Monthly Archives: June 2010

Market Fresh: Cucumbers

Posted by Alaina in Market Fresh and tagged with , , , , , ,

Cucumbers are one of my favorite raw vegetables. I especially like the English cucumbers – they are the seedless ones that are usually wrapped in plastic. I’ve noticed that cucumbers are generally the first to go on a vegetable platters and they make a great addition to lettuce salad.

We always grow cucumbers in our garden and I enjoy coming up with different use for them. One of the simplest ways to serve it is sliced on a platter with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Today, I’m sharing a couple of other recipes that we enjoy.

 The inspiration for the first is a combination of my love tomatoes & cucumber together (I’ve been combining them in salads for years!) and the salads we ate in Kazakhstan which included lots and lots of dill. We ate something very similar to this and I loved it!

CUCUMBER-TOMATO SALAD
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1 english cucumber, cubed
2 tomatoes, diced (olr a 1/2 pint of tomatoes halved)
1/4 c. fresh dill, chopped
2 Tb. Olive oil
2 Tb. Vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Combine cucumber, tomato, and dill. Sprinkle on sugar. Add salt & pepper to taste. Dress with olive oil and vinegar. Can be served chilled or at room temperature. The flavors develop if you allow the salad to marinate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serves 4.

My mom has made cucumber onion salad for as long as I can remember. It frequents our family gatherings. It’s also wonderful dressed with vinegar and oil.

CUCUMBER ONION SALAD
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1 Cucumber, thinly sliced
1 Onion, thinly sliced into rings
1/3 c. Mayonnaise
2 Tb. white vinegar or lemon juice 
Seasoned Salt or regular salt
Pepper 

Combine cucumber and onion. Season with seasoned salt and pepper. Dress with mayonnaise & vinegar. Serve chilled and allow to marinate for 1-2 hours before serving. Serves 4.

Off The Shelf: June Magazines

Posted by The Cooks Next Door in Off the Shelf and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cooking Light (Heather) — the June issue begins with six superfast ways to cook beef and then launches into a sorbet taste-test. Features this month include: healthy grilling, making the perfect cake, and eating in Sante Fe. A large section devoted to variations on potato salad caught my eye. The summer cookbook section is full of interesting recipes using summer fruits and vegetables. As always there are also interesting articles and plenty of other recipes. All in all, this issue has its season right (summer)!

I chose to try the Herbed Ricotta Tart since I had many of the ingredients from my CSA. This recipe was simple to follow and turned out fantastic! I can’t wait to make it again, and even improvise a bit on the ingredients. It is an excellent idea for a brunch — something other than the usual quiche!

HERBED RICOTTA TART
(Cooking Light, June 2010)
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 1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough (or homemade!)
cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced green onions
1 1/3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
2 Tbsp. minced fresh dill
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten (I just used a whole egg)
2 Tbsp. finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.

Unroll dough, and press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch round removeable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add thinly sliced green onions to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine cooked green onions, ricotta cheese, sliced fresh chives, minced fresh dill, salt, pepper, eggs and egg white. Pour onion mixture into prepared crust; sprinkle mixture with Parmigianno-Reggiano. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Serves 6.

Bon Appetit (Heather) — this issue is, of course, focused on summer. Instead of sorbets, Bon Appetit is reviewing ice-cream and giving recipes for smoothies. If you want to learn about tamarind and how to cook with it, this is the issue for you! As with Cooking Light, there are many grilled recipes and some lovely side dishes. I do feel as if the recipes in this magazine tend to be a bit more gourmet and involved — definitely what I call weekend cooking.

That said, the recipe I tried (Frittata Bites with Chard, Sausage and Feta) exceeded my expectations. The texture and taste were delicious, and even one of my kids who “hates greens” decided they liked swiss chard after eating this. I plan to use it as a breakfast casserole when entertaining and hope to make it again for dinner some evening. The frittata bites in the magazine were much taller, but that’s because they used a smaller baking pan and I used a larger one — mostly because I accidentally doubled the sausage, but also to help shorten the cooking time.

FRITTATA BITES WITH CHARD, SAUSAGE, AND FETA
(Bon Appetit, June 2010)
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nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 12-ounce bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs removed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
8 ounces mild Italian sausages, casings removed, sausage broken into 1-inch pieces
8 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 1/2 ounces)
fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 325F. Spray an 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add Swiss chard and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain. Finely chop chard, then place in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Set chard aside.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to skillet and saute until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add sausage and saute until brown and cooked through, breaking up with a fork, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper in large bowl to blend. Add chard and cooled sausage mixture, then feta; stir to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

Bake frittata until set in center, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer baking dish to rack and cool frittata 15 to 20 minutes. Place platter atop dish with frittata. Using oven mitts, hold baking dish and platter firmly together and invert frittata onto platter; place another platter atop fritata and invert again so that frittata is right side up. Cut frittata into 20 pieces.

