It’s a great time of year to try out some new eggplant recipes. Whether from the farmers market, your local CSA or your own garden, freshly harvested eggplants are at their best. Our garden has produced an amazing array of eggplants this summer. Bright fuchsia Dancer, slender dark violet Orient Express, pure white Clara, beautifully variegated Nubia, all the varieties we have harvested this year have thin skin and minimal seeds.
What we most often consider to be Asian eggplants are the long slim tapered varieties. Actually Asian eggplants, whether Chinese, Japanese, Thai or Indian can be round or pear shaped, pure white or lime green and as small as an egg as well as the dark purple we are most familiar with.
In this Thai-style recipe for a yamor salad, eggplant slices are brushed with oil and grilled. If the weather is inclement or you just don’t have the time to fire up the grill they can be cooked indoors on a ridged grill pan.
Save the seasoning until after the grilling the eggplant. It’s then the creamy flesh will soak up the flavor of the ginger and soy, transforming the once raw bitter slices to something delicious.
Though not necessarily typical of this type of salad, I served the grilled eggplant slices on salad greens. Our lettuces have made their late summer return to the garden and I tossed some assorted greens with a few sweet cherry tomatoes, basil and mint. I used the small spicy leaves of Thai basil and Vietnamese mint that doesn’t overpower the salad. An Asian style vinaigrette combining the traditional combination of hot, sour salty and sweet dresses the greens and enhances the flavor of the grilled eggplant.
Beautiful dark purple Orient Express eggplant.
Grilled Asian Eggplant Salad
Serves four
Ingredients
1/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 c peanut or canola oil
3 T finely minced shallot
1 1/2 T fish sauce
2 t granulated sugar
1 to 2 Thai bird chiles, minced, or 1-1/2 to 2 serrano chiles, seeded, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 T minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 lb. long, slender Asian eggplants, trimmed and halved lengthwise
4-5 c baby lettuce leaves
10 to 12 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
1 c packed fresh basil leaves, Thai, if you have it
1/4 c packed fresh mint leaves, I used Vietnamese mint (very mild)
Directions
Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire. Alternately heat a grill pan over medium high heat.
In a small bowl, whisk 3 Tbs. of the oil with the lime juice, 2 Tbs. of the shallot, the fish sauce, 1 tsp. of the sugar, and the chiles. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In another small bowl, combine 2 tsp. water with the ginger, soy sauce, the remaining 1 Tbs. shallot, and 1 tsp. sugar.
Arrange the eggplant halves on a rimmed baking sheet, brush both sides with the remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant, covered, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Alternately grill the eggplant in a grill pan, 3-5 minutes on each side until tender.
Combine the lettuces, tomatoes, basil, and mint in a large bowl. Re whisk the lime dressing and toss just enough into the salad to lightly coat the greens. Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the salad to a platter and arrange the eggplant over the salad. Spoon the ginger mixture over the eggplant, and serve immediately.
Our beans, both pole and bush varieties, are still a few weeks away from being ready to harvest so I couldn’t resist the green beans I spotted at the farmers market. The shelling beans we are growing are months away from being ready to harvest but I still had some left from last season. I combined the green beans from the farmers market along with our dried borlotti beans for a simple bean salad.
Borlotti beans, labeled by the source we use, Seeds of Italy as Borlotto, are also known as cranberry beans and the very serious moniker, French Horticultural beans. They are an attractive addition to the garden. Their bright magenta colored pods with white streaks give a hint to the creamy white beans with cranberry red spots that wait inside.
Borlotti are a shelling bean which means the outer pod is inedible and must be removed. They can be used fresh, or dried for later storage. They have a wonderful nutty flavor and a creamy texture. Shelling beans need a long time to dry out. I learned that the hard way. The first year we had them, I thought they were sufficiently dry and stored them in canning jars. Much to my dismay, weeks later when I went to use them I discovered they were moldy. I learned my lesson from this and now allow sufficient time and space to achieve a totally dried bean. A dehydrator could speed up this process.
Some recipes call for only a few hour soak before proceeding with a recipe. I always try to soak dried beans overnight for the best results. In this case, one cup of dried beans became two and a half cups of soaked beans. After the soak drain and rinse the beans before proceeding with the recipe. The pretty spots on the beans are gone as soon as you cook them and they turn a pinkish brown color. Nothing can compare to the flavor of fresh cooked beans, they are sweet, creamy and delicious. If you have time restraints and choose to use canned beans, I prefer Goya beans as a substitute in this recipe. Add chopped basil just before serving for the freshest taste.
