Monthly Archives: August 2010

Counter Culture

Posted by Heather in Counter Culture and tagged with , ,

I finally made it to our local farmer’s market last week! Our CSA has made trips to the farmer’s market not entirely necessary.

There were so many beautiful things to choose from: peaches, heirloom tomatoes, green beans, huge melons, fresh corn, and even a few early acorn squash.

We have a fresh pasta stand as well. Fresh pasta is so superior to dried that it should almost be classified as a different food. If you haven’t tried it, you must treat yourself! Someday, I’d love to try making some myself.

The baked goods always look so enticing:

I love the creative goodies that appeal to the children.

The highlight of the whole market was the free grilled corn, donated by all the vendors.

I bought some corn and tried it the next day — absolutely delicious. In fact, I think I prefer this to boiled corn. If the corn is very fresh, you don’t need to soak it overnight. Lay the corn (husk and all) on a hot grill and cook 5 minutes on either side.

The peaches look so amazing. I bought a big box of seconds for $5 and we ate and ate and ate for half the week, including 2 peach pies.

Another thing we tried on the grill this week was grilled eggplant rolls. We grilled slices of eggplant brushed with olive oil and then filled with a feta and mint filling. Very good!

And that resulted in this delicious salad of leftovers for lunch the next day:

I thought I’d put my menu from last week down, just so you can see what we really eat:

Monday: leftover steak that was tough, turned into Chinese Beef over brown rice

Tuesday: this pasta dish of squash, bacon and pasta

Wednesday: lentil soup from the freezer (busy day!)

Thursday: caprese salad, sautéed potatoes, kale chips, and sweet corn

Friday: homemade pizza with sautéed eggplant and sausage (the pig I ordered arrived this week and my freezer is full of sausage, hams, roasts, and bacon!)

School starts on Monday! Life will continue to be busy — just in a different way! There’s still plenty of summer food left. If you haven’t visited your local farmer’s market, why not give it a try!

Market Fresh: Okra

Posted by Alaina in Market Fresh and tagged with ,

Okra is abundant in our garden at present. You can also find it at the Farmer’s Market. It has never been a favorite vegetable of mine (it’s a texture thing) but my husband loves it and, as we have discovered this sumer, so do our boys! I enjoyed it more this time than I ever have before – perhaps in part to these wonderful recipes (both of which happen to be by Alton Brown). If you have never tried okra or have had a past negative opinion, I encourage you to give these okra recipes a try.

I love how the cornmeal compliments the okra but doesn’t overpower it. The textures work great together. I also like that is pan fried – not deep fried. Actually, these were just plain amazing – we couldn’t get enough of these tasty pieces!

WET FRIED OKRA (Alton Brown)
Print This Recipe

1 pound okra, stems removed
1/2 cup cornmeal
Vegetable oil, for frying
Kosher salt

Cut the okra into 1/4-inch pieces and place into a colander. Rinse under cold water and allow to drain only slightly.

Place the cornmeal into a sealable ziptop bag. Add the okra and shake to coat thoroughly.

Add enough vegetable oil to a cast iron or stainless steel skillet in order to completely cover the bottom of the pan. Place over medium heat and heat until the oil reaches 370 degrees F (when you put a drop of water in, it sizzles). Add the okra all at once and fry until golden brown on 1 side, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Do not disturb until the bottom is golden brown. Turn the okra with a spatula and do not disturb until the majority of the other side is golden brown as well, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Now stir occasionally until all of the okra is golden on all sides, approximately another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the okra from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined sheet pan. Season, to taste, with salt and allow to cool for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.

My husband absolutely loved this dish and all of the boys declared, “Yum.” I think it’s definitely a keeper. The flavors are excellent – the texture of the okra bothered me a little cooked this way but the flavor contrast makes me overlook the texture.


OKRA & TOMATOES (adapted slightly from Alton Brown)
Print This Recipe

1 pound okra, rinsed and trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups peeled and chopped tomato
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon freshly black pepper 
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Cut each okra pod in half lengthwise and set aside. If there are any pods longer than 4 inches, cut them in half crosswise and then lengthwise.

Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions along with the salt and cook until they begin to turn golden, approximately 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and add the ginger, pepper, cardamom and okra. Stir to combine. Cook, uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Serve immediately.

