1 can white beans, rinsed
Chicken Stock
1 lb kale, stems removed and cut into bite size pieces
3 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied in kitchen twine
Salt & Pepper
In a large dutch oven, cover bottom with olive oil over medium high heat.  Add linguica and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add onion and cook until onions start to soften before adding carrots & potatoes.  Cook for 5-7 minutes until veggies start to cook.  Use beer to deglaze pan and cook for a few minutes. Add beans to pot and enough stock to cover all vegetables.  Drop in kale and thyme. Stir, season and bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. This is one of those great soups that is better the next day!.  Serve soup with a grating of Parmesan Cheese over top. 

Charred Eggplant and Tomato Soup
3 small eggplants, chopped
8 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Chicken Stock
Handful of basil leaves, rough chopped

Place eggplants, tomatoes and onion on large sheet tray in single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Toss vegetables to coat well.  Place in 425°oven and cook until vegetables start to brown around the edges (about 30 mins).  Pour about a cup of stock into blender then add vegetables & basil and blend well. Add more stock if necessary until desired consistency.   Put soup on pot and warm on stove top until heated through.  Serve immediately with homemade croutons.

Note: You can roast the eggplant and onion and add canned tomatoes after in the stock pot if you don't have fresh tomatoes on hand.

Potato Leek Soup
Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 leeks, sliced into half circles & cleaned
4 baby red potatoes, diced
2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced

3 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied in kitchen twine
Chicken Stock

Handful of fresh parsley, rough chopped
Salt & Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot.  Add leeks, season, and cook until softened, add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Add potatoes, season, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add enough stock to cover potatoes and  add parsley & season.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes until potatoes are completely softened.  Pour entire mixture into a blender (removing thyme bundle first), by batches if necessary, and puree soup until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Note: Be sure to check the seasoning all along in this soup. Potatoes soak up salt so you want to be sure there is good seasoning or the soup will be very bland.  I also do not peel the potatoes but be sure to use baby potatoes with softer peel so it purees well.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
1 large butternut squash, peeled & diced
Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper
1 Onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced
4 large carrots, peeled & diced

Chicken Stock
3 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied in kitchen twine
Bay leaf

Place butternut squash on sheet pan in single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Place in 425°oven and cook until squash is softened and starting to brown around the edges.  Just before squash is done heat dutch oven over medium high heat on stop top and drizzle olive oil in bottom.  Add onions, season and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes being careful not to burn garlic.  Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes.  When squash is cooked add to pot, cover with chicken stock. Season stock with salt & pepper and add thyme & bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes for flavours to blend.  Remove bay leaf and thyme. Pour entire mixture into a blender, by batches if necessary, and puree soup until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired. 
Note: You can certainly by pass roasting the squash and add it to the soup pot when you add the carrots.  You will need to simmer it for a bit longer though to ensure squash is completely softened. 

LINGUICA AND KALE SOUP

Ratatouille as Pasta Sauce . . Who Knew?

I head to Chicago tomorrow for 5 days so the cupboards are a little bare. After several hours of packing I needed something comforting - I hate packing!  Pasta is always easy to whip up with some canned tomatoes to make a quick sauce. When I was looking in the fridge for some veggies I saw the rest ratatouille I had turned into dip.  Heck that has lots of veggies in it and great flavour.  I cooked up some pasta - a new type for me - trottole by Archer Farms that I got at Target.  And heated the ratatouille in a saute pan.  When the pasta was done I added it to the sauce and used some of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce a bit. Sprinkle with Parmesan and a quick, delicious dinner!

Ratatouille!!!

I have been itching to make ratatouille for several weeks now ever since I got my first eggplant from the CSA.  Tonight was the night!  Ratatouille is a traditional, French Provencal stewed vegetable dish.  Julia Child's recipe called for individually saute the vegetables and then layering.  I have mixed the vegetables in an aluminum pouch and steamed them on the grill before for a quick ratatouille.  Tonight I took the more traditional approach and sauteed them in a huge pan with lots of olive oil.  I also used almost every fresh herb I still had in the garden but I did add a pinch of dried, herbes d'provence because quite a few recipes called for it and it includes fennel, lavender and savory. 

I served the ratatouille with a roasted, rosemary chicken and it was a delicious dinner!  I had a second serving of ratatouille.  I think I am going to take the leftover and pulse it in a food processor and serve it with some pita chips as a dip.  Or I may just eat it midnight .  it was that good!

RATATOUILLE
Olive Oil
1 large vidalia onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 medium eggplant, diced
5 plum tomatoes, diced
Salt
Crushed Red Pepper
2 sprigs of rosemary, minced
3 sprigs thyme, minced
1 sprig green oregano. minced
Pinch dried herbes d'provence
10 mint leaves, minced
Handful parsley, minced
Handful of basil, minced

Pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large pan.  Add the onions with a little salt and start sweating them for 3-5 mins over medium high heat.  Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Then add all 3 peppers - I don't typically like green bell pepper but I got a small one my CSA this week so I used it here.  I also seasoned again with salt and added some crushed red pepper.  After letting the pepper cook down a little I added the squash & zucchini and cooked for 3 minutes or so.  Then added the eggplant and seasoned again with salt & crushed pepper. Add the tomatoes with the rosemary, thyme, oregano and herbes d'provence.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer.  You also might have to add more olive oil as you add vegetables since they do tend to soak up the oil.  However long you cook it at this point is entirely up to you but I do add the rest of the fresh herbs at least a few minutes before you serve.  And of course taste and adjust salt & red pepper.  Enjoy!

We All Scream for Ice Cream!!!

Ok so this isn't really about vegetables . . although if I needed a technicality the lavender I used was from my garden.  In any event I just had to share.  I have been obsessed with trying Lavender Honey Ice Cream ever since I saw the movie It's Complicated.  It was a big reason I bought the ice cream maker in the first place.  But late the Friday night before Hurricane Irene was to hit was the first time I'd found the time to make it. I had bought organic cream and organic whole milk the week before and at the risk of it going bad if I lost power I wanted to use it up. Oh and the idea that I could control the quality of the ingredients was one of the many justifications I had for buying the machine.   Somehow if I use organic milk and cream isn't that better for you?? Anyway I used Martha Stewart's recipe - you can find it here. 

