7.25.13 ~ The start of Zucchini Season

Zucchini Tian with Curried Bread Crumbs
melissa clark, the new york times | watch melissa make it
   ~ serve warm or room temp, as you wish

Super Cheesey Quinoa + Lentils
fly-by-seat-of-pants

Zucchini Tian with Curried Bread Crumbs

• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 7 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat or regular panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 large white onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
• 4 medium zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced (about 7 cups)

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add curry powder and let toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, then stir in panko bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out skillet.

2. In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat, then add onions, rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until onions are a deep golden brown. Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour white wine into pan and bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, orange zest and black pepper.

3. Grease inside of a medium-size gratin dish with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and spread a third of the onion and tomato mixture on the bottom. Begin layering zucchini in an overlapping pattern, beginning around the outside and working your way in. Sprinkle with a third of the bread crumbs. Repeat layering two more times, ending with bread crumbs. Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil over bread crumbs and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until vegetables are extremely tender and top has browned.

YIELD

6 to 8 servings

7.22.13 - A Meaty Main

With our vegetarian friends out of town, and grilling season upon us, this Monday's meal is meaty.

• Grilled Chicken - a la Matt
• Potato Cobb Salad
• Peach Cobbler

Potato Cobb Salad
Ingredients

• 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt $
• 1 (16-ounce) bottle olive oil-and-vinegar dressing, divided $
• 8 cups mixed salad greens $
• 2 large avocados $
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice $
• 3 large tomatoes, seeded and diced $
• 12 small green onions, sliced $
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese $
• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• 6 to 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled $
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Preparation
• Cook potatoes in boiling salted water to cover 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool slightly. Peel and cut into cubes.
• Sprinkle potatoes evenly with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pour 1 cup dressing over potatoes; gently toss. Set aside remaining dressing. Cover potato mixture; chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Arrange salad greens evenly on a large serving platter. Peel and chop avocados; toss with lemon juice.
• Arrange potatoes, avocados, tomatoes, and next 4 ingredients in rows over salad greens. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve with remaining dressing.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter $
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar, divided $
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt $
• 1 cup milk $
• 4 cups fresh peach slices
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice $
• Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
• 
  
• Preparation
• Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
• Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).
• Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
• Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool.

7.18.13 - Lentils with Oven Dried Tomatoes, Herbs and Cheese

Lentils with Oven Dried Tomatoes, Herbs and Cheese
from jerusalem by yotam ottolenghi

Wild rice + grilled zucchini too.

Enjoy! 

7.15.13 - This Sounds Delicious

Stuffed Yellow Peppers with Israeli Couscous & Pesto

+ Pita. With and without peppers for the pickier eaters in the fam.

From "The Very Best Recipes for Health" - find a link from NY Times 

7.11.13 - Spring Veggies Can't Be Beet

Here's sharing the first fun treats from our garden, yellow zucchini and stripey beets.


Vegetable Couscous, Goat Cheese and Beets
epicurious

~ salad was very good warm, and you may wish to remove the beets before you heat if you go that route
~ herbed goat cheese is to go with couscous
~ intended send along some plain cous for the kids, but forgot to put it in the bags

If you can get yours to look like this, please post a photo....












1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (4-oz) piece soft mild goat cheese from a log
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup couscous (3 oz)
1/4 cup diced (1/4 inch) red onion
1/2 cup diced (1/4 inch) zucchini
1/2 cup diced (1/4 inch) red bell pepper
1/4 cup fresh corn kernels
1 small beet (about 2 inches in diameter), trimmed
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
4 thin prosciutto slices (optional)

Stir together dill, chives, and pepper on a plate, then roll cheese in herb mixture to coat sides (not ends). Wrap cheese in plastic wrap and chill. 

Bring water, salt, and 1 tablespoon oil to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in couscous, then cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, stirring, 1 minute. Add zucchini, bell pepper, and corn and cook, stirring, until zucchini is bright green, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. 

Fluff couscous with a fork and stir into vegetables, then season with salt and pepper. 

Peel beet and cut half of beet into very thin slices (less than 1/8 inch thick) with slicer (discard remainder), then stack slices and cut into thin matchsticks. Rinse beets and pat dry, then transfer to a bowl. 

Whisk together vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add 1/2 tablespoon dressing to beets and toss to coat.  [I think vinaigrette better with less oil in the O to V ratio]

Fill ramekin with couscous, pressing it firmly into mold with a rubber spatula. Invert ramekin onto a salad plate and carefully unmold couscous, then make 3 more couscous mounds on 3 more plates. 

Drape each couscous mound with 1 prosciutto slice (if using), then top with some of beets. 

Unwrap cheese and cut crosswise into 4 equal slices with a lightly oiled knife, then arrange 1 cheese slice alongside each couscous mound and spoon remaining dressing around mounds.

Grilled Tofu
epicurious

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3(ish) cup olive oil

7.8.13 - Sunset Recipes for Summer

Main Course: Vegetable Ribbon Pasta Shells

Recipe calls for fresh tomato sauce, which some of you may want to make again later in the summer when tomatoes are overflowing. We are taking the easy way out this time around and going w canned tomato sauce.

Salad: Fresh Corn &Avocado Salad 

Using fresh corn in this one! Should be delicious!!

PS- Doing this on the iPad is kind of infuriating! Apologies for the weird formatting.  I give up!

7/1/13 - 5 Herb Pesto

Five Herb Pesto
101 cookbooks

1 1/2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 large clove garlic, peeled
a handful sliced almonds, toasted (cooled)
zest of one lemon
50 medium basil leaves
a handful of arugula leaves
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup minced chives
3/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese
~1/4 cup / 60 ml extra virgin olive oil

Served with:
Zucchini - shaved thin and raw
Fresh Mozerella - cubes or little balls
Tomatoes - chopped
Red Peppers - strips
Chickpeas - right outta the can
Whole wheat linguine