Savory Bread Pudding

This is a recipe from my dear friend, John Brosnan. I make this a couple times every winter. It is delicious and makes great leftovers. Perfect for a larger gathering because it serves 10-12 people.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. french bread, crusts removed, shredded
3 large onions, sliced
Butter, at least 1 stick
1 lb. crimini brown mushrooms
1 T. fresh thyme
2T. fresh parsley
1 head spinach
2+ cups Gruyere
2+ cups swiss, any kind
1 cup parmesan
2 cups whole milk
6 eggs
Cayenne
Garlic
Salt + Pepper
Cornmeal or crushed pecans (optional)

preparation

Shred bread into 13" x 9" pan. It should be filled to the top. Saute onions in 3 T. butter, over medium-high heat, 20 minutes. Keep stirring until browned. Set aside. In sauce pan, saute mushrooms with sliced garlic, 1 tsp. thyme, and 2 tsp. fresh parsley, for 15 minutes. Set aside and cool. Saute spinach in butter. Add chopped garlic + salt after cooked. Mix whole milk, eggs, 2 tsp. salt + pepper, remaining thyme, parsley, and 1 tsp. cayenne. Add cheeses. Mix all ingredients together, in 2 batches if necessary. Butter 13 x 9 pan and add crunchy texture like cornmeal or pecans, if desired. Put mixture in pan and sprinkle with extra cheese + herbs. Bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes (20 minutes with foil, 20+ mins. without). Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

note

I often add pimentòn (smoked Spanish paprika) to this dish for a smoky flavor. You can also add sausage if you like.

Curried Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk

This recipe comes from my friend, Carla. I have tried it with pumpkin and with butternut squash, and today I am trying it with banana squash (a huge winter squash that I got from my son who works on a farm.) I'm worried about the stringy-ness of the banana squash, so I'll let you know how it turns out.

This is one of those vague "add as much as you want" type recipes. Soups are pretty forgiving and you can adjust texture and flavor as you go. Taste often until you get it just how you like it.

Here's What You'll Need

• Cooked pumpkin, butternut squash, or other winter squash
• 2 cans coconut milk
• 1 onion
• celery
• kafir lime leaves (can be found at your local Asian market)
• curry paste (thai works best here)
• veggie broth or water to thin the soup
• 1 pkg tofu
• soy sauce
• lemongrass (optional, also found at the Asian market)
• 1-2 limes
• chili-lime cashews (found at Trader Joes) or plain cashews

Here's What You Do

• Saute one chopped onion and 1/2 cup chopped celery in some olive oil.
• Mix 1/3 can coconut milk with 1 T. thai curry paste. (You could certainly use other kinds of curry paste, but this one goes particularly well with the lemongrass and kafir lime leaves in the recipe.) Add this to the onion & celery after it has softened.
• Add the rest of your can of coconut milk to the pan.
• Pulverize 3-4 kafir lime leaves in a blender, food processor, or spice grinder. Add this to the pan as well.
• Open a second can of coconut milk. Put cooked pumpkin (or other winter squash) in your food processor with about half the can. Process until smooth. Add to soup. Repeat with any remaining pumpkin. If you have any coconut milk left in the can, add it to the soup.
• You can add some veggie broth if you want to thin the soup out to a more "soupy" consistency.
• Cut up one or two stalks of lemongrass (the tender, pale inner parts only) and add to the soup.
• Cut one brick of firm tofu into cubes and marinate it in soy sauce.
• Let the soup cook for awhile.
• Toward the end of the cooking time, add the marinated tofu, the juice of one lime, 3/4 cup of peas, and some chili-lime cashews (found at Trader Joe's, or you can use plain cashews).
• Taste for salt and flavor balance. You can add more lime juice, more soy sauce, more curry paste, or anything else you think will help balance the flavors. (I added a little caramel syrup last time which provided the perfect sweetness to complement the winter squash.)

Extra lemongrass or cilantro would make nice garnishes for this soup.

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes

This dish is so fast and easy that I had everything ready before the water boiled and the pasta cooked. It features cherry tomatoes and is the essence of summer. If you use cherry tomatoes from your garden, it costs less than $1 per person. Add a salad and you've got a tasty weeknight meal.

Here's what you do

Put water on to boil for your pasta. Small compact shapes are nice with this, but anything will do. I used half a pound for two of us and we had about 1/3 of it left over. We also didn't have salad or bread, so we ate more pasta than we otherwise would have. The recipe says 1/2 pound feeds 4 people.

