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Chevre and Tomato Sauce Calzone
Chevre and Tomato Sauce Calzone
Start with this basic calzone recipe and liven it up with some fried local sausage, pepperoni, cooked frozen greens, roasted root vegetables, mushrooms or peppers. My family enjoyed a couple of these calzones last night, stuffed with local braising greens saved from this past summer. Serves 2-3.
2 tsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 cups tomato puree
3/4 tsp dried crumbled thyme
3/4 tsp dried crumbled oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 portion Elmore Mountain pizza dough, room temperature
flour for dusting
3.5 ounces crumbled chevre
optional stuffing (cooked frozen greens, squeezed dry; diced roasted roots; cooked crumbled bacon or sausage; sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms; or whatever you like).
Preheat oven to 450F. To make the sauce, place a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add oil, then onion and garlic. Sweat until soft and translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add tomato puree, herbs and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, about 25-30 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle counter generously with flour. Roll out pizza dough to an approx. 12 circle, using flour liberally to make sure the dough does not stick to counter or rolling pin. Transfer dough to baking stone or cookie sheet. Spread desired amount of sauce on half the dough, leaving a 1/2 border at edges. Distribute filling over sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Fold bare half of dough over filling, lining up edges. Fold edges over and crimp to seal. Poke top all over with a knife to allow heat to escape. Place in oven and bake until crust is firm and golden, about 20-30 minutes. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
Rustic Pasta Sauce
Rustic Pasta Sauce
My friend Robin turned me on to this recipe from Cook's Illustrated. She likes to serve it with rigatoni. It would also be delicious served over cooked wheat berries.
1 TB olive or sunflower oil
1 1/2 lbs. country-style ribs, trimmed of fat
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained, juice-reserved, tomatoes chopped fine (try using the tomato puree here, if you still have it)
Heat oil in 12-inch, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the ribs. Brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Transfer ribs to plate; pour off all but 1 tsp fat. Add onion and saute until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and simmer, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until wine reduces to a glaze, about 2 minutes.
Return ribs and accumulated juices to skillet; add tomatoes and reserved juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently, turning ribs several times, until meat is very tender and falling off the bones, about 1.5 hours. Transfer ribs to a clean plate. When cool, remove meat from bones and shred with fingers, discarding fat and bones. Return shredded meat to sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium heat uncovered, until heated through and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning. To serve, toss with pasta. This sauce freezes well.
Beet and Cabbage Borscht
Beet and Cabbage Borscht
Adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.com, borscht is a great cold weather way to enjoy your beets. This recipe, interestingly, incorporates cabbage as well. Serves 4.
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
3/4 pound potatoes, peeled, chopped
2 1/2 cups chopped cabbage (about 1/4 of small head)
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
6 2-inch-diameter beets, peeled, chopped
1 cup drained canned chopped tomatoes or frozen tomato puree (thawed)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt
Chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, cabbage and onion and sauté until cabbage softens, about 5 minutes. Add 8 cups broth, beets and tomatoes. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Working in small batches, puree 4 cups of soup in blender; return to remaining soup in pot. If desired, add more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin soup. Add lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream or yogurt; sprinkle with parsley. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
Penne with Wilted Greens, Goat Cheese and Fresh Basil
Penne with Wilted Greens, Goat Cheese and Fresh Basil
This is more of a suggestion than a recipe. Substitution opportunities are endless!
1 lb penne pasta (or any shape pasta)
Olive oil
3-6 Cloves garlic, minced
3-8 cups of greens, tough stems removed, greens chopped (spinach, mustard, mizuna, Pac Choi)
1/2 to 1 cup of tomato sauce
Goat cheese
Fresh chopped basil
Put a large pot of salted water on and bring to boil for the pasta. While water is heating, mince the garlic, chop the greens and any other vegetables you have on hand that you'd like to throw in (see options below). Once the veggies are all chopped and prepared and water is boiling, add pasta and cook to al dente (8-12 mins depending on pasta type).