I'm not going to mince words . . it was terrible, it tasted like potpourri.  I barely ate one tiny serving of it and when the power went out I didn't care that it was going to melt in the freezer.  I might try to make it one more time because I'm wondering if perhaps mine had too much of the lavender.  I would cut back a little and I think I may have brought the milk to too much of a boil so it may have drawn out too much lavender essence.  I don't know and I won't be trying it anytime soon but I thought I'd share. Anyone ever had Honey Lavender Ice Cream and enjoy it??

The rest of my forays into making homemade ice cream have gone much better or not as dreadful.  Here is a quick run down:


Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream - this is another ice cream I've heard about but couldn't find around here so was eager to make myself.  I used a recipe similar to this one here but I added ancho chili powder in addition to the cayenne.  This was a terrific first homemade ice cream and I will be making it again. 

Coconut Sorbet - my mother was a big fan of this. I enjoyed it but I have to admit not as much as the coconut ice cream I made later (see below).  This was very refreshing and not real sweet.  But for some reason it seemed to coat my palate a little too much.  In small servings though, which I guess is how sorbet should be served, it is good. Here is the recipe I used.

Mango Frozen Yogurt - this was another not terribly successful attempt.  I'm pretty sure I know why though - the mangoes were not as ripe as they should have been and I didn't measure the lime juice so I think I used too much.  In the end it was too sour but I will certainly try again with really, ripe mangoes.  The recipe I used was yogurt, sugar, mangoes and lime juice.

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - This was pretty close to a home run!  My Mom grew up in Manchester, CT and until I was in high school we spent lots of holidays and weekends visiting.  One of the treats was chocolate chip ice cream at Shady Glenn.  In the last 15 years I have been known to bring a cooler with me if I was driving anywhere near Manchester to bring home a gallon. It's creamy lovely vanilla ice cream with shavings of chocolate in it - I've never had it like that anywhere else.  So with my ice cream maker in hand I thought let me see if I can get close . . and close I did!  Click here to see the recipe I used.  I used Hershey's Milk Chocolate and put the bar in the freezer overnight.  I then dropped it into a food processor just as the ice cream was thickening so I could get the grated chocolate into the mixture as cold as possible.  Even doing that my ice cream had a chocolate tint instead of the crisp white of Shady Glenn's but the taste was pretty damn close.  I will certainly be experimenting with this one in the future.  My mother gave this one rave reviews as well and rationed her share of it over many, many nights.

Coconut Ice Cream - This one was tied with the Mexican Chocolate as my most successful. The only issue was I didn't make enough.  It was creamy and tasted so much like coconut plus with the bits of coconut in it . .oh god so yummy!  Here is the recipe I used and will be using again very soon.

Oh Hurricane Irene!

Well just when I thought I was back to regularly posting Hurricane Irene blew into town which required two days of preparing, one of enduring (which wasn't that bad) and then 5 really, really long days of no power!!!  Since I work from home that meant no work, no play, no hot shower, no cooking - well I did use the gas grill one night.  Which meant that all last week was lots of making up for lost time.  So I will again post a list of what I've been up to . . and once again promise to get back to posting more regularly.  Oh wait I'm out of town all next week :)  But we already got the first of fall vegetables in last week's haul - delicata squash - and I LOVE fall and all those flavours so I'll be cooking up a storm.

Oh and one of these days I'll have to take some time and make batches of pesto.  My basil is still looking beautiful and I have a huge bush. I also have lots of parsley, mint, rosemary, thyme and Greek oregano.  Most should last into the fall but the basil needs to be used sooner rather than later. 

For lunch last week I had a slice of turkey and a slice of bread so I made a delicious open faced sandwich.  I used thick slices of green heirloom tomatoes, big leaves of basil, smooth slices of avocado and some slices of American cheese over everything.  Then put it under the broiler for a few minutes.  So yummy!!

OPEN FACED TURKEY SANDWICH

We have got kohlrabi the last two weeks so the other night I made a slaw using the kohlrabi, fennel and red carrots - it was super crunchy and fresh.  Check out the recipe at the bottom of the blog.

KOHLRABI & FENNEL SLAW

Last night we had some of the last sweet corn of the summer with ribs and the kohlrabi slaw. So tonight I wanted to use the rest of the corn to make a corn salad to accompany our skirt steak tacos.  I ended up surprising myself with the corn salad.  After I added the other vegetables and I included cucumber which wasn't in my original plans, I was about to add cilantro but decided against it.  Since I use cilantro so liberally in my tacos (in place of lettuce) I wanted the salad to have a a different flavour profile.  With the abundance of herbs I still I have I used a mixture of basil, mint and parsley.  Part of the vegetables I used was a jalapeno pepper.  The combination of the heat of the pepper with cooling cucumber and the sweet corn highlighted with the sweet mint and basil made for a great, complex mouthful.  And it was a great compliment to the skirt steak taco that I had marinated in lots of ancho chili powder.  I also used thick, peels of the red carrot for crunch along with creamy avocado and cilantro with a squeeze of lime to finish it off.  Yum, yum, yum!

SWEET CORN SALAD

KOHLRABI & FENNEL SLAW
1 kohlrabi, sliced into thin strips
1 fennel bulb, core removed & sliced into thin strips (reserving some of the frowns)
3 red carrots, peeled & grated into long strips
Olive oil
Tarragon Vinegar
1 T of Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper
Handful of fresh parsley, rough chopped
Fennel frowns, chopped

Combine kohlrabi, fennel and carrots and toss. Make a vinaigrette using dijon mustard, vinegar and olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Toss the herbs into the salad mixture and add vinaigrette until coated.   Taste and season with salt & pepper.

SWEET CORN SALAD
4 ears of corn, cooked and the kernels cut off
1/4 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1/2 of red bell pepper, diced
Handful of grape cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/4 English Cucumber, peeled and diced
Good handful of parsley, basil and mint; finely chopped
Olive Oil
1 lime, zested and juiced

Combine corn, both peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs.  I typically like things rustic and wouldn't ask you to chop grape tomatoes but in this case I wanted everything the same size as the corn kernels so I diced everything to just the same size.  Add zest and juice of lime and then olive oil to coat. Let salad sit a bit before serving so flavours can blend. 

Ravioli with Summer Tomato Sauce

After a long day of working and then running around battening, down the hatches in preparation for Hurricane Irene I was hungry and feeling like pasta.  I picked up some fresh, cheese ravioli at a local market.  I wanted to make a quick summer vegetable sauce with great flavours in the broth.  I have no idea what impact this hurricane is going to have on us but we're prepared. And that includes having lots of non-perishable food so anticipating not a lot of cooking over the weekend I was pretty happy to make something with lots of fresh ingredients.  Even better every vegetable & the herb came from either the CSA or my garden!!