In a large bowl combine the following:

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 T. capers, rinsed
• 1/3 cup pitted olives (the recipe called for Nicoise, but I used kalamata)
• 6 basil leaves, slivered or torn (I used lemon basil which has much smaller leaves, so I just grabbed a small handful)
• 3 T. of your best olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain it and add it to the bowl. Stir quickly to coat with the olive oil. Breathe deeply because this smells FABULOUS. You can add a few drops of balsamic vinegar if you like. I forgot to do this and it was wonderful without it (and you KNOW how much I love vinegar.) Serve immediately.

For some of you, it may be strange to have pasta with no cheese. If you're tempted to add cheese, at least try several bites without it. The flavors of the tomatoes and olives really get to shine if you keep this dish simple.

Things I'd Do Differently Next Time

I'd like to try this dish with Smoked Olive Oil next time. If you haven't tried smoked olive oil, you should look it up at www.thesmokedolive.com. It is pricey, but worth every penny. You can find it at the Santa Rosa farmers market (Sonoma County) where you can try before you buy.

Cost to Prepare

Pasta - $.75

Cherry tomatoes - from the garden

Shallot -

Garlic - $.05

Olive oil - $.40

Basil - from the garden

Capers - $.50

Olives - $.75

S&P - negligible

TOTAL COST - $2.45 (serves 3-4 people)

Recipes as Inspiration (Tomato & Thai Basil Relish)

I recently found myself needing something quick for dinner, so I turned to my beloved cookbook, Vegetarian Suppers. I found a recipe for Skillet Seared Tofu with Tomato and Thai Basil relish. I had tofu in my fridge, gorgeous tomatoes from the farmers market, and thai basil in my garden. Sounded perfect. Then I looked at the rest of the ingredients and I only had about half of them. I took the ingredient list as mere suggestion and got started anyway. The result was pure heaven.

Here's the list of ingredients in the recipe and then what I used instead:

2 medium tomatoes - I had this. Great!

1 small shallot or a few scallions - I used 1/2 sweet onion from my fridge

small handful Thai Basil - I had this. I threw in the amount that looked right.

dozen small mint leaves - I had this in my garden

1 t. roasted peanut or sesame oil - I used garlic-infused olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lime - I had this.

2 t. freshly grated ginger - all I had were dehydrated ginger bits. I rehydrated them in some boiling water and chopped them up. I also chopped up a dried red chile and put it in the boiling water to rehydrate as well.

1 garlic clove - I was out of garlic, so I used a little garlic powder

sea salt - yes

small splash of soy sauce - I only had Hoisin Sauce, a sweet, thick Asian sauce. I used it anyway.

I put everything in a bowl and mixed it up. The soy sauce is really intended for deglazing the pan while you cook the tofu, but I put it in the bowl with everything else. When it came time to deglaze the tofu, I just used some of the juice from the bowl (super yummy).

Here's the basic method

Slice 1 carton of tofu into 6-8 pieces and blot it with a paper towel. I cut it in half long way to make thinner slabs, and then cut the 2 slabs into triangles.

Heat some oil in a skillet and add the tofu. Sprinkle with salt. When it stops twitching around, check to see if it is browned on the cooking side. If it isn't, leave it a little longer. Turn and cook the other side, about 10 minutes in all. Shake on some liquid (like soy sauce or the juices from your bowl of tomatoes and other goodies) and continue cooking until it evaporates and the tofu is seasoned and glazed. I sometimes turn the tofu during this process and sometimes don't. I just try to get the tofu coated with the sauce.

Remove from heat, top with tomato salsa mixture and serve. I served this on a bed of arugula, which was fabulous.

Basilcello

All of you who know me, know that I make limoncello pretty much year round. Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur. While I was in Italy I tried many other liqueurs, including one made with fresh basil. I have so much basil right now that I decided to try to make my own. I tried it once a long time ago, and the basil-alcohol infusion turned brown. I looked up some recipes on line and it turns out that the process is a little different, though the same basic idea. I just tasted my first very small batch and it looks and tastes just like the delicious concoction I had in Italy. It has that herby, slightly peppery flavor of fresh basil. I grant you that herb liqueurs may sound a little odd, but I find them to be refreshing, interesting, and a lovely way to preserve the colors and flavors of summer.

Here's what you do

Gently wipe off 40 large basil leaves with a damp paper towel. Don't get them really wet as they start to break down and turn dark. It doesn't have to be exactly 40. Use large and small and put in the equivalent of what you think is 40 large leaves. Put the basil leaves in a clean glass jar and cover with 1 liter grain alcohol such as Ever Clear (available at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa.) Cover jar tightly and store in a cool dark place for 3-7 days, mixing/turning it a couple times a day. It will be bright green after just a few hours.

