Vegetables – Page 8 – Sue's Seasonal Palate

September 23, 2015 End of Summer Eggplant Soup

Even though the temperatures are still in the eighties, fall is rapidly approaching and it’s time to say goodbye to our summer vegetables. What better way to use them now and enjoy them later than in an end of summer eggplant soup. Another good reason to have soup on hand was the stomach virus that Joe and I suffered through last week. Nothing tastes better when you are on the road to recovery is a nutritious soothing soup.

I am still picking eggplants, peppers and tomatoes, but not in the same quantities as a few weeks ago. The days are getting shorter and even though the days are warm, the nights are definitely cooler. After an afternoon pick yesterday I came back with quite a nice variety of eggplants, several peppers and a few tomatoes. This is the type of recipe you could make differently every time, depending on what is still there for the picking. I wanted to make this as easy as possible so I decided to roast the vegetable first before combining them in a soup. Carrying over on the easy concept, I lined the baking trays with parchment to make clean up a snap. I cut the eggplants in half and lightly brushed the cut edge with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. On the second large baking sheet I added several tomatoes, peppers, an onion and some unpeeled garlic cloves, brushed everything with olive oil, and sprinkled on kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

I decided on a 375°F oven, the temperature we use when oven roasting vegetables. I checked the tray with the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onion first, they were done in about 12-15 minutes, getting a nice toasty brown. The eggplants took a little longer, they are done when the skins start to collapse. Once cooled, it’s easy to separate the flesh from the skin. Squeeze the garlic from the skins and roughly chop the onion. I pureed the vegetables in the food processor in batches. Because some of my eggplants were seedy I put the puree through a food mill with a medium disc. Pour the finished puree into a stockpot. I added ground cumin, coriander, salt, freshly ground black pepper and a touch of cayenne. Add chicken or vegetable stock to thin out the consistency. Make some to enjoy now and freeze some for the cold winter months.

Place vegetables on a parchment lined baking sheet.

The skin easily peels off the peppers and tomatoes. Roughly chop the onion.

Eggplants are ready when they start to collapse. The flesh separates from the skins.

End of Summer Eggplant Soup
Serves: 6

Ingredients

3 ½lb eggplant, any type, halved lengthwise
2 red or yellow bell peppers, or any combination, halved and cored
3-4 tomatoes, halved and cored
1 small onion peeled and halved
4 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly
½t ground cumin
½t ground coriander
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Basil leaves as garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line two large baking pans with parchment paper. Brush cut side of eggplant with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and arrange cut side down in one layer on baking sheet. On the second sheet, arrange tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and onions, cut side down, in a single layer. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake vegetables until eggplant and bell peppers have a slight char on their skins. Check at 15 minutes, as garlic may need to come out earlier so that it doesn’t burn. Let cool until ready to handle. Remove skins as much as possible.
Working in batches, pulse vegetables in a food processor, you can either roughly chop or take them down to a puree. If necessary, put the mix through a food mill. Transfer vegetables to a large stockpot and add broth and spices. Cook for 15-20 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve garnished with basil leaves

September 14, 2015 Mixed Beans with Peanuts, Ginger and Lime

This is another bean salad from Jerusalem born, London based chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi, this time with a decidedly Asian twist. An assortment of fresh green and yellow beans are tossed in a dressing that includes two ingredients that would have seemed exotic and difficult to access ten years ago, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Our love for Thai cooking was the reason we started growing them many years ago but with increased demand they have gone mainstream and now are readily available to the home cook.

Lemongrass is a tall tropical grass native to South and Southeastern Asia. Our lemongrass plant grows happily outdoors from June to late September forming a tall bushy plant, about 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Since it is only hardy in zones 9-10, which translates to south Florida, Joe digs the plant out, cuts it back severely and it winters indoors. There it’s only predator is our Golden Retriever Cody, who likes to nibble on the leaves when he thinks no one is looking. Lemongrasss has long sharp pale green leaves at the top and a brownish pink bulbous portion at the stem end. It has a mild citrus flavor with a floral aroma. If you don’t grow your own, the best lemongrass (and the cheapest too) is found in Asian markets. To use, cut off the woody tops with a chef’s knife and peel off the first tough layer of the bulb end. Now it is ready to slice into rounds or as in this recipe, grated with a microplane.