While the pasta is cooking, put a large saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2-3 TB of olive oil and the garlic to the pan and stir to coat and cook for a minute or two. Add the tomato sauce (or fresh tomatos or sun dried tomatoes). Add other optional veggies in order of necessary cooking time and cook until not quite tender. Add the greens and cover pan until greens are just wilted at which time other veggies will now be tender. Remove cover. Drain the pasta, and in a large bowl or in the original pasta pot mix together the pasta and veggies saute and the fresh chopped basil. Serve on plates with crumbled goat cheese and the optional toasted nuts on top.
Optional Ingredients:
2-3 TB Toasted Pine Nuts, Walnuts, Pecans, or Almonds. Toast on a dry skillet (cast iron ideal) on the stovetop over medium heat until they become fragrant. Don't let them burn. Remove from heat to a bowl.
Sundried tomatoes - use just 2-4 as too many can overpower a dish. Soak in hoat water if they are very dry, and once softened, chop/mince them.
Other fresh veggies - 1-2 fresh tomatoes, broccoli, aparagus etc. Add these to the saute as necessary to cook til just tender
Shepherd's Pie with Carmelized Onions and Cheddar Smash
Shepherd's Pie with Carmelized Onions and Cheddar Smash
From Cooking with Shelburne Farms.
For the Carmelized Onions
1.5 TB Olive Oil
1 lb Onions (about 3 medium), thinly sliced crosswise into rounds
1 tsp kosher salt
For the Potato Smash
1.5 lbs potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
2 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat of a knife
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 stick butter, cut into 4 pieces
For the Lamb Filling
1/2 TB olive oil
2 medium carrots, scrubbed trimmed and finely diced (about 1.5 cups)
1 lb ground lamb
3/4 tsp fresh thyme minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 TB flour
1/2 TB tomato paste (or ketchup)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup grated cheddar
Make the carmelized onions (up to one week ahead):
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium hear. Add onions and turn heat down to medium low. Sprinkle onions with salt and cook, stirring frequently to make sure they brown evenly, for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.
Make the smashed potatoes (up to 24 hours ahead):
Place a colander in a pot large enough to accommodate it, fill pot with water to bottom of colander, add potatoes and garlic cloves and sprinkle them with salt. Cover, set over high heat, and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to active simmer and steam for 25-30 minutes until they break apart easily when poked. Remove colander from pot, pour water from pot, return potatoes and garlic to the pot. Cover with a clean dish towel and let potatoes dry out for about 5 minutes (but do not let them cool before mashing). Add the butter to the pot and use a potato masher to smash the potatoes and garlic until blended, but not smooth. Set aside.
Make the meat filling and finish pie:
In a large skillet set over med-high heat, heat olive oil until hot. Add diced carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add lamb, thyme, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Pour off the fat and discard. Sprinkle flour over the meat and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Then stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Pour in the stock, along with half of the carmelized onions. Increase the heat to high and simmer until gravy thickens slightly.
Spread lamb into a shallow casserole or baking pan. Spread potatoes on top. Distribute the remaining carmelized onions over the potatoes, and then sprinkle the cheddar in top. Bake until top is golden and crusty, about 20 minutes.
Braised Tofu and Greens in Curried Coconut Milk
Braised Tofu and Greens in Curried Coconut Milk
Adapted from a recipe in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
3 large onions
1 28 oz can tomatoes
2 TB sunflower oil
salt and black pepper
2 TB garam masala or curry powder
14 oz tofu
2 cups potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
3 cups shredded or chopped greens (kale, pac choi, chard, beet greens)
Cilantro
In a food processor, puree the tomatoes and onion. Put the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion tomato mixture and the potatoes, along with some salt and pepper and the spice mixture, and cook stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the greens and the coconut milk and bring to just about a boil (but try not to boil much) and then simmer gently until greens are wilted and tender (Kale will take a bit longer than the others). Serve over rice and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.
