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Panzanella
Panzanella
The fastest and most delicious salad you can make out of day old bread and summer tomatoes! 6 servings.
6 cups bread cubes from a day old crusty, chewy loaf
1 lb. tomatoes cut into small chunks
3 little cucs, cut into 1/2 inch quarter rounds
1/2 cup thin slices sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup oil
3 TB vinegar
1 minced clove garlic
salt and pepper
2/3 cup fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons
Combine bread with vegetables in a serving bowl. Whisk together the dressing and add to the bread mixture along with the basil. Let stand at room temp, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Summer Vegetable Ragu
Summer Vegetable Ragu
This is how Heather prepares summer's bounty of vegetables. It's something like ratatouille, but you can use any vegetables you have on hand. It's great served with pasta, polenta, or rice, with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta. It also makes a yummy, if juicy, sandwich in a baguette! Serves 4-6.
4 cups or more of uniformly cut vegetables, such as beans, zukes, cauliflower, peppers, eggplant, and/or summer squash
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB oil
3 tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs, basil/mint/oregano
Salt & pepper
Heat oil in a deep wide sauté pan and cook garlic and onion until soft, fragrant and beginning to brown. Add vegetables, except tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper and sauté until nearly tender, with some brown flecks. Add tomatoes and herbs. Simmer gently until the tomatoes are saucy and the vegetables are cooked to your liking.
Grilled Vegetable Panini
Grilled Vegetable Panini
If you don’t have a panini maker or George Foreman Grill, use a grill pan to toast your sandwiches weighed down with a clean cast iron pan. Makes 4 sandwiches.
3 TB of sunflower oil
1 garlic clove minced to a paste
salt and pepper to taste
3 medium summer squash, sliced thin lengthwise
1 onion, sliced into thick rings
2 sweet peppers, cut in thick slices
8 slices of sandwich bread
sliced smoked cheddar cheese to cover 4 pieces of bread
1/2 stick of butter, melted
Season oil by mixing in minced garlic and salt and pepper. Lay vegetables on a pan and brush both sides with seasoned oil. Place veggies on the grill over medium heat. Cook until brown grill marks form, then flip and cook the other side. Remove gilled vegetables to plate. To assemble the paninis, layer grilled vegetables over four slices of bread. Cover with cheese and the remaining bread slices. Heat panini grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush top slices of bread with melted butter and place, butter-side down on grill. If using panini grill, brush top side of bread with butter and lower top grill plate over sandwich. Grill until both sides are golden brown, grill marks have formed and cheese is melting.
If using a grill pan, weigh the sandwich down with a cast iron pan. When the bottom is golden and grill marks have formed, brush the top slice of bread with butter, flip and repeat the grilling process. Serve with a mesclun salad on the side.
Spanish Gazpacho
Spanish Gazpacho
Nothing beats a bowl of gazpacho for a light, summer meal. Serve each bowl with a dollop of crème fraiche and a slice of crusty bread on the side. Adapted from Culinate.com. Serves 4.
2 lb. ripe tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 medium sweet bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1/2 - 1 whole small jalapeno (to taste), deseeded and chopped
1 cube (about 2 inches square) crustless bread from a firm-textured, French-style loaf
2 TB apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp honey
1/3 cup good quality olive oil
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish
Put half of the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, bread, vinegar, salt, cumin and honey. Blend until no large pieces remain. With the motor running, add the remaining tomatoes and when well processed, gradually add the oil. Process until smooth. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley or cilantro. Cooks Note: gazpacho can be chilled overnight. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar, if necessary.
Potato, Roasted Pepper and Mizuna Salad
Potato, Roasted Pepper and Mizuna Salad
Adapted from Epicurious.com. You can roast and peel red and yellow peppers following the directions below. The skins on purple and green peppers may be too thin for this method. Instead, consider roasting them at a lower temperature and skipping the peeling step. Serves 6.
3 pounds purple potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 mixed colored sweet peppers
1 3/4- to 2-ounce can flat fillets of anchovies, drained, minced
6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3/4 cups olive or sunflower oil
1 green onion bunch, sliced
1 bunch mizuna, sliced
preparation
Place potatoes in large pot. Cover with water. Boil until potatoes are just tender. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in white wine. Char red or yellow peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Wrap in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed. Rinse if necessary; pat dry. Alternatively, grill green or red peppers at a lower temperature to color and soften, without a lot of char. Cut peppers into 3/4-inch squares. Transfer to medium bowl.
