Fried Green Tomatoes!

I have found that folks fall into two basic camps when it comes to fried green tomatoes.  There is the "why would anyone want to fry and then eat a green tomato???" camp.  The teenager is the president of this camp.  Then there is the "fried green tomatoes are one of the reasons life is worth living" camp, and I am the president of this camp.  The New Jersey chapter, anyhow.

So, you start with, yes a green tomato.  These are pretty widely available at farmer's markets in August and September as the tomato crop goes nuts and they start picking green ones that haven't ripened yet.  The green ones are firmer and will stand up to the frying you are about to do without falling apart.

You have to use them pretty soon after you buy them, though, because if they are more mature tomatoes, they will keep on ripening, and your fried green tomatoes will be fried orange-ish tomatoes.  And we're looking for authenticity here!

So, if you are looking for your standard fried green tomato, the basic approach is this: slice those green tomatoes into nice thick slices, dunk them in flour, then egg, then cornmeal, fry them in some canola oil until they are a handsome golden brown, drain 'em on paper towels, sprinkle them with salt, and then dig in.

However.  If you want to go to fried green tomato heaven, you can take things a step further.  After you have your fried green tomatoes all nice and golden, build a stack of tomato, mozzarella cheese, tomato, cheese, tomato.  You can even use a slice of a red one (unfried!) in the center for a little color.  Sprinkle with some grated parmesan, skewer them with a long wooden toothpick so they stay together, and then pop them in the oven until the cheese juuuuust starts to melt.  

Need I say more?  Hurry hurry, before the green tomatoes leave to make room for the pumpkins.

Fried Green Tomatoes,  basic recipe from Real Simple with embellishments from Framed Cooks

• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 pound green tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• Kosher salt

• Sliced mozzarella
• Grated parmesan

1. Place the flour, cornmeal and eggs in separate bowls.  Dip the tomatoes first in the flour, then the eggs, then the cornmeal, pressing gently to help the cornmeal adhere.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Working in batches, cook the tomatoes until golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side.  Drain on paper towel lined sheet and season with salt.
3. These are fine to eat just as is, but if you want to take it step further, preheat the oven to 400.  Make a stack of tomato slice, mozzarella cheese, another tomato, more cheese, one more tomato slice.  (You can use a regular red tomato slice in the middle for color if you like.)  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and stick a toothpick down the middle.  Bake just until the cheese starts to melt, about 2-5 minutes.  If they slide apart don't worry, you can push them back into a stack once they are out of the oven.

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Pan Roasted Baby Artichokes

Let's pretend you told me that I could only eat one vegetable for the rest of my life, and I had to choose immediately.  I'd have a quick pang about corn, and asparagus, but it wouldn't really be a tough decision.  I'm an artichoke girl at heart...I love the prickly, ornery things.  Next to nice, cooperative, easy veggies like spinach and string beans they are a pain in the neck to prepare, and usually a complete work-out to eat, but they are just so dang scrumptious.  I do love a vegetable that plays hard to get.

However, I did recently find a recipe that tames the artichoke just a little, and is a glorious, easy, versatile extravaganza of artichoke wonderfulness.  The key to this is getting baby artichokes - cute little guys that have not grown up enough to have the prickly, hard-to-deal-with choke in the middle.  Lately I have been finding them in little plastic cases in my regular old supermarket - about 9 to a case, which is perfect.  Here's what you do.

Take each baby artichoke and pull off the first few layers of those tough outside leaves.  You're looking for the more tender, light green layer of leaves towards the middle.  Once you get the outside layer off, grab your sharpest knife and lop off the stem, as close to the bottom as you can get, and the top 1/2 inch or so of the remaining leaves.  Now cut the artichoke into halves and then quarters, length-wise.  Drop the quarters into a bowl of cold water with lemon juice in it while you do the same thing to the rest of the artichokes.  It will take you about 10-15 minutes, tops, and by the end you will have worked out all your frustrations of the day.  It's very satisfying.

Now heat up about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of olive oil in a medium size skillet until it is smoking hot.  Drain the artichokes, blot them to get the water off, and then carefully add them to the oil along with a generous dose of salt and pepper.  Roast them in the oil for about 5 minutes or until they are tender...spear one with a knife to check.  Once they are tender, toss in some fresh chopped parsley, a little minced garlic and some red pepper, and stir it around for a minute.  Done!

Now, if you are going to serve them as is, you will want to scoop them out of the oil and drain them on some paper towels.  However, if you want to go direct to artichoke heaven, you can toss the whole thing - artichokes, oil, the entire shebang - into a bowl of hot pasta and toss.  Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese, a grinding of fresh pepper, and ask yourself what vegetable YOU would want if you were on a desert island.  

Artichokes, baby.

Pan Roasted Baby Artichokes, from The New York Times

• 24 baby artichokes, about 3 pounds
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Coarse sea salt
• Lemon wedges or red wine vinegar, for serving.

1. Peel off and discard a few outer petals of theartichokes until you reach the pale, tender center. Trim the top andstem end, then quarter each artichoke. There should be no discerniblechoke, but if there is, remove it with a paring knife. Put theartichokes in a bowl of cold water to which the lemon juice has beenadded.