Weekend Fare: Tomato Basil Bean Salad

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

This is an orginal recipe I came up with for a picnic using ingredients I had on hand.  The tomato and basil came straight from the garden. This can be served at room temperature or for fuller more balanced flavors, chill for 1 hour before serving. It is a perfect picnic dish because nothing will spoil. Have a great weekend!

IMG_6580

TOMATO BASIL BEAN SALAD
Print This Recipe

1 – 16 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed
1 med. red onion, finely diced
1/4 c. fresh basil, finely chopped or chiffonade
3-4 c. fresh cherry tomatoes, halved*
1/2 c. mozerralla cheese, small diced or shredded**
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. olive oil
2-3 Tb. balsamic vinegar

Gently combine all ingredients. Chill, garnish with fresh basil (opt) & serve.  Makes 8-10 side dish servings.

* I used a combination of three types of small tomatoes including yellow pear which gave great color and flavor but is not necessary.
** Since I used everything that I already had on hand, I used shredded Italian Blend cheese.  I would have prefered to use a fresh mozzerella or a block of mozzerella cubed.

Off The Shelf: August Magazines

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

It’s so fun browsing the various food magazines we receive in the mail and then deciding which ones will make the cut and what recipes we will try. It gives us a chance to try things maybe we wouldn’t and to enjoy our subscriptions. So here are our picks for this month!

Saveur (Alaina) – This magazine features Greek food which I love! I thoroughly enjoy this publication – it has interesting articles about travel, food, techniques and more. It perhaps does not have as many recipes as some of the more well-known cooking magazines but the recipes they feature are excellent. I like that they choose a theme (or a couple of themes) and include several recipes that tie into that theme.

It was tough choosing the recipe I wanted to try, so I made two.  The first I already mentioned a couple of weeks ago – a Greek Salad. The second was this Greek Lasagne. It was wonderful! I’m not generally a big casserole fan but I loved this – it was a little time consuming but so worth it. The flavors and textures worked so well together. It made alot – I served 4 adults and 3 kids and still had half a casserole left which we enjoyed as leftovers. This recipe would be excellent for the occasions that you take a meal to someone.


GREEK LASAGNE (PASTITSIO) - Saveur, August 2010
Print This Recipe
FOR THE MEAT SAUCE:
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and minced
2 medium yellow onions, minced
1 lb. ground beef, veal, or pork
3 oz. dry-cured chorizo, minced
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1⁄3 cup red wine
1⁄4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1  2″ cinnamon stick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper,  to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
FOR THE BÉCHAMEL AND PASTA:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cups  flour
4 cups milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, separated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1lb. No. 2 Greek macaroni, bucatini, or elbow macaroni
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1. Make the meat sauce: Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions and cook, stirring often, until soft, 8–10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion mixture to a plate and set aside. Add ground meat and chorizo to skillet and cook, breaking meat up into tiny pieces, until browned, 6–8 minutes. Add reserved onion mixture, along with tomatoes, wine, chile flakes, bay leaves, and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat, discard bay leaves and cinnamon, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; let cool.
2. Make the béchamel: Heat butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly toasted, 1–2 minutes. Add milk; cook, whisking often, until sauce coats the back of a spoon, 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat, add 3⁄4 cup cheese and egg yolks; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth; set aside.
3. Heat oven to 350°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook halfway through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Stir in remaining cheese; drain pasta in a colander and then toss with egg white–cheese mixture to coat evenly. Set aside.
4. Grease a deep 9″ x 13″ baking dish with olive oil. Place half the pasta mixture on bottom of dish and cover evenly with meat sauce. Top with remaining pasta mixture. Pour béchamel over pasta, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack; cool 20 minutes before serving.
SERVES 10 – 12

Bon Appetit (Alaina) – Yum. That describes this entire issue. I was especially tempted by their many desserts – just look at the cover! Even my 2 year old was taken by this issue and insisted on looking at it several times and pointing out the photos of delicious looking food while saying, “Mmm!”
This is an issue I will hang on to and hopefully make many more of the recipes. I chose to make the Sour Cream Pound Cake w/Lavendar Peaches. Cooking with lavendar is new to me and so I really wanted to give this a try. And the verdict is – go.make.this.recipe. It was so summery and absolutely delicious. Halfway through the recipe as I was making the lavendar simple syrup and I was a little nervous – it smelled so floral. But by the end, with the peaches infused into the syrup, the result was a perfect balance of fruit and floral. And let’s not forget the cake – with vanilla bean and sour cream, it was moist and flavorful. I will definitely cook with lavendar again!

SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE w/LAVENDAR PEACHES – Bon Appetit, August 2010
Print This Recipe

CAKE
3/4 c. plus 1 Tb. flour
1/4 c. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
3/4 c. sugar
10 Tb. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 lg. egg
1 lg. egg white
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 325. Butter a metal loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inch). Dust pan with flour; tap out excess. Sift 3/4 c. plus 1 Tb. flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Combined sugar and butter in large bowl; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean (reserve bean for lavender syrup). Using electric mixer, beat sugar mixture until fluffy. Add egg, egg white, and vanilla extract; beat until mixture is pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Beat in sour cream. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 56-58 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn cake out, then turn top side up. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.)

LAVENDER SYRUP & PEACHES
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 Tb. dried lavender blossoms
4 medium firm but ripe peaches, pitted, cut into 3/4-inch wedges
3 Tb. fresh lemon juice
1 c. chilled heavy whipping cream

Combine 2 1/4 c. water, sugar, lavender, and reserved vanilla bean in saucepan. Boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cover and let steep 10 minutes. Strain syrup into medium bowl; discard lavender. Pour 2 Tb. lavender syrup into small bowl; reserve for whipped cream. Cover and chill. Return remaining syrup to same saucepan; add peaches and lemon juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer about 5 minutes. Transfer peaches to bowl. Boil syrup in pan until reduced to 1 c., 12-14 minutes (it took longer for me). Pour over peaches. Chill uncovered 2 hours.

Beat cream and 2 Tb. reserved syrup in medium bowl to soft peaks. Slice cake. Serve with peaches, syrup, and cream.
Cooking Light (Heather): The August edition is a thick, summer issue with plenty of good ideas. We tried the Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia and it was so very good. I don’t cook a lot of fish, but this recipe makes me want to put it on our menu more often. It was easy and delicious and everyone had clean plates.
I also tried their recipe for Quick and Easy Pickles and a huge jar is sitting in my refrigerator right now. It was a great way to use garden surplus (it works for cucumbers and zucchini!).
Summer Squash and Corn Chowder is on my list of things to make — it looks so delicious in the magazine picture and would be a great way to use up extra corn and squash!
The issue is very festive with page after page of summer food. Many of the recipes are a bit more gourmet than I would make, but they are fun to look through and there are a handful of really good and useful recipes for the average cook.

SWEET AND SPICY CITRUS TILAPIA
(Cooking Light, August 2010)
Print this recipe

4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
cooking spray
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. lower sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp. paprika
Arrange fish in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Combine orange juice and next 9 ingredients (through garlic); pour over fish. Let stand 15 minutes.
Preheat broiler. Sprinkle fish with paprika; broil 15 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Drizzle sauce over fish. Serves 4.
NOTE: I didn’t have any orange juice in the house (and Alaina didn’t either!) so I had to improvise: I removed the brown sugar and put in about 3 Tbsp. of orange marmalade to replace the orange juice and brown sugar. It was perfect!
  Martha Stewart Living (Heather): We don’t often include Martha Stewart magazine because it’s not exclusively a food magazine. However, this month it included the most amazing summer recipe that is also extremely easy — all it takes is time to boil the pasta and you are finished!

Tomato and Basil Pasta is the pasta version of Caprese Salad. If you love that salad, you will love this pasta. My kids loved it too. We’ve made it twice and it is on the menu for this week again. You could also add some Kalamata olives to dress it up a bit.

TOMATO AND BASIL PASTA
(Martha Stewart, August 2010)
Print this recipe
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cooked short pasta
4 medium tomatoes
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese
basil leaves

Combine olive oil, garlic cloves, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss in cooked and drained pasta. Tear tomatoes and mozzarella and scatter over pasta. Garnish with basil leaves and sprinkle with pepper. Serves 4.

My Kitchen View

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

This weekend we enjoyed the great outdoors! We camped at McCormick’s Creek State Park and thoroughly enjoyed it. We made the traditional hotdogs and s’mores of my childhood – no camping trip would be complete without them! We also had pies made in our pie irons. We made burrito pies – tortillas, refried beans, cheese, and salsa cooked over the fire and peach pies – buttered bread, peach pie filling, and a couple of marshmallows cooked. Delicious! I wish I had pictures but keeping three young boys safe around the fire and just getting dinner completed took quite a bit of effort. :)

On the cherry front, I must share that I invested in a cherry pitter and haven’t looked back. If you like cherries, go buy one…you will not regret it. It makes cherry dishes so much easier and we all enjoy eating them pit-free – it’s not only more polite but it’s less messy!

