How to Roast Fruit, Vegetables, Fish and Meat

Roasting is a ridiculously easy cooking technique.  It takes little supervision or fuss.  That makes it perfect at this busy time of year.  And you can cook several items at once. A roasted entrée with sides of roasted vegetables is a great combination.  You can even finish the meal with roasted fruit served with ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce.

Fruit roasts at a lower temperature than other dinner elements so I roast the fruit first.  I use chef Jeremy Tower’s method.  He roasts halved pears and apples rubbed with a tiny pinch of salt on beds of sugar (about 1/8 inch deep) on a parchment-lined, rimmed cookie sheet.  It takes about an hour at 350˚F.  Fruit is done when it is easily pierced with a sharp knife and the sugar is caramelized.  Slip a spatula under the fruit and set it on a large dish to cool.  Serve sliced fruit for dessert or breakfast with yogurt and granola or put sliced, roasted fruit in a salad with some dried cranberries and blue cheese.  Roasted fruit keeps for several days refrigerated.  It is a good "make ahead" item or a great way to have your oven do double duty when something else is in the oven at 350˚F. 

To roast vegetables, crank the stove to 425˚F and chop a medley of vegetables into bite-sized pieces.  Good combinations are peeled winter squash, potatoes, beets and carrots with a thin coating of olive oil, salt and pepper plus some sprigs of thyme or rosemary.  Or try chopped cauliflower, celery, broccoli, mushrooms and zucchini dressed with olive oil, crushed garlic clove and low-sodium soy sauce.  Place the vegetables on a foil lined metal roasting pan or glass baking dish.  If you’d like the vegetables to steam first, cover with foil for the first 20 minutes then remove the top foil, stir the vegetables and roast for another 20-30 minutes until they are tender and lightly browned. Brussels sprouts rank as our favorite when roasted.  Steam halved sprouts with a bit of water until tender then toss drained sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a roasting pan.  Roast for about 15 minutes at 425˚F, turning occasionally.  Don’t discard the little leaves that will inevitably fall off during steaming.  These roast up into little crispy chips that act as an instant garnish to the finished dish.

What to roast alongside your vegetable medleys?  Thick fillets of fish like sea bass, haddock, tuna or salmon would be nice with soy sauce-infused roast vegetables.  Add the fish during the last 10-15 minutes of roasting.  Fish only needs minimal prep.  I like a touch of olive oil or butter with good squeeze of lemon.  On white fish, chopped tomato (fresh or sun-dried in oil) and chopped parsley are good flavor builders.  For the meatier fish, tuna and salmon, a light glaze of low-sodium soy sauce or miso is terrific.  No need to turn fish over during roasting. It is ready when the meat flakes. 

Small or individual cuts of meat like a hot roasting oven. Try pork tenderloin marinated in slurry of a tablespoon of mustard, 1-2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup water (pat dry before roasting). Pork tenderloin takes 18-22 minutes at 425˚F.  Test with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of 160˚F.  Thick cuts of steak can be roasted too.  Sear both sides of seasoned steaks in a skillet with a little oil until nicely browned and then place the (oven-proof) skillet in the oven to finish.  Rare (135-140˚F) takes just 8-10 minutes more for a one and half inch thick steak.  Medium about (150˚F) 12 minutes and well-done (160-165˚F) is ready in 15 minutes.  Remember to let the meat rest before cutting and serving.

Whole chickens need to roast at lower temperatures but dark chicken parts can stand a higher heat in a roasting pan with a light coat of oil and a little water or broth.  Plan on 20-30 minutes for thighs/leg quarters.  They are ready when the internal temperature reaches 165-170˚F.  Your oven may run hot so start checking at 20 minutes using a meat thermometer.  If the outside is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.

Roasting is a pure foods method that allows food to taste like itself.  Use a light touch with seasonings to keep the main ingredient’s flavor forward.  And if you oven has room, save yourself some time (and lower your energy bills) by cooking a double batch of vegetables or meat.  Use the vegetables in soup or mixed with grains the next day.  Slice the extra meat for sandwiches and skip the cold cuts for a few days.

Oven-Marinated Olives, Mushrooms & Artichokes

These are simple vegetable appetizers you can do ahead in the oven by combining various bite-sized edibles with herbs, spices, citrus peel and flavored oils.  They are nice warm or room temperature though they taste best if allowed to sit overnight to soak up all the flavorings.

