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Grilled Vegetable Salad with Tomatoes and Feta
Grilled Vegetable Salad with Tomatoes and Feta
Grilling the vegetables adds pizzazz to this Mediterranean-inspired salad. Approximately 4-6 servings.
1 lb. snap beans, ends removed
1/2 a sweet onion, sliced thin
1 small zucchini or eggplant sliced crosswise or 1 large green pepper sliced into 1/2 thick wedges
2 TB sunflower or olive oil
1 large tomato, seeds removed, cut in 1 dice
6 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 TB toasted pine nuts
3 TB red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove mashed to a paste with kosher salt
salt and pepper to taste
6 TB sunflower or olive oil
Preheat barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Shock beans by placing in a large bowl of ice water. Drain and pat dry with a dishtowel. Toss beans and eggplant, pepper or zucchini in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Grill or broil oiled vegetables until beginning to brown, turning frequently, 2-5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Add onions and tomatoes. Make dressing by combining the vinegar, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Then whisk in oil. Toss vegetables with dressing, adjust seasonings and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve at room temperature.
Tomato Toasts with Bacon & Blue Cheese
Tomato Toasts with Bacon & Blue Cheese
For the bacon eaters, an over-the-top BLT! Serve with mesclun on the side. Serves 6.
4 slices bacon
6 slices bread
6 TB oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup minced leek
3 TB vinegar (sherry is nice here)
3 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/2 thick rounds
30 small basil leaves
1 1/2 oz crumbled blue cheese
freshly ground black pepper
Cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towel to drain. Crumble when cool. Reserve bacon fat. Grill bread slices 3 at a time in same skillet, turning once, until golden brown. Add a bit of oil as needed. Remove to a cooling rack, season with salt and pepper.
For dressing heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and 3 tablespoons oil in small heavy saucepan. Add leeks and cook about 2 minutes, until soft. Whisk in vinegar and salt and pepper until well combined. Cover and keep warm.
Arrange toasts on a platter or individual plates. Layer tomatoes, blue cheese, basil and bacon, ending with a sprinkling of blue cheese on top. Spoon warm dressing over it all and season with fresh ground black pepper.
Savory Corn Cakes
Savory Corn Cakes
Excellent with a tomatillo or pico de gallo salsa. Grate a little cheese on top while still warm, if you'd like. Serves 4.
1 TB oil
1 cup thinly sliced leeks
3 cups fresh corn kernels, about 3 ears worth
1 jalapeno, minced, to taste
salt to taste
1 TB lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
oil for cooking
Saute leeks, corn and chilies in oil with a sprinkling of salt for about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and set aside. Whisk together eggs and yogurt. Blend together dry ingredients. Add corn mixture to the eggs and then fold in the dry ingredients.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium high heat. Spoon batter making 3 rounds. Cook until golden on both sides, flipping once, about 7 minutes total.
Bacon and Goat Cheese Free-Form Tart
Bacon and Goat Cheese Free-Form Tart
This is one of my favorite recipes from Cooking with Shelburne Farms. One could call it onion and goat cheese tart, however, as it calls for a lot of onions and is also delicious made without the bacon. Or, try adding sliced fennel while cooking down the onions. Though the recipe calls for all-purpose flour, you could substitute 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour in the crust. Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as an appetizer.