We’ve been enjoying things from our garden! Recently I made a garden-fresh pasta that included summer squash, basil and fresh tomatoes! We all loved the vegetables, parmesan garlic cream sauce, onion, and bacon over the sun-dried tomato pasta. It was a use-what-we have kind of night and it worked!

What’s been happening in your kitchens and gardens?

Market Fresh: Cherries

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

Cherries are perhaps one of my very favorite fruits. I like them sweet or tart and I am hard-pressed to pass up a piece of cherry pie or a jar of preserves. The flavor and texture of this wonderful fruit amaze me every summer. I’m content enough to just sit with a bowl of cherries and eat them by themselves but I wanted to share some different uses for them. And yes, there is a cherry salsa – I thought it only fitting after the yummy blueberry salsa Heather posted a couple of weeks ago! My two-year-old gobbled it down though we all liked it!

I found and adapted these recipes from a couple of cherry grower websites. They were all delicious and showcase cherries in some different ways. It was fun using them in a couple of more savory dishes and the honeydew and cherry salad was very refreshing! Hope you enjoy!

CHERRY ROMAINE SALAD w/SMOKED TURKEY
Print This Recipe

1 head Romaine lettuce, medium-chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup diced green onion or chives
1 can (11-ounce) mandarin oranges
1 cup smoked turkey, diced
2/3 cup sweet cherries, washed, pitted and halved (I used Ranier)
balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below)
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to tasteToss all salad ingredients together except cherries in a large bowl.Whisk all Balsamic Vinaigrette ingredients together in a bowl. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over salad, reserving 1 tablespoon of vinaigrette, and toss salad. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over cherries and toss to coat. Arrange salad on individual plates and sprinkle with cherries.Serves 4

MINTY CHERRY & HONEYDEW SALAD
Print This Recipe

1/4 honeydew melon, seeds and skin removed, and cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/4 cup minced fresh mint plus mint sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons light honey
1 1/2 cups pitted fresh cherries
lemon juice
juice of 2 limes

Put the cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and minced fresh mint in a bowl and turn several times. Put the honey in a bowl with the lemon juice and stir until the honey dissolves, a minute or two. Pour this over the melons and turn several times. Add the cherries, turning them in as well. Pour the lime juice over all, garnish with mint sprigs and serve.

Serves 6

FRESH CHERRY SALSA
Print This Recipe

1 cup pitted fresh sweet cherries (I used a combination of bing & ranier cherries)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped green peppers
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash bottled hot pepper sauce

Chop cherries in food processor or manually. Combine all ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Makes 2 servings.

Weekend Fare: Kabobs

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

We recently had a family gathering and made beef and chicken kabobs. They were delicious! I marinated the meats, soaked the bamboo skewers in water, and then slid the chunked meat onto the sticks. My brother took over with the grilling but they were delicious served with a side of rice and salads.

Both of these recipes were adapted from the Food Network website (Alton Brown & Emeril Lagasse).

STEAK KABOBS
Print This Recipe

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions, washed and cut in 1-inch pieces 
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 pounds steak, cut into 1 – inch pieces

Combine all ingredients and pour over the steak pieces. Marinate for at least 2 hours. Skewer meat and grill to desired doneness.

CHICKEN KABOBS
Print This Recipe

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 -inch cubes
Kosher salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Sprinkle the chicken with salt. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken pieces. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Stir the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating. Skewer chicken and grill until done.

Off The Shelf: The Perfect Scoop

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

After my recent ice-cream maker purchase a friend recommended David Lebovitz’ The Perfect Scoop. I’ve found it chock full of great ideas. The book covers ice-creams, sorbets and sherbets, granitas, sauces and toppings, and mix-ins. Check out some of the flavors, which range from traditional to way-out:

Vanilla, Chocolate-Raspberry, Coffee Frozen Yogurt, Cinnamon Ice Cream, Green Tea Ice Cream, Fresh Ginger Ice Cream, Date, Rum and Pecan Ice Cream, Orange Popsicle Ice Cream, Oatmeal-Raisin Ice Cream, Goat Cheese Ice Cream, Cheesecake Ice Cream, Lavender-Honey Ice Cream, Sweet Potato Ice Cream with Maple-Glazed Pecans, Sour Cherry Frozen Yogurt, Pear-Caramel Ice Cream, Olive Oil Ice Cream, Avocado Ice Cream, Fresh Mint Ice Cream;

Mango Sorbet, Cantaloupe Sorbet, Lime Sorbet, Lemon Sherbet, Chocolate-Tangerine Sorbet, Apricot Sorbet, Blackberry Sorbet, Strawberry-Rhubarb Sorbet, Pineapple Sorbet;

Espresso Granita, Plum Granita, Nectarine Granita, Strawberry Granita, Grape Granita, Mojito Granita, Pink Grapefruit Granita, and Kiwifruit Granita.