Borlotti and Green Bean Salad
Serves six
Ingredients
1 cup dried large beans, I used Borlotti, well rinsed and soaked overnight
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into pieces if large
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
In a deep, heavy-based pot, cover the beans with 6 to 8 cups cold water. Add the thyme, garlic, onion, carrot, and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 90 minutes; let cool in the broth.
In a large bowl, combine the shallot, anchovies, vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until well combined. Drain the white beans and add them and the tomatoes to the bowl. Toss to coat the vegetables well with the dressing. Let stand at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours.
Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and spread on a paper towels to cool. When ready to serve, add the cooled green beans to the white beans and then the basil, tossing well after each addition. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
A bowl of freshly shelled Borlotti beans.The beans are almost three times their size after an overnight soaking.Combine the drained beans with onion, garlic, carrot and a few sprigs of thyme.
In this salad of my own design, strawberries and avocado are combined not once, but twice, in the salad as well as the dressing that tops it. Juicy sweet strawberries are in season locally and are the perfect contrast to smooth creamy avocados. I combined chopped strawberries with avocado oil to make a dressing that compliments the salad perfectly.
Avocado oil has a mild nutty flavor and is high in monounsaturated “good” fats, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids. It has a high smoke point (500 F) making it well suited for frying but I haven’t tried that yet.
The greens, fresh from our garden are in their third planting now. I used Lolla Rosa and Oak leaf lettuces along with some arugula and mâche. French feta is one of my favorites, it’s creamier and milder than other varieties, a mild blue cheese would be interesting as well. I topped my salad with walnuts, almonds or pistachios would be good choices as well.
This salad is a combination of vibrant flavors, colors and textures. Add some roasted chicken and you have a great lunch or light supper.
Strawberry Avocado Salad
Serves two
Ingredients
Salad greens-I used a combination of oak leaf and Lolla Rosa with a little arugula, mâche and cress, enough to fill the plate or bowl of your choice
2c strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 avocado, cut into chunks
1/2c creamy goat cheese, I love French feta
1/2 c coarsely chopped walnuts
Strawberry-avocado dressing (recipe follows)
Freshly ground pepper
Strawberry Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
1c roughly chopped strawberries
3T lime juice
2T balsamic vinegar
1T(more or less) of agave sweetener or honey
1/2c avocado oil
Directions for Dressing
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Directions for Salad
Place salad ingredients on a plate or toss in a bowl. Add dressing to taste. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
You know that quinoa has become part of the mainstream vocabulary when it shows up in a beer commercial during a football broadcast on television. Sure, the guy eating the quinoa burger refers to it as “kwee-noh” and his friend who is looking on asks,”what is that, a loofah?” Enough people “get it” to make this a funny commercial.
Quinoa, pronounced “KEEN wah” is showing up these days in everything from whiskey, to chips, chocolate bars and yes, burgers. Quinoa is an edible seed or a pseudo-grain, because it is cooked and used in recipes like a grain. It is closely related to beets, chard, spinach and even tumbleweeds. Quinoa is unique because it is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids and provides “good” fat along with fiber, potassium and iron. Since it is not a grain, quinoa is well suited for gluten free diets.
Even though most quinoa is sold prerinsed, it is a good idea to rinse it before proceeding with your recipe to remove any remaining saponin, a bitter coating that protects the plant from insects. Submerge the quinoa in a bowl of cold water, swish it around and drain it in your finest strainer. Like rice, the cooking ratio is 2:1 liquid to grain.
In this recipe from Fine Cooking magazine, nutty quinoa is combined with crisp summer vegetables, spicy arugula and a slightly sweet miso vinaigrette. I used red quinoa in this recipe but white or black would be fine too. I used the radishes from our garden. They have peaked now with the onset of the warmer weather. I also included Japanese turnips in the salad that we are harvesting now. Unlike the standard turnip, the Hakurei variety is pure white, very mild and sweet, even when raw. Don’t hesitate to add the pickled ginger, it brings just a little spiciness and acidity to the salad. This salad will be a welcome addition to picnics and potlucks all summer long.
Because of it’s nutritional profile, quinoa has been called a “superfood”.