Our Kaffir lime trees are also summer visitors to the garden. The leaf of the kaffir lime tree has a sweet citrusy fragrance and is a key ingredient in Thai cooking. Kaffir lime leaves are not to be confused with the leaves from a standard lime tree. The leaf of the kaffir lime looks like a double spade. It is thick and glossy on top with a matte underside and a tough spine in the middle. When using in recipes they can either be used whole, seasoning a soup or stew or chopped very finely, as in this salad. If you are chopping it up, remove the spine first. Fresh and dried leaves are available, only use fresh leaves in this salad.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Cook each type of bean you are using separately, the thin filet beans will only take about 2 minutes, larger beans take longer. I use a large chopstick to make sure all the beans are submerged in the water and I removed the beans as the batches were done with a Chinese strainer or spider as it is also known. This allows you to remove more beans with one scoop. Transfer the cooked beans to a bowl filled with ice water. Cool, drain and pat dry so the beans will absorb more of the dressing.

Next, the shallot is cooked until tender and the aromatics, ginger, lemongrass, garlic and coriander, are added. Transfer the shallot mixture to a large bowl that will be large enough to toss the beans. I wasn’t quite sure why you would need to sauté the already roasted peanuts, but they pick up the residual flavor from the shallot mixture and take on a toasty fragrance. Kaffir lime leaves, lime zest and juice, sugar, salt and oil are whisked into the shallot mixture. The kaffir lime leaves must be fresh and must be sliced as thinly as possible in this salad. If you don’t have access to them, don’t let that stop you from making this recipe, just add a little more regular lime peel and juice. The final step is to add the beans, toasted peanuts and cilantro to the large bowl, toss the beans in the dressing and season everything again with salt and pepper. The final dish is garnished with chopped peanuts and more cilantro.

Lemongrass plant does very well in the garden in summer but will be brought in before the first frost.

Kaffir lime tree with double spaded leaves.

Mixed Beans with Peanuts, Ginger and Lime

from Bon Appetit

Serves six

Ingredients

2lb. assorted snap beans, green, wax, filet, Romano etc.
½t kosher salt plus additional
5T olive oil, divided
1/3c finely chopped shallot
1 1″ piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer layers removed, finely grated on a Microplane
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
½t ground coriander
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3c roasted salted peanuts
3 kaffir lime leaves, very finely chopped
1t finely grated lime zest
3T fresh lime juice
¼t sugar
1/3c packed cilantro leaves with tender stems, plus more for serving

Directions

Working in batches by type, cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, 4-5 minutes per batch. Transfer with a strainer to a large bowl of ice water. Cool, drain and pat dry.
Heat 1T oil in a small skillet over medium heat and cook shallot, stirring occasionally under tender, about 3 minutes. Add ginger, lemongrass, garlic and coriander and cook until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1T oil in same skillet over medium high. Cook peanuts, tossing often until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels; let cool, then coarsely chop. Set aside 1T peanut for final presentation.
Whisk kaffir lime leaves, lime zest, lime juice, sugar, ½t salt and remaining 3T oil into shallot mixture. Add beans, remaining peanuts, and 1/3c cilantro and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with more cilantro and reserved peanuts.

September 1, 2015 Mixed Bean Salad

String or snap beans are in season from mid summer to early autumn and we have had a steady stream of them since the middle of July. Joe grows both pole and bush varieties. Pole bean plants fare best when they are given support to grow, like a trellis or a teepee while bush beans grow on their own without added support. The bush beans were the first to produce, followed by the later maturing pole beans and now the bush beans are producing again. The crop this year has been quite successful and at times, overwhelming. I froze quart bags of blanched beans for fall and winter days when I will miss being able to pick them fresh. I even pickled a few jars of the very slim and straight filet beans.

In the cooler months we serve them hot, simply seasoned with garlic and thyme, but in the summer I like to serve them along side grilled vegetables in a cold salad. My latest inspiration, Mixed Bean Salad came from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s cookbook, Jerusalem. Jerusalem won the IACP cookbook of the year in 2013 and was the 2013 James Beard award winner for the best international cookbook. The recipes are very approachable, not too “cheffy” and introduces the reader to the vibrant multicultural cuisine of that city.