Can be made one day ahead. Place frittata pieces on rimmed baking sheet. Cover and chill. Rewarm in 325F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Transfer frittata pieces to platter. Garnish each piece with parsley; serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 20 bite-sized portions.

Organic Gardening (Heather) — Organic Gardening is not a cooking magazine, but I wanted to mention it here because it encourages so much of what we like here at The Cooks Next Door: local, fresh, seasonal, organic.

This magazine has been around since World War II, and year after year brings helpful articles on how to grow your own food. The June/July issue includes articles on cooking with tomatoes, keeping hens in the backyard, varieties of peppers, a rural garden in England, and caring for your grass in a greener way. Scattered throughout the magazine are many more short, helpful articles for your garden or yard.

Having seen watermelon and tomato salads mentioned everywhere this summer, I decided to try the recipe in Organic Gardening. The result was beautiful, as well as delicious. Seasoned with salt, lime juice and basil shreds, the combination of watermelon and tomatoes worked well together. It’s the perfect salad to bring to your next summer gathering.


CHERRY TOMATO, MELON, AND MINT SALAD
(Organic Gardening, June/July 2010)
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 4 cups melon balls, scooped from a ripe, sweet watermelon at room temperature
3 cups ripe ‘Sungold’ cherry tomato halves, at room temperature (I used a gourmet selection from the supermarket)
4 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh spearmint
3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Toss all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Serves 8.

(Alaina) I haven’t written about Better Homes & Gardens but I really like this magazine. It’s especially great for summer with the combination of gardening, home decorating, and recipes. They offer interesting articles and many do-it yourself project ideas. The recipes include several grilling recipes. The Corn & Blueberry Salad, the Chocolate Marchmallow Ice Cream Sandwiches, and the twists on BBQ sauce are all recipes I would like to try!

I decided to make the Junebug “Mocktail” (a non-alcoholic mixed drink). It was quite sweet but my family really liked it! You could serve this as a dessert with a scoop of sherbet on top. It’s quite refreshing for a hot day!

JUNEBUG
(Better Homes & Gardens, June 2010)
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3 c. ginger ale
4 Tb. grenadine
4 Tb. orange juice
3 scoops orange sherbet

Blend together ginger ale, grenadine, orange juice, and sherbet. Pour into ice-filled cocktail glasses.

Serves 4.

(Alaina) Food Network Magazine has a great issue including many summer recipes and many grilling recipes. This magazine draws from a variety of different chefs which makes for a really good publication. They continue to provide a 50 recipe pull-out section – this month features burger recipes which is perfect for summer. The different sauces and pestos looked delicious as well as the Foil-Packet Fish w/Corn Relish, Watermelon-Cucumber Salad, Strawberries and Cream Tart, and Blackberry Lemonade!

I was in need of a quick dessert, so I made Guy Fieri’s Blondies w/Dark Roots. These were better the next day and definitely better served completely cooled. While I liked these, I probably won’t make them again because they were a little cakier and a little drier then I prefer. The combination of the coconut, pecans, and dark chocolate was really nice, though!

BLONDIES W/DARK ROOTS
 (Food Network Magazine, June 2010)
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1 c.  flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
5 1/3 TB. ( 1/3 c.) butter, at room temperature
3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 Tb. vanilla extract
1/2 c. chopped hazelnuts (I subbed pecans b/c I didn’t have any hazelnuts)
1/4 c. sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray  an 8-inch-square glass baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat 3 to 4 more minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in the hazelnuts, coconut and chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes in the pan before slicing.

Serves 9.

Weekend Fare: Vegetarian Salad

Posted by Alaina in Weekend Fare and tagged with , , , , ,

**Off the Shelf will be appearing tomorrow instead of today and will be the June magazine edition!**

I will admit that I didn’t set out to make a vegetarian dinner but somehow I managed to have some spoiled chicken. So, the dinner plan changed and we weren’t too sorry to see the meat go. This recipe does not require any cooking which is awesome for a hot summer day. We enjoyed it for an evening dinner on the deck. The bright colors are a beautiful addition to any table.

VEGETARIAN SUMMER SALAD
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1 can black bean, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 avocadoes, diced
1/4 c. red onion, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Mixed greens

Combine all ingredients except the mixed greens and toss with the vinagrette. Serve over mixed greens.