Quinoa, Cucumber, Radish and Turnip Salad with Miso Vinaigrette
Serves six
Ingredients
2-3/4 cups plus 1/3 cup lower-salt vegetable or chicken broth
3 Tbs. white miso
3 T seasoned rice vinegar
2 T soy sauce, preferably reduced sodium
1 T Asian sesame oil
1/2 cup canola or other neutral vegetable oil
2 T chopped sweet pickled sushi ginger
1 1/2c red quinoa, any color will do
1c Japanese baby turnips
2c cucumbers, cut into bite sized pieces
2c radishes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 packed cups of arugula
Directions
Put 1/3 cup of the broth and the miso, vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a blender; blend to combine. With the motor running, slowly add the canola oil to make a creamy dressing. Add the ginger and pulse a couple of times to very finely chop.
In a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, bring the remaining 2-3/4 cups broth to a simmer over medium heat. Add the quinoa, cover, turn the heat down to medium low, and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Toss the quinoa, turnips, cucumber, radishes, and greens together. Add 3/4 cup of the vinaigrette, toss, and serve, passing the remaining dressing at the table. (Save the remaining vinaigrette for other salads; it will keep for at least 3 days in the refrigerator.)
The French breakfast radishes are literally popping out of the ground!The radish harvest along with a little Hakurei turnip.
A full day of snapping pictures, shooting video and taking in the exhibits at the Philadelphia Flower Show didn’t allow us time to stop for lunch so a “prevening” meal was in order. We headed across the street from the Pennsylvania Convention Center to refuel at the Reading Terminal Market. A descendant of the open air markets that have been in operation in the same general locale since the 1600’s, it is the nation’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market. A vast array of food choices ranging from Pennsylvania Dutch to Thai to Mexican await hungry visitors. But there’s not just food, the market offers quilts, homemade crafts, fresh flowers and cookbooks.
We did a quick browse of the many vendors and found a place to rest our weary bones, Molly Malloy’s, a restaurant and bar. They offer 24 beers on tap and when possible, locally sourced produce, courtesy of Molly Malloy’s sons, Jimmie and Vinny, the Iovine brothers. They also operate Iovine Brothers Urban Produce Market in the Reading Terminal Market. We settled in and perused the menu. Starters of butternut squash soup, crispy calamari and carmelized onion and goat cheese flatbread hit the spot. Joe chose the green apple salad and I chose the market salad.
Appropriate for winter with it’s heartier greens, the salad featured kale, radicchio, romaine and shaved brussels sprouts. A tangy mustard seed vinaigrette and some parmesan bacon crisps tied the salad together nicely. Not wanting to get into a salad “rut” I decided to recreate this at home.
I began by tearing the romaine and the radicchio into bite sized pieces. I used a sharp knife to cut the kale into thin strips. If you have a choice, the Lacinato kale works better because the straighter crinkled leaves are much easier to cut into strips. Shave the brussels sprouts as thinly as possible. You could use a mandoline, but that might be a bit risky if you forget to use the guard. Not that I know anyone who would do that. I trimmed the root ends of the sprouts and sliced them with the 2mm blade on the food processor. You could also cut them in half with a knife, turn them cut side down and thinly slice from root to top. Gently tease apart the layers of the sprouts into distinct shreds The serrano honey vinegar I used in my tangy mustard seed dressing came from another terminal market vendor, The Tubby Olive. I love visiting their store in Newtown, since then they have opened locations in Doylestown and most recently at the Reading Terminal Market.
A crispy salty component comes from the addition of the parmesan crisps. Known as frico in Italy, it is a wafer of shredded cheese, baked until golden. I sprinkled a little crispy bacon over the frico in the last few minutes of cooking.
The most important rule for all tossed salads is the bowl you are tossing in needs to be large enough to hold the ingredients comfortably. Add the dressing a little at a time to coat, not drown your salad. Tongs or very clean hands do the best job of coating the greens. A half of a lonely avocado was a last minute addition to my salad. Though not part of the original recipe I think it worked in quite nicely.
Winter Market Salad
Serves four
Mustard Seed Vinaigrette
Ingredients
3T Serrano honey vinegar or 3T apple cider vinegar plus 1t honey and a pinch of chili powder
2t Dijon mustard
8T extra virgin olive oil
2t yellow mustard seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Mix vinegar and mustard in a small bowl; slowly whisk in oil. Add mustard seeds. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Parmesan Bacon Crisps
Ingredients
4 ounces Parmesan cheese
2 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
Grate 2 ounces of the Parmesan using the side of the box grater that finely grinds the cheese and then grate 2 ounces of the Parmesan using the side of the box grater that makes long shreds of cheese, and then mix them together.