Obviously, if you want to make less, cut the recipe in half and use 20 basil leaves in 500 ml grain alcohol.

Strain the green basil-infused alcohol into a clean jar and combine with equal parts simple syrup. Simple syrup is made by combining equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan and heating until sugar is dissolved. Let the syrup cool completely before you add it to your infusion. Many recipes say to put the liqueur away for 15 days or so before drinking it, but I'm telling you that it is delicious served ice cold right away. If you put it aside to age, at least have a sip of the "young" version and then see if the aged version is better. Be sure to leave a comment here and let me know because I'm unlikely to find out on my own.

Margarita con cojones

Well, it's fresh produce time and I've been enamored of a site called Punk Domestics lately. Here's how they describe themselves:

Beginning with World War II, when women flooded the workplace, technology has conspired to take food production out of the kitchen. Convenience foods became the norm, and the culinary arts of our parents and grandparents became unfashionable, to the point where many of us grew up not knowing how food got in jars. With the advent of Slow Food and the California Cuisine movement of the 1980s, artisanship in food began to regain popularity. Most recently, driven by factors such as an increasing trend toward gourmandism combined with a recession forcing people to tighten their belts, people are once again taking on the old ways in their kitchens. Many are also writing about it on blogs, forums and message boards. To the novice, there is an overwhelming amount of information to sift through. To the veteran blogger, it's easy to get lost in the noise. Punk Domestics aims to evangelize and enable this burgeoning trend by way of curation and promotion. The name derives from a review of Karen Solomon's book Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It: And Other Cooking Projects onEat Me Daily, which refers to the "punk domesticity of the hipster DIY movement."

Every day I get a dose of the possible ways to can, pickle, and otherwise preserve the goodness of the season. A few days ago I made "Cucumber Jalapeno Tequila" and now I am sipping a refreshing, taste bud awakening, south-of-the-border tasting margarita with real kick. Alcohol infusions are one of the many ways to preserve produce, so give this one a go if you dare.

Here's how you do it

Cut one cucumber into about 8 spears, with the skin on. Throw it in a glass jar. Cut up one jalapeno pepper and throw it in the jar, too. The heat is in the seeds, so include them or not, depending on how spicy you want your infusion. Cover with 1 liter silver (blanco) tequila. Leave the jar in a cool dark corner for 4-6 days. I tasted mine after 4 days and it was plenty spicy. Strain the alcohol into a clean container (the original bottle is a good idea), compost the spent cucumber and jalapeno. Serve ice cold on its own, or make it into a spicy-fresh margarita.

For the margarita combine equal parts freshly squeezed lime juice, triple sec, and cucumber jalapeno tequila. I like my margaritas a little on the sweet side, so I also add a squeeze of agave syrup. Serve over ice, or shake with ice and serve neat.

Panna Cotta with Wild Berry Sauce

I haven't really posted many desserts to this blog because I've been focusing on dinners, but this one was so great that I don't want to forget how to make it. Panna cotta is a traditional Italian dessert from the Tuscany region. Panna means "cream" and cotta means "cooked", so this is a recipe for cooked cream. I know that may not sound yummy, but think flan or custard and you'll get close. When we visited Italy, this was one of my favorite desserts. It is also very easy, so I will be making this more frequently at home.

Let's Get Started

In order to make this recipe vegetarian, you have to find vegetarian unflavored gelatin, which I found at Andy's Market in Sebastopol for $1.89. Any unflavored gelatin will do if you don't care about what it's made of. (If you don't know what it's made of, google it.)

To make the panna cotta, put 1/2 cup cold water in a metal bowl and sprinkle 4 teaspoons gelatin on top of it. Let it stand for about 10 minutes. Put the bowl into a pan of simmering water to melt the gelatin entirely, about a minute or two. Split one vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds. In another pan, combine 4 cups cream, 1 cup sugar, and the seeds from the vanilla beans. Bring the cream mixture to a boil and then simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix the gelatin into the cream. Whisk until well blended. Pour the cream mixture into individual serving dishes (I used 1/2 cup ramekins), allow to cool, and then refrigerate. To serve, loosen the panna cotta from the dish using a rubber scraper. Turn out onto small plates. Serve with mixed berry sauce.

To make the berry sauce, mix 4 cups wild berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.) with 1/3 cup sugar in a pan large enough to hold them. Let the sugar sit on the berries long enough for them to start releasing their juices. Boil the berry-sugar mixture for about 5 minutes. Puree half the mixture and stir it back into the other berries. Cool completely. Refrigerate any unused portion.

