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