Ravioli with Summer Tomato Sauce
Fresh Cheese Ravioli
Olive Oil - a lot not just to coat the pan
Onion, half of a sweet one, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Good size pinch of crushed red pepper
Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
Green Bell Peppers, diced in large pieces
White Wine - about 1/2 a cup
Handful of basil, chiffonade
Pecorino cheese, grated

Cook the ravioli for 6 minutes in salted, boiling water.  In a large saute pan, add the olive oil and onion and cook until onion starts to soften.  You are going to need lots of olive oil so the onion is almost swimming in it - the oil will be part of the sauce.  Add the garlic, red pepper and tomatoes and saute for several mins. Add the pepper and cook for 1-2 mins.  Add the wine and be sure it's wine you like to drink - cook it until the alcohol cooks out. 

Spoon the ravioli into the sauce and add some of the pasta water if you need more liquid.  Toss the ravioli and let it cook for a few minutes in the sauce.  Add the basil just before serving.

Grate the Pecorino cheese over each serving and enjoy!. 

Ravioli with Summer Tomato Sauce

I'm Back!!

I know it's been a while since I've posted but my niece was visiting from Alaska for the last two weeks so I've been spending as much time as possible with her.  I've been cooking lots but just haven't had the time to post. To make up for time I am going to make this post some catch up thoughts and then get back to posting more regularly.

- Over the weekend I made a lovely Summer Vegetable Saute. I started with some olive oil in a hot pan and add diced onion, diced summer squash, thin slices of fennel and kernels from two ears of corn.  Add a little salt and pepper and be sure not to cook too much - fabulous!! This was inspired by what was in the fridge because my niece had requested tacos and I felt the need to make some type of accompanying vegetable dish.

- If you haven't tried the Watermelon Feta Salad you really have to - my brother who isn't usually very effusive about food commented recently 'it's so good'. 

- I have been overloaded with tons of fresh tomatoes.  Yesterday I had to pull all the fruit off the branches of my plants since there were hardly any leaves left and they were folded over on top of each other.  Even before that I had so many I barely knew what to do with them all. I've made sauce, eaten tons of tomato salads, on bread with fresh mozzarella.  Luckily my basil has been just as abundant! 

- My lemon verbena plant was also folding over on top of itself so today I harvested all the fresh leaves. I made another batch of Lemon Verbena and Mint Iced Tea.  And I made a Lemon Verbena Sorbet which is so delightfully refreshing.  I bought an ice cream maker earlier this summer and have only made a few batches but this was one of my favorites.

- Last night I had bratwurst and Grilled Rosemary Potatoes - you have to try those potatoes especially with fresh, organic ones that really taste like potatoes.  So freaking good!!

- I tried Kale Chips again this past weekend and used less salt this time and they were delicious.  Even my 13 year old niece enjoyed them . . of course we made homemade mozzarella sticks to go with them and I think she was dipping the kale in the marinara sauce :)

- I froze a batch of my Spicy Gazpacho before I left on vacation and took it out last week for an appetizer and it was just as good!  It's a great way to get rid of tomatoes and so flavourful.


- Been eating lots and lots of fresh corn, be sure you are cooking it the right way to enjoy it this time of year. 

- There have been lots of fresh figs in the grocery store lately and I love them.  Try cutting the figs in half and filling with a little goat cheese & wrapping in prosciutto for an easy appetizer.  I also use them in a salad again with goat cheese and some type of nut over greens with a vinaigrette. 

- I picked up today's haul and this week we got: tomatoes, basil, fennel, green beans, purple carrots, baby bok choy and eggplant.Can't wait to get started!


- Oh one last thing, a friend of mine today told me that a way to use up green tomatoes is pulsing them into a pulp and mixing with a packet of raspberry jello and sugar. You come out with raspberry jam.  Sounds oddly strange to me but when I did some internet research there were lots of recipes using green tomatoes this way.  I guess the seeds of the tomatoes imitate what the a raspberry texture would be like.  Not sure yet if I'm going to give it a try but I may just do a small match since I am very curious. I'd be interested in anyone else has heard of this or more importantly tried it. 

 

Saffron Risotto with Summer Squash

I was in the mood for rice tonight so I decided to make risotto.  I love risotto but it is a labor of love and it requires time - there are no short cuts.  This started as a traditional risotto but I added saffron to the stock as well as some other seasoning to heighten the flavour.  Oh and I used the vegetable stock I made the week before I went on vacation. I added the summer squash very late in the cooking process so it kept a little crunch but still had time to absorb the stock and release it's juice into the rice.  This was another one of those make it up as you go along so I'll do my best with the recipe below.  To accompany the risotto I made a salad similar to last night but instead of walnuts I used pecans and instead of beets I added fresh figs - so tasty!

Saffron Risotto with Summer Squash
Olive Oil
Onion, diced
Garlic, minced
Arborio rice
Vegetable Sock
Good pinch of saffron
Black peppercorns
Fennel seeds
Bay leaf
Kosher  Salt
Summer squash, diced
Parmigiano Cheese, grated


In a pot, add the stock, saffron, peppercorns, fennel seeds, bay leaf and pinch of salt and bring to a simmer. 

Meanwhile saute the onion in olive oil with salt until softened and then add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the arborio rice and saute for a few minutes. Add 1 cup of strained stock at a time and simmer the mixture while stirring continuously.   Once the stock has cooked out add another cup and continue process for about 25 minutes.  After adding last cup of stock, add summer squash so it can cook as well.  Just before serving grate in some parmigiano cheese. 

The trick to this and any risotto is adding the stock a little at a time and stirring while it cooks out - this develops the starch in the rice and makes the risotto creamy.  And cooking it over a medium to low heat. 

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH SUMMER SQUASH

Baby Spinach with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese

Well some of last week's vegetables were still in fridge when I got home including lovely beets!  Beets are one of those many vegetables that I despised as a child and even well into adulthood.  In most cases this was because the vegetables were not prepared correctly or to highlight their natural flavours.  Roasting beets is truly the best way to develop their sweetness. This salad happens to be my cousin Caroline's favorite dish - it was her wedding we attended last week - so with her on my mind it was an easy decision as to what I'd do with the beets in my fridge.  This is what I had for dinner with a piece of corn on the cob.

