Fresh and Local – and Making it Last

I try to hit up the farmer’s market on most weekends, because the ingredients I bring home automatically enhance my cooking without any extra work. The only hard part is that I tend to get distracted while I’m there, and often find myself in a frenzy over which amazing products I want to use. My inability to get in-and-out of the market in less than 30 minutes immediately rules out any chance I might ever have to be a contestant on Top Chef or Master Chef. It’s best if I’m given the freedom to wander the aisles and contemplate my menu decisions. It’s also best if my husband isn’t with me when I go, as it could be a monumental test of his patience.

At a recent visit, I picked up some delightfully fresh produce – some heirloom tomatoes, nectarines, corn on the cob, and zucchini - to name a few. It’s amazing how far a few tomatoes will go, and it was even more amazing that I was able to use all the farmer’s market produce without anything going bad. I don’t have the luxury of shopping every day for our food, so anything I can buy that lasts more than a day, is an exciting thrill for me.

While I don’t have any specific “recipes” to share, I wanted to highlight the variety of meals I was able to achieve with just a few items from my farmer’s market trip, and anything I already had on hand in the pantry:

Salad w/ Nectarines

- Bed of mixed greens

- Sliced nectarines

- Sliced salami

- Dressing: Olive oil and juice from an orange and lemon

Heirloom tomato salad

- Heirloom tomatoes

- Corn on the Cob

- Zucchini

- Basil

- Olive Oil

- Lemon

Zucchini and Tomato Gratin

- Tomatoes

- Zucchini

- Olive Oil

- Thyme

- Parm cheese

And the list goes on. I may not be able to construct every meal with the freshest ingredients and local products, I’m a working lady for goodness sake, but I can incorporate these throughout my week efficiently and cost effectively. I think I spent about $30 at the market that day. That’s about the cost of what - 3 frozen pizzas at Safeway? Given the option, I’d much rather have an heirloom tomato salad, wouldn’t you?

-- the daughter

Pizza My Heart

All of my favorite things, loaded on to a simple crust, makes for a pizza to fall in love with: fresh, seasonal figs, thinly sliced prosciutto, pungent and yummy gorgonzola cheese, a hint of balsamic and topped with fresh, peppery arugula. Sighting a display of figs at the farmer’s market this week, I was inspired to use them in this Bon Appétit recipe. While I usually like to prepare my pizza dough from scratch (see below), I knew I had some Trader Joe’s fresh-packaged variety in my frig. I also remembered that I had quite a bit of spinach in the crisper so I substituted it for the arugula (the arugula is really better on this but the spinach was a nice change).

Pizza with Prosciutto, Figs, Gorgonzola and Arugula

Cornmeal (for sprinkling)*

1 lb. pkg. purchased pizza dough**

2 cups (generous) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 8 oz.)

6 small fresh figs, cut into about 1/3” thick slices

2 Tbl. balsamic vinegar, divided (use fig balsamic, if you can)

8 thin slices prosciutto

1 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil

8 cups arugula

Preheat oven to 450º. Sprinkle large rimless baking sheet generously with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 12 X 10 inch rectangle; transfer to prepared sheet. Sprinkle Gorgonzola over dough. Sprinkle with pepper. Place figs in medium bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon vinegar over. Set aside.

Bake pizza until crust is golden brown on bottom, 15 to 20 min. Immediately drape prosciutto slices over, covering pizza completely. Arrange fig slices atop prosciutto. Bake until figs are just heated through, about 1 min. Transfer pizza to cutting board. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and oil in large bow; add arugula. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Mound salad atop pizza. Cut into pieces and serve.

*I didn’t have any cornmeal on hand so skipped using it to prep pan and the pizza did fine. Source: Bon Appétit

**Pizza Dough

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 ¼ cups lukewarm water

3 cups unbleached flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 Tbl. olive oil

In large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in ½ cup lukewarm water. Let it proof for 10 min. Add the flour, salt, olive oil and remaining water. Mix well and knead until the dough is smooth, about 10 min. This can be done by hand or with an electric mixer with a dough hook. Add more flour as necessary to make a smooth, silky dough.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and set aside in a warm place until it doubles in bulk. This should take 1 hour or longer. Punch down the dough and let it rest for another 10 min. It is now ready to proceed with rolling into a “regular” pizza or –continue with recipe above--

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I think the “draping” of prosciutto to enclose the whole pizza is such an interesting way of offering up something different. This was plenty for dinner since it even had the salad atop, but it would also be a good accompaniment to a great bowl of minestrone or other favorite Italian soup.