Drop rounded tablespoons of the grated Parmesan on the parchment paper to make neat mounds. Bake in the oven for 4 minutes then sprinkle bacon over the crisps, bake an additional 2-3 minutes or until golden.
Cool slightly and loosen with a metal spatula.
Salad Assembly
Ingredients
1 small head of romaine lettuce
1 small head radicchio
4 leaves of Lacinato kale
12 Brussels sprouts
Mustard seed vinaigrette
Parmesan bacon crisps
Brussels sprouts shredded in the food processor.
Directions
Wash romaine and radicchio leaves and tear into 1 inch pieces. Spin dry in a salad spinner
Wash the kale leaves and cut the leaves away from the stems. Cut the leaves into 1/2″ ribbons
Trim the bottoms of the Brussels sprouts, slice in half lengthwise and either slice in a food processor with a 2mm blade or slice thinly with a sharp knife from root to top. Gently tease apart the layers into distinct shreds.
Add romaine and radicchio to a large bowl. Top with kale strips and shredded Brussels sprouts.
Toss salad with the mustard seed vinaigrette. Serve parmesan bacon crisps on the side. Season salad with additional fresh ground pepper.
In almost 25 years as a caterer, Chicken salad with grapes and pecans was a perennial favorite. Whether served in pate a choux puffs on a buffet, on a croissant as a luncheon favorite or in daintily cut tea sandwiches this salad has always been a taste combination that everyone enjoys.
I have no claims for inventing this version of chicken salad, though I have never used a recipe and tweaked it over the years to make it my own. The most important part of the recipe is making sure that the cooked chicken is still moist and juicy. All the mayonnaise in the world won’t cover up dried out chicken breasts. Since I prefer using all white meat, split, bone-in chicken breasts from Bell and Evans are my usual choice but have on occasion used boneless skinless chicken breasts. Just remember the boneless breasts will take less time to cook.
An instant read thermometer is essential here, you are looking for an internal temperature of 160°F in the thickest part of the breast. I like to cook my chicken in convection mode on a wire rack above a parchment or foil lined baking sheet to allow air to circulate so the chicken cooks evenly. Allow the chicken to fully cool before shredding, remembering to shred with the grain. Pressed for time? Use the meat from an already cooked supermarket rotisserie chicken.
About a cup of finely diced celery has always seemed to be the right proportion to the 5 to 6 cups of chicken. Cutting grapes in half makes for easier eating. It’s like finding a whole cherry tomato in your salad. Do you risk having it burst all over you and the people seated near by when you bite into it or do you stab it with your steely (or plastic) knife to avoid embarrassment? Red or green grapes? Whatever variety looks better the day you are making the salad. Taste a grape before you buy,( trust me, no one is watching), to be sure they are sweet enough.Homemade mayonnaise is always a nice touch but Hellmann’s has always been fine with me. I use just enough mayonnaise to lightly coat all ingredients. If I have the luxury of time, I refrigerate the salad overnight and add any additional mayonnnaise and the pecans at the last minute to maximize crunch.
Chopped nuts are a less expensive way to buy them, usually in a medium chop which is perfect for the salad. If you choose to toast the nuts, preheat oven to 350°F and spread nuts evenly on a shallow baking sheet. Toast 5-7 minutes, checking halfway through cooking time to give the sheet a little shake and rotate. Walnuts, almonds and cashews are all good substitutes for the pecans. You could also add thinly sliced apple but that would be something I would add right before serving the salad.
I enjoy serving this chicken salad, as I did at a friend’s daughter’s wedding shower, on a bed of bibb lettuce. A basket of freshly baked rolls accompanied the salad for those who wanted to make a sandwich. I love the combination of flavors in this salad, tender juicy chicken, sweet-tart grapes, crunchy pecan and creamy mayonnaise. They make a chicken salad that is hard to beat.
Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans
Makes 6 cups
Ingredients
3-4 Split chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1c celery in small dice
1c pecan pieces
1c seedless grapes (red or green) sliced in half
1 to 1 1/4c homemade or Hellmann’s mayonnaise
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and place a wire rack on the sheet. Place chicken on the wire rack, spacing evenly to allow air to circulate. Brush chicken breasts lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast chicken until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F. If the breasts you are cooking are different in size, start checking the smallest at about the half hour mark.