Our olives get flavor from olive oil, orange peel, fresh thyme and red pepper flakes. Use two cans for a crowd with 2 tablespoon oil, peel of 1/2 an orange, 4-5 sprigs thyme and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.  Feel free to adjust amounts to suit your tastes.  This makes a fairly spicy olive.

We use small frozen artichokes that are defrosted before being mixed with olive oil, lemon peel, juice of 1/2 lemon, fresh parsley and fresh thyme.  Canned artichokes do not hold up as well in the oven.  If you only have canned ones, marinate them at room temperature after rinsing them with a strainer.  You will need at least a day in the refrigerator to marinate.

Our mushroom have a secret ingredient, fish sauce*.  A little goes a long way.  Mix a few drops with a squeeze of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of oil oil for every cup of mushrooms.  Also add oregano and black pepper.

Wrap each mixture tightly in aluminum foil and bake at 400˚F for 15-20 minutes.  Allow them to cool in their packets then open and serve with toothpicks.  Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

*Use soy sauce in place of fish sauce for strictly vegetarian.  There are one or two vegan Worcestershire sauces that can be used as well.


Happy New Year!

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Yogurt Container Cucumber Soup

Lentil Salad with Yellow Beets and Goat Cheese

Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche & Dill Cucumber Cups 

Beans on the Side

These are low sodium black beans, heated with a little soy sauce and cumin.  Add beans to a summer buffets served in oven- and microwave-safe ramekins.

Fill each with 1/3 -1/2 cup hot beans.  Give them a reheat in the microwave just before setting out on a tray.

Garnish with sour cream, cilantro and a little hot sauce or set up a "bean bar" to let people add their own toppings.

Perfectly portioned and fiber rich, a bean side dish goes with grilled anything, especially if some tacos or tortillas are part of the menu.

Some other bean sides for the season, perfect for Father's Day and Graduation Parties...

• Swap out different beans to suit your menu
• Baked beans (serve with hot dogs and hamburgers)
• Chili beans (serve with grilled steak)
• White beans, rosemary and olive oil (Serve with grilled salmon or trout)
• Channa Masala (serve with tandoori grilled chicken)

Morels In Town

I love the sculptural quality of morel mushrooms.  They remind me of the architecture of Antoni Gaudí, especially his unfinished Sagrada Família basilica  in Barcelona.

Fresh morels are in markets in the northeast now.  If you get your hands on some via a reliable forager or a market prepare them simply to bring out their best.

Pictured here is a five-minute sauté of morels and zucchini ribbons finished with a few tablespoons of cream and served over wide noodles.  A squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine before the cream goes in brings up some of the more subtle flavors but be judicious so as not to overwhelm the delicate mushrooms.

Try this simple sauté with any combination of mushrooms or feature one special one as I've done here.  Variations?  Serve over grilled polenta instead of noodles.

This is a stand alone vegetarian dish or can be served alongside a grilled steak or chicken.

Did you know?
For those who crave morels at other times of year, they hold up to drying well.  Reconstitute in warm water for 10 minutes then proceed with your recipe. Don't toss the soaking liquid.  It has great depth of flavor. Use it in your dish boiled down or add to any savory sauce.  Terrific mixed with steak juices.

And.. I have read that one should not eat raw morels.  So please be careful and keep your stash away from pets.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms are not just a great hot appetizer that can be made ahead.  The cream cheese in the stuffing creates a creamy light sauce when tossed with hot pasta, rice or other hot grain so you can toss leftovers, whole or halved, into your next meal.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 14-18 

Ingredients
10 ounces portobello mushrooms, capped removed
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces fresh spinach
2 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried dill (4 springs fresh dill)
salt & pepper

Method
If serving right away preheat over to 350˚F.

1. Place mushroom caps on a baking dish coated with oil.
2. Steam well washed spinach until just wilted.  Drain very well, squeezing to expel water, and chop well.
3. Mix together cream cheese, dill, salt and pepper.  Add warm spinach and combine.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Use a teaspoon to generously stuff mushroom caps, setting each one back in baking dish.  
5. At this point you can cover and refrigerate mushrooms to bake and serve the next day.  
6. To bake: preheat oven to 350˚F  .  Bake 12-15 minutes until cream cheese is heated and slightly melted.