Give it a taste and you’ll see why it’s won its way into our heart.

--the Mother

Not Just Your Run-Of-The-Mill Burger

Meg may have wanted to shed the “Monday Blues” with her dinner but I also think Wednesday’s “hump day” deserves some effort…burgers, you say? Think about making them a little differently. One direction I like to take is to use ground chicken instead of the usual ground beef.

Chicken burgers are so lean and delicious, but they also tend to need a little help in the taste department. I like to caramelize shallots and add a little blue cheese to the offering. Simple ingredients can provide temptations to the tastebuds, while being mindful of the grocery list’s bottom line.

Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Shallots and Blue Cheese*

2 shallots

olive oil

1 lb. ground chicken

one garlic glove, minced

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. salt

4 kaiser or ciabatta rolls, toasted

Leafy lettuce

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

Caramelize the shallots in a little olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Mix the ground chicken, garlic, rosemary, pepper and salt; then form into four patties. Brown in same pan with 1 tbl more olive oil. While burger is cooking, mix the mayonnaise and crumbled blue cheese til blended.

Serve burgers on toasted rolls with shallots, lettuce and a dollop of the mayo-blue cheese mixture.

*source: adapted from a Sunset magazine recipe

Served this mid-week sensation with a side of a large slice of beefsteak tomato, drizzled with a little light Italian dressing and topped with roasted corn. A little cold and hot side combo that seemed to work. Tomato was luscious and in-season and the roasted corn added a hot companion to an otherwise mundane side dish.

I had an extra chicken burger patty left over. Can’t wait to have it tomorrow, accompanied by another slice of tomato, as a great and light lunch. Total burger enjoyment…without the guilt. Maybe I’ll open my own burger stand someday. I think I’ll name it “Burger Queen”.

--the Mother

A Case of the Mondays

On the bus home from work on Monday, I was tired and frustrated with my day. I just wanted to go home and plop myself on the couch and do nothing, but I thought…what better way to shed the Monday blues than a home cooked meal? Since I was lazy and didn’t make it to the grocery store over the weekend, my only option was to scrounge around the kitchen to see what I could find. When I got home, I opened Rachel Ray’s cookbook to see if I could get inspired with the ingredients I had on-hand. I’ll admit she’s got some interesting dishes that are do-able for a working woman - although I can only make her meals in less than 30 minutes if I'm literally running around the kitchen to beat the clock.

I found a recipe for turkey cutlet with some pesto, tomato, and mozzarella topping. Not only did it sound delicious, but I had all of the ingredients to complete the dish (though I actually substituted the turkey for chicken). First, I opened a bottle of wine because I simply can’t cook without it! Then I pulled together the ingredients for the chicken cutlet, and also brought out a rice mix from Trader Joe’s to accompany the chicken. It was a fairly easy recipe to follow, and in the end my husband gave it a raving 4 stars!

Italian Chicken Cutlet

Olive oil (about 2-3 tablespoons)

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 tblsp flour

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

handful parmesan

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley (I actually didn’t have any of this on hand, so I used oregano. I'm sure any Italian herb would work fine.)

2 chicken breasts – pounded flat or butterflied

1 pint grape tomatoes

½ cup white wine

½ cup pesto (store bought)

Mozzarella slices

S & P

Heat medium skillet over medium heat with oil. Add onions, garlic, S&P and cook about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour in shallow dish, beat egg and put in 2nd shallow dish, then combine breadcrumbs, parsley, and parmesan into 3rd shallow dish. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Season chicken with S&P, then cover with flour. Then thoroughly coat chicken in eggs then lastly in the breadcrumb mixture. Once skillet is hot enough, cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the cutlets and set aside on paper towels.

