Swiss Chard

Last spring and this fall, Cleg has grown swiss chard in his garden.  If you have never tried it, it is delicious.  Chop it and saute in olive oil with shallots.  Or try this yummy swiss chard tart.  I got this recipe from cookingchanneltv.com..... the show is French Food at Home hosted by Laura Calder.

Savoury Swiss Chard Tart

1 T. oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces bacon, chopped
1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, ribs removed
3 eggs
1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream and sour cream combined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
Handful raisins
Handful toasted pine nuts (way too expensive right now!!)
1 deep tart shell, pre-baked in a 9-inch springform pan or a frozen deep dish pie dough, thawed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat the oil in a saute pan & fry shallots until soft & translucent.  Add the garlic & saute for 1 minute.  Remove to a plate.  In the same pan, fry the bacon until crispy.  Remove to plate with shallots.  Divide the chard leaves from the ribs; chop the ribs quite small and shred the leaves. First, fry the ribs in the bacon fat until tender.  (Cook's Note:  You may want to cover the pan for a few minutes to speed up the process).  Add the chard leaves to the pan;  season with salt & pepper.
Beat eggs together with the creme fraiche and season with salt & pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the shallots, bacon, chard stems & leaves, cheese, raisins, and pine nuts, to combine evenly.  Taste, and season.  Fill the tart shell with the vegetable mixture, and pour in the creme mixture. Bake until tart is set, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  Serve at room temperature

Homeade Salsa

I never thought about how easy salsa is to make.  But with an abundance of tomatoes from the garden, I made some.  Of course, I had to look up "Pioneer Woman's" recipe.  She used canned tomatoes.   Other than that, I followed most of her recipe. Give it a try!

Combine all of the following in your food processor:

4-5 tomatoes, skins removed and chopped in large chunks
1/4 cup chopped onion (sweet or red)
1 clove garlic, minced (or more)
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, quartered and sliced (leave seeds in if you want heat)
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cilantro (more if you like)
1/2 lime, juiced

Pulse until you get the consistency you like.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
Refrigerate for at least an hour for flavors to blend.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Caprese Salad

Another simple tomato dish..... slices of tomatoes with mozzarella and basil and drizzled with balsamic vinegar

Tomato Season

I will be posting lots of yummy tomato recipes in the next few weeks.  Cleg has been growing Roma and "Better Boy" tomatoes in his garden.  But our favorite tomato dish is still  a "BLT" sandwich!  Are you drooling yet and wishing you had some of these beautiful tomatoes??

More Zucchini

Another good zucchini recipe from "Vegetarian Times."  I have been using a combination of yellow squash & zucchini.  A mandoline makes slicing the squash & onion a lot easier.  OXO makes a good one.

Greek Zucchini Salad with Crumbled Feta

3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium zucchini, peeled into thin ribbons (about 4 cups)
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 green onions, chopped
1 T. chopped fresh mint
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic in a large serving bowl.  Gradually whisk in oil.  Season with salt & pepper.  Add zucchini and onion, and toss to coat.  Cover and marinate a few hours or overnight (and up to 2 days).  Sprinkle with feta, green onions, mint & parsley just before serving.
Serves 6

Zucchini salad before adding feta & herbs

Marinated Roasted Peppers

Abigail is always on the lookout for new vegetable recipes.  So, I got this from her... it is delicious!!

Marinated Roasted Peppers with Capers & Mozzarella
6 bell peppers (if you can get a mix of colors, go for it...I used red & yellow)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 T. capers, drained
2 T. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 pound ball of mozzarella, sliced (use the really fresh stuff if you can)

Roast the peppers:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line peppers on a large baking sheet & roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, using tongs to rotate them 1/4 of the way, every 15 minutes.  It's safer to extend the cooking time than shorten it, as the skins will only come off easily if they are full cooked.
Or you can roast them on the grill; it takes a lot shorter time.  Rotate them constantly when grilling or they can explode!
Once they are fully roasted, cover the pepper tray with another piece of foil & let peppers cool.  When cool enough to handle, remove the skins.  Remove seeds and slice sections of pepper into 1/4 inch wide strips
Toss peppers with red wine vinegar, garlic, and a few pinches of salt.  Cover & let marinate for an hour or overnight (and up to 4 days) in the fridge.
To serve, arrange peppers on a plate.  Adjust seasonings, adding salt, pepper, or additional vinegar, to taste.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with capers & parsley & arrange mozzarella over salad.
Eat with some crusty bread and a glass of wine.

