sauteed summer squash ribbons

This came out of the Sept/Oct. 2015 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine.

 To serve 4, combine 1 minced small garlic clove and 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (save 1 tsp. grated zest for later in the recipe) in large bowl and set aside for at least 10 minutes.  Using vegetable peeler, shave 2 lbs. summer squash lengthwise into ribbons.  This is about 4 squash.  Peel off 3 ribbons from 1 side, then turn squash 90 degrees and peel off 3 more ribbons.  Continue to turn and peel ribbons until you reach seeds, discard core.

Whisk 2 Tbs. olive oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and the 1 tsp. grated lemon zest into the garlic mixture in the large bowl.

Heat 1 more tsp. olive oil in 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add squash ribbons and cook, tossing occasionally with tongs, until squash has softened and is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer squash to bowl with garlic mixture, add 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley, and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with another 1 1/2 tsp. parsley.  Serve immediately.

roasted chicken with peaches, basil and ginger

A great way to celebrate our neighbor's peach harvest and generosity:  http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012681-roasted-chicken-thighs-with-peaches-basil-and-ginger

braised pork belly

Braised Pork Belly

Serves 6.  Now that we get pork belly in bulk from Costco, I can try all kinds of recipes.  This came from Food and Wine magazine and is best served over rice with some kind of pickles aside to cut the richness.  They suggest pickled radishes.  You need to marinate it overnight, then braise for 3 hours, before browning to serve.  Do ahead:  once it braises you can refrigerate it in the broth for up to 4 days.  Just reheat and finish. 

            ½ c. low-sodium soy sauce

            ½ c. mirin

            ½ c. fresh lime juice

            ¼ c. brown sugar

            ¼ c. thinly sliced fresh ginger

            2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

            3 lbs. pork belly, skin removed

            1 Tbs. oil

            1 large onion, coarsely chopped

            salt

            2 c. chicken broth

            2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine soy sauce, mirin, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger and garlic.  If not already in strips, cut pork belly in half crosswise, roughly into two 6” squares.  Add pork belly to the marinade and seal the bag, pressing out any air.  Refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Rove pork from bag and pat dry with paper towels – SAVE THE MARINADE.  In a large oven proof casserole or pan, heat oil.  Add pork and cook over moderately low heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 10 minutes; transfer to a plate.

Pour off all but 1 Tbs. fat from the pan.  Add onion, season lightly with salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the reserved marinade and chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Return pork to the pan and bring to a boil.  Cover and braise in the 325 degree oven for 2 hours, until the meat is nearly tender.  Uncover and braise for 1 hour longer, until the meat is very tender.    

Transfer pork to a baking sheet fat side up.  Strain broth into a heat proof bowl and spoon off the fat.  Return broth to the pan and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. 

Heat the broiler.  Broil the pork 8” from the heat until crisp, about 2 minutes.  Cut into twelve 1-2”-thick slices and arrange in shallow bowls.  Spoon the broth all around and garnish with the green onions.  Serve with pickles and rice. 

lamb meatballs in yogurt sauce

Lamb Meatballs in Warm Yogurt Sauce with Red-Pepper Butter

Serves 4-6.  I saw this in The Week July 17, 2015 magazine.  It is credited to Janet Fletcher in her book Yogurt:  Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.  We wanted to call it lamb stroganoff – delicious!

            1 lb. ground lamb

            1 large egg, lightly beaten

            ½ c. fine fresh bread crumbs

            ½ c. minced yellow onion

            1 tsp. dried oregano

            1 tsp. kosher salt

            ½ tsp. toasted and ground cumin seeds

            fresh ground black pepper

            1 Tbs. olive oil

            1 c. chicken broth

            2 c. plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek yogurt)

            1 large egg, lightly beaten

            2 cloves garlic, grated or minced

            2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

            1 Tbs. minced fresh mint

            2 tsp. butter

            ½ tsp. hot paprika

            ½ tsp. toasted and ground cumin seeds

Combine lamb, 1 egg, bread crumbs, onion, oregano, salt, cumin, and pepper and mix well with your hands.  Shape into 24 balls, dipping hands in cold water as needed to keep mixture from sticking.  In a 12” skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add meatballs in a single layer.  Fry gently, turning meatballs with two soupspoons so they brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to a plate.  Discard any fat in skillet.       

Return skillet to medium-high heat and add broth.  Simmer, scraping up any browned bits.  Return meatballs to skillet, cover, and reduce to a simmer.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, return meatballs to plate.

In a large bowl, whisk yogurt, 1 egg, garlic, dill, and mint.  Slowly whisk in about ½ c. of the hot broth.  Pour yogurt mixture into skillet.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until sauce thickens and just begins to simmer.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add meatballs to skillet, turning to coat.  Cover and simmer until hot. 

Divide meatballs and sauce among 4 to 6 warmed bowls.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add paprika and cumin; swirl until butter is foamy and aromatic.  Drizzle over each portion.  

easy jam tart

Jam Tart

Serves 8-10.  Since I made an insane amount of apricot freezer jam due to our 2015 harvest, I made this easy dessert that could be done with any kind of jam.