For the crust:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3 ounces cream cheese, cold and cut into 4 chunks
2-3 TB ice water
milk to brush the crust
For the filling:
1/2 pound bacon
1 TB olive oil
2 pounds (about 4 large) onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3/4 cup (3-4 ounces) crumbled fresh goat cheese
To make the crust, cut the butter into small cubes and freeze for at least 15 minutes. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, blend the flour, cornmeal and salt. Add the cream cheese and process for about 20 seconds, or until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until no butter is larger than the size of a pea. Add the ice water and process for about 30 seconds, or until a pinch of the dough holds together. If it doesn’t, add more water, a teaspoon at a time. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead just until it holds together in one piece. Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, cook the bacon in a sauté pan or skillet until it is about halfway cooked. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Put the pan with the remaining bacon fat (or 2 tablespoons of butter, if you are skipping the bacon), over medium heat. Add the olive oil and then the sliced onions and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally, until they are deep golden brown and caramelized, 35-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375F with a rack in the second-lowest position. On a nonstick baking mat or piece of parchment paper, roll the chilled dough into a rough circle about 1/8 inch thick and 14-16 inches in diameter. (The edges do not have to be smooth and neat.) Lift the baking mat with the crust onto a cookie sheet. Spread the caramelized onions over the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Coarsely chop the bacon and sprinkle it evenly over the onions, followed by the thyme leaves, and finally the goat cheese. Fold the edges of the crust in over the filling, pleating the edges as necessary. Brush the crust with milk. Bake the tart for 30-35 minutes until the crust is golden. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage and Fennel
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage and Fennel
Adapted from Epicurious.com. Serves 10.
2 TB bacon fat or butter (1/4 stick)
4 cups thinly sliced onions
1 2 1/2-pound head red cabbage, cored, thinly sliced
1 pound fennel bulb, cored, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable or beef broth
6 TB balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup maple sugar or maple syrup
Melt butter or bacon fat in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add cabbage and fennel, sprinkle with salt, and toss to combine. Saute, tossing occasionally, until cabbage begins to wilt. Add remaining ingredients except fennel fronds. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30-35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium-low heat.) Transfer to bowl. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and serve.
Summer Vegetable Pickles
Summer Vegetable Pickles
Adapted from Epicurious.com. Makes about 3 cups.
1 cup 1/2- to 3/4-inch cauliflower florets
1 cup 1/2- to 3/4-inch broccoli florets
1 cup 1-inch strips celery
1 red Thai chili or red jalapeno chili, cut into thin rounds
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup (lightly packed) fresh mint leaves (from 2 bunches)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Place cauliflower, broccoli, celery and chili in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, mint, sugar, and salt to boil in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool syrup completely. Strain syrup over vegetables. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Cover and chill until ready to use. (Can be made up to 1 day ahead.)
Caramelized Onion Pizza
Caramelized Onion Pizza
Jessica Cole, one of our Summer Share members, emailed me the recipe for this amazing sounding pizza the other week. She said that the anchovies are optional. Though, they would add a terrific depth of flavor if you include them.
1/2 recipe pizza dough (see Recipe from Heather in July 2nd Newsletter)
3-4 onions, sliced
small bunch sage, chopped
5-6 anchovies, chopped (optional)
6 oz chevre
Preheat oven to 500F. Cook down the onions, sage and anchovies in a medium pot set over medium heat until they are soft, brown and very sweet. This should take about 30-40 minutes. Roll out the pizza dough and pre-bake the crust in the oven for 3-7 minutes, just until it is cooked but not browned. Spread the mixture over the crust and top with chunks of the goat cheese. Put it back in the oven for a few minutes to heat the cheese. Serve with a green salad and tomatoes on the side.
Raw Summer Squash Salad
Raw Summer Squash Salad
One of my favorite shows this year has been Jamie at Home. The show features Jamie Oliver, of Naked Chef fame, at his country home in England. He cooks much of his food straight from the garden. His appreciation for fresh, local ingredients and non-fussy preparation is the highlight of every show. Recently, I saw this recipe on an episode featuring the humble zucchini, or “courgette, as the Brits call them. Serves 2.
4 small summer squash, a mix of zucchini, yellow squash and patty pan
3 TB sunflower oil
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 small hot pepper, seeded and minced fine
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped basil, mint, and/or parsley
Use a horizontal, or “Y-peeler to make long ribbons from the zucchini and yellow squash. Keep slicing down the long sides of the squash, all around, down to, but not including the soft seed center. Discard the seed center. Use the peeler to make strips of the patty pan. In a large bowl toss the squash ribbons with the sunflower oil, lemon juice, hot pepper, salt, pepper and herbs. Toss with your fingers to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings. Jamie served this salad with fresh grilled fish.
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.