Lemon & Paprika Garbanzo Bean and Spinach Stew

Simple spring dinners combine with beans, spring vegetables and greens for pure and simple one-skillet entrees.  Top these bean stews with poached eggs for a little extra protein.

In this recipe, canned beans are used.  You can substitute freshly made if you'd like.  1/2 cup dried beans will yield about one 15-ounce can of beans.

Lemon & Paprika Garbanzo Bean and Spinach Stew
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients
1 can low sodium garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 can vegetable or chicken broth
1 lemon, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 9-ounce packaged baby spinach
optional: 4 eggs

Method

1. In a large skillet, combine drained beans with next four ingredients, broth through paprika.
2. Cook uncovered on low heat  for about 10 minutes, until beans are heated through and liquid is reduced by about one third.
3. Add spinach and cover.  Heat until spinach has wilted.  This will take just two to three minutes. 
4. Uncover and add eggs.  Use a spoon to create 4 small craters or divers in the bean and spinach mixture. Crack one egg into each shallow crater.  Re-cover skillet and cook two minutes until egg whites are cooked through and yolks have just set.  
5. Serve immediately with crusty bread. 

How to Hack Artichokes

If you've never cooked your own artichokes, this is the time of year to start experimenting.  They are easier to tackle than they look and are the world's best finger food. 

I am compelled to write this week's post by the most recent 'artichokes made easy' article I read in which the author recommended starting small, as in prepping baby artichokes.  This is an arduous task that pays off for only the truest of artichoke lovers.  If you want baby artichokes, by the frozen!  For beginners who want a freshly cooked artichoke, I say start big.  Find the biggest and heaviest artichoke in the bin and prep only one per person.

Here's how to tackle your first artichoke.

How to Buy Artichokes:  Artichokes can be very round or a bit pointy.  Either is fine.  Hold each one and pick only ones that are heavy for their size.  That means they have more water content and are fresher.  See any leaf tips that are bronze or tan?  Pick that one.  It means the plant went through a mild frost and has developed a deeper flavor.  Artichokes like a bit of heat and a bot of cold when growing.

Scroll down for simple cooking instructions.  If you already know how to steam or boil artichokes, enjoy this fresh spin on a classic that uses fresh artichoke and fresh spinach:

Easy Spinach Dip Artichokes
Serves 4
 
Ingredients
2 artichokes, cooked , halved and choke removed  (See method below if new to artichokes)
3 tablespoons good mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon grated cheese like mozzarella, cheddar or even some cream cheese
1/2 cup steamed spinach (start with 2 cups raw)
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese or panko bread crumbs
 
Method

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. Place artichoke halves on a foil lined backing sheet.
3. In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients.  Taste and adjust seasoning. 
4. Scoop dip into hollowed out artichokes.
5. If using, top with bread crumbs or grated cheese (or both)
6. Bake 20 minutes until artichokes are hot and dip is bubbling.  Cheese and bread crumbs will be browned. 
7. Serve as is or add in extra dippers like bread sticks.

How to Cook Artichokes:

• Get out a large pot with a top. Cut off the bottom stem of each artichoke, leaving about 1/2 inch.  If there are sharp points at the tips of the leaves you can cut these with kitchen shears but I usually skip this step.  I also do not bother to snip the little outer leaves around the base. 
• Before adding water to your pot, place the artichokes inside so they are standing on their cut stems.  This is to make sure each will fit and you can cover the pot.
• Now add water.  You can steam artichokes and this is the fastest way to cook them- about 30-35 minutes. Boiling is also a good option and takes about 45 minutes. 
• Test leaves for tenderness about midway through.  To test, grab the tip of an inner leaf, one about halfway up the stacked leaves, and tug.  If it comes out easily, taste it for tenderness.  You should be able to bite the leaf lightly and pull the flesh off between your teeth.  If it's too hard to pull away, keep cooking for another 10-15 minutes and test again. Use large tongs to hold onto artichoke as you pull out the leaf.  They are in hot water and will be quite hot to touch.

 













Now what?