Remove chicken from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Remove the skin and pick the chicken off the bones. Tear or chop chicken into 3/4 inch pieces. You will have 4-5 cups of chicken.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, chopped celery and grapes. Add mayonnaise, starting with about 2/3 cup and toss lightly. There should be enough mayonnaise to coat everything lightly.
Add pecans and toss ingredients again, adding more mayonnaise as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Recently we spent a week in sunny San Diego California. The reason for our trip was an educational conference for Joe and a much needed vacation for both of us. I had the pleasure of meeting in person, one of my favorite food bloggers, Denise Jones, photographer extrodinaire and the creator of There’s A Newf in my Soup. I have been corresponding with Denise off and on for several years and thought it would be great to meet her and her Newfoundland,Trapper in their beautiful hometown of Coronado California.
Since it had been about twenty years since we visited the area, I asked Denise for some dining recommendations in the area. In addition to her blog, Denise has been photographing and writing for Wine and Dine San Diego as well as assignments for other restaurants so I was certain she would know the best places. In her typical thorough fashion she gave us a list that covered every option from sushi to modern Italian to French bistro. None disappointed.
One of our favorites was a very unpretentious place, Carnitas’ Snack Shack located in the North Park (or North Pork as they like to call it) section of San Diego. Co owners Sara Stroud and Hanis Gavin offer “pork-centric” cuisine with tasty choices like a braised pork belly appetizer, a BLT with bacon and crispy ham, and carnitas tacos. They are open from 12 noon to midnight every day except Tuesday.
You know you’ve arrived when you see the pig that adorns the roof of the building. Diners line up and place their orders at the walk up window. You can either get your food for take out or eat it on the back patio adorned with a pig mural. The snack shack provided me with a uniquely California experience. I held our place in line while Joe shot video of our experience. (I never stop him, love the videos we have when we get home).
As I was the last person in a line of about a dozen or so, a “lost in the seventies” type stoner rode up on his bicycle. “Dude,” he asked me, “what are you getting to eat?” Not giving me a second to answer he continued, “you have to get the steak sandwich, I always get the steak sandwich, my friend, he’s going to meet me here, he won’t get the steak sandwich, it’s too hot for him, but I always get the steak sandwich.” He proceeded down the line, still straddling the bicycle asking what the other diners had in mind, he clearly loved that steak sandwich.
“Dude” he said as he regained his place in line behind me, ” I forgot my bicycle lock, do you think I could leave it by the front door of that house that says cats and dogs?” I pointed out to him that the house that had a sign out with cats and dogs on it was a veternarian’s office and he should probably hold on to his bike. The line grew behind us so he found new recruits to spread his gospel of the steak sandwich.
In addition to the heartier fare of burgers, pork sandwiches and BLTs they had some surprises on the menu. Watermelon salad with country ham, radishes and cherry tomatoes and a beet terrine. Our week in San Diego could be subtitled, the week of the beet salad. Roasted red and golden beets with goat cheese and mixed greens, beet salad with spinach, avocado and balsamic vinaigrette, baby chioggia beet and mache salad, all very good, but a beet terrine? I had to order it, the beet terrine was unique and quite delicious. Since I knew I would have an adequate supply of beets when I returned home, this would be something I would want to re-create.
This recipe really showcases the beets, so it is important that they are fresh from the garden or farmers market. That way their natural sweetness will shine through. I picked both Detroit Red and Golden beets for this recipe. After washing them, I trimmed back the stem and root ends. Since my beets were different sizes I wrapped them in foil packets according to their color (red beets bleed) and size. I roasted the beets at 375°F and started checking the packets with the smallest beets at around the 45 minute mark. I determined doneness by if the beet could be pierced easily with the tip of a sharp knife. Some of the larger beets took as long as an hour and fifteen minutes. I didn’t peel the beets before roasting, the skins slip off easily after they are cooked.
Trying to re-create the dish I had at Carnitas I added some spinach leaves to the layers of the terrine. I chose large leaves from the garden that I blanched for about 30 seconds, draining them and drying them flat on clean kitchen towels. Removing the center rib made for easier handling and placement of the leaves. Walnuts are always a good match with beets, I chopped about a half cup finely to sprinkle over each layer of spinach.
