Peach Crostini with Prosciutto and Ricotta

Is there anything better than a sweet, juicy peach right smack in the middle of summer?  A gorgeous, fat peach that you can almost taste just from the velvety smell of it?  

We are in the midst of a bit of a peach controversy in our house due to this recent article in The New York Times.  The Southern husband was brought up deep in the heart of Georgia which is, as he has pointed out about a thousand times lately, The Peach State.

The teenager, however, is now a full-fledged member of the Clemson University community, located in the great state of South Carolina.  And according to the Times, South Carolina has shipped double the amount of peaches as Georgia this year.  And being the enthusiastic, faithful Clemson Tiger that she now is, she is throwing her hat into South Carolina's ring, peach-wise.

This character is also originally from South Carolina, where she was rescued as a wee puppy.

However, she will pretty much eat anything, anywhere, from anyplace, so she's not taking sides.  She'd also love it if someone would PLEASE throw that dang Frisbee for her already.

Personally,  I'd just like to note for the record that the state in third place, with 32,000 tons of peaches is, yes, New Jersey.  However, regardless of where you get your peaches, make sure you get some just so you can try this nifty little appetizer.  Toast up some thin slices of french bread and top them with a spoonful of ricotta cheese and some fresh ground pepper.  Now lay a few shreds of prosciutto on the cheese, drizzle with a little honey, and top with a peach slice or two.

It's enough to make the peach factions lay down their arms and come together for a quick snack!

Peach Crostini with Prosciutto and Ricotta, adapted slightly from Bon Appetit

• 12 slices french bread


• 1 ripe peach


• 12 tablespoons fresh ricotta


• Freshly ground black pepper


• 4 thin slices prosciutto


• Honey

1. Preheat ovem to 350.  Brush bread slices with olive oil and bake until just crisp, about 10 minutes.


2. Halve, pit, and thinly slice peach.


3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon ricotta onto each toast and sprinkle with ground pepper. 


4. Tear prosciutto into feathery pieces and drape a few slices over ricotta on each.


5. Drizzle each with honey and top with 2 peach slices.

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Turkey Hummus Sandwiches with Black Pepper Honey

Yep, this is definitely my Summer of the Sandwich.  And not just any sandwich...the open-faced sandwich. And not just any open-faced sandwich...open-faced sandwiches made with bread that has been toasted on the grill for that fabulous, just a tiny bit charred taste.  For some reason I've gotten fixated on them and they are showing up on my supper menu almost once a week. Not only is there the whole grilled bread thing going on, but there's nothing like the feeling of walking in the door at the end of the day and getting that merry Sandwiches-For-Dinner feeling...oh yes!

And in this particular case, it was another excuse to whirl up the millionth batch of that Five Minute Hummus I am also fixated on lately.  Hey, there could be worse vices to have, right?  And if you are not the hummus-whirling-up type, your favorite supermarket brand will work just fine.

So, once you have walked in the door and are all in a good mood due to it being Sandwich Night, here's the drill.  Slice up some nice thick slices of whatever hearty bread you like.  I like the sourdough bread at Panera...it's fresh and has that scrumptious sourdough tang to it.  Brush your bread with a little olive oil and pop it on the grilled just long enough to get those delicious char marks going.

Once it has cooled a little, slather on some hummus.  Don't be shy, slather it on thick.  Now drape some thin-sliced deli turkey on top...and here comes the best part, the part that takes this from regular sandwich status to Superstar Sandwich Status.  Put about 2 tablespoons of honey in a microwavable measuring cup and nuke just until it is melted - this probably won't take more than 10 seconds.  Now grind a generous amount of black pepper into it, swirl it around, and then drizzle it over your turkey sandwich.  The sweetness of the honey and the snap of the black pepper are going to make beautiful music with the rest of this sandwich.

Sandwich Night!  It makes you feel this good:



Almost, anyway!  Here's the recipe.

Turkey Hummus Sandwiches with Black Pepper Honey

• 4 slices hearty bread, your choice
• Olive oil
• 1 cup hummus
• 1/2 pound thin sliced turkey
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Fresh ground black pepper

1. Heat grill to medium high.  Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and grill until both sides are toasted to your liking.  Remove and cool slightly.

2. Spread each slice of bread with 1/4 cup hummus.  Divide turkey among sandwiches and lay on top of hummus.

3. Heat honey in microwavable measuring cup until liquid, about 10 seconds.  Grind a generous portion of black pepper into honey and swirl to mix.  Drizzle over sandwiches and serve.