            1 unbaked ready made pie crust

            12 oz. (1 ½ c.) jam or preserves

            1 c. flour

            ⅓ c. packed brown sugar

            ¼ tsp. kosher salt

            6 Tbs. butter, melted

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 10” tart pan with a removable rim.  Gently press the pie crust into the tart pan, trim off any excess above the top rim.  Spread jam over dough, leaving a ½” border around edge.

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl.  Stir in butter until combined.  Sprinkle this topping evenly over the jam to form topping.

Bake until lightly browned and jam is bubbling, about 40 minutes.   Let cool 15 minutes before removing from pan (just remove the rim, the tart stays on the bottom form).  Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. 

grilled snapper with radish/kohlrabi salad

Good combination as seen in the August 2015 Food and Wine magazine:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grilled-snapper-pink-chile-salt

grilled chicken and vegetables

These two recipes from the August 2015 issue of Food and Wine magazine make for a lovely summer supper:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/herb-basted-grilled-chicken

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grilled-garlic-and-vegetables

mango and tomato salad

Mango and Tomato Salad Cups

Serves 2.  We saw this in the August 2015 issue of Cooking Light (135 calories preserving) and had garden fresh lettuce and tomatoes to use.……

            1½ c. cubed peeled ripe mango

            ½ c. grape tomatoes, quartered

            2 tsp. oil

            1 tsp. fresh lime juice

            ¼ tsp. kosher salt

            ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

            1 small shallot, thinly sliced

            2 large green leaf lettuce leaves

Mix up everything except the lettuce leaves.  Divide among the lettuce leaves to serve. 

pork and peppers

This is a pan roasted pork tenderloin with those mini-multicolored bell peppers. Cooking Light says it
 has 222 calories per serving.  Yes, it has anchovies - you'll never know they are there and it adds the right flavor kick.

(Serves 4) Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 Tbs. oil to the pan; swirl to coat.  Sprinkle a trimmed 1 lb. pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. Add pork to the hot pan; cook 4 minutes.  Turn pork over; cook 1 more minute.  Cover pan with foil; bake for 5 minutes.  Remove and discard foil.  Bake an additional 5 minutes (to reach 145 degrees inside meat).  Place pork on cutting board; let stand 10 minutes.  Do not clean out the pan, you need it below.  Keep the oven on too.  Cut across grain in slices.

While pork rests, finish sauce and peppers.  Return pan to medium-high heat.  Mix 1/2 c. chicken broth, 1/2 tsp. cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar, and salt and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add broth mixture to hot pan; bring to a boil.  Cook 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.  Remove sauce from pan (don't clean the pan out yet - you still need it); keep warm.

Return pan to medium-high heat.  Add 1 Tbs. oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 4 anchovy fillets (drained and finely minced), and 3 small multicolored bell peppers (cut into 1-1/2 inch strips) to pan; cook 1-1/2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Place pan in oven; bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes.

Arrange pork slices and bell pepper mixture on a platter.  Sprinkle with more fresh thyme and some chopped fresh parsley.  Drizzle with sauce.

fresh fig jam

Small-Batch Fig Jam

Makes about 3 c. to keep in the refrigerator for those few short weeks when we can get fresh figs.  We saw this in the August 2015 issue of Cooking Light and love it on pecorino cheese, crackers, toast, in yogurt……

            3 lemons

            1½ c. sugar

            ¼ c. honey

            3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (from the whole lemons above, after removing rind)

            3 thyme sprigs

            2 lbs. ripe fresh Black Mission figs, stemmed and roughly chopped

Remove strips of rind from lemons using a vegetable peeler, avoiding white pith.  Combine rind strips and remaining ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium; cook 50 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.  To test for doneness, place a small amount on a chilled plate.  Tilt the plate; preserves should move sluggishly.  Discard thyme and lemon rind strips.  

  

lamb and figs

Lamb Chops with Fresh Fig Pan Sauce

Serves 6.  This delicious 238-calorie dish is from the August 2015 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

            1 Tbs. olive oil, divided

            ¼ c. finely chopped shallots

            8 oz. fresh brown or black figs, stemmed and cut into pieces

            ¾ tsp. salt, divided

            ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper, divided

            ½ c. shiraz or other spicy red wine

            ¼ c. chicken broth

            1 bay leaf

            1 Tbs. honey

            1 Tbs. cider or balsamic vinegar

            1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

            12 (3-oz) lamb rib chops, trimmed

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add 2 tsp. olive oil; swirl to coat.  Add shallots, cook for 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.  Add figs; mash with a potato masher to break them up.  Cook for 3 minutes or until figs start to break down, stirring frequently.  Stir in ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper.

Increase heat to medium-high.  Add wine; boil for 1 minute.  Stir in broth and bay leaf.  Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.  Add honey and vinegar; simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.  Stir in rosemary; cover and keep sauce warm.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Brush lamb with remaining 1 tsp. olive oil; sprinkle evenly with remaining ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper.  Add lamb to skillet; sear 2 minutes on each side.  Place pan in oven; bake at 400 degrees for 4 minutes (for medium-rare) or until desired degree of doneness.  Remove pan from oven; remove lamb from pan.  Let lamb stand for 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with sauce.    

kale salad

Kale-and-Avocado Salad with Dates

Serves 8-10.  This is a Martha Stewart recipe, perfect for our summer/fall garden crop of kale.