Too HOT !!

The weather has really been warm this summer.  Hope it cools down sometime.  Anyway, thought you would like to see a picture of last winter to cool down.

We took a boat ride yesterday around noon, and it was cool while riding.  Kerry took these great pictures of Gracie and George enjoying the ride.

Like Gracie's life jacket??

Breakfast Bowls

This is a delicious brunch recipe.  I got this from my cookbook "The Pioneer Woman Cooks".  If you are not familiar with the pioneer woman (Ree Drummond), you must go to her blog and read the confessions area... ThePioneerWoman.com.  She has become quite famous from her blog.
The first time I made these, I cut the recipe in half for just Cleg & me... it was too much.  I cooked them again yesterday for Tommy, Kerry, Cleg, and me, and used the whole recipe for 6 bowls (obviously 6 large bowls).   It was so good!!

Breakfast Bowls (Makes 8 servings)
1 Tablespoon butter, plus extra for the bowls
1/2 large onion, diced
2 russet potatoes (peel on), baked (at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes), and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Salt & pepper to taste
8 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup half & half
6 finely diced plum tomatoes
4 green onions
8 basil leaves, chopped
1 lb. breakfast sausage, browned & crumbled
4 strips thick-cut bacon, fried & crumbled
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Butter 8 ovenproof bowls or ramekins.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Add diced onion and potatoes.  Season with salt & pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat. Set aside.
In a bowl, lightly beat eggs and half & half.  Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, green onions, basil.  Stir together & set aside.
To assemble, divide all the ingredients among oven-safe bowls in the following order:
  Potato-onion mixture
  Sausage
  Bacon, Monterey Jack
  Egg mixture
  Tomato/onion/basil mixture
  Sprinkling of cheddar
Place the bowls on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the eggs are just set.  Keep an eye on the bowls to be sure the eggs don't brown.  It is better for the eggs to come out of the oven slightly runny,  as they will continue to cook after they come out of the oven.

Note:  Mine have been taking 25 minutes or more to cook; however, my bowls are larger.

Bowls before baking

Zucchini, Zucchini

Wondering what to do with all the zucchini that is growing in your garden??  Here is another Barefoot Contessa recipe.  She calls them pancakes... I call them fritters.  I made them the size of a "mini" pancake, only 2-3 inches across.

Zucchini Fritters
2 medium zucchini (about 3/4 lb)
2 T. grated red onion (I used more)
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
6 - 8 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Unsalted butter & vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Grate zucchini into a bowl using the large side of a box grater.  Immediately stir in the onion and eggs.  Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, pepper.  If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.
Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat & melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in pan.  When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into pan.  Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned.  Place the pancakes on a sheet pan & keep warm in oven.  Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil to the pan, & continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used.  The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes.  Serve hot.
Yield:  10-12 pancakes

Green Salads

We have really enjoyed eating all the lettuces Cleg grew in his garden this spring.  Once I wash them and bag them, they last for weeks.  Sadly we will probably finish them this week.  Our chef's salads for lunch have been delicious!!  Romaine, Butter Crunch, Spinach, Red leaf ... yum!  Leftover grilled salmon went in this salad.   Are you getting hungry?

Romaine

Panzanella Salad

This is the salad to make when fresh tomatoes are in season.  Buy them from your local produce stand - it will make all the difference.  I am pretty sure this is another Barefoot Contessa recipe.  Kerry, Sissy, and I love this salad.  My sister tried Ina's new version where you roast the veggies first.  She said it was not nearly as good. By the way, this recipe is in the family cookbook.