• Artichokes can be eaten right away.  See below for eating tips. If you want to make life really easy do what they do in Rome and let them cool before messing with them further. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight . 
• When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise with kitchen sheers or a very sharp knife.  Use a spoon to remove the inner purplish-green leaves and the fuzzy choke.  You now have perfectly prepared artichoke halves with hearts and edible leaves intact. 
• Serve cold with a mayonnaise or reheated with melted butter and lemon.  Reheat over a steamer or in the microwave for a minute or two. Try the recipe for hot spinach  dip served in artichoke halves.  Great as an appetizer you can make ahead or serve two for a vegetarian main course.

Eating Tips

• Serve freshly steamed whole artichokes on a plate with a side of melted butter or mayonnaise mixed with a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.  Dip artichoke leaves and have a shared discard bowl available for the leaves.  No one likes a cluttered plate and you will need room for the best part-- the heart of the artichoke.  Once all the leaves are enjoyed, you are left with the 'choke' which looks like a fuzzy saucer with a tent of purplish-green leaves.  Pull away these leaves en masse then use a butter knife to scrape away the seed pods.  You are left with a little moon crater of goodness, the heart of the artichoke.  Cut this into bite-sized pieces and dip in the butter.  Pure heaven. 

Wine and Artichokes

•  Cynarin, the acid in artichokes which creates its unique aftertaste makes artichokes notoriously hard to match with wines. Artichokes make the foods and drinks paired with them taste sweeter and this mixes up wine in particular.  For years experts recommended not serving wine with artichokes and in fact beer is not a bad idea.  Recently some bold oenophiles have started pairing sherry or very high acid, dry wines with the vegetable to balance out the cynarin effect. 

Mushroom Rice Pilaf

Toss dried mushrooms right into the cooking rice to impart a deep mushroom flavor to the liquid.  Chopped celery and onion and a few herbs like thyme and margoram create an interesting yet fast side to pork, chicken even salmon. 

Mushroom Rice Pilaf
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup rice
2 cups liquid-- water or broth
1 ounce dried mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Place celery, onion and butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Use a large spoon to stir the mixture and begins to soften the onion and celery.  
2. Stir in the rice and continue to stir to coat rice in butter and brown slightly.
3. Add liquid and bring to a boil.  
4. Lower heat to simmer.  Add dried mushrooms.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
5. Stir in salt, cover and continue to simmer until rice is tender.  For white rices, this will be 10-15 minutes longer.  For brown rice, this will be 20-30 minutes longer.

Elegant Life Leftovers:  Extra rice can be mixed with cooked beans for a terrific cold salad or main coarse vegetarian entree.

Winter Veggie Stew

Butternut squash and white beans predominate in this simple vegetable stew making it easy to spice up in several different directions.  One pot of stew can be your vegetable side for several different dinners or feed a tableful of hungry vegetarians on a cold night.

Serve Winter Veggie Stew with a variety of Indian chutneys and plain yogurt and some warm naan. Or during the last few minutes of cooking, go mediterranean by adding a little extra virgin olive oil, black olives and sun dried tomatoes (in oil).  Fresh rosemary or thyme for garnish and a fat slice of a baguette on the side.  You can even pack this thick stew into a flour tortilla with sliced avocado, fresh cilantro sprigs, lime juice and salsa. ¡Olé!

Winter Vegetarian Veggie Stew
Serves 4-6, recipe can be doubled
 
Ingredients
1 ½ cups (1/2 bag) white beans, soaked (or one can low sodium white beans)
5-6 cups water
2 cups celery
½ onion
3 carrots
2 T oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon  turmeric
1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon oregano
2 medium potatoes (eastern or low starch)
1 small butternut squash (or ½ a large squash)
1 ½ cups green beans
1 medium zucchini
½ red bell pepper