2. In a wide, heavy, nonaluminum skillet, heat a 1/2inch of olive oil over medium heat. Drain and blot the artichokes and,when the oil is nearly smoking, carefully add them to the skillet.Season well with salt and pepper, stirring to coat with oil. Let theartichokes brown slightly, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes,until they are tender when probed with a paring knife.

3. Add the red pepper, garlic and parsley. Stir welland let sizzle for a minute or so. Transfer the artichokes to aplatter, sprinkle with coarse salt and serve with lemon wedges, orsprinkle sparingly with red wine vinegar. Eat hot, or at roomtemperature. 

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Corn Fritters!

I will pretty much eat anything that is described as a fritter, which basically means something that is held together with a thick batter and deep-fried.  This approach to life got me in deep trouble one summer at the shore when I passed by a deep-fried Oreo stand (a word to the wise, if you must have an Oreo fritter, stop with one.  Don't go for three.  It will only end in tears.)

Anyway, this recipe, which comes from the wonderful cookbook A SOUTHERLY COURSE, calls these Corn Oysters...I think because they would be a good vegetarian stand-in for fried oysters..but to me they are just dang good corn fritters, made with a classic buttermilk, flour, corn meal and egg batter, mixed up with some fresh corn and, of course, deep fried.  Sometimes you just have to.

The key with this one is to separate the eggs.  The yolks get mixed into the regular batter, while the white get beaten and folded in at the end.  Somehow this turns the whole thing into a light, golden bundle of fritter heaven.  A little salt sprinkled over the top, and I could forget there was such a thing as an Oreo anywhere on the planet.

Fritters!  :)

Corn Fritters, adapted from A SOUTHERLY COURSE

• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 6 ears fresh corn, kernels sliced off the cob
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Coarse salt

1. Whisk together egg yolks, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Add the corn and stir to combine.
2. Whisk togethet the hour, cornmeal and baking powder with the remaining salt.  Stir into the corn mixture until just combined.
3. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large pot or skillet to 325 degrees.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into corn mixture until well combined.  Drop batter into the oil by tablespoonfuls and fry for 2-3 minutes per side until golden.  Drain on a wire rack set over paper towels.  Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve!

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Grilled Chive Potatoes

I think this just might be the easiest way I've ever cooked potatoes, and with the possible exception of Aligot Potatoes (which are so insanely good there aren't even words to describe), these also might be the most scrumptious.  It almost doesn't seem fair, but it's true.

This is a great side dish to make when you have the grill cranked up anyway...say because you are making Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce....but it's also well worth firing up the grill even if whatever you are making to go with these babies is not something grilled.  They are that good.

Here's the scoop: you boil up some nice red-skinned potatoes.  Pick medium sized ones for this, not those teeny baby ones, because you don't want a single one to fall through the grill grates.  Boil for a 25 minutes or so, until they are tender.  Scoop them out of the water and cut them in half, and then brush them with a concoction of melted butter, chopped fresh chives and lemon peel.  Now pop them on the grill, cut side down, for about 10 minutes or until you get those gorgeous char marks. 

Now all you have left to do is drizzle the rest of that butter mixture over your potatoes and dig in.   You might forget to eat whatever else is on the plate due to the grilled chive potato goodness.  Here's the recipe!

Grilled Chive Potatoes, adapted from Epicurious

• 6 red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain. Cut potatoes in half; place cut side up on rimmed baking sheet.
2. Stir butter, chives, and lemon peel in medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Season with salt and pepper. Brush some chive butter over potatoes.
3. Grill potatoes over medium high heat, cut side down, until cut side is crisp and brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Rewarm remaining chive butter. Transfer potatoes, cut side up, to platter. Drizzle with warm chive butter.

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Baked Potato with Ricotta and Tomatoes

There is just something so comforting about a baked potato, don't you think?    Add in the fact that baked potatoes are actually GOOD for you, and you are looking at one satisfying lunch or supper, all in one easy to make package.

In this case, I rubbed my potatoes with a little olive oil and popped them in the oven while I made a batch of fresh ricotta (side note: I love making ricotta cheese.  It is SO easy, and tastes so fresh and good.  But as always, feel free to use store-bought ricotta. )  I roasted up some cherry tomatoes as well, and by the time all that was done the potatoes were nice and tender.  Then all you do is split them open, spoon on some ricotta, scatter the tomatoes on top, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle some fresh thyme on top.  That's all you need to do to be in baked potato heaven. 

And trust me, if you can't get into Bacon Heaven, Baked Potato Heaven is the next best place.

Baked Potato with Ricotta and Tomatoes, adapted from Real Simple

• 2 russet potatoes
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon and one tablespoon of olive oil plus extra for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh thyme
• 1 cup fresh ricotta

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Rub the potatoes with a teaspoon of olive oil, place on a baking sheet and bake until they are tender when pierced with a knife, about one hour or so.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and toss the tomatoes with a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of coarse salt and a grinding of black pepper.  15 minutes before the potatoes are done, pop the sheet of tomatoes in there with them and roast them until they start to split.
3. Split the potatoes (you can either cut them in half for four people or just make an X down the middle and push them open for two especially hungry people).  Top with ricotta cheese, roasted tomatoes and fresh thyme.

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Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

Is there anything better than potatoes?  I like them mashed, I liked them made into fries, I like them sliced on top of a cottage pie.  I like them here, I like them there, I like them like them everywhere.