The books ends with more sauces and toppings than you can imagine. It is the “perfect handbook” for anyone wanting to make gourmet ice-creams at home.

I chose to try the Strawberry-Sour Cream Ice Cream. It was incredibly smooth and delicious. The sour-cream added a delightful sour note to balance the sweetness of the sweetened berries. It was most enjoyable just churned, rather than hardened in the freezer. I highly recommend it!

STRAWBERRY-SOUR CREAM ICE CREAM
(The Perfect Scoop)
Print this recipe

1 pound (450g) fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup)
1 Tbsp. vodka or Kirsch (alcohol helps keep ice-cream from freezing too hard; it is optional)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Slice the strawberries and toss them in a bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch, stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring every so often.

Pulse the strawberries and their liquid with the sour cream, heavy cream, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until almost smooth but still slightly chunky.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes about 1  1/4 quarts.

This post contains affiliate links.

Counter Culture

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

Summer is a beautiful time in the kitchen. There are so many fresh, colorful, delicious foods to set on the table. Here is a pictorial tour of what’s been happening on my counters:

Fried Squash Blossoms: these are a once-a-year treat! Stuffed with ricotta, garlic and herbs, and then fried in a mesa flour batter, they are an amazing appetizer. One hint: pick your flowers early in the day before they close up! Otherwise they are just too hard to stuff.

Grilled Pizza: I did go ahead and try Bobby Flay’s recipe. We all loved it. The grilled pizzas did take a lot longer than I hoped. First we had to cook enough flatbread for 8 people, then we had to put on the toppings and get them all back on the grill.

Once I resigned myself to this being an “event” rather than just a quick dinner, things went a lot better. It’s an ideal meal to make with company on your back patio with a beautiful evening to enjoy.

Kale Chips: You may have noticed that Kale Chips are all the rage on the internet this year. When a large bunch of kale arrived in our CSA produce recently I decided to join the crowd. Surprise, surprise! The kale chips were absolutely amazing and I’ll be making those again! (Here is a recipe to try.)

Jam: One day a friend came over and we made jam: peach, peach-ginger, strawberry-rhubarb, and mint jelly. The sheet that comes inside the pectin boxes has just about any basic recipe on it and we followed that for most of what we did. For the peach-ginger jam, I added chopped crystallized ginger to the peach recipe. (In case you are wondering what’s wrong with the mint jelly — the jar pictured was the leftovers in the pot, including the scum.)

I finally harvested some rainbow swiss chard from my garden!

It seems once a summer we sit down to an all yellow meal!

I hope you all are also enjoying the delicious produce of summer!

Market Fresh: Tomatoes

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

‘Tis the season for tomatoes! These days you can have your tomato in a rainbow of colors: red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown. If you haven’t tried some of these fascinating varieties, now is the time!

My very favorite way to eat tomatoes is in Caprese Salad. I love the flavors and textures of the tomato, mozzarella and basil all mingling together.

CAPRESE SALAD
(The Cooks Next Door)
Print this recipe

tomatoes
mozzarella (authentically it should be buffalo mozzarella)
basil
salt & pepper
olive oil

Layer slices of tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over all. Tear basil leaves and sprinkle over top.

The most common way I fix tomatoes for the family is to slice them on a plate and pour heavy cream over top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and it is finished! Adding chopped herbs makes it even better. If I don’t have any heavy cream I use mayonnaise thinned with a little bit of milk.

Roasted tomatoes are a nice side to have on your plate with something like fish or chicken. They are even delicious for breakfast along side eggs and bacon!

GARLIC-ROASTED TOMATOES
(Everyday Food Magazine)
Print this recipe

4 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 3 pounds), cored and halved crosswise
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into 8 thin slices
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
coarse salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Place tomato halves, cut side up, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Dividing evenly, top with butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Bake tomatoes until tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

Serves 8.