The “mixed” in the mixed bean salad refers to the combination of green and yellow beans paired with red pepper strips. Mr Ottolenghi likes yellow beans for their tenderness and the look they bring to the dish. This is the best time of year to find them at the farmers markets and we have no shortage here. If you are making this and yellow bean are not available, substitute all green beans.

In his introduction to the recipe, Mr Ottolenghi states that string beans are symbolic of the Jewish New Year but he didn’t indicate how, so I did a little research of my own. Beans are mentioned in the Talmud as “ruviah” and are symbolic because their Hebrew name sounds like the Hebrew “to increase” and indicates a desire for increased blessings in the new year. Reminds me of the symbolism of foods associated with Chinese New Year.

Begin the recipe by blanching the beans until tender crisp. Look for beans that are relatively the same size in diameter so they will cook in the same amount of time. If you are not sure if the beans are ready, test one for doneness before draining the pot. Roast red pepper strips that have been tossed in olive oil until they are tender. They make a beautiful contrast to the green and yellow beans. Next step are the aromatics, lightly toasted garlic, then capers that bring a salty element and their own unique texture. Rinse the capers well and dry them, careful when you add them to the oil, they will spit, so you might want to use a spatter screen. Cumin and coriander seeds are bloomed in the olive oil to best bring out their aromas and flavor. Pour the warm dressing over the beans and pepper strips and toss. Green onions, herbs, lemon peel, salt and pepper are the next addition to the dish.

The original recipe calls for 2/3 cup chervil, not an easy or common ingredient for the home chef. I have never seen it sold in the supermarket or even at our local farmers market for that matter. We have an abundance of it that comes up from seed in the early spring and bolts as soon as the weather gets hot. He suggests a substitute combination that everyone has access to, dill and parsley.

I will not mislead you, this is not a salad you can whip together in 15 minutes, but it is certainly worth making. Step one for me is a trip to the garden for beans, peppers and herbs. It is very important for your ingredients to be “mis en place” ready to go so the warm dressing will thoroughly season the beans and peppers. I have had my cookbook only two weeks and I have made this salad twice and plan on making it again for a Labor Day picnic. I think that constitutes a winning recipe.

Mixed Bean Salad

From the Jerusalem Cookbook

Ingredients

1¼ lbs. mixed green and yellow beans
2 medium sweet red peppers, cut lengthwise into ¼ inch strips
4T olive oil-1T for the peppers, 3T for the salad
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6T capers, drained, rinsed and patted dry
1t cumin seed
2t coriander seed
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 c each, roughly chopped tarragon, dill and shredded parsley.
Grated zest of one lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the beans to the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes, take a bean out at this point to check doneness. It should be cooked through but still be “toothsome”. When done, immediately drain in a colander and refresh the beans with very cold water. Drain well, pat them dry with a towel and place in a large bowl.
Toss the pepper strips with a teaspoon of olive oil, then spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake for five minutes or until tender. Add pepper strips to the bowl of cooked beans.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds; add the capers (be on guard for spatters) and fry for 15 seconds. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and continue frying for another 15 seconds. The garlic slices should be golden by now. Remove pan from the heat and pour this over the bowl of beans and pepper strips. Toss and add the green onions, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste.
You may serve immediately or refrigerate up to one day. Just remember to bring the salad back to room temperature before serving.

August 29, 2015 Watermelon Cucumber Gazpacho

During the warm summer days of August, there is nothing better to keep you cool and well nourished than a bowl of gazpacho. I took a break from the never ending pile of tomatoes that I am canning to make this gazpacho that is ironically, or was that intentionally, made without tomatoes In this version, the delicate flavors of watermelon and cucumber go hand in hand to make a sweet and savory soup. A natural combination, since both cucumbers and watermelons, along with all varieties of squash, are members of the cucurbit family.

Choose your watermelon carefully, it should be dull in color, a shiny melon indicates that it’s underripe. It should also be uniform in size, an irregular shape indicates inconsistent amounts of water or sun. Check out the field patch, the place that the watermelon rested on the ground. A creamy yellow indicates that the melon had a longer time to ripen on the vine and develop more flavor. When you pick it up, the melon should feel heavy for it’s size. Watermelons are 92% water and the ripest ones have the highest water content. This is the prime time for cucumbers at the farmers markets. I am fortunate that I can pick fresh cucumbers right from the garden. They are abundant and nothing compares to the sweet juicy sweet flavor of a just picked one.