I especially like those adorable little baby ones...you know the ones I mean.  The little tiny red and white ones, the ones that make it possible for you to eat multiple potatoes at the same meal and still feed kind of virtuous.    Kind of.  Hey, they are vegetables!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So besides mashing them up with lots of butter and cream, which I completely concede is the absolute best way on earth to prepare a potato, I think I just stumbled upon the next best approach to potato heaven.  It's completely easy, completely delicious, and only involves four things.  Potatoes (natch).  Olive oil.  Coarse salt.  And this...

Now, I admit that finding malt vinegar can be a bit of a challenge.  I actually found mine in the international foods section of my supermarket, in there with the Cadbury chocolate and the really good English breakfast tea...but if you get really desperate you can click here.  And if THAT doesn't work, you can use regular old cider vinegar.  It will be almost as good.

Take those cute little potatoes and boil them up in salted water until they are tender, about 20 minutes or so.  Drain them, and now comes the fun part.  Put them in groups of three or four on a clean dishtowel and fold it over.  Now take a potato masher or a can of tomatoes or whatever you have that is heavy and flat, and press down gently on each potato until they flatten up just slightly.  Now transfer them all to a cookie sheet, brush them with a little olive oil and bake 'em until they are just a little crispy on the outside.

When they are out of the oven, toss them with that vinegar and sprinkle on some coarse salt...and then have an internal argument with yourself about whether these are maybe even better than those mashed potatoes that have always been in first place in your heart.  It's a conundrum for sure.

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes, adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 1/2 pounds small round or fingerling potatoes
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup malt vinegar

1. In a medium pot, bring potatoes to a boil over high in salted water. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes; drain. Place a folded dish towel on a work surface and place a potato inside. Gently smash potato so that it is flattened but still in one piece (edges will split). Repeat with remaining potatoes.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Place potatoes on sheet and brush tops with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until crisp and golden, 35 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Remove from oven, toss with vinegar, and season with salt.
   
   
   
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Shaved Asparagus with Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette

Things that I previously knew could be shaved:

1. The Southern husband's beard.  I would cry real tears if it ever happened, but I know it's possible.

 (photo from Serious Eats)

2. Ice.  And then you add fruit and sugar and other wonderful things and it turns into an amazing dessert.  (Note to self: figure out shaved iced recipe for this summer.)

3. Legs.  I'm not showing a picture or going into any more detail than this one word.
You're welcome.

A thing that I did not know could be shaved:



But then I read a recipe for shaved asparagus with lemon Parmesan vinaigrette in Bon Appetit and my head started spinning.  Paper thin sliced of fresh asparagus that you get from just shaving thick asparagus spears with your handy vegetable peeler.  A quick and easy dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, some grated Parmesan and a little salt and pepper.  No cooking involved...just send someone outside to grill up a nice flank steak while you do the shaving.  Ten minutes later there you are, with a fresh asparagus dish that will have even picky teenagers cleaning their plate.

For this one, you need to get the thicker asparagus...the delectable little thin ones won't work for this (although I love them for pretty much anything else involving asparagus!)  And all you do is this: grab your handy vegetable peeler.  Lay an asparagus down on a sturdy surface (I used a cutting board) and hold the bottom part down firmly.  With your other hand, run the peeler up the length of the stalk.  I found that using a very slight zig-zag motion as I peeled the asparagus worked like a charm.  In less than five minutes I had a very exciting pile of shaved asparagus.  (Hey, different strokes for different folks, right?)

Now take that same vegetable peeler and a hunk of Parmesan and peel off a few slices of the cheese, nice and thin.  You want about 5 or 6 small slices per serving.  Now all you need to do is whip up a lovely little dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a little fresh ground pepper.  Drizzle it over your asparagus, which are so thin and tender that you don't even need to cook them.  And whatever you have going on the grill...chicken, steak, seafood...is going to taste even better with this gorgeous little side dish nestled up next to it.

Asparagus, I love you so.

 Shaved Asparagus with Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette, from Bon Appetit

• 12 large asparagus spears (about 1 lb.), trimmed and peeled
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan plus a piece for shaving
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Working with 1 asparagus spear at a time, use a vegetable peeler to shave spears into long, thin shavings, using a slight zig-zag sawing motion.Transfer to a medium bowl. 

2. Combine grated Parmesan and lemon juice in a small bowl and slowly whisk in oil until well blended. Season vinaigrette generously with salt and pepper. 

3. Drizzle vinaigrette over shaved asparagus and toss to coat. Divide asparagus salad among plates. 

4. Use peeler to shave more Parmesan over salad.

 

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Grilled Rosemary Merlot Flank Steak

If you hang in with this post long enough I promise that there is a pretty fabulous grilled steak recipe at the end, but in the meantime...the backstory!

At least once a year...sometimes more...the Southern husband and I head north to my favorite place on earth, otherwise known as Vermont.  Sometimes the teenager comes with us, even though there is no cell phone service whatsoever in our little neck of the Vermont hills.  (Believe me when i say that in the teenage world, there is no greater love for one's mama than going outside the zone of Verizon coverage.)

Other things that are not in our little corner of Vermont: Movie theaters.  Starbucks.  Kentucky Fried Chicken.  ATM's.   Etc.  They do have a lot of these though.

Here's the Southern husband scanning the area for a gas station that will take that little gizmo on his keychain that allows you to pay for your gas without actually taking out your wallet.