Method

1. If using dry beans, soak 8 hours (over night or during work day). Drain beans and rinse.  If using canned beans, read directions below.
2. Place beans in 5 cups water and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer.  Add tomato paste, turmeric, Hungarian sweet paprika, salt, pepper, and oregano.   Simmer beans, stirring occasionally for one hour.  
3. Prepare vegetables: Chop celery, including leaves.  Chop onion and dice one carrot.  Sauté chopped vegetables in oil until limp.  Add to pot.
4. Cut remaining two carrots, potato and butternut squash in large chunks.  Set aside.  Cut green beans in thirds (no longer than 2 inches). Set aside with other vegetables. 
5. Prepare zucchini and red pepper.  Slice zucchini in large chunks.  Core and seed red bell pepper.  Cut into 1 inch pieces.  Sauté in skillet or place in a small baking dish tossed with some oil, salt and pepper and roast at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes until crisping. 
6. Check beans.  Taste and if they are softening, add buternut squash, potates, carrots and green beans and enough water or vegetable broth to just cover all ingredients.  Continue to cook until vegetables are cooked and beans are very tender—about 15-20 minutes more. 
7. Stir in cooked zucchini and red bell pepper.  

Serve alone in wide bowls or over rice, short pasta.

Directions for Canned Beans
If using canned beans you will add them at the end of the recipe.  Season the water following step 2 (omit beans) and add 3-1/2 cups water to your pot. Add all the vegeatbles to the pot except the zucchini and red bell pepper.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the zucchini and red pepper following step 5.  Once all the vegetables are tender add the canned beans and cook about five minutes more.  (Drain but do not rinse the canned beans.)

Elegant Life Leftovers: Add broth to make a soup.  This stew is vegetarian but you can replace some of the liquid with chicken broth if you'd like.

Lemon Basil Chick Pea Balls

We made these Chick Pea Balls flavored with basil, parsley and lemon to go alongside a minestrone soup brimming with winter vegetables.  Guests popped them into the soup too.  Basil created a culinary bridge to the Italian flavors in the soup.

The base recipe is from Laura Washburn's Vegetarian Foods for Kids (2011). Anyone interested in learning to cook simple and pure vegetarian foods will appreciate her approach. The basic recipes are all kid-friendly and many recipes provide variations that amp up the flavor to match grown up palates.  Her basic chick pea bites are a case in point.  The child's version is made with orange juice and mild spices.  The adult version uses lemon juice and a more sophisticated herb and spice blend.

Chick Pea Balls are not just for appetizers and soup sides.  They can also be packed into pita bread with some salad ingredients and dressing for a vegetarian meal or tossed with pasta and your favorite sauce. 

Lemon Basil Chick Pea Balls
Yield: about twenty-five 1-inch balls

Ingredients
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped 
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cans drained chick peas (or 3 1/2 cups cooked and cooled chick peas)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons oat bran (or pulse rolled oats to create oat flour)
2 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh, chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Note: If substituting fresh with dried herbs, use 1 tablespoon each
Spray oil

Method:

1.  Place chopped carrot and celery in a food processor and pulse until vegetables are finely chopped.  
2. Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium heat.  Cook the vegetables for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.  When cooked, place in a large bowl to cool while you prepare the bean mixture.
3. In the same food processor, process drained beans, mayonnaise, oat bran, flour, salt. and lemon juice.  Mixture should be fairly smooth.
4. Add bean mixture to bowl with vegetables.  Add herbs and combine all ingredients.  
5. Taste and adjust seasoning.  Add more salt, lemon juice or more herbs.
6. Make balls by scooping spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined or oiled baking sheet.  Moisten your hands with water and roll scoops into small balls.  You may also use a mini-scoop, the type used for drop cookies.
7. Bake at 375˚F for 25-35 minutes until balls are slightly brown.  Centers will still be moist.  
8. Serve hot or at room temperature.

TIP: Do you have some new vegetarians joining holiday dinners over the next few months?  Check out books like Laura Washburn's for inspiration.  We also point new vegetarians and the families they cook with to Italian cookbooks where vegetables and grains have always gotten their due.

Zucchini Noodles

This is not a new trick but with gardens in their final moments you may find yourself with an awful lot of zucchini just as cool weather recipes beckon.  Substitute zucchini "noodles" for egg noodles and papardelle in stews, spaghetti dinners and soups. 

All you need is a vegetable peeler to get started  If you like the results, look for some of the slicers coming out of Asia and Europe where vegetable pastas are so popular that traditional wheat pasta manufacturers are starting to offer them.  Here is is a shredder I bought in a Korean grocery several
years ago that makes thin oval zucchini noodles.