In the skillet with the onions, add the grape tomatoes and white wine. Continue to cook until tomatoes start to burst and wine is reduced by half. Preheat the broiler. Arrange cutlets on a cookie sheet, then top each with the tomato topping, a scoop of pesto, and a few slices of mozzarella. Place under the broiler and broil until cheese melts. Serve warm with rice, if desired. Source: Modified from Rachel Ray, 365: No Repeats

With the Monday blues drowned out in Chardonnay and buried in pesto mozzarella toppings, I was ready to put Monday to bed and embrace the rest of the week. I guess it’s not so bad when you scrounge around in your kitchen for dinner options. You just need a little inspiration, a few good cooking staples, and some determination. I’d say it’s the best cure for a ‘case of the Mondays’.

--the daughter

Bon Appetit on Bastille Day

Bastille Day fell mid-week this year and, instead of a Wednesday ho-hum dinner, why not opt for a satisfying meal with a bit of French flare? One of my favorite cooks, Ina Garten, has a lovely Barefoot in Paris cookbook that makes French cooking accessible to all. I realize that was the premise of Julia Child’s work as well but, truth is, I have a serious aversion to objects suspended in aspic.

One recipe that had caught my eye when I first received the book was “Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic”…whew. As Ina says, “I know it sounds outrageous to cook chicken with forty cloves of garlic, but the garlic becomes very sweet and tender when it’s cooked for a long time”. I took her at her word and forged ahead.

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves

2 (3 ½ lb.) chickens, cut into eighths

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbl. unsalted butter

2 Tbl. good olive oil

3 Tbl. Cognac, divided

1 ½ cups dry white wine

1 Tbl. fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbl. flour

2 Tbl. heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, sauté the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3-5 min. on each side. Turn with tongs or spatula (so you don’t pierce the skin). If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer to a plate and continue with remaining chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and sauté for 5-10 min, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 min., until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the sauce and flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 min. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce and garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

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Ina was true to her word…the garlic was subtle and perfect tucked up next to the chicken. The sauce was incredibly rich, despite the fact that the recipe only called for 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. I would consider this a company-worthy entreé, served with a nice rice-combo type mix (Trader Joe’s has several mixed rice varieties that are nice), a light salad, some crunchy French bread and a nice bottle of wine (French on Bastille Day, of course).

We ended the meal with an interesting dessert. Having recently returned from a trip to the coast of Maine, we made the “required” stop at Stonewall Kitchen to ponder over the extensive selection of jams, chutneys, sauces, rubs, and so forth. Snatching up a jar of Kir Royale Jam and their recipe card for “Kir Royale Sorbet”, it seemed the perfect light, refreshing summer conclusion to our meal.

Kir Royale Sorbet *recipe from Stonewall Kitchen

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Kir Royale Jam

Make a simple syrup by combining the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

Place 1 jar of Kir Royale Jam in a food processor. Using a metal blade, process jam until currants are fine pieces. Add puréed jam to the simple syrup and mix until uniform. Chill for at least 1 hour in refrigerator.

Place chilled mixture in an ice cream maker. Process for 30-35 min. until the sorbet is thick and creamy. Freeze for 8 hours or overnight before serving. Can be kept frozen for one week.

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I served the sorbet in chilled martini glasses with a sprig of mint and a small plate of dark chocolate truffles. For one evening, my husband and I felt like we had traveled to Paris…just without the jet lag.

--The Mother

Cooking for Dad

My mother always told me the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Well, I’m pretty sure I already have my dad’s heart, as well as my Father-in-law’s, but I figured for Father’s Day we should treat them to a feast!

Mom and I decided to tackle the menu & cooking together - coordinating the menu from the appetizers to the dessert course. Then we divvied up the dishes and grocery shopping, and met up in the kitchen to construct the meal. So this time, it really was Mother and Daughter…in the SAME kitchen.