Combine anchovies and vinegar in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Pour 2/3 cup dressing over peppers. Add remaining dressing, green onions and mizuna to potatoes and mix gently. Season peppers and potatoes with salt and pepper. Let stand 30 minutes. Gently mix peppers into potatoes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Hearty Greens, Squash and Pepper Stew with Beans and Olives
Hearty Greens, Squash and Pepper Stew with Beans and Olives
This one is adapted from an Epicurious.com recipe. Serves 4.
3 TB olive or sunflower oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lb to 2 lb. winter squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 bunch kale or tatsoi, thick stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 2-inch strips
1 tsp dried rubbed sage, or 2 tsp chopped fresh
6 cups cooked white beans, such as Jacobs cattle or soldier
2/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, halved
Freshly grated sharp, hard cheese, such as Crawford Family Farms Picante
Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add squash and sauté. Add bell peppers and stir to coat with onion mixture. Add broth. Cover and simmer until squash is just tender, about 10 minutes. Mix greens and sage into stew. Cover and cook until greens wilt, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add beans and olives and stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer stew to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle generously with cheese.
Lentil and Spinach Soup
Lentil and Spinach Soup
Serve this soup with a dollop of plain yogurt or creme fraiche with a toasted slice of Red Hen whole-wheat bread on the side. Serves 4.
2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped sweet peppers
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 TB freshly chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
9 1/2 cups (or more) water
1 lb dried lentils (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 lb. spinach, stems removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add next 4 ingredients; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and dried crushed red pepper. Add 9 1/2 cups water and dried lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, adding more water by 1/2 cupfuls to thin soup, if desired, about 25 minutes. Add spinach and cilantro; simmer until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Portuguese Style Autumn Vegetable Stew
Portuguese Style Autumn Vegetable Stew
This is a warm and flavorful dish, perfect for a chilly fall evening. Serve this vegetarian stew over cooked wheat berries. Or, to make a meat version, add 1 lb. Portuguese Linguiça, or another spicy sausage. If adding the sausage, try omitting the potatoes, cutting down on the stock by 1 cup, and serving over mashed potatoes. Serves 4-6.
1 TB sunflower or olive oil
2 small sweet onions, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 medium sweet peppers, cut into 1.5 thin strips
2 small bulbs fennel (or 1 large), stalks trimmed, core removed, sliced into 2 thin strips
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 TB Hungarian Paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 TB freshly chopped
1/4 cup red wine
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb. potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 cubes
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed, large saute pan with deep sides, over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until onions are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add sweet peppers and fennel. Saute for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, oregano, red wine, stock, parsley and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat slightly, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve warm.
Spicy Parsnip Soup
Spicy Parsnip Soup
This recipe from www.jamieoliver.com gets numerous rave reviews. Serves 4.
olive oil
knob of butter
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala
6 parsnips, peeled and chopped into chunks
500 ml milk (full fat or skim)
1 quart vegetable stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
optional: 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
optional: a handful of fresh minced cilantro (or parsley!) leaves
crusty bread, to serve
Heat a splash of olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and garam masala. Gently fry for around 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and sweet.
Drop in the chopped parsnip and stir together so that everything gets coated in the oil and flavours. Pour in the milk and stock, season well and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on. After half an hour, check that the parsnips are cooked by sticking a knife in. If you're happy, remove them from the heat and carefully whiz up using a hand blender or liquidizer. Taste the soup to see if it needs a little more salt or pepper.
Serve topped with some strips of fresh red chili peppers (or a sprinkle of dry) with a good chunk of crusty bread.
Tip: Use coconut milk instead of regular milk for a twist.
Roasted Summer Vegetables
Roasted Summer Vegetables
This is a great simple dish to serve on it's own or alongside meat or with bread or rice or couscous. Other vegetables work well too - fennel, young beets, salad turnips, garlic, etc.
8 Baby carrots - cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 2 lengths
10 pearl onions, peeled
3-4 new potatoes - scrubbed and cut into 1 chunks
3 small zucchini - quartered or halved and cut into 2 lengths
a few sweet peppers cut into 1'2 to 1 wide strips
3-4 TB olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
15 Cherry tomatoes or tomato wedges
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the squash, onions, potatoes, and carrots in a roasting pan and toss gently with the oil, coating all vegetables well. Season with salt and pepper. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir ingredients. Return pan to the oven and continue this process until the vegetables are fork tender, 15-20 minutes. Approximately 5 minutes before the vegetables are done, add the tomatoes.