            1 bunch kale (about 12 oz.), preferably Tuscan, stems removed,

  leaves thinly sliced

            ¼ c. pine nuts, lightly toasted

            ⅓ c. olive oil

            3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

            2 ripe but firm avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and

              cut into ¼ “ slices

            2 oz. Parmesan, shaved

            8 large to 10 medium dates, pitted and cut into slivers

            coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a large bowl, toss together kale, pine nuts, oil, and lemon juice.  Massage the ingredients together a bit to break down the kale.  Add avocados, cheese, and dates, and toss gently.  Season with salt and pepper; serve. 

peach (apricot in our case) crisp with brown butter crumble topping

Peach Crisp with Brown Butter Crumble

Serves 6.  This was in the July 2015 issue of Food and Wine magazine and we repurposed it to use part of our apricot crop.  This can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight.  Reheat before serving.

            Peach Crisp:

            butter to grease pan

            2 lbs. ripe peaches, pitted and cut into ¼” wedges

            ¼ c. + 2 Tbs. sugar

            3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

            1 Tbs. cornstarch

            pinch of kosher salt

            Brown Butter Crumble:

            1 c. flour

            ½ c. quick cooking oats

            ½ c. granulated sugar

            ¼ c. turbinado sugar (raw sugar)

            2 Tbs. brown sugar

            ½ tsp. kosher salt

            ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

            1 stick ( ½ c.) butter, cut into tablespoons

            vanilla ice cream for serving

Make the crisp.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 2-quart baking dish.  In a large bowl, toss peaches with sugar and lemon juice.  Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and peaches have released some of their juices.  Drain peaches in a colander set over a small saucepan, then return peaches to the bowl.

Add ¼ c. water and the cornstarch to peach juices and bring to a simmer.  Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and translucent, about 1 minute.  Add thickened juices and pinch of salt to the peaches and toss to coat.  Scrape into the buttered baking dish.

Meanwhile, make the brown butter crumble.  In a medium bowl, whisk flour with oats, the 3 sugars, salt and cinnamon.  In a small saucepan, cook butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until deep golden and nutty-smelling, about 8 minutes.  Scrape this brown butter and any browned bits at bottom of pan into the flour mixture and stir until well combined.

Press topping into small clumps and scatter over the peaches.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the crisp is golden and bubbling.  Transfer to a rack and let stand for 15 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream.  

apricot-pie crumble bars

Since we had a bounty crop of apricots, I used them instead of peaches in this Martha Stewart.com recipe:  http://www.marthastewart.com/1118514/peach-pie-crumble-bars

creamy lemon chicken

This is a quick dish to pull together for dinner, and serves 4.  It would be great served over rice.

I melted 2 Tbs. butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2" pieces, and 2 minced shallots.  Add a little salt and cook for 5 minutes to brown chicken, turning once.  Add 1/2 c. chicken broth, 1/2 c. white wine, 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp. mixed dry herbs (such as herbes de Provence or an Italian blend of herbs) to the skillet.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Stir in 1/2 c. sour cream or creme fraiche and cook for a few minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with fresh thyme (I love using the lemon thyme in my garden).

pork medallions with belgian endive

Pork Medallions with Belgian Endive

Serves 4.  This was in Sunset magazine a couple of years ago and an amazingly tasty 380 calorie dish. 

            1 lb. whole pork tenderloin

            kosher salt

            fresh ground black pepper

            2 Tbs. olive oil

            1 garlic clove, crushed

            1 fresh thyme sprig

            2 Tbs. butter

            6 heads Belgian endive, halved

            ½ c. orange juice

            1 Tbs. maple syrup

            ½ c. heavy cream

            2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Remove any silverskin from surface of tenderloin.  Cut tenderloin crosswise into 12 medallions, each about 1” thick.  Season with salt and pepper.    

Set a very large plate next to the stove.  Heat oil in a very large pan (not nonstick) over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and thyme; cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is browned all over, about 1 minute.  Transfer to plate. Add pork and cook until well browned underneath, about 3 minutes.  Turn over and cook until barely pink in the center, 1½ - 2 minutes.  Transfer to plate of garlic and thyme.

Put butter in pan and let melt.  Add endives, cut sides down, and cook until browned underneath, 1½ - 2 minutes.  Turn over and cook 1 minute more.  Transfer to plate of pork.

Add orange juice and maple syrup to pan and cook, scraping up browned bits, until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.  Add heavy cream and boil, stirring, until thickened and reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.

Return garlic, thyme, pork, endive, and any accumulated juices to pan and heat, stirring gently, until everything is warmed through, about 1 minute.  Sauce should be reduced enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon and yield about ½ c.

Divide pork and endive among 4 plates.  Spoon on sauce; garnish with parsley.