LIME VINAIGRETTE
1/4 c. canola oil
2 limes, juiced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together to blend.

My Kitchen View

Posted by Alaina in Kitchen View and tagged with , , , , , ,

Last week, we went strawberry picking as a family. I could have been easily dissuaded – it was hot and humid – but my boys were determined. And we had such a great time! We picked 14 pounds in about 30-45 minutes. Our youngest (21 months) spent his time sneaking as many strawberries as he could; the other two picked a few but mostly enjoyed taking in all the sights and sounds of the strawberry farm. The fragrant berries were plentiful and the picking was easy.

So, we have been eating strawberries for a week and enjoying them so much – the boys cannot get enough. We’ve had them alone, in salads, with dessert, and in strawberry lemonade. Delicious! I’m a June birthday and have always loved the fact that I was born in strawberry season – I often celebrate with a strawberry dessert of some kind!

Every once in awhile I like to offer great shortcuts. So I want to recommend the vanilla bean cake mix that Trader Joe’s sells (it’s around $3 and totally worth it!). It is a.m.a.z.i.n.g. We recently had it for dessert stacked with sliced, fresh strawberries and peaches and whipped cream. It was absolutely wonderful and was easy to put together for an impressive dessert.

In other news, we’ve slowly been working on getting everything planted in our garden. I’m always excited about  the different varieties of wonderful vegetables. Our arugula is coming up and I’m looking forward to finding great new recipes for it!

And finally, we made steaks on the grill and they were excellent! We grilled them with a mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic powder and a little bit of Worcestershire sauce. I made a blue cheese butter by combining 1 stick of softened butter with 1/2 c. blue cheese – it topped 5 large steaks that fed 11 people. It added delicious flavor to the simply treated steaks. Definitely give it a try!

Market Fresh: Basil

Posted by Heather in Market Fresh and tagged with , , , ,

One nice thing about summer is the availability of fresh herbs — whether from the farmer’s market, or your own backyard! If you don’t have a garden, you can even grow herbs in pots, which is what I’ve done for many years.

Basil is a popular herb, with many varieties to choose from. My sister just introduced me to “Boxwood Basil” which has tiny leaves and grows much like the boxwood shrub. Last year I planted a few rows of mixed basil seeds and ended up with some lovely purple basil mixed in with four other kinds.

I’m sure most of us think of pesto, or caprese salad when we think basil. Caprese salad is my favorite salad of the summer, but basil doesn’t need to stop there. Think of it as an addition to a green salad, a topping for a plate of sliced tomatoes, the fragrance on top of a pile of fresh pasta, and even, paired with fruit, the end note to a lovely meal (see below).

This Basil Green Goddess Dressing from Ina Garten is delicious! And a sure way to make the most of your summer crop. And, when the basil runs out, why not try it with another herb, such as parsley or tarragon.

BASIL GREEN GODDESS DRESSING
(Barefood Contessa at Home)
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1 cup good mayonnaise
1 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts (8-10 green onions)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice)
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tsp. anchovy paste (I left this out)
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream

Place the mayonnaise, green onions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended. (If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.)

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I even contemplated pairing basil with something sweet, such as peaches or nectarines. I was pleasantly surprised to find the combination worked! This is a fresh and easy way to make a tasty summer dessert, and if you don’t want to cook the peaches, you can just slice them fresh and add a squeeze of orange juice and some shredded basil.

WARM PEACHES WITH BASIL AND HONEY
(BBC Good Food)
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2 Tbsp. butter
2 ripe peaches or nectarines, stoned and thickly sliced
2 Tbsp. clear honey
juice of 1 orange
8-10 basil leaves, shredded

vanilla or white chocolate ice-cream to serve (Greek yogurt is also particularly nice!)

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the peaches or nectarines, then cook both sides until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the honey and stir to make a sauce, then add the orange juice and allow to bubble briefly. Stir in the basil and serve warm with scoops of ice cream.

Weekend Fare: Summer Drinks

Posted by Alaina in Weekend Fare and tagged with , , , , , , ,

I love summery, fruit drinks. They are great for an afternoon playdate, for an evening dinner party, or a casual cookout. These are both incredibly easy and wonderful! My favorite was the strawberry lemonade – so fresh and delicious.  

FRUIT TEA
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1 1/2 qts. black tea
2-11 oz. cans fruit nectar (I used peach)
Sugar to taste
Mint Leaves
Fresh or Frozen Fruit

Combine tea, fruit nectar, and sugar. Serve over ice and garnish with mint and fruit. Serves 4-6. 