In the spirit of the season, no cooking is required for this recipe. The most time consuming part of this recipe is cutting the vegetables, but it is a worthwhile step. They stay cool and crispy in the soup and are a nice contrast to the watermelon-cucumber broth. Adjust the balance of savory and sweet, along with the amount of mint and heat according to your own taste. Refrigerate for several hours before serving so the flavors will have time to blend together, it’s even better if you have time, to refrigerate overnight. If you do refrigerate overnight, adjust the seasonings again since the cubed melon will exude more liquid and potentially dull the flavor. This soup would be perfect as a first course on a warm summer evening.

Watermelon Cucumber Gazpacho

Serves four

Ingredients

1 3-pound seedless watermelon, diced (about 5 cups), divided
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced (about 2 cups)
1 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium-size yellow bell pepper, seeded, diced (about 1 cup)
1 small jalapeño chile, seeded, minced
3 pale green inner celery stalks, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 small red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Puree 4 cups watermelon in blender until smooth. Transfer puree to large bowl. Add remaining 1 cup diced watermelon and next 10 ingredients; stir to combine. Cover gazpacho and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

August 20, 2015 Cucumber, Basil and Peanut Salad

These days Joe is bringing in more cucumbers than I know what to do with them. I’m really not complaining, the season is short and I am using them in as many salads and cold soups as I can find recipes. Native to India, cucumbers require 70°F plus soil and air temperatures to grow but have a relatively short time from sowing to harvest. He has had great success growing them in the greenhouse that is situated in the garden. That environment provides just slightly warmer temperatures.
Since cucumbers are 96% water they are happiest when watered on a consistent basis. A well watered cucumber vine will produce the sweetest fruit. We stick with two varieties that produce well, Persian and Bush Champion. Persian cucumbers are small, about 6 inches long and 3/4 inch diameter with smooth edible skin and undeveloped seeds. They are the perfect size for pickling, if that is your inclination. Bush Champions are a bush variety that take one third of the space and are also suitable for containers.

One of my all time favorite cucumber salads to make is a Thai cucumber salad. Light and crunchy, it is quick and easy to make, combining sweet, spicy and tangy flavors. The dressing draws most of it’s ingredients from the Asian pantry. Seasoned rice vinegar is either made from sake or by adding salt and sugar to regular white rice vinegar and is an easy boost to the sweet, salty and tangy elements of a dish. Plain rice wine vinegar is a bit more versatile and could be substituted. Just remember to adjust the seasonings accordingly. Whether you call it nam pla, nuoc nam or patis, fish sauce is made from the liquid drained from fermented anchovies and is a flavor enhancer like salt or soy sauce. A little goes a long way here. I am partial to the Three Crabs brand that is readily available in Asian markets. Sesame oil was one of the first exotic ingredients to grace our kitchen. Be sure to look for toasted sesame oil. It is dark in color and has a very intense aroma and flavor. Use Thai basil in this salad if you can find it. The beautifully named Siam Queen is one of the varieties we grow. The plant is more compact in apppearance than the standard Italian basil with smaller bright green leaves. There are clusters of purple flowers at the top of the plant. It has an intense licorice aroma and flavor.

To make the salad, add the rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice and fish sauce to a large bowl. Peel about 1½ lbs cucumbers, I leave a little skin on for color contrast. Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and slice diagonally into crescents. Peeling the cucumber allows the flavors of the dressing to be absorbed right into the flesh. Add cucumbers, basil and peanuts to the bowl, toss and serve. So simple to make, refreshing Thai cucumber salad is as much a natural next to a grilled satay as it is with your standard picnic fare.

This little flower is the beginning of a cucumber.

Persian cucumber in the middle, flanked by the spiny Bush Champions.

Cucumber, Basil and Peanut Salad

Adapted from Fine Cooking magazine

Serves six

Ingredients

3T seasoned rice vinegar
1t Asian sesame oil
1t fresh lime juice
1t fish sauce
1½lb cucumbers
¼c torn basil leaves (Thai is preferred)
¼c coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients.
Peel cucumbers (I like to leave small strips of skin for contrast), slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and slice diagonally into ¼ inch crescents.
Add the cucumbers, torn basil and peanuts to the bowl with the vinaigrette, toss and serve.