Nope.  As a matter of fact, finding ANY gas station is a wonderful thing.  It's one of the reasons I love the place.  We are Away From It All whenever we go up there.

So imagine my surprise when we stopped at the one local supermarket on the way to our cabin to pick up essentials (milk, eggs, Oreos) and discovered that they had put in a teeny tiny wine section.  We were so shocked and amazed that we automatically picked out a bottle, just to make sure we weren't dreaming.  And it instantly turned into our new favorite merlot...right there in the middle of Poultney, Vermont.

Once we got home, the Southern husband sprang into action and ordered a case of it, and ever since then it has been our merlot of choice.  So when the grill was back in service for the season, I pulled out this tried and true recipe to see if it was as good as a steak marinade as it is was in my wineglasss.

It was.  And so here you go (finally!)...this is a recipe that I have talked about before, but since it is one of my faves I am talking about it again with a little extra twist.  First,  grab a bottle of YOUR favorite merlot, and mix up 3/4 cup of it with some chopped fresh rosemary, some chopped onion,  some beef broth and a few spices.  Pour it all in a ziplock bag, add a flank steak and let it sit in the fridge while you make the grilled vegetable salad.

First you need some lettuce.  I grow my own in an AeroGarden and pretty soon it is going to need its own zip code, there's so much of it.  But I do have fresh fresh fresh lettuce whenever I need it.

Now gather up whatever veggies you have around that catch your fancy.  I had some frozen artichoke hearts that I thawed out...

(Okay, that's not a frozen artichoke heart, but it's the only artichoke picture I have, and there's an artichoke heart in there somewhere.)    The picture below IS the actual asparagus that I used...



...along with some cherry tomatoes that I cut in half.  Scatter them all on a cookie sheet that you have lined with foil and spray or drizzle them with a little olive oil.  Toss on a little salt and pepper and pop them in a 425 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.

When they are done, set them aside to cool a little while you make the steak.  Send someone reliable outside to grill the steak, and while they are doing that, pour the marinade into a saucepan.   Add a little tomato paste and mustard and boil it up for about 5 minutes.  When the steak comes off the grill, let it sit for about 5 minutes and then slice it thinly across the grain.

Now!  Cover half of each plate with lettuce.  Spoon some nice roasted veggies on top.  I think they are just fine plain, but feel free to drizzle a little dressing on top if you like.  Lay some sliced steak on the other side of the plate and pour some of the merlot marinade sauce on top.

You are now in paradise.  Promise. 

Grilled Rosemary Merlot Flank Steak with Grilled Vegetable Salad, steak recipe from Cooking Light

• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
• 3/4 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

• lettuce
• your choice of vegetables to grill
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steak; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes, turning once.
2. Preheat oven to 425.  Line baking tray with foil and lay veggies in a single layer.  Spray or mix with a little olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.  Roast for 10-15 minutes.  Remove and let cool.
3. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade.   Heat grill to high and cook steak  6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices; keep warm.
4. While steak cooks, combine reserved marinade, tomato paste, and mustard in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 7 minutes).
5. Arrange grilled veggies over lettuce on each plate.  Place sliced steak alongside veggies, pouring a little merlot sauce over the top.

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Cucumber Wrap Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese

Okay, so I have to state for the record right here that this is EXACTLY the kind of recipe I usually run away from as fast as possible.  It looks hard to make, and it involves inserting little strips of carrots into the center just so, and the cucumber-made-into-a-bowl part looks fraught with peril.   

But those two strips of bacon.  They kept calling my name.  And finally one day I gave in to temptation and purchased a cucumber.  There's only so much one woman can take before the bacon wins, and so I put it on one of our Friday Night Lights menus.

And guess what?  This was pretty much as easy as it gets.  You peel thin strips of the cucumber with a vegetable peeler or a mandoline...make the strips as thin as you can, because the thinner they are the easier they will turn into these little bottomless bowls.  I have an OXO Good Grips Mandoline Slicerand I love it...just be SUPER careful if you are using one, because those babies are sharp.  The moisture of the cucumber will make the ends stick together once you have fashioned them into these little bowls, which will take you about 2 minutes.  I used two strips per bowl, just for sturdiness.  

In the meantime, cut some bacon in half and cook it up however you like to...I always cook bacon for about 10-12 minutes in a 400 degree oven and it comes out just perfect.  Yes, you do have to cut up a carrot into little strips, but with bacon on the horizon, I was willing to cut up carrots.  Tear up some lettuce and toss it with your favorite dressing (a balsamic vinaigrette works great with this recipe), some crumbled blue cheese and some chopped pecans.  Or walnuts...or whatever catches your fancy.  Now take your favorite tongs, scoop up some of the lettuce mixture and nestle it into your cucumber bowls.  Fill them right up.  When you are done, stand two pieces of bacon and some of those carrot strips into the lettuce mixture.

Now stand back and look modest. 

The moral of the story: Never try and resist bacon.  It always ends up happily ever after.

Cucumber Wrap Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese, adapted from My Recipes

• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
• 2 medium cucumbers, peeled
• 3 cups mixed baby greens
• 2 cooked thick-cut bacon slices, halved
• 1/3 cup shredded or matchstick carrots
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Salad dressing to taste (any sort of vinaigrette will work great)

1. Place chopped pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan.

2. Bake at 350º for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally. Let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.