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE
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1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. water
8-10 strawberries, halved
1 c. sparkling water
ice
mint

Combine sugar, lemon juice, and water – stir until sugar is dissolved. Add strawberries and juice to the blender and pulse. Add sparkling water and blend until smooth. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh mint. Serves 3-4.

Off The Shelf: Eating History

Posted by Heather in Off the Shelf and tagged with , , , , , ,


Eating History: 30 Turning points in the Making of American Cuisine, by Andrew F. Smith, is not a cookbook, but rather a book of essays showing how Americans’ diets have evolved throughout the history of our country to get to the point we are at now.

Some may find this book a bit dry. Others, who love both history and food, will find it fascinating as they discover things like the effect of the Erie Canal on the average diet, the role of religion in the development of modern cold cereal, how war opened the way for our present-day reliance on canned goods, and how the development of various diets has affected the food available in our grocery stores.

Other fascinating chapters include: Cyrus McCormick’s Reaper, Gail Borden’s Canned Milk, Fair Food, Wilbur O. Atwater’s Calorimeter, Fannie Farmer’s Cookbook, Jerome I. Rodale’s Organic Gardening, and Julia Child the French Chef.

One of the chapters is devoted to the start of Gourmet magazine in 1941. Started during World War II, the magazine surprisingly survived a difficult time in our American history and continued being published right up until last year. Since there are no recipes in Eating History, I decided to use one from Gourmet.

This cake is simple to make and perfect for a summer afternoon (combined with a cup of tea, of course).

NECTARINE GOLDEN CAKE
(Gourmet, September 2009)
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1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
rounded 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 1/2 Tbsp sugar, divided (I used 1/2 cup sugar)
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract
2 nectarines, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges (I used peaches)
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in pan, then scatter nectarines over top. Stir together nutmeg and remaining 1/2 Tbsp. sugar and sprinkle over top. Bake until cake is golden-brown and top is firm but tender when lightly touched (cake will rise over fruit), 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool to warm.

Serve plain, or with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.

Serves 8.

Counter Culture

Posted by Heather in Counter Culture and tagged with , , , , , ,

I’ve spent a lot of time in my kitchen this past week. The result: we’ve eaten some really good food. Not only have I been preparing recipes for the blog, but I’ve been working hard to make good use of the produce we’ve received through out CSA. And, as always, I haven’t just been cooking, I’ve been cleaning up too. All that cooking generates an amazing mountain of dishes. Our dishwasher has been out of commission the last two months and will continue to be so for awhile. That means dishes by hand, the old-fashioned way.

Here’s a picture of what we’ve received through the CSA this past week:

We’ve gotten strawberries the past two weeks and I could hardly wait to pick up our share and get the berries! I could smell them from afar — that smell I remember from the hot strawberry fields of my childhood when mom took us for our yearly berry-picking. I contemplated long and hard what to do with the berries, since they were superior to the kind obtained at the grocery store. Finally I decided on scones, strawberries and cream for breakfast (with tea of course). Everyone loved it!

I’m amazed at the amount of greens we’ve been getting and I’ve tried to use some creativity in making our nightly salads. One evening I threw this together, hindered by little time and few ingredients. I tore up a head of lettuce, sliced a cucumber (from the store) and sprinkled over torn tarragon. My easiest dressing consists of 1/4 cup whipping cream, one tablespoon water and one tablespoon red wine vinegar with salt and pepper.

We’re also eating plenty of Kale, and enjoying the fresh asparagus. The radishes and chives head straight into salads and I’ve been especially enjoying having so much fresh mint, peppermint, tarragon and oregano around. It certainly adds a different dimension to cooking when you can add flavor and color with herbs.

And, here’s a nice little recipe we tried recently that makes a hearty lunch or a light supper (perfect for summer):

EMERIL’S KICKED-UP TUNA MELTS
(Everyday Food, May 2010)
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4 cans (5 ounces each) solid white tuna packed in water, drained
1/3 cup mayonnaise, plus more for spreading
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
4 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained (I left these out)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled between your fingers
4 slices crusty bread
8 thin slices tomato
4 slices provolone

Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. In a medium bowl, combine tuna, mayonnaise, onion, capers, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano and stir until thoroughly combined.

Arrange bread on a baking sheet and spread a little mayonnaise on each slice (I toasted my bread on each side first — using the broiler). Divide tuna salad evenly among slices, then top each with 2 slices tomato and 1 slice cheese. Broil until cheese is golden brown and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

Serves 4.