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Honey Chicken Skewers

We are heading scandalously fast towards the end of summer, and so I am sending the Southern husband out to the grill at every available opportunity.  I'm not sure why, since he is perfectly wonderful about grilling in a snowstorm.

But nevertheless, grilling just isn't the same when it's not summertime, so our grill is getting a lot of action.  This recipe is a fun, eat-with-your-hands deal that is ready in absolutely no time.  You need to pick yourself up a packet of those thin wooden skewers, and be sure to give them a good soaking in water before you put the chicken strips on them.  As you can see from the picture, even soaking wet they still got a little charred.  Which is fine - you just want them to hold together for the most important part, which is the EATING.

But before you get to the eating there is the making.  You cut up chicken breasts into strips and thread them on to your skewers.  Fire up the grill and cook them for about 3-4 minutes, then flip 'em over and baste them with a quick sauce of ketchup, honey and soy sauce...and that's it!  I put a few ears of corn on the grill alongside the skewers and 10 minutes later we were digging in.  So keep that grill going as long as you can....

Honey Chicken Skewers, adapted from Real Simple

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• kosher salt and pepper
• canola oil, for the grill
• 6 ears corn, shucked
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. Place twenty 8-inch wooden skewers in water to soak. Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside. 

2. Slice the chicken lengthwise into twenty 1/2-inch-thick strips. Thread each strip onto a wooden skewer. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 

3. Lightly oil the grill. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, basting with the ketchup mixture during the last 2 minutes of cooking. 

4. Meanwhile, grill the corn, turning occasionally, until slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Serve with the chicken. 

 Click here for printable recipe

Mascarpone Semifreddo with Strawberries and Black Pepper Honey

The other day I posted a great recipe for crostini with lemony mascarpone and peppers, created and cooked by the wonderful chef Jessica Marotta from Campagnia restaurant, and I promised that I would follow up promptly with Jessica's recipe for Mascarpone Semifreddo with Strawberries and Black Pepper Honey. And here it is!

Jessica is the latest chef that I have been lucky enough to photograph for our local Meet the Chefs series, and she taught us all about mascarpone. She makes her own, and she brought a delicious bowl of it with her.

And she also told us (phew!) that these recipes would work just fine if we used store-bought mascarpone, so hang in there with me. We are now going to make mascarpone semifreddo. Which means ice cream. Really, really, really good ice cream. First Jessica beat some egg yolks and confectioner's sugar until it was gorgeously fluffy.

Then she whipped up some heavy cream, vanilla and more confectioner's sugar, and mixed that with some of the mascarpone. Then she folded it into the egg yolk mixture.

At this point you are supposed to freeze it for 8 hours until it is all chilled and ice creamish. Luckily for us in the audience, Jessica had made a lot of it ahead of time and was just walking us through the steps so we could immediately go home and make our own. Whew!

Next she cut up some gorgeous looking strawberries...

She had some leftover lemons from the crostini recipe, so she mixed a little lemon juice into the berries.

Yum.

Then it was time for the assembly. A few scoops of the semifreddo. Some strawberries on top...

Then...get ready...she combined some honey and some fresh ground black pepper together to make a sauce that was both sweet and spicy and out of this world. Which she then drizzled on the ice cream. I thought the audience was going to fall out of their folding chairs.

It was sweet and cold and a little bit spicy and 1000% delicious.

Jessica's amazing recipe is below. And if you are in the area, make sure you stop in at Campagnia. They have a whole menu that is as fabulous as this dessert. Thanks, Jessica!

Mascarpone Semifreddo with Strawberries and Black Pepper Honey, by Jessica Marotta

Ingredients

4 cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8 ounces (1 cup) mascarpone

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

10 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1 quart strawberries, cleaned and sliced into quarters

¼ cup wildflower honey, or any unfiltered honey

¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

To make the semifreddo; In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine yolks and 1 cup sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, then turn mixer to high and beat for an additional 5 minutes, or until the yolks are light and fluffy. Transfer the yolk mixture to a large mixing bowl. In a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer, combine heavy cream, vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla extract) and confectioners sugar. Whisk cream mixture on medium-low for 2 minutes, then increase speed to medium and whisk until soft peaks form. Add mascarpone, and whisk on low until incorporated. Gently fold cream mixture into yolk mixture, until there are no streaks. Transfer semifreddo to a frezzer proof container. Freeze at least 8 hours before serving.

To make the black pepper honey; Combine honey and pepper in a bowl and stir thoroughly.