3. Using a mandoline slicer or a vegetable peeler, cut cucumbers lengthwise into very thin strips just until seeds are visible. Discard cucumber core.

4. Shape largest cucumber slices into 4 (2 1/2- to 2 3/4-inch-wide) rings. Wrap evenly with remaining cucumber slices. Stand rings upright on 4 serving plates.

5. Fill each cucumber ring evenly with mixed greens, next 3 ingredients, and toasted pecans. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle each salad with vinaigrette.

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Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw

Let me start out by saying, I know coleslaw is a personal decision.  Some folks like the creamy kind made with mayo or sour cream or whatever it is that makes it creamy.  I can actually go for a nice bowl of creamy coleslaw every once in while, especially if it has those little caraway seeds in it.  Yum.

However, most of the time I am in the non-creamy coleslaw camp.  I like the kind that is a little bit vinegary-sharp, a little bit sweet, and with just the right balance of cabbage and carrots.   And the Southern husband...well, don't even TRY to sneak any creamy coleslaw by him.  He's definitely a tangy coleslaw guy.  It might be the boots...who knows.

Side note: this picture is not mine...it was shot by the teenager.  She had a photography assignment where she had to shoot people's feet in some way that represented who they are.  She wanted to shoot her dad in his boots, which I thought was very appropriate.  Then she got to me.

She also photographed my in my sneakers next to a laundry basket.  Hmm.

Anyway, back to the coleslaw.  I never seem to make coleslaw in the winter...I must have some subconscious rule in my head that coleslaw can only be made when it is above 70 degrees outside.  And every year when coleslaw season rolls around,  I have managed to lose whatever recipe I found the year before for non-creamy coleslaw.  This year I found it again, and figured if I just put it up on the blog, at least next year the search would be a little faster.  

This recipe is from the always fabulous folks at Cooks Illustrated, and as always the recipe itself makes you scratch your head a little when you first read it (put the cabbage in the microwave?  Really??) but as always, it comes out perfectly.  Trust me.  So here it is...the only coleslaw recipe you will need all summer.  And if you come back in a couple of days for my next post, I'll be showing you something pretty dang good that you can do with it.

Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw, from Cooks Illustrated

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar , plus extra for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 large green cabbage (about 1 pound), cored and shredded fine (about 6 cups)
• 1/4 cup sugar , plus extra for seasoning
• Table salt
• 1 large carrot , peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Combine 1/4 cup vinegar, oil, celery seed, and pepper in medium glass or metal bowl. Place bowl in freezer until vinegar mixture is well chilled, at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
2. While mixture chills, toss cabbage with ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with large plate and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir briefly, re-cover, and continue to microwave on high power until cabbage is partially wilted and has reduced in volume by one-third, 30 to 60 seconds longer.
3. Transfer cabbage to salad spinner and spin cabbage until excess water is removed, 10 to 20 seconds. Remove bowl from freezer, add cabbage, carrot, and parsley to cold vinegar mixture, and toss to combine. If desired, adjust flavor with sugar or vinegar. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes. Toss again before serving.

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Carrot Parmesan Risotto

Sometimes you come home from work, and all you want is a nice hot bowl of something comforting.   And at the same time, you don't want your supper to be, well, boring.  And those are the nights that call for risotto.  Don't be intimidated by all those recipes that tell you that you MUST stir risotto constantly for 30 minutes or until your stirring arm falls off, whichever comes first, because I am here to tell you that is NOT true.  Not.  True.  You can make perfectly heavenly risotto by only stirring it here and there, I promise you.

This particular risotto starts with a base of red onion and shredded carrots that you saute for a few minutes in just the teeniest amount of butter.    This is the perfect recipe to make when those first carrots start popping up at your local farmer's market.



Now toss in some rice...if you have the arborio variety that is great, but I actually used a nice basmati rice because that is what I happened to have on hand at the moment and it worked out just fine.  Pour in some chicken broth a cup at a time and stir every five minutes or so and you will be just fine.  (Here's my trick: I put on my Ipod and stir at the end of every song...that's about 3-5 minutes depending on your playlist.  Yes, this risotto owes it all to my playlist of Bob Seger songs, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.)

At the very end, when the rice is tender and the carrots have almost melted into it, you toss in a teeny bit more butter and a handful of grated parmesan cheese.  Spoon it into your favorite dish and grind enough pepper on top to give it just the right amount of kick.  That's all there is too it.  This would be great with just about anything you cook on the grill...Buttermilk Chicken, for example...but for those early spring days that are still just chilly enough to make you want a bowl of something warm and comfy...it doesn't get too much better than this.

Carrot Parmesan Risotto, from Everyday Food

• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 6 medium carrots, grated
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. In a saucepan, bring broth and 2 cups water to a bare simmer over medium.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in rice. Add wine; cook, stirring, until absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add 2 cups hot broth; simmer over medium-low, stirring frequently, until mostly absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Continue to add broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring occasionally, until absorbed before adding more. Cook until rice is creamy and just tender, about 20 minutes (you may not need all the broth).
4. Remove risotto from heat. Stir in Parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper.
   