August 13, 2015 Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

In August, when tomatoes are at their peak, I enjoy making cool and refreshing soups like this yellow tomato gazpacho. This recipe, a classic from Los Angeles chef Suzanne Goin from her cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques, combines a few of summer’s best offerings and comes together in very little time.

This is a recipe that demands the freshest of ingredients, whether your tomatoes were picked right from the garden or bought at the farmers market. Our bright yellow Sweet Gold tomatoes are one of a trio of cherry tomatoes available from Renee’s Garden Seeds that Joe has planted for several seasons now. Sweet Golds have a full, sweet, fruity flavor with little acidity. Their flesh is dense and crack free compared to varieties we have grown in past seasons.

The most time consuming part of the recipe was blanching and peeling the tomatoes. I’m pretty sure Ms. Goin doesn’t make her soup with about 75 yellow cherry tomatoes! But that said, it took less than a minute to blanch the tomatoes and the skins slipped off very easily, once they cooled down a bit. I did not core the tomatoes as called for in the original recipe, because they were small. The original recipe called for red wine vinegar, I substituted a white grapefruit balsamic to emphasize the fruitiness. The blanched tomatoes along with cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, vinegar and oil are blended in batches. Since I prefer a smoother texture, I put the soup through a food mill.

As with all cold soups this needs to be chilled until very cold. While you are chilling the soup, it’s time to prepare the garnishes. Finely dice cucumber, red pepper for a nice contrast and some red onion. Season some red cherry tomato halves with salt and pepper and prepare some cilantro leaves. If you don’t like cilantro, substitute some flat leafed parsley. The finishing touch is a drizzle of your best quality extra virgin olive oil.

This recipe is great for entertaining, everything can be made in advance, soup chilled and garnishes prepped. It also could be dressed up with a seared scallop or a poached shrimp on top. Yellow tomato gazpacho can be served family style too. Serve the soup in an attractive container, garnish with tomato halves and pass the diced vegetables on the side.

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

Serves 6

Ingredients

2½lb ripe yellow tomatoes
3 small or 1 large cucumber-reserve part for garnish
½ jalapeno, seeded and cut in half
Cilantro or flat leafed parsley sprigs
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2T red wine vinegar
1/3c extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3T diced red or orange sweet pepper
3T diced red onion
18 small cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Fine quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

The skins of the Sun Gold tomatoes slipped off easily after they were blanched.

Directions

Blanch the yellow tomatoes in rapidly boiling water until the skins begin to burst, 30-45 seconds. Cool the tomatoes in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. Once cool enough, use your fingers to slip off the skins. If using small tomatoes, leave them whole, for large tomatoes, core and coarsely chop. Reserve the ice water.
Reserve about 3T of peeled and seeded cucumber for the garnish. Peel and coarsely chop the rest of the cucumber.
Place half of the yellow tomatoes, the coarsely chopped cucumber, jalapeno, several cilantro sprigs, garlic, vinegar and olive oil (if using) in a blender with salt and pepper to taste. Process on the lowest speed until the mixture is broken down. Turn the speed to high and puree until the soup is completely smooth. If the soup is too thick, add a little of the reserved ice water. Strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve or a food mill, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Taste for seasoning. Repeat with the rest of the soup ingredients. Chill the soup in the refrigerator until very cold.
While you are waiting for the soup to chill, dice the cucumber, pepper and red onion. Toss them together in a small bowl. Season the cherry tomatoes halves with salt and pepper To serve, pour the gazpacho into chilled soup bowls and scatter the pepper mixture over the soup. Place 6 cherry tomato halves and a few cilantro leaves at the center of each bowl. Finish each soup with a drizzle of olive oil.

Sun Golds at different stages of ripeness.

August 6, 2015 Smoked Tomato Soup

Situated just 30 miles north of New York City on the former Rockefeller estate in rural Potantico Hills, New York is Blue Hill at Stone Barns. It is a restaurant that exists within the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and a four season working farm. The mission of James Beard award winning chef Dan Barber is to “create a consciousness about the effects of everyday food choices”.