Tuscan White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Kale
Tuscan White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Kale
This is a classic Northern Italian Dish, simple, flavourful, wholesome, and healthy. Navy beans make a nice substitute if you don't have cannelini. You can also add 1/2 cup of small dried pasta like orzo tp this soup. Serve with a nice crusty bread.
From the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Austerberg & Wanda Urbanowicz
2 cups dried cannellini beans soaked overnight (or 3 cans cooked)
10 cups water
4 Bay leaves
2 tsp + 1 tsp salt
1 TB minced rosemary
1 TB olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2-3 medium tomatoes
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 TB balsamic vinegar
1 small bunch of kale
parsley
Drain and rinse the soaked beans and place them in a large pot with Bay leaves, 2 tsp rosemary, and cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the beans are tender. In the last 15 mins, add 2 tsp salt to the beans.
When beans are tender, heat olive oil in a soup pot and add onion, remaining 1 tsp salt and chile flakes. Saute until onions are lightly golden, then add the garlic and remaining rosemary. Cook several minutes, then add the cooked beans and their cooking liquid (or the canned beans). Bring to a simmer, add the tomatoes and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Remove the stems from the kale, tear or roughly chop the leaves and rinse well. Add the leaves to the soup and cook until wilted. Season the soup to taste with balsamic vinegar, cracked pepper, and more salt. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Fresh Salsa
Fresh Salsa
Fresh salsa is quick and easy and so delicious and it's the perfect time of year to make lots of it. There are a million recipes for salsa because everyone's preferences are different. Experiment! You can't really go wrong gradually adding ingredients. I've given a very basic recipe here with some ideas for variation.
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup walla walla sweet onions, diced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 jalapeno chile pepper, diced
Variations
use 2 tsp of lime juice instead of the lemon juice
add a little salt (up to 3/4 tsp)
use other hot peppers like serranos (or omit the heat altogether if perhaps there are kids involved in the eating)
add 1-s cloves of minced garlic
add 1/2 cups chopped garlic scapes
add 1 tsp of sugar or honey
add some cumin or some toasted cumin seed
chop up a fresh local peach and toss that in
add some fresh corn off the cob
Tomato, Cucumbers, Sweet Onion Salad
Tomato, Cucumbers, Sweet Onion Salad
I never get enough of this salad in summer when tomatoes are so fantastic and cukes abundant. I often add feta or goat cheese if I have it. It's like eating dessert. Good balsamic is an important pantry ingredient. I have a couple that are just fantastic and I save them for recipes where their flavor makes a dish special, and I save the lesser grades for cooking with.
2 Tomatoes chopped
1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1-2 sweet onions peeled and sliced thinly
a small handful of basil leaves
drizzle of olive oil
drizzle of good balsamic vinegar
Ratatouille
Ratatouille
It's the season for this classic French casserole, a delicious stew of eggplant, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini. By Julia Child
1/2 pound eggplant
1/2 pound zucchini, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 8-ounce onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced into strips
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 pound firm but ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut into 3/8- to 1/4-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Peel eggplant; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut into 3-inch-long, 1-inch-wide strips. Cut zucchini into same size strips. Place vegetables in large bowl; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain; dry with paper towels.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add eggplant and zucchini to skillet; sauté until light golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to plate; reserve.
Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet; heat over medium heat. Add onion and peppers; sauté until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Place tomato strips atop onion-pepper mixture in skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover skillet; cook over low heat until tomatoes begin to juice, about 5 minutes. Uncover; baste vegetables in skillet with juices. Boil until juices are almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer 1/3 of onion-pepper-tomato mixture to 2 1/2-quart pot; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Top with half of eggplant and half of zucchini, then remaining onion-pepper-tomato mixture; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Layer remaining eggplant and zucchini over; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Cover; simmer over low heat 10 minutes. Uncover; tilt pot and baste with accumulated juices. Increase heat to medium; simmer uncovered, basting several times with pan juices until only 2 to 3 tablespoons juices remain in pot, watching closely to avoid scorching, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool slightly. Cover; chill. Serve at room temperature or rewarm over medium-low heat before serving.