This dessert is simple, elegant, delicious, and easy. Go for a long walk after dinner to burn some of the calories. :-)

TIP: Rather than discarding the vanilla bean after you've scraped out the seeds, put it in a plastic container with 4-6 cups sugar. Leave it to infuse the sugar. After a few days, you will have lovely, gourmet vanilla-sugar to use in everything from coffee to desserts.

Approximate cost to prepare

4 cups cream - $6.00 ($8.00 for organic)

4 t. unflavored gelatin - $1.90

1 cup sugar - $.40

1 vanilla bean - $3.00

4 cups mixed berries - $4.00 ?

1/3 cup sugar - $.15

TOTAL for 10 - 12 desserts - $15.45

Lasagne with zucchini, ricotta, and tomato sauce

I made this one all out of season, but it's a good one to have standing by when zucchini season hits in earnest. This is a great way to use your zucchini. I didn't think I'd like this lasagne very much, but it was really tasty. The nuts made a really terrific texture and flavor along with the zucchini and tomatoes. I took it to a potluck and everyone seemed to love it. As lasagnas go it was quite easy, especially since you use no-boil lasagne noodles. It does take 40 minutes to cook in the oven, but not too long to put together.

Let's Get Started

Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil a 9x12 pan, or two smaller pans. I usually use 2 smaller pans for just the two of us, and then we have a lasagna in the freezer for another night.

Make the tomato sauce. I used a 28 oz can of Muir Glen whole peeled tomatoes, and I felt that this didn't quite make enough sauce. The recipe called for fresh sauce, but it was the wrong season. Canned turned out REALLY tasty. You can use diced, crushed, or whole tomatoes.

To make tomato sauce from canned tomatoes, heat 1 T. olive oil in a skillet with 1 sliced garlic clove. When you smell the garlic, add the tomatoes with their juices and a good sized pinch of dried marjoram or oregano crushed between your fingers. (I used basil that I had dried myself. That worked well, too.) Cook over medium-high heat, smashing the tomatoes against the pan to break up the larger chunks. After 5 minutes or so (whenever it feels like it is a sauce), stir in 1 teaspoon tomato paste to deepen the flavor. Taste for salt and season with pepper.

To make tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes, put 2 1/2 pounds whole unpeeled tomatoes (plum types work best) in a heavy pan with 1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, finely diced, and 1 sliced garlic clove. Cover and cook over medium-high heat. The tomatoes will give up their juices pretty quickly, but keep an eye on them and add a smidge of water if the pan gets too dry. After about 20 minutes the tomatoes will have thoroughly broken down. Pass them through a food mill to get rid of the skins and seeds. (If you don't have a food mill then you should skin and seed the tomatoes first.) Return the pot to the stove and cook over low heat, stirring frequently until it is as thick as you want. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 T. (or more) olive oil.

While the tomato sauce is cooking, stir a little salt and pepper into 1 pound ricotta cheese (preferably whole-milk ricotta.) If the ricotta is very densely textured, you can thin it with a little water.

Trim 2 1/2 pounds small zucchini, and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half into diagonal slices as thinly as possible. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add zucchini, and cook over medium-high, stirring frequently until it glistens and is tender - about 5 minutes.

Finely chop 1 cup of pine nuts or walnuts, or a mixture. Cut 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella into very small pieces (or grate it if you can do that without making it into a mush - I can't.) Grate 1 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese. Have no-boil lasagne noodles standing by.

You now have all the ingredients ready for your lasagna. First spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Lay 3 no-boil lasagne noodles over the sauce. Cover with 1/3 of the ricotta, dot with 1/3 of the nuts, and cover with 1/3 of the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper, then cover with 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 of the mozzarella, and a sprinkling of parmesan. Add another layer of noodles and repeat the layering. Cover the final layer of pasta with the remaining tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan.

Tent the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Things I'd Do Differently Next Time - I'd like to try this with fresh tomatoes next time, especially when they are ripe at the same time as the zucchini.

Approximate Cost to Prepare

28 oz can tomato sauce - $2.00 - 4.00 OR

8 roma or plum tomatoes - $2.00 - $4.00

1 pound ricotta cheese - $4.00 for the good stuff

2 1/2 pounds small zucchini - $2.00 (free in the summer from your neighbors)

1 8-oz package no-boil lasagne - $2.00 (I didn't use the whole box, so maybe less)

1 c. finely chopped pine nuts or walnuts - pine nuts are much more expensive than walnuts, but I'm guessing $4.00 for a mixture

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese - $2.50

1 c. freshly grated parmesan - $1.50

TOTAL for a big lasagna (6-8 people) - $19.00 (more or less depending on your ingredients)

Gnocchi with Winter Squash and Radicchio

This is very tasty, and fairly quick to make. Since Deborah Madison doesn't make her own gnocchi, I followed suit and used store-bought. I thought the radicchio might make it too bitter, but as it cooks, the bitterness disappears. The flavors are really nice and it can be ready in about 30-40 minutes.