To assemble; Scoop semifreddo into serving dishes, top with strawberries and drizzle with a small amount of black pepper honey. Let semifreddo stand for 3 to 5 minutes to soften before serving.

Click here for printable recipe

Pineapple Chicken

Today I need to give a shout-out to one of my favorite cooking magazines, and that is Taste of Home. I do love my share of the fancy ones, like Saveur and Bon Appetit, and I get tons of recipes and ideas from fancy cooking experts like Mark Bittman and all the fabulous blogs that I read. But Taste of Home is kind of in its own category. It is a collection of recipes and cooking tips and ideas from home cooks across the country, and while you won't find too much fancy stuff in there, you will find recipe after recipe for good old-fashioned home-cooked dishes.

This pineapple chicken is one of my favorites. Like most of the Taste of Home recipes, it is pretty fast and simple, and the mix of pineapple and mustard and honey and herbs...YUM. I did swap out fresh thyme for the dried thyme called for in the recipe just because I had some hanging around, and it worked just wonderfully. I also threw on some chopped cashews because I also had those hanging around, and they added a nice salty crunch. (I am trying to get better about completely using up whatever ingredients I happen to buy. I have two unused leeks lurking in the refrigerator right this second waiting for inspiration to strike. Send suggestions.)

Anyway, if you, like me, are always looking for a new spin on chicken, give this recipe and try, and check out Taste of Home when you get a second, too.

PINEAPPLE CHICKEN, from Taste of Home

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened sliced pineapple
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Hot cooked rice

1. Sprinkle chicken with the thyme, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil. Meanwhile, drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Cut pineapple rings in half and set aside.
2. Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons juice until smooth; set aside. Combine the mustard, honey, garlic and remaining pineapple juice. Add to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken and keep warm.
3. Stir cornstarch mixture. Gradually add to pan; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return chicken to pan. Top with pineapple; heat through. Serve with rice. Yield: 4 servings.

Click here for printable recipe

Scallop, Orange and Cucumber Kabobs

I should start by saying I am slightly kabob-phobic. Generally when I make kabobs I am using either chicken or steak and assorted vegetables, and invariably the meat is cooked right and the veggies are charred within an inch of their lives, or the veggies are perfect and the meat is, um, undercooked. Which may be fine with my carnivorous Southern husband if it is steak, but chicken...not a good scenario. So I pretty much skip over kabob recipes when I run across them, despite the fact that their general approach to life -- a complete meal all cooked together on a stick -- is SO in line with my kitchen mantra: SIMPLIFY.

However, I ran across this recipe in one of my favorite cooking magazines, which is EVERYDAY FOOD. It's a little tiny magazine published by Martha Stewart's company, and I find so many great and easy recipes in it. I have a subscription to it, but you can also usually find it on those racks right by the supermarket checkout -- pick up a copy next time you are there and check it out. Anyway, they recently had a recipe for scallop kabobs, and because scallops cook in the blink of an eye, I thought maybe, just maybe, this is a kabob recipe that I can't mess up? Since the scallops and the veggies probably need the same amount of cooking time? Could it be?

It was. Glory Hallelujah.

The scallops are threaded onto the skewers with cucumber slices, orange sections, thin sliced ginger (note to self: ginger is for flavor. Ginger should be discarded before serving or your adventurous husband will eat it and it's always heart-wrenching to see a tough guy with tears in his eyes). The kabobs are basted with a honey/orange juice sauce, and take a grand total of 6 minutes on the grill. I de-skewered them onto a plate of brown rice and voila! Kabob-phobia officially cured.

Now all I need is for someone to tell me the secret to making chicken and steak kabobs. Is there a Secret Kabob Society that I can join to learn some sort of special technique? Someone let me know. In the meantime, here is the recipe for scallop kabobs, adapted with thanks from EVERYDAY FOOD.

SCALLOP, ORANGE AND CUCUMBER KABOBS

Serves 4

• Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 navel orange, halved and cut into wedges. Juice the other half and save juice for sauce.
• 8 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 cucumber, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 pound large scallops
• Salt and pepper

1. Heat grill to medium and oil the grates.

2. Combine honey and juice in small bowl

3. On 4 skewers, thread orange wedges (through skin), cucumber, ginger and scallops, beginning and ending with oranges

4. Season with salt and pepper

5. Grill until scallops are done, turning once or twice and basting with honey mixture throughout grilling time, about 6 minutes

6. Serve over brown or white rice.