One of the first true “farm to table” restaurants, the menu at Blue Hill is based on what the farm has harvested that day, not on the diner’s whim. I can relate, that’s how we eat from spring to fall, especially now when the harvest from our garden is so abundant. I am freezing buckets of string and wax beans, the zucchini harvest is plentiful and I have just started roasting tomatoes to freeze for winter soups, stews and chilis. Needless to say, I am always on the hunt for new takes on familiar recipes. One that recently caught my eye was a recipe that has been published in both Food and Wine magazine and Bon Appetit, chef Barber’s Smoked Tomato Soup.

The idea of smoking tomatoes intrigued me, I have smoked salmon, every variety of poultry, and even cheese. In this recipe, some of the tomatoes in the soup are skillet-smoked, a chef’s trick that is easily achieved by the home chef. Before you begin this recipe, turn the kitchen exhaust fan on. Fragrant wood chips are scattered in a cast iron skillet and heated until they begin to smoke. Tomato halves, cut side up of course, so none of the juices are lost, are placed on a thick foil square. The skillet is taken off the heat, covered tightly and the tomatoes are allowed to sit until they are smoky, 5-8 minutes. Alternately, as I did, start with a stovetop smoker and spread the wood smoking dust on the bottom of the base pan.The drip tray and rack are placed on top. I placed the tomato halves on the rack, closed the lid and smoked the tomatoes for 10 minutes. It is important to only use wood chips or dust that are specifically made for smoking, and not sprayed with chemicals.

On the stovetop, an onion, a leek, (the first harvested from the garden), garlic, bay leaves and coriander seed are sauteed over medium heat. The recipe also calls for 2 teaspoons of fresh or prepared horseradish, an interesting addition that didn’t make the soup hotter but added another flavor dimension. The rest of the tomatoes are chopped and added to the soup along with chicken broth. To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken. Let the pot simmer for about 45 minutes, remove the bay leaves and blend the mixture. Butter adds to the richness of the soup, but you can eliminate it if you are watching your calories. Top the soup with a chiffonade of basil. Served warm or cold, smoked tomato soup is a refreshing summer treat.

Smoked Tomato Soup

Serves four

Ingredients

4lb. plum tomatoes, halved and divided
¼c olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
2tsp coriander seeds
2tsp finely grated fresh horseradish or prepared horseradish
1½c low sodium chicken broth
4T unsalted butter at room temperature
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Thinly sliced basil leaves (for serving)

Special equipment

½c hickory, pecan or apple wood chips
2T finely ground oak chips

Directions

Scatter wood chips in a medium cast-iron skillet and heat over high until chips begin to smoke, about 5 minutes. Cut a 24″ sheet of heavy duty foil and fold in half twice more to make a large square. Fold in half twice more to make a small, thick square. Place the square carefully over the chips and set 5 tomato halves, cut side up on top, remove skillet from heat. Cover with foil and top with a lid or another medium skillet. Let tomatoes sit until barely softened and smoky, 5-8 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to a plate and let cool slightly.
If you have a stovetop smoker: Place 2 tablespoons of finely ground oak chips in the bottom of the base pan of a stovetop smoker. Set the drip tray on top of the chips, and place the rack on the drip tray. Place 5 tomato halves, cut side up on the rack, and slide the lid closed. Place the smoker on the stovetop. Set the heat to medium, and smoke the vegetables for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop remaining tomatoes. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook onion and leek, stirring occasionally, until tender but not taking on any color, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in garlic, bay leaves, coriander seeds and horseradish and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and broth, increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer until the tomatoes are soft, 35-45 minutes. Let cool slightly, discard bay leaves.
Working in batches if needed, blend tomato mixture, smoked tomatoes and butter in a blender until smooth. Strain soup through a food mill with the medium disc in place into a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with chopped basil.

Tomatoes after smoking, softened and smoky!

July 26, 2015 Cauliflower “Alfredo” Sauce

Cauliflower is the vegetable master of disguise. We love it cut into florets or “steaks” roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper and chow down on it like popcorn. It makes a satisfying substitute for mashed potatoes, and chopped finely it can replace couscous or other grains in some recipes. So my ears perked up the other day when I heard yet another way to use cauliflower.

If I am at home in the early afternoon I will turn on “The Chew”, a television program that has been described as “The View” for foodies. A recipe that caught my attention recently was a side by side comparison of traditional Alfredo sauce, prepared by Iron Chef and restauranteur Michael Symon, with a “lightened up” version of the sauce, made by natural foods chef and author, Daphne Oz.