   
   

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Zucchini Carpaccio

Here's the latest in the Friday Night Lights series of light suppers the Southern husband and I have been having lately.   It's nice and light and involves one of my favorite things in life, which is fresh ricotta cheese.  First of all, I love to make ricotta.  It is one of the easiest things in the world to make and when you are done (in about 10 minutes) you feel supremely worldly and intelligent for being able to make your own ricotta cheese.  I use a recipe you can find by clicking here, but I add in about 1/4 cup of heavy cream, which makes it, well, creamier.

Second of all, I love to eat ricotta, and therein lies a confession about this particular post.  After I took that picture up there, and the one below, I went back and added a bunch more ricotta.  I wanted you to be able to see all the nice layered zucchini slices, but I also wanted to be able to eat lots and lots of fresh ricotta, and there you go.

Once you've made the ricotta the rest of this dish is a snap.  Slice the zucchini as thin as you can get it.  I used a  Mandoline Slicer, but you could also use just a plain old knife, if you are a really good thin zucchini slicing type of person.  Then arrange them in a pretty pattern on a pretty plate.  Drizzle with a mixture of fresh lemon juice and nice olive oil, scatter on some chopped scallions, grind on some fresh pepper, and spoon on as much ricotta as you can handle.  (I can handle a LOT).  Then chop up a handful of fresh basil (or any other herb that catches your fancy), and that's it!  We ate this in our usual Friday Night Lights style - cuddled up on the couch from one plate with some jazz on the stereo -- but it would be a great side dish for grilled steak or chicken.  And its almost, almost grilling season!

Happy sigh.

Zucchini Carpaccio,  from Bon Appetit

• 5 medium zucchini, trimmed
• Coarse kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• One cup ricotta cheese, preferably fresh
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Using knife or mandoline slicer, cut zucchini into paper-thin rounds. 

2. Arrange rounds, slightly overlapping, on large platter. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt and pepper, then green onions. 

3. Whisk lemon juice and oil in small bowl. Drizzle dressing evenly over zucchini. 

4. Drop small spoonfuls of cheese all over zucchini. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Carrot Puree

I know, I know, you are looking at that picture and saying, she's really gone off the deep end now.  She's gotten just a little bit too obsessed with those addictive E-Trade baby commercials and is now making and showing us pictures of baby food.



And okay, while I freely admit that I truly AM obsessed with those commercials, hang in there with me on this recipe, because it really is something both easy and delicious, and contains a couple of things that you probably don't want to be feeding your baby.

I'm talking butter.

I'm talking sour cream.

I'm talking fresh ground pepper and coarse salt, baby.

I'm the first one to admit that I am a little side-dish-challenged, so when I come across one that is as easy and silkily scrumptious as this one, I hang on for dear life.  So the next time you are going to make plain old carrots as a side dish, trust me and give this one a spin.  All it involves is boiling up a bunch of peeled and chopped carrots until they are nice and tender, and then whirling them in your food processor with yes, some butter, some sour cream and some salt and pepper until they are a smooth, creamy, carroty delight.  

Now, THAT'S a side dish.

And that's definitely something to smile about, baby.

Carrot Puree,  from Everyday Foods

• 2 pounds carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1. Place carrots in a large saucepan. Fill with water to cover by 1 inch; add salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Cook until carrots are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Drain and transfer to a food processor. Add butter and sour cream; season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of processor with a rubber spatula as needed. Serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Black Pepper and Lime Fries

For me, summer cooking is all about the grill wherever possible. Steak, chicken, seafood, corn, grilled pizza (happy happy sigh)...and since the Southern husband is an impresario at the grill, life in the summer is even better. There's nothing like sitting on your back steps, glass of merlot in hand, watching the love of your life do the cooking.

However, it DOES entail coming up with more side dishes than I, lover of one dish cooking, am normally used to, so I am always doubly happy when I come across a really fun one. These lime fries are from the fabulous 101 Cookbooks blog, and they are both super-easy and very yummy. And pretty darn healthy, as they are the variety of fries that cook in the oven with just a drizzling of olive oil. They involve lots and lots of black pepper, and for that extra zing (here's the part that especially caught my eye), a drizzling of lime juice and some fresh grated lime peel.

Some grilled steak/chicken/seafood, some lime fries, a warm summer evening...ah yes.

Black Pepper and Lime Fries, from 101 Cookbooks

1 1/2 pounds small potatoes, cut into wedges
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 lime
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375, oven racks in the middle.

In a medium bowl toss the potato wedges with the olive oil, a few big pinches of sea salt and five or six cranks of the pepper grinder. Arrange the potatoes cut side down on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes, tossing the potatoes with a metal spatula half way through.

While the potatoes are baking, zest the lime and cut it into a few wedges.

When the potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the oven, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add more salt and pepper to taste (don't skimp on the pepper!). Serve in a big shallow bowl, or on a platter, drizzled with lime juice and dusted with the lime zest and Parmesan.

Serves 4 - 6.

Click here for printable recipe

Tomato Blue Cheese Napoleons

Fresh tomatoes, creamy blue cheese, a little home-made remoulade sauce - do I have your attention yet? For some reason, I am on a roll with the side dishes (see my recent post on Lemon Ricotta Potatoes), which is unusual for me, but I am going with the flow here.