Baby Spinach with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese
Beets, roasted & diced
Baby Spinach
Goat Cheese crumbled
Walnuts, toasted
Vinaigrette

To roast beets - clean & trim them and put them into a aluminum foil pouch.  Season with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil.  Close up pouch and roast in oven at 375 for anywhere from 30-60 mins depending on size of beets.  Let the beets cool and then they are easy to handle and you can remove the skin and dice them.  HUGE TIP: use gloves when peeling & dicing the beets and do it over the foil. Beets stain any and everything they come in contact with!!

To assemble the salad put spinach at the bottom; sprinkle with beets, goat cheese and walnuts and then drizzle with the vinaigrette.  Be sure to toast the walnuts to bring out their flavours - you can do this my putting them in a dry saute pan over low heat and cook them until you can smell them and remove immediately. Feel free to use any other kind of nut here - pistachios are very good as well.

For the vinaigrette I used my standard olive oil, sherry vinegar and dried herbs.  But the salad my cousin loves uses a vinaigrette that is made with shallots and rice wine vinegar which I do love but I didn't have the shallots tonight. 

BABY SPINACH WITH ROASTED BEETS & GOAT CHEESE

Back from vacation . . to lots of tomatoes!

Well it's back to reality today and a bush loaded of fresh tomatoes.  Last night for dinner with no food in the house I just cut up some tomatoes and sprinkled with ribbons of fresh basil, salt & pepper and drizzle of olive oil.  Yummy!

For lunch today I made a tomato sandwich with fresh mozzarella and basil.  So simple and yet so delicious especially when half the ingredients come from your own garden.  I used two slices of an Tuscan Boule and drizzle each side with a little olive oil.   Then spread whole basil leaves on each slide and then loaded slices of fresh mozzarella over the basil.  Next is the slices of tomatoes which I then season with salt & pepper and little more olive oil.  Put the slices together and slice your sandwich down the middle. Today this was my lunch as you can see at my desk as I'm trying to catch up from being away.

 

"BMT" Sandwich

Tomatoes & Gazpacho

I am heading out of town tomorrow for a family wedding in Chicago so I won't be posting until I'm back the week of August 8th.  And this week hasn't been a great week for cooking as I've been rushing around a lot before hitting the road.  Fortunately my tomato plants have been very generous with their bounty.  My grape cherry tomatoes are almost the size of small plum tomatoes. I've been eating them right off the vine or with some fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt - yummy!!

The one thing I did manage to make this week was a spicy gazpacho that came out really flavorful with a lot a heat so I've only been consuming it in small amounts. It's so refreshing this time of year.  My "recipe" is below but for me it really is about lots of vegetables in the food processor with ingredients similar to a Bloody Mary.

Have a good week!

Jenabeth's Spicy Gazpacho
2 lbs of tomatoes, cut into chunks - I used a mix of plum, grape cherry & heirloom
1 English Cucumber, peeled & cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 celery heart (inc leaves), ends cut off & cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into chunks
1/2 jalapeno pepper
3 cloves of garlic
3 T sherry vinegar
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
3-5 T Hot Sauce (to taste)
3 T horseradish
2 cups of V-8 juice
3 T honey

Put all vegetables (tomatoes - garlic) into a food processor and pulse until desired consistency. I like a little pulp to my gazpacho so I leave some texture.  Then add vinegars, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce & horseradish and pulse a few more times.  Transfer to large bowl and add juice.  Whisk in honey to temper the heat.  Chill for several hours before serving.

Seared Tuna Over Warm Cole Slaw

First planned off night in almost four weeks from baseball!  In addition to making stock, I also made dinner.  One of my favorites seared tuna and I used the napa cabbage, purple carrots and sweet onions to cook up a quick, warm slaw. 

Seared Tuna over Warm Cole Slaw
Tuna Steaks
Sesame Vinaigrette (see recipe in Seared Tuna over Arugula Salad post)
Peanut Oil
Napa Cabbage, shredded
Purple Carrots, sliced thin
Sweet Onions, sliced thin
1/2 Lemon, juiced

Marinate tuna in sesame vinaigrette for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.  Sear tuna in oil over high heat for 2 minutes per side.  Remove tuna to a plate and let rest.  Lower heat to medium and in same pan, add onions to saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add carrots and cook for 2 minutes before adding cabbage and a couple of tablespoons of sesame vinaigrette and the lemon juice.  Once cabbage has wilted remove from heat. 

I flaked the tuna with my fingers and place over the cole slaw.  You could slice it on the bias but I find the flaked tuna a little more casual and comforting.

SEARED TUNA WARM COLE SLAW

Week Seven!

Wow summer is getting crazy!  Heading to Chicago next week for my cousin Caroline's wedding plus the baseball season is coming to an end and that means lots of end of season stuff to do.  Both those things mean not a lot of time for cooking.  Luckily its the time of year when veggies are best when just eaten plain . . like fresh tomatoes off the vine! This week we got:


Arugula
Summer Squash
Yellow Fin Potatoes
Napa Cabbage
Cucumbers
Basil
Cilantro
Chard
Sweet Onions
Tomatoes
Carrots

The first thing I did was make up some pesto using parsley from last week, cilantro from this week, mint from my garden and lemon verbena. I added walnuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and lemon juice.  I used the pesto in a salad with orzo, peas and feta cheese.  Totally yummy salad and good to bring with you to baseball games!

I am ashamed to admit that some of the veggies from last week were in my fridge and starting to look on the wilted side.  And I had new veggies and am leaving town this weekend. So instead of letting them go to waste, I made stock.  I threw all the veggies and in some cases just tops of onions or carrots into a large pot with cold water.  I added a good size handful of salt, couple tablespoons of peppercorns and bunches of herbs from my garden.  I brought it to a boil, let it simmer for a few hours, strained it, poured into air tight container and put in freezer. Now I have homemade veggie stock next time I want to make a soup.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Wow it's been hot out there and when you can say that on Cape Cod you know it's really hot!  Tonight we did a little tailgating at the baseball game.  I made my most favorite sandwich in the world - a Cobb Salad Sandwich. I discovered this about 12 years ago at the Hilton Hotel in San Jose and for a while I spent a lot of time in San Jose but it's been years since I've been back. I have re-created the sandwich from time to time.  In order to do it right you need to cook the chicken breast and bacon fresh and then assemble everything in the perfect order.  Oh heck I'll give you my recipe below!  Anyway the Watermelon & Feta Salad which is the true "vegetable" dish that I intended to blog about tonight was a perfect accompaniment and it's a great summer salad that travels well. And it's ridiculously easy.  Here is hoping is cools off!