Let's Get Started

Start with one large butternut squash. I was making this for 2 people, so I didn't use a whole squash. Cut the neck off and cut it into 2 or 3 manageable pieces. Scoop out the strings and seeds, setting them aside for a broth later on. Cut the skin off the squash and then cut into half inch cubes. (I use a vegetable peeler to peel the squash, but you can use a knife if you'd like.) Don't worry about irregular shapes.

Toss the squash with a little olive oil, some salt and pepper, and then steam over 3 cups of simmering water until tender, about 20 minutes. Reserve the water to make a sauce. Stir the seeds and strings from the butternut squash in to the water, along with some parsley stems (you'll use the parsley leaves in a minute), and some salt. Let this mixture boil until it is reduced by about half. When it is done, stir in 1 T. butter to make a nice orange sauce for the finished dish. This can be in process while you do the other steps.

Cut 1 head radicchio into wide ribbons. Heat 2 T. olive oil in a wide skillet. Add the radicchio, season with salt and cook over medium-high heat until wilted, tender, and no longer red. When the squash is done, put it in the pan with the radicchio.

In the meantime, chop a big handful of parsley leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, and about 12 sage leaves together. Add most of the herb-garlic mixture to the cooked radicchio and squash and save the rest until the very end.

Bring a pot of water to boil for the gnocchi, salt the water, and then cook the gnocchi until they are tender but not too mushy. Scoop the cooked gnocchi out of the pan and into the squash-radicchio mixture, along with a little of their cooking water. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and add the remaining herbs and garlic. Serve with a little olive oil drizzled over and some of the orange sauce on the plate.

Things I'd Do Differently Next Time: The only thing I can think of is that I might peel and cut the squash earlier in the day and have it standing by for cooking later.

Cost to Prepare:

Butternut squash (3 lbs) - $3.00

1/4 cup olive oil - $.75

1 head radicchio - $1.00

2 garlic cloves, handful of parsley - $.50

12 large sage leaves - $1.00 (or from your garden)

1 T. butter - negligible

3/4 to 1 pound gnocchi - $4.00

freshly grated parmesan and/or gorgonzola cheeses - $1.00

TOTAL for 4 people - $11.25

Fideos with chiles, avocado, and crema

This Mexican style noodle dish was something new for me. It's easy and fairly quick to prepare, although I took a couple of short cuts that may have helped with prep time. The result was delicious. We will definitely have this again.

I had never heard of fideos before now. They are skinny noodles that are all wound up into little nests. I found them at Safeway in the "ethnic" section. As I recall, a package cost about 89 cents - maybe less. They are cooked pilaf-style, meaning they are browned in a little oil in a skillet before you add cooking liquid. In this case, you add a tomato, chile, garlic, onion puree and let it soak into the noodles. It's mildly spicy, but the addition of sour cream, avocado, and a little cheese helps cut the spice.

The recipe calls for 3 dried pasilla, New Mexican, or guajillo chiles. I assume you can find these at a Mexican grocer. I got a huge batch of New Mexico chiles from a friend last fall. I cooked them, pureed them, and froze them in little cubes. I wasn't sure how much to use. I tried 3 cubes (from an ice cube tray) and that seemed about right. I assume you could substitute canned green chile, but you won't get as much punch from that.

Here's what you do

• Cover the dried chiles with hot water and set them aside to soften while you work on the tomato sauce.
• Coat 4 unpeeled garlic cloves with a little olive oil and cook them in a small skillet over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, sliding them around the pan every now and then. Their skins will get toasted and the cloves will get soft.
• While the garlic is cooking, you can start the tomato sauce. You can either use 8 roma tomatoes or 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes for the sauce. I opted for the canned this time, but I may try the fresh another time. Muir Glen is an excellent organic brand for tomatoes that are the next best thing to fresh. If you're using fresh tomatoes, coat them lightly with oil and grill over an open flame or sear them in a hot skillet to blister the skins.
• When the garlic is done, squeeze the garlic from the skins into a food processor or blender. Add the tomatoes with their charred skins. If you're using canned fire-roasted tomatoes, drain them first and reserve the juice. Add water to make one cup of liquid total. Add the liquid to the food processor. Also add 1/2 cup chopped onion, and 1 t. salt. Puree. (To recap, you should have garlic, tomatoes, onion, salt, and 1 cup liquid in your machine.)
• The chiles should be soft by now. Tear or cut the flesh into strips. Discard the seeds.
• Chop 3-4 parsley sprigs.
• Heat 1 T. oil over medium-high heat in a 10 inch skillet with a tight fitting lid. Crumble the noodles into the hot oil and stir until they're lightly browned. Now add the tomato mixture and most of the parsley (save a little for garnish.) Add all but a few of the chile strips. Stir to even out the contents of the pan and adjust the heat to simmer. Cover the pan and cook until the noodles are soft, 15-20 minutes. Season with pepper.
• Dish some onto plates and serve with creme fraiche or sour cream drizzled over the top. Crumble some feta cheese or queso fresco over the cream. Top with avocado slices and the remaining chile strips and parsley.