To make a great noodle using a vegetable peeler, wach the zucchini and start peeling.  As you near the seeds, turn the zucchini to start a freash side.  A small zucchini will yield about a cup of peeled noodles.   Boil a pot of salted water and place the zucchini in the hot water.  Lower the heat and simmer 45 seconds, until the zucchini is limp.  Use it to repalce all or some of your noodles.  Enjoy it cold douced with a light rice vinegar as part of a salad with other greens or grains. 

Grilled Shishito Peppers

Shishito Peppers and other thin skinned peppers like Spain's Padron Pepper are easy to grill on an open fire, charcoal grill or a grill pan on your stove top.  All the rage as an appetizer, sprinkled with coarse salt to accompany a cold beer, these also make a simple, pure side dish to grilled steaks or a topping for a burger.  The key is to use high heat to blister the skin and get a light char.

If you have some thin-skinned peppers, whether hot or sweet, in your garden try them grilled like this. Even if the variety is not thin-skinned, home grown peppers tend to have a thinner skins since these varieties are not bred for travel to supermarkets. 

We skewer the peppers whole using the double-skewer method that keeps narrow items like small peppers and asparagus from rolling between the grates and into the coals.  The peppers get a light coating of vegetable oil and cook once the steak is off the grill and resting.  Keep an eye on your peppers since these tender mouthfuls cook quickly.  Turn as the skin blisters, remove and salt lightly before serving. 

It is OK to eat these with your hands. 

To get the effect on a stove top, use a very hot grill pan.  Place the oiled peppers in the pan and turn as they blister  remove, salt and serve immediately.

On open coals (or a bonfire) use a long skewer or a "frank fork" to keep you cool and unblistered while the oiled pepper cooks over the open flame. 

Provençal Tomato Wellington

I’ve been craving the summer pizzas I used to get in the south of France that are often called tomato tarts here.  We bought them at beach side patisseries, cut into square slabs and wrapped to go in waxy paper.  We ate them room--or rather beach—temperature.  The small Nicoise olives lent a saltiness that perfectly complimented the season's ripe tomatoes.

I stumbled across a simple tomato wellington recipe using Pepperidge Farm® puff pastry on their online recipe collection and thought that with a few extra ingredients this would satisfy my travel taste memory.  It turned out pretty close and makes a great vegetarian main entree or, if cut a little smaller, a nice side dish to grilled dinners. 

Now is the right time to make this dish.  Farmers markets are selling the last of the summer tomatoes on the cheap and their sweetness can stand up to oven roasting.  Later in the winter you can make Provençal Tomato Wellingtons with hardier Roma or plum tomatoes sliced in half and roasted low and slow to develop their sweetness. 

This recipe can be prepared through step 7 several hours ahead.  If you are having guests this is a nice option.  Goat cheese is used here but you can also use any soft cheese or a Swiss style (Gruyere for example).

Provençal Tomato Wellington
Serves 4


Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry (about 8 ounces), defrosted
1 large beefsteak tomato
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence*
1 ounce goat cheese
4-6 black olives (Niçoise or oil cured work nicely)
2-3 anchovies (optional, but give it a try)
½ teaspoon capers

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Slice tomato in ½ inch slices.  Place on a lightly oiled sheet or pie plate and sprinkle with half the herbs de Provence and some salt and pepper.  
2. Roast uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes are softened and have released much of their juice.  Set aside to cool.  
3. Prepare pastry by placing on a floured board and rolling into a 12” square, cutting away any extra for another use.  Lay pastry onto a small sheet pan.  
4. Crumble goat cheese over center of pastry, leaving a 1 inch edge at the top and bottom and 2-3 inches along the sides.  
5. Cover cheese with cooked tomato slices.  Distribute olives, capers and anchovies over the tomatoes.  Sprinkle remaining herbs de Provence over filling.  
6. Using a pastry brush or your finger, run a little water along the top and bottom edges of pastry.  Fold over one side of the pastry and seal edges.  Run a little more water along the long edge and fold over remaining side of pastry.  Use a knife to cut small slices through edges to ensure they are well sealed.  Next, make decorate slashes into pastry cutting through most of the pastry layers so it will puff nicely.  Cut through the pastry in several spots so that steam can escape during baking.  
7. Cover wellington with loose plastic wrap and place sheet in refrigerator for at least half on hour (or up to several hours).  
8. When ready to enjoy, preheat oven to 400˚F and remove plastic wrap from cold, unbaked tomato wellington.   At this stage you may brush some milk or a light egg wash over the top of the pastry to encourage browning.  
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until pastry is cooked through, crisped and golden-brown.  Remove wellington from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Slice into 3-inch slabs and serve over greens.  