I chose my smaller Kuhn Rikon mandoline to get 2mm slices, first slicing the smaller quantity of Golden beets, keeping them on a separate plate, then the dark red. Short of wearing rubber gloves, It is inevetable that your hands, fingers, cuticles will turn bright red. Let the phone go to answering machine or you will be leaving a trail of red behind you. Next I lined a loaf pan with plastic wrap making sure there was excess wrap on all sides. I placed a layer of the Golden beets, overlapping when needed, to have a solid layer. I spread a thin layer (well, as thin as possible) of very soft goat cheese over the first layer of beets. You could choose plain or an herb variety, if you are ambitious, add your own combination of herbs. Minced garlic or lemon peel would be nice too. If the goat cheese doesn’t make a solid layer, that’s okay, it will spread out when the terrine is compressed. Two more layers of golden beets and goat cheese and I was ready for the red beets. Now I layered the red beets, goat cheese, then a few blanched spinach leaves and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts. My last layer was just a solid layer of beets. I pulled the excess plastic up and around and sealed the beets. Compressing is essential to a good terrine. I placed another loaf pan of equal size on the top of the beets. On that I placed my two kitchen bricks to weigh it down. The beet terrine should sit for at least two hours but is best if you let it sit in the fridge overnight.
The next day it was very easy to unmold over a plate. Do the unmolding over a sink to collect the excess beet juice that will be in the bottom of the pan. The plastic wrap comes off easily and I found it best to slice it with a sharp, thin blade knife. Chef Hanis Cavin of Carnitas’ said, “when you only have one vegetarian item, it needs to be delicious.” Chef Cavin sources all local ingredients for his beet terrine. The portion size at Carnitas’ was larger and could be a vegetarian entree with a healthy slice of beet terrine served with frisee lettuce, radishes and a balsamic glaze. A balsamic reduction is simple. I poured a half cup of balsamic vinegar in a saucepan, brought it to a simmer and cooked it until it was reduced by half. The balsamic becomes syrupy and will harden if left to cool. It can be brought back to syrup over low heat.
The terrine can be cut into squares for a more attractive presentation as a first course salad. I did not have frisee lettuce, but our new crop of lettuce greens along with some purple radishes would be just perfect. I dotted the balsamic reduction along the edges of the plate. A sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil, some sea salt and fresh ground pepper round out the presentation. Time consuming? Somewhat, but if all the components are ready to go you will have a beautiful dish the next day.
I think we ordered half the menu at Carnitas’ Snack Shack, I would recommend it highly. Seasonal fries were on closer inspection, seasoned fries (we both need to get our glasses changed). What I thought was an art gallery across the street with a painting of a leaf on the wall was actually a marijuana dispensary. The friend of the guy I met on line did show up. “Dude you know I can’t eat the steak sandwich, it’s too hot.” Fortunately for him, there are many delicious alternatives.
Sliced Detroit Red and Golden Beets.I used larger spinach leaves to line the terrine.Line a loaf pan with enough plastic wrap to come up over the sides. I placed the first layer of Golden beets as the base.Next, a layer of goat cheese.The final layer of red beets before I pulled the wrap over it.I weighted the terrine with another loaf pan and two of my “kitchen bricks”.It is only fitting that the side view resembles a bacon slice!
When do tomatoes become more than tomatoes? When they become tomato raisins.
While waiting for mom at the hairdressers, I perused the September issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. The article on the Good Things page titled “Extend the Tomato Season” caught my eye. Two of the ideas, tomato confit and crushed tomatoes were both tried and true methods of preservation I had used in the past. Another option, tomato paste, I had made years ago and didn’t have the time or attention to attempt this day. Ginger candied tomatoes was the recipe that inspired me. For years I have made oven dried and sun dried tomatoes. What made this recipe unique was the addition of sugar and a little ginger before the drying process. After a quick pick, I rinsed and halved the tomatoes with a small serrated knife, which makes for a neater cut. In a large bowl I gently tossed the tomatoes with about 1/2t ginger and since Sun Gold tomatoes are already quite sweet, just a light sprinkling of sugar I placed the tomatoes on a cooling rack, cut side up over a baking sheet. The tomatoes were dried at a low setting, 180°F in convection mode until appropriately shriveled, in my case, 3 1/2 hours, I checked every half hour or so and rotated the sheet occasionally. I was very pleased with the results. Chewy, sweet, but not too sweet and a bit gingery.