Things I'd Do Differently Next Time

Although it's a little more work, I'd like to try this with fresh tomatoes. I'd also like to try out using dried chiles, since I haven't done that before.

Cost To Prepare

3 dried pasilla chiles - ?? Maybe $1.00

4 plump garlic cloves - $.75

3 T. oil - $.50

8 Roma tomatoes or 15-ounce can Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, drained and juices reserved - $3.00

1/2 c. chopped onion - $.50

1/2 pound fhort skinny egg noodles (fideos) - $.90

3 parsley sprigs - negligible

1/2 c. creme fraiche or sour cream - $.50

2-3 ounces feta or queso fresco - $.50

1 avocado for garnish - $1.50

TOTAL for 4 people - $9.15

Mexican beer or Italian prosecco (sparkling wine) go nicely with this. The spiciness works well with bubbles.

Lemon Granita (with a special winter twist)

I recently made lemon granita with some friends on our "Homemade Italian Pizza" night. Granita is a fruit ice that originated in southern Italy. We made ours with the meyer lemons from my tree.

While I was up at Lake Tahoe for

spring break, I had a lot of lemons I needed to process. I used the rinds for making limoncello (an Italian lemon liqueur), and that meant I had lots of juice to use.

It's very simple. Here's how you do it.

Combine 1 and 1/4 cups sugar with 2 cups water in a medium sauce pan. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Boil the s

ugar water for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup lemon juice and 1 T. grated lemon zest. Return to a boil and boil for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely. This can be stored in the fridge for a day or two until you're ready to freeze it.

Put a metal pan in the freezer to chill for at least 10 minutes. Pour in the cooled syrup and place the pan back in the freezer. After 2 hours, scrape the partially frozen mixture with a fork to break up the crystals. Put the mixture back in the freezer for 2 more hours (or more). Mix with a fork until slushy. Serve with mint garnish.

The rest of the story

While I was up at Tahoe, the mixture hadn't completely frozen by the time we were ready for dessert. We ate a spoonful, which was a little too syrupy, and realized that we had

the perfect ingredient sitting just outside our door. I scooped up a small bowlful of freshly fallen snow, spooned the partially frozen granita syrup over the top, mixed it in, and voila! It was perfect. It was like a lemon snow cone or slushy - very flavorful and exactly the right texture!

Crookneck Squash and Rice Gratin

I realize that crookneck squash is a summer vegetable, but I decided to go ahead and make this when I saw nice little yellow and green squash in my supermarket. I know they are from Mexico (which is not ideal). Oh well. This dish also features marjoram or thyme, summer herbs according to Deborah, but I consider thyme to be a year round herb, so that's what I used.

I used the ingredients that I had handy, so I almost feel like I didn't make Deborah's recipe. It was really delicious anyway. Here are all my modifications. I used onion instead of leeks - I just could not find leeks at the store today. I used brown rice instead of long grain white rice. I used a mishmash of different kinds of cheese I needed to use up, including mozzarella, cheddar, swiss, and a tiny bit of smoked fontina. The recipe called for gruyere. I also put the dusting of herbs on top before cooking instead of after. These modifications were all delicious and I would make it this way again, but I'm looking forward to trying it Deborah's way at some point.

Let's Get Started

First put on 1/2 a cup of rice to cook. (Bring one cup water to a boil, add a little salt, add the rice, turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or so.) She uses long grain white rice, which makes sense with the summery veggies. I used organic brown rice which gave the gratin a more chewy texture.

Butter a 2-quart gratin dish or 4 individual gratin dishes. Preheat oven to 350º.

Chop up a big handful of parsley leaves, several big marjoram or thyme sprigs, and 2 garlic cloves. You can chop this all together into a garlic-herb mixture. I had about a half cup total.

Wash and thinly slice 2 pounds crookneck squash or zucchini. Slice into thin rounds and set aside. (In the winter time you can use grated butternut squash and sage instead of thyme or marjoram.) Grate 1/2 cup of gruyere cheese, or whatever you've got. Set aside.