They are also quite tasty cooled and served at room (or beach) temperature. 

Cucumber Rice Milk Soup

This is a heat wave two-fer.  Make a simple cucumber-dill yogurt dip on night one then enjoy a cold soup the following day.  No need to even look at the stove. 

Cucumber Rice Milk Soup
Ingredients

For the dip (feeds a small crowd):
3 small cucumbers, 3-4 inches long (or one regular cucumber, peel if waxed)
2 cups plain yogurt, drained
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

For the soup (serves 2):
1 cup cucumber dip
1 cup rice milk

1. To make the dip, slice cucumbers very thin.
2. Fold into drained yogurt and add dill, salt and pepper. 
3. Serve with warmed pita, vegetable sticks and other dippers. 

1. To make the soup
2. Mix equal parts leftover dip with rice milk. 

How to Drain Yogurt
You can use a Greek-style yogurt for this recipe but if you have some wonderful real whole milk yogurt, it is easy to drain it quickly for the recipe.  Use a coffee strainer/filter placed over a bowl.  For 1 1/2 cups drained yogurt, add 1 3/4 to 2 cups yogurt. Cover and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. If you do not have a coffee filter, use a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth or a paper towel.

Summer Beet and Pepita Salad

Beet salads have been featured here before.  Every summer the heirloom varieties come to farmers markets and August is a great time to celebrate these special vegetables again.  These beets are generally milder than their dark red cousins, the ones seen most of the year.  If you want to try beets out on your family, now is the perfect time.

Wrap them in aluminum foil, roast them in a very hot oven (450˚F) and test with a fork after 30-45 minutes.  Larger ones will take longer.  Wait a few minutes then peel easily to reveal their inner beauty.

Keep it simple.  Serve sliced beets with some goat cheese and toasted pepitas over bibb lettuce. 

Cold Corn Soup

Three leftover ears of corn, a lime and a can of light coconut milk are all you need for a cold soup on a day when it's too hot to cook. We spiced ours up two ways.  American style with chopped heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market and Asian fusion style with sliced hot red peppers, cilantro and mint. 

Buy that extra half dozen ears of corn at the market this week and you'll have what you need.  This recipe serves three or four as a first course.  We served them as shooters and had enough to serve eight generously. 

Cold Corn Soup
Yield: 3 cups, four 2/3 cup servings

Ingredients
3 ears of corn, cooked and cooled
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
juice of one lime
1/2-2/3 cup water
salt
Garnishes: chopped tomato, sliced hot pepper (red or green), extra lime, mint leaves, chopped cilantro

Method

1. In a deep bowl or pot, use a serrated knife to cut kernels away for corn cob.
2. Add coconut milk and half of the lime juice.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree soup.  Or puree in a blender.
4. Add water, 1/4 cup at a time to create a pourable consistency.   
5. Taste and season with salt.
6. Chill at least three hours for most refreshing flavor. 

You will need a blender or an immersion blender for this recipe.  If you do not own either, I would recommend an immersion blender with a small bowl attachment as the most versatile investment.  You can puree hot or cold soups, mix pesto, create smoothie concoctions and even smooth out a lumpy gravy.

Jalepeño Popper Chicken Casserole

There are several ways to prepare the jalepeños for this dish.  I like to grill them the night before but you can also dry-saute them in a cast iron skillet before making the rest of the dish.  If the peppers are very spicy, it may keep the fumes down to roast them as you prepare the cream cheese filling, as described in the recipe below.  In a pinch you can use canned green chilies and skip the cooking the peppers but the dish will not be as spicy. 