Watermelon and Feta Salad
1/4 Seedless Watermelon, cut into chunks
8 oz Feta cheese, crumbled*
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
Olive Oil - maybe 2 T
Pinch of Salt

Mix watermelon, feta and mint lightly. I buy a chunk of feta and crumble myself as opposed to the crumbled feta because I don't think that tastes like feta.  Add olive oil and just a pinch of salt and toss lightly.  

Cobb Salad Sandwich
Scali Bread
Mayo
Chicken Breast
Crisp Bacon
Iceburg Lettuce
Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Avocado
Blue Cheese, crumbled

I use split chicken breasts and toss them with olive oil, salt & pepper and then cook for 30 mins at 375.  Once cooled I remove the skin and bones and slice the breast meat on the diagonal. 

I cook the bacon in the oven on a baking sheet at 375 for about 15 minutes. Then drain on paper towel.

Ideally you assemble the sandwich when the bacon and chicken are still on the warm side.  Not hot but typically I'd let them rest maybe 30 mins.

Spread just a little may on the bread - the Hilton used sourdough bread but I have trouble finding good sourdough that slices well for sandwiches so I've used the Scali bread for awhile. 

One one side of bread layer, in this order, blue cheese, chicken and avocado. On the other side lettuce, tomato (be sure to salt & pepper your tomato), bacon.  Put together, cut in half and enjoy!

WATERMELON & FETA SALAD

I forgot to take the picture before I left the house so this is my Mother's plate at the game . . and my Brother's foot in the background!

Week Six!

It's a hot one today - thank god for the ocean breeze! Just picked up the following:

Lettuce
Arugula
Summer Squash
Parsley
Baby Bok Choy
Stuttgarten Onions
Red Gold Potatoes
Salad Turnips
Kale

I'm heading to our Nation's Capital this week to visit some friends, family and then attend a conference. It's suppose to be VERY hot - yikes! I'll post what I can but not sure how much of a chance I'll have to do some cooking. 

Stay cool!!!

Ginger Senposai with Orange Bell Pepper

Senposai is apparently is a new hybrid between cabbage and Komatsuna recently developed in Japan. Everything I read says you can eat it raw or simply saute it in some oil.  I had another pork tenderloin that I was going to grill up and was making herb & butter egg noodles to go along with it.  I have to admit the only time I ever buy egg noodles is when I make beef stroganoff and even that I don't make very often.  However I saw them at the grocery store and felt compelled to buy them.  I cooked them according to package directions until they were al dente. Then I tossed them with butter and fresh, chopped parsley.  Back to the senposai I wanted to be sure I incorporated some strong flavours.    Check out the recipe below.  It was a delicious dinner - tender pork, buttery noodles and some spicy greens!

Oh and I was getting tired of my same blue & white dishes in every photo so I pulled out my "party" white plates!


Ginger Senposai with Orange Bell Pepper
Olive Oil
Garlilc clove, minced
Ginger, 1 inch of ginger grated
Crushed Red Pepper, good size pinch
Orange Bell Pepper, sliced
Senposai, cut into bite sized pieces

Sesame Oil, 1 teaspoon
Salt, to taste

Pour oil into cold saute pan and add garlic, ginger and red pepper and then put pan over medium heat and let everything warm.  Just as oil starts to sizzle add bell pepper and saute for a 2 minutes.  Add the greens, sesame oil & salt and cook for a 2-3 minutes until wilted.

Lemon Verbena and Mint Iced Tea

My herbs are nothing short of out of control this summer so I am scouring the web to find different ways to use them up.  One of the new herbs I planted this year is lemon verbena which smells so lemony I'm a little addicted to smelling the leaves.  I found a recipe for lemon verbena and mint tea which helps use up one of the other fast-growing plants, mint, in my garden.  I made the tea much stronger than the recipe called for and let is steep longer so that I could put it over ice for iced tea.  It's a very refreshing beverage and I added only a little superfine sugar to heighten the natural sweetness not really sweeten it much. 

Lemon Verbena and Mint Iced Tea
1 cup mint leaves, picked from stems and washed & rinsed
1 cup lemon verbena leaves, pick from stems and washed & rinsed
4 cups water
1 T superfine sugar

Bring water to almost a boil then pour over the leaves and add sugar. Let steep for 1/2 hour.  Strain water into pitcher and serve over ice.

Tea Steeping

Glass of Iced Tea

Drunken Haddock with Escarole Over Cumin Couscous

Tonight was one of my favorite kind of nights in the kitchen where I just cooked by instinct and created something totally new. I came home thinking I'd make a big salad with some grilled haddock.  Well the head of lettuce I thought was in the fridge ended up being the rest of the escarole and the haddock wasn't as firm as I'd like to grill. I ended up marinating the haddock in some lime juice, ancho chili powder, salt and a little olive oil.  Oh and then I added the juice of half a lime that I saw in the fridge - see where this is going?  I was thinking flaky fish tacos which lead me in the direction of Mexican flavour but I didn't want tacos again. Instead I I pulled out my big skillet and started where all great dishes start - olive oil with some onions and, in this case, garlic scapes.  From there it was what did I have and what looked good. I was heading in the direction of some type of stew or at least something with a great broth so I knew I'd need a starch to soak up the juice.  While I was being creative, I wasn't interested in a lot of time so I went to the quick, traditional couscous with some cumin for seasoning.  Back to the skillet and I started throwing in ingredients to develop this really great tasting broth to which I added the escarole and haddock.  The drunken part comes from the tequila! I surprised even myself tonight with how good this dish turned out so I would highly recommend giving it a try.  It was spicy and warm but not to heavy and really, really tasty!!  I would recommend topping this with cilantro but I only had parsley available.

Drunken Haddock with Escarole Over Cumin Couscous
Haddock, cut into large bite size pieces
Salt
Juice of one lemon
Juice of half a lime
Ancho Chili Pepper
Olive Oil

Couscous
Cumin
Salt
Olive Oil

Onion, chopped
Garlic scapes, chopped
1/2 Jalapeño pepper, minced
Red Bell Pepper, chopped
Ancho Chili powder
Mexican Oregano
Smoked Paprika
Diced tomatoes (small can)
Water
Orange juice
Honey
Tequila
Escarole, chopped 

Parsley, rough chop
Scallions, diced


Marinate haddock in salt, juices, chili powder and olive oil.