For this one you need some great fresh tomatoes, a mild blue cheese, the makings for a quick food processor remoulade sauce that serves as a dressing, and a little lettuce. Once you whiz up the sauce in the food processor, all you have to do is slice up the tomatoes and the cheese, layer them up on a bed of lettuce and drizzle the sauce over the whole thing. Drop a few red onions on the top and you have a very handsome dish that will completely outshine whatever the main course is. In our case, the Southern husband was grilling up some chicken while I made the napoleans. We sliced up the chicken, tossed it on the plates next to the napoleans, drizzled the left-over remolaude sauce on the sliced chicken, and oh my my. Summer tomato season, here we come!

Tomato Blue Cheese Napoleans, adapted from Taste of the South

• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup mustard
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
• 2 large eggs
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup olive oil

• 1 small head romaine lettuce, cut into strips
• 2 large tomatoes, cut into four slices
• 8 ounces blue cheese, cut into eight slices
• Shaved red onion

1. Combine first 12 ingredients (celery through salt) in food processor and process until smooth. With processor still running, pour oil through feed tube until emulsified.

2. Divide lettuce among four plates. Top with one slice tomato, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place slice of blue cheese on top, top with another tomato slice. Drizzle with remoulade sauce, top with another slice of blue cheese. Drizzle more remoulade over top of both tomato stack and lettuce. Garnish with red onion. (Leftover remoulade sauce will keep in the fridge, and it makes a great salad dressing, a light sauce for chicken or seafood, and/or a delicious marinade.)

Click here for printable recipe

Lemon Ricotta Potatoes

Okay, so I don't usually get too worked up about side dishes. I tend towards those dishes that pretty much feature all the food groups and courses in one handy pan. That's why I love Shepherd's Pie, and Chili Dog Casserole, and pretty much anything with pasta in it. But every once in a while a side dish comes along and steals my heart. That's what happened with these gorgeous little potatoes.

It might have been because they feature ricotta cheese. I have recently learned how to make my own ricotta cheese, and so my ricotta cheese radar is on high alert. You can feel free to be a normal person and buy your own ricotta cheese (Whole Foods has great fresh ricotta), or you can join me in home-made ricotta cheese paradise by clicking here. In any case, you need some ricotta cheese...

And a couple of these...

And the best olive oil you can find. I get mine at the wonderful Palisades Indoor Farmer's Market, and if you live in the northern New Jersey/Southern New York area, you must check this out. Olive oil, fresh veggies, cheese, fish, jam, glorious baked goods....yes, yes, yes.

Anyway, you cook up a bunch of baby red potatoes by drizzling them with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrapping them up in a foil packet. Bake the packet until the potatoes are tender. Let them cool just until you are able to press them open, and then you top them with a mixture made of the ricotta, some grated parmesan cheese and some lemon peel. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top, grind some fresh pepper, and you almost don't need a main course.

However, I live with the Southern husband, and so we had some beer and brown sugar-marinated rib-eye steak on the side of the lemon ricotta potatoes.

Life is good.

Lemon Ricotta Potatoes, adapted from Everyday Food

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Zest from 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place the potatoes on a 3 foot long piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil, coarse salt and ground pepper. Bring edges of foil together to make a sealed packet, place on baking pan and bake for 40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine both cheeses, lemon zest and salt to taste. When potatoes are done, cool just until you can handle them, then cut a small X on each one and squeeze open.

3. Place a spoonful of the ricotta mixture on each potato, grind some pepper on top and drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Serve immediately.

Click here for printable recipe

Carrots with Thyme

So, I never seem to have a problem figuring out main courses to make for dinner. There are so many recipes waiting in the queue for me to get around to them, I worry that I will never get around to all of them. And dessert? Forget about it. That line-up is even longer. Every Saturday I spread out the pile of possibilities on my kitchen counter and agonize about the fact that I really only should be making one of them. Or two...or three might be okay....

But side dishes often stump me. It's not as hard in the summertime when the fresh produce is all around us, and here are a couple of my favorites:

Roasted String Beans with Walnuts

Chilled Sesame Spinach

But in general, I seem to have some kind of block when it comes to a simple yet satisfying side dish. So when I made this one and it was so easy, so delicious, so colorful...ahhhhhhh. The side dish pressure was off. Fresh thyme does make all the difference with this one, and luckily we are early enough into fall that my brave thyme plant is still hanging in there. This is perfect with any sort of meat or chicken dish, and simple enough that you can make it alongside whatever else you are cooking up without any trouble at all. And isn't it beautiful?

Now back to my ever-multiplying stack of dessert recipes crying to be made. I'm thinking caramel-glazed apple cake, or maybe chocolate cream pie....

CARROTS WITH THYME, adapted from Everyday Food

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds carrots cut on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped off
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper

1. In a large skillet, combine carrots, butter, thyme and water. Bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, 7-9 minutes

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Click here for printable recipe

Garlic Toasts with Farmer's Market Vegetables

Summer, summer, where have you gone?

If you are asking yourself the same question, here is a nice end of summer dish that takes advantage of all those great fresh summer vegetables before the farm markets fold their tents and disappear for the long cold long dark long winter. (Have I depressed you yet?). Anyway, this one calls for a few pieces of bread sauteed until they are golden and crispy in olive oil and garlic. You top them with fresh vegetables, some chopped mozzarella, a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil, some parsley, and if you have it on hand you can toss in some protein as well. I had some leftover grilled chicken, but chopped cooked shrimp would be delicious, I think.