The Menu:

Apps:

Fried Green Olives Stuffed with Cheese

Wood Grilled Artichokes

Lime Drizzled Shrimp

1^st Course:

Spinach salad with Avocado, Apples, and Bacon

Main Course:

Filet Mignon with Roquefort Butter

Vegetable Tian

Dessert:

Chocolate Tart with Chocolate glaze, and homemade vanilla ice cream

There wasn’t a single thing on the menu that wasn’t a success. The men were groaning with delight, the ladies were giggling from the tasty wine (Dry Reisling, Trefethen Vineyards = yummy). The wine went perfectly with the selection of appetizers, recipes shown below:

Fried Green Olives Stuffed with Cheese

40(ish) Large Green Olives – pitted

Feta cheese (recipe called for Blue Cheese – but I substituted for Feta)

2 eggs, whisked

1 cup bread crumbs

½ cup flour

Olive Oil (or vegetable oil)

Stuff olives with feta cheese and set aside. Place the next three ingredients in three separate bowls. Heat oil in large skillet (with enough oil to reach approx 1 inch up the side of the pan). Dip olives in the flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Once oil is hot enough, dunk the olives into the oil until fried (approx 30 seconds to 1 minute). Only do a handful of olives at a time to ensuring even cooking. Source: Bon Appetit Aug 2007

Sizzling Lime Shrimp

3 limes

1 lb. large prawns, shelled and deveined

3 tbl. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

splash of sherry

salt and pepper

3 tbl. chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Grate the rind and squeeze the juice from two of the limes into a small bowl. Cut remaining lime into wedges for completed dish and set aside.

Rinse shelled and deveined shrimp under cold water, drain and dry well on paper towels. Heat olive oil in large, heavy skillet, then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds (careful not to burn it). Add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until they turn pink and start to curl. Mix in the lime rind/juice mixture, sherry to moisten and stir well.

Transfer cooked shrimp to serving dish, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot accompanied by lime wedges. (Be sure to set out a small dish for your guests to discard the shrimp tails as they eat).

We tend to stuff ourselves in the appetizer course, and Father’s Day was no different, but we did manage to reserve a little room for the dinner itself. So we uncorked a Cabernet Sauvignon, and headed to the dinner table. What came next truly won hearts…

-- the daughter

Flex Your Mussels with the In-Laws

Meg’s in-laws just returned from a fabulous trip to France (that’s redundant, isn’t it?). Her mother-in-law, Linda, is a gifted photographer and put together a slide presentation to share with us, along with a French-inspired dinner. When asked to contribute an appetizer, I decided it was time to flex some mussels.

While every bistro in Paris has some form of mussels on their menu, usually cooked in a pot of white wine (Moules Marinières), I opted for more of a stuffed and baked approach. It’s ultra-simple and even non-mussel-eating guests enjoy these.

Baked Mussels with Herb Garlic Butter

1 lb. fresh mussels (in shells)

¼ cup dry white wine

1 bay leaf

4 oz. butter

2/3 cup fresh French bread crumbs

5 Tbls. chopped fresh flatleaf parsley (plus extra for garnish)

3 Tbl. snipped fresh chives

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

salt and pepper

lemon wedges

Clean mussels thoroughly, scrubbing shells as needed and making sure to eliminate any “beards” attached to them. Discard any with broken or damaged shells. Put mussels in strainer and rinse well in cold water.

Preheat oven to 400º. Put mussels in large pot and add the white wine and bay leaf. Cook, covered, over high heat for 4-5 min., shaking pan occasionally, or until mussels open up. Drain well and discard any that do not open up. Shell the mussels, reserving one half of each shell. Arrange mussels in their half-shells, in a large shallow baking dish.

Melt the butter and mix in small bowl with bread crumbs, parsley, chives, garlic and salt and pepper to taste; mix well. Let stand a couple minutes to allow butter to set slightly. Drop a teaspoon or so of the bread/garlic butter mixture onto each mussel, pressing down with fingertips lightly to enclose the mussel meat in the shell.

To serve, bake the mussels in the oven for 10-12 min, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately, garnished with flatleaf parsley sprigs and lemon wedges.

What a wonderful evening. The in-laws shared a delicious and light white wine they discovered in France, “Lascaux”, to accompany the mussels, moving on to this winery’s Pinot Noir for dinner. Great tastes, lively conversation and the ultimate pleasure of the evening…photos of France.

--The Mother