Cook cumin according to package directions while adding cumin to the water or broth.


Saute onion until softened then add garlic scapes and jalapeno and cook a few minutes be careful not to let them burn. Add red pepper and cook only for a few minutes so it softens slightly but holds bite.  Add seasonings and cook 1-2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and 1/2 can of water and bring to boil while adding juice and honey.  Add tequila and cook out liquor. Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add escarole and cook until wilted. Add haddock with all marinating juices and cook until haddock is cooked through.

Serve haddock over couscous and top with parsley and scallions.

Seared Tuna Over an Arugula Salad

Arugula has been in quite a few bags this summer and I've often incorporated it with other lettuces into a salad. Today I wanted to make an arugula salad and something that complimented the peppery flavour.  In addition, I have two beautiful pieces of tuna so I thought I'd do an Asian flavoured salad dressing on the arugula with some seared, rare tuna on top.

I coated the tuna in wasabi paste and then sesame seeds and I barely cooked it on each side for 2 minutes max.  Then I let it rest and sliced is on the bias to place over the salad. I actually could have cooked them a little less.

With the arugula I knew I needed to added some sweet flavours and perhaps a little crunch so I went to my old stand by, shredded carrots and julienne red peppers.  Oh and some scallions for a little onion flavour.

For the dressing I did a simple sesame vinaigrette - a combination of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and salt & pepper. 

All in all and delightful summer lunch!

One of My Favorites!!!

Tonight it was all about the grill. I made one of my favorite summer dishes - Grilled Vegetables and Israeli Couscous with Lemon and Tarragon.  I'm a little crazy for grilled vegetables in the summer and I made this dish last year and then proceeded to eat it almost every night for a month.  One of the things I do that gives it such flavour is grill paper thin slices of lemon until they are caramelized and practically disintegrated but then chop them up and add them to the dish. Love that bit of tart lemon!  I used the summer squash from this week's haul.  I served a grilled salmon with tonight's veggie & Israeli couscous medley.  Yummy!!

Grilled Vegetables and Israeli Couscous with Lemon and Tarragon
Whole Wheat Israeli Couscous
Assorted Vegetables cut into pieces that can be grilled, I used:

• Vidalia Onion
• Red Pepper
• Crimini Mushrooms
• Zucchini

1 Lemon
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Tarragon, roughly chopped

Cook the couscous according to package directions but add the ends of the lemon while cooking to add their lemon flavour.  Meanwhile brush vegetables with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Grill vegetables for a few minutes on grill just so they get a char but not too overcooked as they can become mushy.  Slice 1/2 the lemon into paper thin slices, brush those with olive oil and grill as well. 

Transfer cooked couscous with a large bowl.  Add juice from remaining half of lemon and tarragon.  Once the vegetables are done cut them into good size chunks and add to couscous.  Chop lemon slices up as well and add to bowl. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Week Five!

Lots of good veggies this week but not necessarily those that require a lot of cooking.  Perhaps some interesting salads will be in our future.  Real quick here is the list and I'll be back later with some new preparations:

Lettuce - 2 big head of lettuce
French Bell Radishes - I really like these more than the regular radishes we had last week
Arugula
Scallions
Sen Po Sai
Fennel
Carrots
Peas - this is the last of them and I've just been snacking on them
Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Kohlrabi

Hope you're all staying cool!

Fish Tacos (Again) with a Fennel & Kohlrabi Salad

Fish Tacos were on the menu again tonight although this time I used Mahi Mahi.  Everything else was very similar to the last time - radishes & shredded carrots for crunch and cilantro as lettuce with creamy avocado. I did marinate the fish this time in some oil, lime juice and ancho chili powder before cooking.  But the star of tonight's menu was the salad I served along side. I had been dying to try the kohlrabi and really wanted to use it raw so I did some research on salads using kohlrabi and found one with fennel.  I am that strange person who goes through the jelly beans at Easter to only eat the black ones.  I love black licorice so when I discovered fennel with that anise flavour several years ago I've been hooked ever since.  Orange and fennel is a classic combination so while most of the recipes I saw called for lemon juice in the vinaigrette on this salad I used orange.  In addition to really heighten that anise flavour I used tarragon as the fresh herb.  As a bonus one recipe called for carrots and I still have my carrots from the CSA so I added those as well.  In hind sight I would actually have cut the orange into segments and added it to the salad.  It was a really refreshing salad!

Oh and one last thing - when I cut into the kohlrabi I swear it smelled like peanut butter.  It doesn't taste like peanut butter though - more like a sweeter broccoli stalk. 

Fennel and Kohlrabi Salad
1 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into cubes
1 fennel bulb, tough outer part removed & sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Orange, zest and juiced
Fresh Tarragon, chopped (or you can use parsley or dill)

In bowl toss kohlrabi, fennel and carrots. In small bowl mix olive oil, salt & pepper, orange zest & juice and tarragon until emulsified.  Dress salad until desired coating - this makes a little more dressing than is needed so I saved the extra for another salad.

Another trick is to save the fennel frowns and garnish the salad with them before serving.

Fresh Blueberry Pancakes for Sunday Breakfast

Sunday mornings are made for pancakes or at least they are when I have time!  Today staring me in the face were two containers of fresh blueberries so I decided to whip up some blueberry pancakes.  I use a standard pancake mix and add the blueberries and a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a little warmth. In this case I added the fresh blueberries right to the batter after I'd mixed it thoroughly.  I've also been known to add the zest and juice of one lemon for Lemon Blueberry Pancakes.
Off to the beach and then some night baseball - what a perfect Sunday on Cape Cod!

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

Grilled Swordfish with Grilled Rosemary Potatoes and a Tossed Salad

Thanks to a lightening strike breaking a circuit at the field our game started at 5 pm tonight so I was home and making dinner before 8:30 pm.  I had a beautiful piece of swordfish that I simply put on the grill along with some lemons on the grill.  I am a little nuts for lemons and limes on the grill - it makes the juice flow even more and you get great citrus flavour.  In addition I decided to grill up the potatoes we got this week. In the interest of full disclosure I  LOVE potatoes - mashed, roasted, fried, grilled - any type of potato!  Anyway tonight I was pretty excited to try the potatoes and since I was firing up the grill I put them on there.  Here is the secret to grilling potatoes - you have to cook them first or otherwise you'll end up burning them trying to get them cooked through. Sometimes I have even just microwaved them but tonight I parboiled them first.  Then seasoned them with salt and fresh rosemary. Yummy!!!!  Accompanying the swordfish and potato I made a tossed salad with lots of ingredients from the CSA including the lettuce, scallions, radishes and cucumber.  From my garden I threw in a mixture of basil, mint and parsley.  For the record if you still haven't tried fresh mint in your tossed salad you are missing something.  It was the perfect dinner for a warm summer night!