Michael and Daphne’s sauces start out with same five ingredients, shallots, parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, parsley and butter. As Michael pointed out, he learned from fellow chef Mario Batali, traditional Alfredo sauce in Italy is butter, a little bit of the pasta water and Parmesan cheese. It does not include heavy cream, an American addition to the dish. Michael and Daphne both added shallots to their sauce, also not traditional but adding an additional smoky sweet note to the sauce.

Here is where the recipes diverge. Michael’s traditional version of the sauce used one whole stick of butter and a cup of Parmesan cheese. Although Daphne’s recipe did include a quarter of the amount of the butter and cheese in Michael’s recipe, most of the velvety texture came from, you guessed it, cauliflower. She boiled cauliflower in milk and pureed it to make the base for the sauce. Cauliflower acted as a binder and gave the sauce it’s smoothness.

This was a recipe I had to try for myself. The recipe starts with four cups of cauliflower florets and a cup of milk added to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until fork tender, about 10-12 minutes. Strain out the cauliflower pieces and add to a blender, then add milk and butter. To make this a non-dairy preparation use almond milk and a butter substitute like Earth Balance. Puree the ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper.

Shallots are sauteed in olive oil until softened and the pan is deglazed with a little white wine. Add the cauliflower puree to the pan and loosen the sauce with a little water or milk. Freshly grated Parmesan, nutmeg and a little chopped parsley are the finishing touches to the sauce. Both Daphne and Michael used fettucine noodles for their finished dish. Since we have eating our share of zucchini “noodles” this summer, I thought this would be another way to use them. I took zucchini noodles, added them to a saute pan to reduce as much liquid as possible and warm them up a bit. I only cook them for a few minutes since I still want them to retain a litttle crunch.

The sauce holds well and if you are going to make it, double up, use the whole head of cauliflower and freeze some for later use. I’m also thinking of using this as a substitute for bechamel sauce in my moussaka once the eggplants start rolling in. As Daphne said, this is a sauce that will let you indulge without the guilt.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Serves six

Ingredients

4c cauliflower, cut into chunks
1 c milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2T butter
1-2T olive oil
1 large shallot, finely minced (about ¼c)
½c white wine
¼c finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¼t freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

Put the cauliflower and the milk in a large saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Note:milk will not cover the cauliflower.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer , cover and cook until fork tender, about 10-12 minutes.
Using a slotted utensil, transfer the cauliflower to a blender. Add the milk and butter and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Place a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly tender.
Deglaze with the white wine and reduce liquid by half, 1-2 minutes.
Add the cauliflower puree to the pan, if sauce is too thick, add a little water or milk.
Add freshly ground nutmeg and stir in the Parmesan.

July 23, 2015 Zucchini Pesto Frittata

If you’re like me and not always in the mood to cook something when you get up in the morning for breakfast, but still want a little something to eat, a frittata is a great choice. Made the day before, they warm up quickly and also taste good at room temperature. But frittatas aren’t just for breakfast, they make a nice lunch, light supper, sliced thin as an hors d’oeurve or anytime you just want a little nibble. This time of year they are a great way to showcase farm fresh eggs and produce.

For this recipe I chose the smallest zucchini I could find in the garden. Since their seed pods are still underdeveloped, they have a sweet nutty quality to them. I wanted very thin slices rather than shreds which is the usual method of preparation. Slice by hand, or for real uniformity, I used the 2mm slicing disk on the food processor. Larger zucchini should be shredded and salted then squeezed dry before adding to the frittata. If you skip that step, when you cook the zucchini you essentially will be steaming, not sauteing it. A couple of tablespoons of a chopped fresh herb is a welcome addition to a frittata, but since I had just made some, I opted for pesto, a delcious addition to this dish.

A 10″ non stick skillet with an oven safe handle is essential for this recipe. Begin by cooking the zucchini until it releases some liquid and the slices start to brown and become tender, this should take about 5-6 minutes. Set the pan aside.

Preheat your oven’s broiler and place a rack in the upper middle position. Beat the eggs and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Stir in pesto and the cooked zucchini. Add the rest of the oil to the empty skillet and heat to medium. Add zucchini-egg mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes, frittata will look set around the edges. Move the skillet to the broiler and leave a potholder on the oven door, that handle will get hot. I set a timer now for 90 second intervals. It took about 2 intervals for the frittata to get brown, which translates to about 4 minutes.