This comes from Mark Bittman's BITTEN blog, and definitely helps ease the pain of the end of summer. That, and the thrill of buying school supplies at Staples, which I secretly LOVE.

Here's the link.

Don't Cook, Toast.

Grilled Pizza

Last weekend I set my Facebook status to read "once more to the lake" (thank you E.B.White!) and we packed up the car for one of my favorite traditions: Labor Day weekend with our dear friends at their beautiful Connecticut lake house. We've been coming out for this weekend ever since they bought this peaceful place, and over the years we have amassed quite a few traditions that we revisit faithfully every year. We always kick off by going to the Goshen State Fair, where we traditionally watch the log chopping contest, check out the prize cows and chickens and sheep, and the teenager goes on the Avalanche ride and climbs the rock wall. I would have taken pictures but my hands were totally full of deep-fried food.

Then we are back to the lake house for our weekend of traditions. We traditionally hang out in and around their pool, which is always full of fun pool toys.

Fun for kids of all ages.

We traditionally reach a point late on Saturday where the women start singing along with the stereo at the top of their lungs into wooden spoon "microphones." (This year we performed "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, otherwise known as the theme song for "Glee.") This is the point at which the men suddenly feel the need to flee the house and build a campfire outside. Which works out beautifully because we traditionally all eat many, many s'mores.

We traditionally have a variety of outdoor fun-in-the-sun activities. This year we had archery...

Relentless picture-taking does not usually count as an outdoor activity, but my Nikon and I are a bad influence, and it was contagious.

And there was an ongoing badminton battle throughout the weekend. Which taught the teenagers valuable life lessons.

Such as the thrill of victory....

And the agony of defeat.

And even though one would think we wouldn't be hungry for the rest of the weekend after eating our way through the State Fair, we do have one more beloved tradition and that is The Making Of The Grilled Pizzas. These are nifty personal size pizzas that involve making a simple thin crust dough which is cooked on the grill, then topped with fresh chopped tomatoes, a mix of fontina and parmesan cheese and topped with fresh chopped basil. We make one pizza per person, and so have a little assembly line going, because while these pizzas are pretty easy to make, they go fast at the end. But once they are done, and we are once again gathered around the table...well, let's just say life doesn't get any better.

GRILLED PIZZA, adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Dough
2	tablespoons olive oil
1	cup water (8 ounces), room temperature
2	cups bread flour (11 ounces), plus more for work surface
2	teaspoons sugar
1	teaspoon salt
	1 teaspoon instant yeast
Topping 5-6 large tomatoes, chopped
3/4	teaspoon salt
6	ounces fontina cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 1/2	ounces Parmesan cheese , finely grated (about 3/4 cup)
1	recipe Spicy Garlic Oil (see recipe below)
1/2	cup chopped fresh basil
Salt

1. FOR THE CRUST: Combine oil and water in liquid measuring cup. In food processor fitted with plastic dough blade or metal blade, process bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, slowly add liquid through feed tube; continue to process until dough forms tacky, elastic ball that clears sides of workbowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. If dough ball does not form, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time and process until dough ball forms. Spray medium bowl lightly with nonstick cooking spray or rub lightly with oil. Transfer dough to bowl and press down to flatten surface; cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in draft-free spot until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2. When dough has doubled, press down gently to deflate; turn dough out onto work surface and divide into 4 equal-sized pieces. With cupped palm, form each piece into smooth, tight ball. Set dough balls on well-floured work surface. Press dough rounds with hand to flatten; cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. FOR THE TOPPING: Meanwhile, toss tomatoes and table salt in medium bowl; transfer to colander and drain 30 minutes (wipe out and reserve bowl). Shake colander to drain off excess liquid; transfer tomatoes to now-empty bowl and set aside. Combine cheeses in second medium bowl and set aside.

4. Gently stretch dough rounds into disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Working one piece at a time and keeping the rest covered, roll out each disk to 1/8-inch thickness, 9 to 10 inches in diameter, on well-floured sheet of parchment or wax paper, dusting with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. (If dough shrinks when rolled out, cover with plastic wrap and let rest until relaxed, 10 to 15 minutes.) Dust surface of rolled dough with flour and set aside. Repeat with remaining dough, stacking sheets of rolled dough on top of each other (with parchment in between) and covering stack with plastic wrap; set aside until grill is ready.

5. TO GRILL: Light all burners and turn to medium high heat, cover grill, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes; scrape cooking grate clean with grill brush.

6. Carefully slide dough round onto hot side of grill. Immediately repeat with another dough round. Cook (with grill lid down) until tops are covered with bubbles (pierce larger bubbles with paring knife) and bottoms are grill marked and charred in spots, 2 to 3 minutes; while rounds cook, check undersides and slide to cool area of grill if browning too quickly. Transfer crusts to cutting board browned sides up. Repeat with 2 remaining dough rounds.

7. Brush 2 crusts generously with Spicy Garlic Oil; top each evenly with one-quarter of cheese mixture and one-quarter of tomatoes. Return pizzas to grill and cover grill with lid; cook until bottoms are well browned and cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes, checking bottoms frequently to prevent burning. Transfer pizzas to cutting board; repeat with remaining 2 crusts. Sprinkle pizzas with basil and coarse salt to taste; cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Spicy Garlic Oil

4	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (4 teaspoons)
1/2	teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3	cup olive oil

Cook all ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic starts to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.