Grilled Rosemary Potatoes
Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh Rosemary, minced

Put the potatoes in a pot of cold water with a handful of salt.  Bring the water to a boil and cook potatoes 3-5 minutes. You want the potatoes to be tender but not cooked all the way through. Drain the potatoes and dry them off.  Slice them into 1/2 inch slices. 

Brush potato slices with olive oil on each side and season with salt & rosemary.  Grill potatoes 3-5 minutes per side until fork tender. 

Pesto! Pesto!

My basil is growing by leaps and bounds so I decided today to make up a batch of pesto.  Well that gave me a little inspiration so in addition to the traditional basil pesto I made a Pea Tendril and Mint Pesto - yummy, yummy!!!  I also used the garlic scapes instead of a traditional garlic clove.  The aromas coming from the food processor and my hands were delightful. I gave the basil pesto to a friend.  Meanwhile with the Pea Tendril & Mint Pesto I cooked up some orzo and added a bag of frozen peas to make a salad.  This would have been nice with some feta in it as well but I didn't have any on hand. I also added the juice of a lemon to brighten the flavours. 

Oh as a snack at the ballgame last night I ate the rest of last week's radishes and the peas - what an interesting snack between the tangy of the radish and then the sweet of the pea it was satisfying all my taste buds. 

Pea Tendril and Mint Pesto
2 garlic scapes
1 bunch pea tendrils (including stems)
1 bunch mint leaves
handful of pine nuts
few chunks of Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Put everything except olive oil into food processor and pulse a few times.  Drizzle olive oil into mixture while processor is on until desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.


Orzo Salad with Pea Tendril and Mint Pesto
4 oz orzo
10 oz bag frozen peas

juice of one lemon
Pea Tendril and Mint Pesto

Cook orzo according to package directions in salted water. For last minute of cooking time add peas.  Drain orzo & peas and then put in large bowl. Add pesto and lemon juice and toss until combined. 

ORZO SALAD

Week Four!

A quick post to let you know what I picked up today at the farm. 

New Potatoes
Cucumber
Red Top Turnips
Radishes
Lettuce
Escarole
Peas - LOTS of peas!!
Cilantro
Arugula
Carrots
Kohlrabi
Garlic Scapes

Also I'm going to be making pesto today and will post more on that later!

Soup in the Summer!

I went into my pantry today to get my most favorite cooking vessel - my dutch oven! Yes I know probably not the first thing you think to cook with in the summer but I decided to make a big pot of soup today.  I love soup!  I often make a big, old pot at the beginning of the week and eat that for lunch all week.  And I have been known to eat leftover soup cold - some recipes I prefer cold.  Today my focus was on the bunch of escarole in my fridge and so after eating more than my share of burgers and ribs over the holiday weekend I figured a big pot of meatless soup was in order.   I made a White Bean and Escarole soup which was very good thanks to the care I took in seasoning the broth.  I used fresh thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley from my garden and that combination was simply inspired by walking through my garden and smelling what I thought would taste good.  I chopped up the rosemary because I love rosemary and white beans. However the rest of the herbs I used in a bundle to season the stock.

You can easily add meat to this recipe if you wanted to bulk it up - I thought of adding linguica but was quickly reminded that we were going to eat seafood or lots of veggies this week to make up for the holiday weekend.  I also thought turkey meatballs might be very good in this soup.  Of course for the vegetarians you can substitute vegetable stock in the recipe below and keep this vegetarian.



Escarole and White Bean Soup
Olive Oil
1 vidalia onion, chopped
2 c baby carrots, cut into thirds on the bias
1 clove & stalk young garlic
Salt
Crushed Red Pepper (good size pinch)
1 sprig Rosemary, minced
2 cans white beans, rinsed & drained
1 carton chicken stock + 1 carton of water
Fresh herb bundle - 2 sage leaves, 3 springs thyme, 2 sprigs of parsley, 1 bay leaf
1 bunch of escarole, rough chopped, washed and dried

Saute the onions, garlic and carrots with salt in olive oil until the onion is softened.  Add crushed red pepper & rosemary and cook 1-2 minutes so flavours develop.  Add beans, stock and water.  The amount of water you add is a judgement call - I added almost an entire carton full so it could reduce with the stock & seasonings to make a tasty stock.  Then tie the herb bundle to side of pot and drop into stock.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 -30 minutes. 

Taste your stock and taste a bean to make sure the flavours have developed.  Adjust your seasonings at this point.  Then add the escarole and cook for another 20-30 mins.  Again taste your stock and adjust seasonings. Remove the herb bundle before serving.

Serve with crusty bread and sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top. 

ESCAROLE AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

4th of July Weekend Roundup

Happy 4th of July to Everyone!

Lots of cooking happening over the holiday weekend so I'm going to post a few recipes and some tips and then get back to hanging out with my family. I made my potato salad for a family cookout tomorrow and I am very picky about my potato salads - I don't like a lot of mayonnaise but it must be Hellmann's and while I like added flavour I don't like a lot of other "stuff".  It's one of those things that I typically only eat my own.  You can find my recipe below.

Last night I went to a friend's cookout and I brought a super easy appetizer that was a big hit. However I can not claim it as my own as my cousins made it several summers ago and I've used it many times since.  It's as simple as buying goat cheese, mango chutney, pita chips and a bunch of cilantro.  And it's one of those salty/sweet/cream/crunchy tastes that hit all cylinders! You can hardly call it a recipe but below you will find the instructions. Apologies for not remembering to take a photo . . but by the time I thought of it the dish was already half way devoured!


Finally, I commandeered the kale I had given to my Mom and made kale chips as an appetizer tonight.  They were pretty good but when I asked my brother how they tasted he said "salt".  I may have over-salted them in my quest to make sure they didn't taste too much like kale.  I worked at our local Friendly's restaurant for 8 years and we used kale as a garnish so that's really what I think of kale as. However I would definitely make them again with a little less salt.   I used Melissa D'Arabian's recipe and I'll list the link below.