Quarter 2 large leeks lengthwise, white part and a little of the green. Rough chop and wash the leeks. Heat 2 t. olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add the leeks. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add a splash of water or dry white wine to keep them from browning or burning. (I used tonic water 'cause that's what I had in my fridge. It made the onions a little sweeter, which was nice.) Season with a few big pinches of the herbs, 1/2 t. salt, and pepper to taste. Scrape into a bowl and return the pan to the stove.

Raise the heat and add 1 T. olive oil. Add the squash to the skillet and saute until golden in places, 4 minutes or so. Add about 1 T. of the herbs and continue to saute until fairly tender and a little more colored, two minutes or so.

Turn off the heat. Return the leeks to the pan, along with the rice and cheese. Toss well, taste for salt and season with pepper.

Set aside 2 T. of the herb mixture and add the rest to the vegetables. Transfer the mixture to the gratin dish(es), drizzle a little oil over the top and bake until hot throughout, about 25 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and brown the top.

When they come out of the oven, top with reserved herbs and a little lemon zest. Serve hot or warm.

Fresh tomato would be a nice accompaniment in summer, or braised greens in winter. I think the brown rice would be perfect for the more wintery version.

Things I'd Do Differently Next Time

I'd like to try this with white rice, leeks, and gruyere. I'd also like to try this marjoram, an herb I really love. The winter version with butternut squash and sage sounds great, too.

Cost to Prepare

1/2 cup rice - mine came from the farm, but I think maybe $.25 for regular white rice

big handful of parsley - from the garden, but maybe $.75 from the store

several big marjoram or thyme sprigs - garden again, but maybe $.50

2 garlic cloves - $.25

olive oil, salt, pepper - negligible

2 large leeks - $2.00

2 pound crookneck squash or zucchini - about $4.00 in winter. In summer, it's free from your neighbor

1/2 cup gruyere - $2.00

1 t. grated lemon zest - from the yard, or $.50

TOTAL for 4 people - $10.25 if you buy everything from the store. I think it cost me about $4.00 for the squash and everything else I had on hand in the garden or the pantry.

I will definitely make this again. It was very flavorful and delicious

Feta and Ricotta Cheese Skillet Pie

This dish is simple, fast and delicious. Add a salad or a bowl of soup and you've got a quick weeknight meal. I've made it several times now, but I'm finally getting around to blogging about it. The dish is handsome enough for company, especially if you have a cast iron skillet, which I don't. I think it is pretty enough for company even if you cook it in a plain dish. I usually cook it in a skillet that I can put in my oven. It is also high in protein, thanks to cheeses and eggs. It's so fast that you literally have to wait for your oven to warm up. It's also quite forgiving about the quantities. When I made it yesterday, I only had about 1/2 pound feta, and 2/3 pound ricotta, so I just used fewer eggs to get a consistency I thought would work.

Let's Get Started

Preheat the oven to 375º. Butter a 10" cast iron skillet or an earthenware baking dish.

In a bowl, mix 1/2 pound feta cheese and 1 pound ricotta cheese. You want some chunks left, so don't mix for too long. Stir in 4-6 eggs. Then add 1/4 cup flour and 3/4 cup milk. Season with salt and pepper, and 1 T. chopped dill.

Pour the batter into the buttered pan or dish. Crumble 1/4 pound feta over the top. Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Accidental Asparagus (a recipe of my own)

The other night I had asparagus in my fridge that I needed to cook. I melted some butter in a pan, threw in some sliced garlic, and sauteed the asparagus. At this point I would normally pour in some wine, turn down the heat, cover the pan and let the wine glaze the asparagus. However, I didn't have any white wine. The only thing I had in my fridge that seemed like it might work was tonic water. I decided to give it a go.

It was amazing. It gave a slightly sweet glaze to the asparagus. I added a touch of salt and pepper. George LOVED it. Hooray for experimenting!

Cabbage and leeks

We just got both cabbage and leeks in our CSA box, so I made "Cabbage and Leek Gratin" yet again. I never get tired of it. The mustard cream that you put on top is delicious. I swear, this time I had everything ready to go before the water boiled. You do have to cook it in the oven for 45 minutes, but that gave me time to clean the kitchen and practice piano while it was cooking. Here are the directions, in case you missed it the first time.

http://vegsuppers.blogspot.com/2010/02/cabbage-leek-gratin-with-mustard-cream.html

Winter Squash Green Curry

Oh my goodness, this is good. I only recently learned that the term "curry" just means a combination of spices. This combination of herbs and spices is all fresh (well, nearly) - no curry powder, no pre-prepared curry paste - you make your own. This is SOOO tasty and so worth the effort. I will absolutely be making this again. The recipe says it serves four, but my husband and I had it 3 times with some still left in the freezer. This makes it economical in addition to being super tasty.