Using the potholder, remove frittata from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.Run spatula around the edge of the skillet to loosen the frittata. You can serve the frittata warm right from the skillet, or slide unto a platter for a prettier presentation.

Zucchini Pesto Frittata

Serves 4

Ingredients

2T olive oil
1 1/3 lbs. of very small zucchini, washed and ends trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1-2T pesto or freezer pesto, thawed with cheese added
6 large eggs
3T grated Parmesan cheese
2t olive oil

Directions

Heat broiler.
Slice trimmed zucchini by hand or with the thinnest slicing blade of the food processor.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Beat six large eggs with 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Stir in pesto and cooked zucchini into beaten eggs.
Heat additional 2 teaspoons oil in the now empty skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, pesto and egg mixture; cook until frittata is almost set, 4-5 minutes.
Slide skillet until the broiler and cook until frittata is set and the top is browned.
Serve directly from the skillet or flip unto serving plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.

The seed pods are not developed yet in baby zucchini.

July 7, 2015 Buttermilk Broccoli Basil Soup

When I first started cooking in the eighties, supermarkets sold broccoli with both the crown and stem, usually two pieces joined together with a thick rubber band. Back then I would whack off the stems and use the florets for stir fries and rich broccoli cheddar soup. The stems were sentenced to the compost heap or the garbage pail. Like most home cooks, I didn’t realize the stems were edible and had no idea how to cook them.

Because of my interest in Chinese cooking I discovered a recipe that changed the way I looked at using broccoli. It was a recipe for jasmine fried rice that called for peeled and diced broccoli stems. I admit I was dubious at first, but the delicate texture and sweet flavor the stems brought to the dish won me over. Now the problem became finding broccoli with the stem. Over the course of time the crown and stem combination was replaced with just broccoli crowns, sold at a higher price. Like me, consumers wanted just the crowns, so the supermarkets responded in kind. Broccoli crowns became the norm, coming at a premium price per pound.

Fast forward to the last several years, with the advent of farmers markets, food co-ops and the rising popularity of home gardens, the broccoli stem has reappeared. In the spirit of nose to tail cooking, using virtually the entirety of an animal, chefs are now embracing root to stem cooking, using as much of the vegetable as possible. Why not use broccoli stems? The main stem is entirely edible. They have the same nutritional value as the crowns or florets with even more fiber. I have found recipes using the stem for everything from salads to stir fries to roasted chips.

The original recipe for this soup called for broccoli florets only. I used the florets in another dish and in the spirit of root to stem cooking, thought the stems would work well in a soup. I sliced the stem into bite sized pieces to yield 5 cups. The sliced broccoli stems and shallots are sauteed in butter or oil. A little sherry boosts the flavors and the vegetables are simmered in either chicken or vegetable broth. Since they are more fibrous, broccoli stems should be cooked a little longer than the florets. You can either peel the stems first or put the mixture through a food mill after pureeing to obtain the smoothest texture. Thin the soup with buttermilk and garnish with mini basil leaves. Our warm temperatures called for a cold soup but this would be good warm as well.

I used five cups of bite sized broccoli stem pieces.

Broccoli Basil Soup

Serves four

Ingredients

2T unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium onion or 3 medium shallots
2T dry sherry
5c broccoli stems or flowerets or a combination of both, cut into bite sized pieces
2½c chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1c low fat buttermilk
2T fresh finely minced basil leaves

Directions

Heat butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion or shallot and sauté until golden, about five minutes.
Add sherry and broccoli, stir cook until sherry evaporates, about 30 seconds.
Add stock, salt and pepper to taste to saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until broccoli is tender, flowerets will take about 10 minutes, stems only, 20 minutes.
Ladle broccoli mixture into blender. Blend until very smooth, using a little of the buttermilk if needed. If using stems, place mixture through a food mill for the finest texture. Stir in the rest of the buttermilk.
If serving hot, return soup to saucepan; cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional buttermilk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings. If serving cold, refrigerate soup for several hours, taste and adjust seasonings.
Soup can be refrigerated for three days and either served cold or reheated just before serving. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with minced basil or whole mini basil leaves and serve immediately.