Ok before I go here is my tip on corn on the cob - who doesn't love corn on the cob in the summer?  It must be one of my most favorite summer treats.  Two important things in getting to great corn on the cob. First when you are selecting the corn in the store - peel back the husk and check out those ears. Make sure the kernels are good size and have good colour.  If the husks are brown or moldy pass. Another good test is can you feel the kernels through the husk and does it smell like sweet corn.  Smell your produce . . that my grandmother taught me!  And the second key is not to over cook it. I've grilled it both in and out the husk but the easiest & surefire way to cook it is in water on the stove.  Use a large pot big enough to hold all your corn and several inches of water. Put them all together, put the top on, put it on high when the water comes to a boil, let it cook for 3-4 minutes and that is is.

Hope you enjoy whatever you are cooking up this July 4th and be safe! 

Jenabeth's Potato Salad

5 lb bag red bliss potatoes
Kosher Salt
1 small bunch Celery Hearts, diced and include leaves
1 vidalia onion, diced
1 T celery seed
Salt & Pepper
2 Hardboiled Eggs, diced
2 T Dijon Mustard
Hellmann's Mayo (I use the Olive Oil kind)
Handful of Parsley, chopped

I chop the potatoes, leaving the skin on, into bite size chunks.  Put potatoes in a large pot and fill with cold water and add plenty of salt. This is just like cooking pasta - you wants lot of salt in the water so your potatoes get seasoned.  Put on stove, bring to boil and cook until fork tender. 

While potatoes cook put celery, onion, celery seed, salt & pepper, mustard and the eggs into a large bowl. To be honest I don't dice the eggs so much as smush them with my hands! 

When potatoes are done, drain them and put them right back into pot and put on stove (with burned turned off) for 1-2 minutes so the excess water will cook off.  Then add the potatoes to the veggies in the bowl.  I made my salad while my potatoes are still warm - this is when they soak up the flavours the best.  I toss lightly and then start to add the mayo about 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time. I do not like too much mayo so I just add until I think there is enough.  Then TASTE your salad and adjust seasonings - I can be sure it's going to need more salt & pepper.  Finally top with parsley and refrigerate until time to serve.

Goat Cheese & Mango Chutney Appetizer
8 oz log goat cheese
9 oz jar mango chutney (not the hot stuff)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bag pita chips, plain


Put goat cheese in middle of platter - it's best if you do this awhile before serving so cheese comes to room temperature.  Pour the bottle of chutney over the cheese.  Sprinkle with cilantro. Arrange pita chips around sides. Enjoy!! 

Kale Chips
Visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe/index.html

MY POTATO SALAD

KALE CHIPS

Not my Most Successful Dish!

I have to admit I wasn't overly thrilled with my dinner this evening but I think I may have tried to be too healthful. Or perhaps my previous aversion to greens is catching up with me.  In any event, I made some brown rice which I will admit has been something only in the last two years I've been able to consume without yearning for the empty calorie, white version. 

Over the brown rice I had sauteed young garlic with chard, spinach and some julienne of yellow bell pepper.  I also sprinkled a little Thai Red Pepper sauce over the greens for some heat.  I enjoyed maybe the first 6 bites and then it started to lose me.  My inspiration as I mentioned in an early post was a friend saying she did a similar dish over wild rice and I think that may have been key. The wild rice would have added more flavour and texture which was sorely missing in this dish.  What I do have to say is that I once again really enjoyed the flavour from the young garlic - it's a mellow, sweet garlic flavour and it's very yummy.

Oh and I'm now regretting handing over the entire bunch of kale to my Mom!  A friend suggested fried kale chips and I've seen Melissa D'Arabian makes those and swear by them. She says her kids request them!  So I may have to get back some of that kale and give those a try.

Week Three!

Just got back from the farm and picked up this week's haul.  It includes:

Garlic Scapes
Radishes
Komatsuna
Kale - which I gave all to my mother
San Po Sai
Lettuce
Scallions
Escarole
Lavender
Pea Tenderils
Peas

I almost ate all the peas on the car ride home - nothing like fresh, crisp peas.  I have the lavender in a vase on my desk already and the smell is intoxicating. 

I'll be cooking lots of greens later today . .I'm ashamed to say some of them still leftover from last week but I will use them up for dinner later. 

And I finally released my blog to some family and friends yesterday and it was so great to hear back from all of you. Especially the growing number of people taking advantage of CSA's all over the country and your experiences. In fact one friend said she made a stir fry of swiss chard and boy choy over wild rice which will be my inspiration for tonight's dinner. 

Keep the comments coming!

Fish Tacos Oh My!!

I have fallen in love with fish tacos over the past 2 years.  I was excited for today's as I was really eager to use the bunch of cilantro as well as the scallions & radishes.  I used the cilantro like lettuce on the tacos with the crunch from the radishes and shredded carrots and the creaminess from the avocado.  I am also not a huge fan of jar salsa for the most part. But I really like the Roasted Salsa Verde from Archer Farms that I can get at Target so that is what I used on the tacos.  These were by far my favorite fish tacos - the fish was light and flaky with that smokey flavour from the cumin and pepper. The toppings were perfect for that great bite!

To accompany the tacos I made a quick black bean salad.  It was a very light lunch for a hot day and really tasty!!  Give these recipes a try.

Black Bean Salad
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained (I prefer Goya)
1/2 jalapeno, minced - I do not remove the seeds as I like the spice
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 handful of grape tomatoes, halved
1 handful of cilantro, finely chopped
1 glug of olive oil
juice of 1 lime
salt & pepper



Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss until veggies & beans are coated in oil and juice.  Serve at room temperature to let flavours come through.

Fish Tacos
12 oz cod fillets
cumin
Chipotle pepper, ground
salt
1/2 lime

6 soft, flour tortillas
1 avocado, halves sliced into 3
juice of half of lime over avocado
shredded carrots
3 radishes, sliced thin
bunch of cilantro, leaves removed from stem but kept whole
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
Your favorite salsa

I sprinkled the cumin, chipotle pepper & salt over the fish and let it sit for a few minutes while I prepped the veggies.  I heated olive oil in a saute pan and added cod while squeezing lime over fish. The fish cooks in less than 5-7 minutes depending on thickness.  Just before the fish is done I heated the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds.

To assemble: lay tortillas on plate and then add fish.  Top with radishes, carrots, cilantro leaves, avocado slice and salsa. Serve with lime wedge on the side.