Now, how to use them? September’s issue of Bon Appetit supplied the answer. September’s issue featured restaurant and drinks editor, Andrew Knowlton’s Hot 10 list of America’s best new restaurants. Ava Gene’s a trattoria in Portland Oregon is a champion of what they call “green thumb cuisine”. In addition to hearty dishes like lamb ragu with pasta and wood grilled pork they offer a flavorful Giardini “gardens” section in their menu. One of their recipes, colorful carrot and beet slaw would use produce I had just harvested from the garden. This recipe provided a way to showcase colorful Chiogga beets also referred to as Candy Cane or Bulls Eye beets. The pink and white stripes that often bleed and fade out when cooked would stay nice and bright when julienned and raw. I julienned the beets and carrots by hand but a julienne cutter on a mandoline or food processor would speed up the process. Shredding the vegetables on a box grater would give the slaw a more rustic appearance. I used pistachios since I already had them on hand but walnuts or hazelnuts would be a good substitute. I noticed that the original recipe on the Ava Gene menu, celeriac was also included. That would make an interesting addition or even julienned baby turnips or kohlrabi. My tomato raisins worked perfectly in this recipe, adding their own special character, giving just a hint of ginger to the dish. The slaw has a pleasant balance of sweetness, a little heat from the red pepper flakes and acidity from the lemon juice and vinegar.
Now what to do with the other bag of to-ma-sins? Another recipe in the September issue from the restaurant Fat Rice, calls for a half cup of golden raisins. Hmmm….
Sun Gold tomatoes are placed cut side up on a rack over a baking sheet.Chiogga beets are an interesting and colorful addition to this dish.Julienned beets and carrots along with my “tomasins”, ready to add to the slaw. They really do look like golden raisins!
Carrot and Beet Slaw with Pistachios and Raisins
Ava Gene’s, Portland Oregon one of Bon Appetit magazine’s “Hot Ten”
Ingredients
3/4c salted raw pistachios
2 garlic cloves crushed
1/4c white wine or rice vinegar
1lb carrots, peeled and julienned
1lb beets, peeled and julienned
1/2c fresh flat leafed parsley leaves
1T chopped fresh mint leaves
3T fresh lemon juice
1/4t crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1/3c extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread pistachios out on a small rimmed baking sheet; toast stirring occasionally until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Let the pistachios cool then coarsely chop them.
Combine garlic, raisins and vinegar in a large enough bowl to hold the salad, let the mixture set for one hour.
Remove the garlic from the raisin mixture, discard the garlic. Add carrots, beets and pistachios, parsley, mint. lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss to combine. Add oil and toss gently. Taste and correct seasonings as needed.
That purplish red in your salad mix back in the eighties used to be red cabbage, there’s a good chance now your salad mix is called mesclun and the slightly crunchy burgundy red component is radicchio. Placed side by side, red cabbage and radicchio might look alike with their shiny smooth leaves and tight heads but that is where the similarities end.
Radicchio (pronounced rah DEE kee oh) is a member of chicory family that also includes endive, escarole and frisee. Originally cultivated and imported from the Veneto region of Italy, it is widely grown domestically by both commercial and home gardeners. Once again, we get our seeds from a company, Seeds of Italy. We have grown both the Treviso that produces heads that grow taller, much like a Romaine lettuce and the Verona that produces a rounder more compact head reminiscent of Bibb lettuce.
Our mid summer planting of radicchio will eventually yield tight magenta red heads with bright white ribs when the cooler temperatures of fall arrive. The initial growth is bright green, a little bit fuzzy, already displaying it’s characteristic bitter flavor. A good way of introducing reluctant palates to bitter greens is to pair them with contrasting flavors. Combining bitter greens with sweet, salty and acidic ingredients is a good way of taming their flavor and balancing out the bitterness. Since I needed to thin out both beet greens and radicchio I combined the bitter greens of the radicchio with the milder beet green.
Tangy pickled blackberries were an interesting addition to this salad. A recent recipe for them in Food and Wine magazine intrigued me enough to make a few pints from berries I picked up at the farmers market. I wasn’t sure where I would use them, perhaps with some thick juicy pork chops, but this salad seemed like the perfect opportunity to try them out. The sweet and sharp flavor of the berries contrasted nicely with the radicchio. Crisply cooked cubes of pancetta provided a fatty and salty contrast. A little bit of finely julienned pickled ginger and sweet earthy raw beets gave color, texture and yet another flavor element. The final touch, a dressing made with blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a little Boursin cheese to provide a creamy element. A totally improvised and very flavorful way to use our baby greens.
These baby radicchio plants look nothing like the mature plants of the fall.