Jalepeño Popper Chicken Casserole
Yield 6-8 servings

Ingredients
8 jalepeños, halved and cored
4 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, divided
2 packages thinly sliced chicken breasts (about 10 pieces)
1 egg
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for pan

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Line a small baking dish with 1-2 inch sides with tin foil.  Oil lightly (or use spray oil.)
3. Roast jalepeños in prepared pan until wilted and a bit charred, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove jalepeños and allow them to cool.  
4. In a food processor mix together the cream cheese,  shredded cheddar and one tablespoon mayonnaise to form a thick cheese paste.
5. Lay chicken breasts out on a platter and cover each with a layer of the cream cheese mixture.  Use the back of a large spoon to spread the cheese evenly.  
6. Lay one-two jalepeños on each chicken breast and roll up.  Place rolled chicken breasts in the roasting pan.
7. Mix together one egg and the other tablespoon of mayonnaise in the bowl of the food processor or small mixing bowl that the cram cheese was in.  Spoon this sauce over the chicken breasts and sprinkle panko bread crumbs evenly over the top of the rolled chicken breasts.
8. Bake at 425˚F uncovered for 30 minutes.  Lower the heat to 325˚F and cook another 10 minutes.  A thermometer stuck into the center breast meat portion should read 170˚F.  Remove the pan from the oven and let casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 This dish may may be cooked ahead, cooled completely and frozen.  

Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Have you noticed?  The Pure Foods Project is focusing on mushrooms for the past few weeks.  This time of year is wonderful for mushroom hunting.  Find someone knowledgeable to help you forage or take advantage of the abundance that finds its way to farmers markets.

This week, mushrooms sauteed with lemon and parsley create a vegetarian base for several easy meal ideas.  Top a pizza, flavor a quiche, serve as an appetizer rolled into some puff pastry or create a French-fusion dish, Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas.

These can be made ahead and frozen.  To reheat, defrost for a half a minute in the microwave (or defrost in the refrigerator before you head off to work).  Then reheat in a toaster oven or skillet.  Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas are also nice to have around for a last minute appetizer.  Defrost, reheat and cut into wedges to serve guests.

The secret ingredient is mashed white beans.  A lot like Mexican refried beans, mashed white beans provide substance and sustenance here.

Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas
Yield: 8 quesadillas

Ingredients
10 ounces mushrooms
1 tablespoon oil
salt, pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
juice of 1/4 lemon
1 12-ounce can white beans (low sodium), drained
2 ounces soft goat cheese
8 flour tortillas (plain or whole wheat)
1/2 cup shredded Gouda (smoked or plain)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. In a wide skillet, saute mushrooms in oil over medium high heat.  Salt and pepper mushroom as they cook down.
3. Once mushrooms are tender, add parsley and lemon juice.
4. While mushrooms cook, place beans and goat cheese in a a food processor and process until beans are broken down but not completely pureed.  You will have a thick mixture.  
5. Place bean mixture in a bowl.  Fold in cooked mushrooms.  
6. Lay tortillas on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Scatter about a tablespoon of shreded Gouda cheese on each.  
7. Equally divide the bean-mushroom mixture among the eight tortillas, spooning it over one half of each tortilla.  
8. Fold tortillas over to form half circles.  Rub the top of each with a little vegetable oil and bake 12-15 minutes, turning once, until tortillas are lightly browned.

Enjoy immediately or cool and freeze for future use.  

Salad Caprese To Go

Individual Salad Caprese is the perfect side to bring to gatherings if you just know you are going to forget the serving utensil.  The stiff romaine lettuce leaf underneath allows diners to pick up a single serving with their hands and move on down the buffet.

Salad Caprese requires only a few ingredients and begs to be served when tomatoes and basil come into season. 

Individual Salad Caprese
Yield- 10 servings

Ingredients
10 Romaine lettuce leaves
3 ripe tomatoes, medium size
1 ball mozzarella cheese (fresh recommended)
handful of fresh basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or vinaigrette dressing
salt and pepper
optional: roasted red pepper (try a variation with red pepper and no tomatoes when tomatoes are not yet ripe), baguette slices

Method:

1. Lay lettuce leaves on a serving tray
2. Lay alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella on each leaf. Tuck a few basil leaves in between the layers.
3. Cover and refrigerate until read to serve
4. Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil or dressing and finish with a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper
5. Serve as is or with sliced baguette or country loaf

Use medium sized romaine leaves that have a little backbone.  These salads can even be eaten without a fork.  Smaller leaf versions are a nice option for passed hors d'oeuvres.  Use the inner leaves of the lettuce to collect enough or break larger leaves in two.