Panzanella Salad
3 T. good olive oil
1 small French bread, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, seeded, sliced 1/2" thick (these are the cukes wrapped in cellophane)
1 red bell pepper, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut in 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in half, sliced thin
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Heat oil in large saute pan.  Add bread cubes & salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently for 10 minutes, or until browned.  Add more oil if needed.
Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients.  In large bowl, mix tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion & basil.  Season with salt & pepper.  Allow to sit for half an hour for flavors to blend.  Add bread cubes right before serving (unless you like soggy bread).

Vinaigrette:
1 tsp finely minced garlic,  1/2 tsp Dijon mustard,  3 T. champagne vinegar,  1/2 cup good olive oil,  1/2 tsp kosher salt,  1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Summer Desserts

What happened to May?  I have so much to share.  Time for a summer dessert.  I got this recipe from Ina Garten, a/k/a "Barefoot Contessa."  It is called "Eton Mess".  It consists of crumbled meringue cookies, fruits, and whipped cream.  I make my own meringues... it is very easy but does require a non rainy day. No problem here - we are in a drought!  The meringues will keep for days in an airtight container. Or you can purchase meringues from your grocery store.  Use whatever fruits you like.

Meringue Cookies
3 egg whites
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
Red food coloring

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Beat egg whites until foamy.  Add slowly vinegar, vanilla, and salt.  Still beat until foamy 1 minute.  Beat in sugar slowly over a 7 minute time frame (Important).  Fold in nuts and food coloring.. a few drops.  Drop on parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Let cool completely.  Store in airtight container.

Ina's Eton Mess (9 servings)
6 (6 ounce) pkg fresh raspberries, divided
1 1/2 cups plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons framboise liqueur (optional)
2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
5 to 6 (3-inch) bakery meringue shells, broken in pieces

Pour 3 packages of the raspberries, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and the lemon juice into a 10-inch saute pan.  Crush the berries lightly with a fork & bring mixture to a full boil over medium-high heat.  Lower the heat & simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is syrupy.  Fold remaining 3 packages of raspberries and liqueur into hot mixture & refrigerate until very cold.
In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the cream, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until it forms peaks.
In decorative glasses, layer a spoonful of whipped cream,  a spoonful of raspberry mixture, and then a few meringue pieces.  Repeat once or twice, depending on the size of the glasses, until glasses are full, ending with berries and a dollop of cream.  Serve immediately or chill for an hour, until ready to serve.

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So, I did not make this syrup mixture.  I just used fresh berries.

Spring has Sprung

Cleg and I created and planted several new flower beds last spring.  Cleg went crazy at the end of fall, and bought out all the drastically reduced flowers and bushes!!  I think he planted 30+  rhododendron. It has been fun this spring to see all these plants emerge!!  And, we only lost a few!

"Snowball" Viburnum

Cleg's blackberries

Heuchera "Carmel"

Rhododendron

Spinach

Other than fennel, fresh spinach is my other new favorite vegetable.  I have made this recipe numerous times, using fresh spinach.  The recipe calls for frozen.... but it is much, much better with fresh.  Just use a whole bag, and chop it before you saute it.  It will only take 2-3 minutes to cook the spinach.

Chicken Florentine Style

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 T. shallots, sliced
• 1 T. chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 (10-oz) pkg frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed, drained.... or 1 Bag fresh spinach, chopped

Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper.  Dredge chicken in flour to coat slightly.  Shake off excess flour.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots & garlic & saute until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute.  Add the wine.  Increase the heat to medium-high & boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.  Add the cream and boil until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley.  Season the sauce with salt & pepper.  Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in another large skillet over medium heat.  Add the spinach and saute until heated through.  Season the spinach with salt & pepper. Arrange spinach over a platter.  Place the chicken atop the spinach.  Pour the sauce over and serve.

Serves 4

Tuscan Vegetable Ragout (ragu)

I cooked this after I posted the recipe.  It is so colorful and tasty!!  Cannot wait for fresh tomatoes.