Radicchio and Beet Green Salad
Serves two
Ingredients
1/2c creamy herb cheese (like Boursin)
2 1/2T balsamic vinegar (I used a blackberry ginger balsamic)
1T water
1/3c extra virgin olive oil
4-5 cups of baby beet and radicchio greens
1/4c diced pancetta, cooked until crispy
1/2c finely julienned raw beets
2T finely julienned pickled ginger
1/4c pickled blackberries (recipe follows) you could also substitute fresh black or blueberries
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a small food processor, pulse the cheese with the vinegar, water and olive oil until the dressing is smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Place beet and radicchio greens on a serving platter, top with julienned beets, pancetta and pickled ginger. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat, there will be some left over. Sprinkle blackberries on top. Finish with a grind of pepper.
Spiced and Pickled Blackberries
Makes 4 1/2 cups
Ingredients
8 black peppercorns
3 allspice berries
2 juniper berries
One 1/2-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
1 small bay leaf
2c red wine vinegar
2c water
6T sugar
3T kosher salt
1 shallot, quartered lengthwise
1 sprig fresh thyme
18 ounces fresh blackberries
Directions
In a mortar, lightly crush the peppercorns with the allspice, juniper berries, ginger and bay leaf. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, shallot and thyme. Bring just to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and the salt. Let the brine cool completely.
Strain the brine into clean glass jars and add the blackberries. Cover and refrigerate for at least a week before serving.
Pickled blackberries can be refrigerated for up to 3 months.
On rainy days like today that cute little zucchini that you decided to leave on the vine for just one more day will now resemble a baseball bat when you go to the garden to look for it tomorrow. Don’t get me wrong, I love zucchini. I dream of zucchini in the winter and bemoan that I have to pay $1.29 or more a pound for a vegetable I had buckets of only a few months ago. Our current glut of zucchini/yellow squash called for a new recipe. This summer we have gone the usual route and sautéed them with garlic and basil, cut large ones like spaghetti and tossed them with pesto and even breaded and fried them, a throwback, and might I say a delicious one, from Joe’s childhood.
I decided as a change of pace this time to serve zucchini raw or crudo as the Italians say. Which is quite apropos since many of the summer squash varieties we grow are from Italian varieties. One of the characteristics I appreciate about some Italian varieties is that they grow longer, not fatter if they are left on the vine for a longer period of time. I use a special peeler for the zucchini spaghetti-like noodles that I toss with pesto, this recipe requires nothing fancier than an everyday vegetable peeler. Wash and trim the ends from your squash. Our yellow variety has a bumpy skin that I peel off first and discard. It’s easy to make several flat planes to peel off thin ribbons of squash. Just stop peeling before you get to the seeds.
The recipe called for some torn basil leaves. To intensify the lemon flavor in the salad, I harvested some of our Mrs. Burns’ lemon basil. It was first grown by, surprise, Mrs. Burns in southwest New Mexico as early as the 1920’s. Mrs. Burns’ is an heirloom variety (grown prior to 1940) that is taller and has larger leaves than other lemon basil varieties. Mrs. Burns’ lemon basil is also known for it’s intense lemon fragrance and flavor.
The tender squash ribbons are combined with some creamy and salty feta and summer squashes’ most frequent companion, basil. Though the Mrs. Burns variety has larger leaves that most lemon basil varieties, they are still small enough to add whole leaves to the dish. The salad is tossed with a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice and a flavorful olive oil and topped with crunchy sunflower seeds. The salad is light with a satisfying crunch. It’s quick to assemble and visually pleasing, especially if you use both yellow and green squash. Try other combinations with the ribbons, halved cherry tomatoes and some Parmesan, corn and avocado, the possibilities are limitless. A different and healthy way to use the bounty of the garden at it’s peak.
Shaved Summer Squash with Sunflower Seeds
Bon Appetit August 2013
Serves four
Ingredients
2 large or 4 medium zucchini and/or yellow squash
2T fresh lemon juice
2T extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 to 1/3c crumbled feta
1/4 c basil leaves, torn if large, left whole if very small
2T salted, roasted sunflower seeds
Directions
Shave squash lengthwise with a vegetable peeler, stopping before you get to the seeds.
Toss squash ribbons with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Top with feta, basil leaves and sunflower seeds.
A sharp vegetable peeler is all you need to make the squash ribbons.Mrs. Burns’ lemon basilMrs. Burns’ son, Barney, was one of the founders of Native Seeds/SEARCH and introduced this heirloom variety to growers everywhere.