Fennel... Fennel

Have I ever  told you how much I love fennel?  It is a great vegetable.... you can eat it raw or cooked.  I added it to my beef stew all this past winter.  And I usually roast it with bell peppers and onions tossed with olive oil.  Anyway, here is a great fennel salad that I got from The Cooking Channel..... Laura Calder's show "French Food at Home".  Take a look at the recipes from her show. They are simple to cook, and very tasty, and always fresh ingredients.  I will post another recipe of hers in a few days.  The toasted pine nuts add a nice crunch.

Roasted Fennel Salad

• 1 fennel bulb, fronds reserved
• olive oil, for frying
• Fleur de sel (sea salt) & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 orange
• 1/2 small red onion
• Handful small black olives
• Handful toasted pine nuts
• Zest & juice of 1 lemon

Trim the fennel, reserving a handful of green fronds.  Cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick.  Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan, and, working in batches & seasoning with salt and pepper as you go, fry (or saute) the fennel on both sides until golden & tender.  As fennel is done, arrange on a serving platter.

Zest the orange and set the zest aside.  Remove the skin with a sharp knife, taking care to remove all the white pith from the fruit.  Discard the peel.  Cut out the orange sections, arranging over the fennel.  Squeeze the orange juice over the whole salad.

Slice the onion into paper thin rings & arrange over the salad.  Scatter the pine nuts and olives over salad.  Squeeze over lemon juice, to taste.  Drizzle a little more olive oil.  Finally, scatter over the reserved fennel fronds.  Serve.

Serves 4

Sirloin Sliders

This is a great grill recipe, and our weather calls for these now.  I have made these twice in the last 2 weeks.  I got this recipe from the Food Network, recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse.  These are also tasty as leftovers!

Sirloin Sliders with Crispy Bacon & Creamy Horseradish Mayo
Yield:  4 servings


3/4 pound ground chuck (this is needed to provide some fat!)
3/4 pound ground sirloin
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup minced onion
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 T. sour cream
3 T. prepared horseradish
12 dinner roll-sized small buns, split in 1/2
2 T. melted butter for  brushing buns
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained, broken into 2-inch pieces

In mixing bowl, combine the chuck, sirloin, garlic, onion, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly to combine.  Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, divide mixture into 12 scant 2-ounce balls of meat.  Using your hands, shape to form small patties about 3 inches wide and 3/8-inch thick.  Place on plate & cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to sit in refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to overnight for flavors to mingle (an important step!).
In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, horseradish.  Season with remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper.  Place in non-reactive bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days in advance.   (Note: I use more horseradish.... taste to decide!)

When you are ready to cook the burgers, preheat grill to high & lightly butter cut sides of buns with melted butter.  Wrap buns in foil & place on coolest part of grill.
Grill burgers about 2 minutes per side for medium.  Transfer to the warmed buns & garnish with crispy bacon.  Spoon a dollop of horseradish mayo on top of bacon, then place top portion of bun over all.
(I spoon mayo on bun.... it is easier... use a generous amount!).

Note re: Buns:  Pepperidge Farms does make Slider buns... if you can find them.  Otherwise, I buy rolls from the deli.

I'm Back!! with more recipes

Wow... I cannot believe it has been over 3 months since I last posted.  I must do better.  All is well here, and I have been cooking a lot.  I have spent a lot of time reading other food blogs and going back thru old recipes.  Here is a tasty vegetable recipe that I have cooked several times.  It is also very colorful!  Think how good this will be in the summer with tomatoes and zucchini right out of the garden.

Tuscan Vegetable Ragout
2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise & cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 8-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used 14.5-oz can)
1 15.5-oz can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed (original recipe calls for 2 cans)
1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, quartered
2 Tbs. coarsely chopped Kalamata olives (I used more)
1 Tbs. capers, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add garlic & zucchini, cover & cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, beans, & artichoke hearts.  Cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add olives, capers, and half the parsley.  Season with salt & pepper.  Serve sprinkled with remaining parsley.
Serves 4 ( recipe from "Vegetarian Times")