This dish features, mushrooms, eggplant, tofu (though you could substitute chicken or some other form of meat), and of course, butternut squash. I used those long, skinny Asian eggplant for this dish. I found them at my local Asian market. They sometimes come in my CSA box, too. I'm sure any eggplant will do. I must admit that I am only beginning to get comfortable with eggplant, but it blended perfectly into this dish and I didn't even really know it was there. The real star of this dish is the homemade curry paste and the coconut milk. YUM!

Let's Get Started

Before you make your own super-fresh curry paste, you should start some rice cooking and prep your veggies. (I put a few slices of ginger into my rice, which turned out very nicely.)

Pour 1 and 1/2 cups boiling water over 8 dried shiitake mushrooms. (Dried shiitakes were ridiculously expensive, so I bought fresh since they happened to be there. I paid only $1.32 for 10 shiitakes. Since the recipe called for the soaking liquid later on, I decided to clean the mushrooms and then pour hot water over them to have some broth to use later in the recipe. It worked.) Quarter 2 long skinny eggplants (6 oz. each) and cut them into 1/2 inch dice. Sprinkle with salt and set them in a colander to drain. Peel 1 small butternut squash (1 1/4 pounds or so), scoop out and discard the seeds and inner pulp, and cut it into 3/4 inch chunks.

While the mushrooms are soaking and the eggplant is expelling water, you can get started on the curry paste. (I actually made this several hours in advance of preparing the rest of the meal, though it didn't actually take that long, especially with a food processor.) Just put all the following ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste. Add extra lime juice or water to loosen up the mixture if necessary:

• 3 or 4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 -2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks lemon grass, just the tender centers
• 3-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 shallots (1/3 cup), chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (it's fine to include the stems in this)
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 2 t. ground coriander
• 1 t. salt
• zest and juice of one lime (Limes were really expensive and I had lemons on my tree, so I used those instead)

Once you have the curry paste prepared and waiting in the wings, remove the mushrooms from their soaking water, squeeze them out, and save the soaking water. Cut them into wide strips, discarding any tough stems. Rinse the eggplant and blot it dry.

Heat 1 T. oil (I used olive oil, but the recipe calls for peanut oil) in a wide skillet. Add the eggplant and turn it quickly in the oil to coat all pieces. Cook over medium-high heat just to brown the cut surface, 4 to 5 minutes. Open one can of coconut milk and have it standing by.

In a large dutch oven (big pot), heat 2 T. oil. Add the squash and cook over medium-high heat, turning every so often, until caramelized in places. After several minutes, add the eggplant, reduce the heat to medium. Pour in one can coconut milk, the mushroom soaking water, the mushrooms, and 2/3 of the curry paste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is tender, by which time the sauce will have lost its color.

While that is cooking, drain one block of tofu and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Juice one lime and have 6-8 thai basil leaves standing by.

After the 15 minutes are up, add the tofu and basil leaves, then simmer until the tofu is heated through (about 5 minutes). Stir in the lime juice. Taste for salt. Just before serving, stir in the remaining curry paste and garnish with basil sprigs.

Serve over rice. Enjoy the poppin' fresh goodness of all the yummy green things in this curry!

Deborah recommends a spicy, dry Gewurztraminer to go with this dish. I say drink whatever wine you have in your wine rack.

Approximate cost to prepare

Curry paste

3-4 large garlic cloves - $.50

1 heaping T. chopped ginger - $.50

3 stalks lemon grass - $.75

3-4 jalapeno peppers - $1.00

2 shallots - $.50

1/2 c. cilantro (including stems) - $.25

zest and juice of 1 lime - $.50

salt, pepper, cumin, coriander - negligible

The rest of the stuff

2 small oblong eggplants - $2.00

8 dried shiitake mushrooms ($5.00 or so. I only paid $1.32 for fresh ones)

1 small butternut squash (came from my garden, but I'm guessing $2.00)

1 can coconut milk $1.30

1 block firm tofu - $1.50

6 thai basil leaves - $.25

another lime - $.50

olive or peanut oil - negligible

1 cup rice - $.50

TOTAL - $13.15 for 6 servings or so. You don't really need a side dish with this meal. It freezes well.

Mashed Potatoes with sauteed onions and greens

This is a great comfort food sort of a dish. It's easy to prepare and came in at under half an hour prep time, which is nice. I purposely left out "turnips" in the title because I thought I didn't like turnips, but it turns out that they blend very nicely into this dish and they were quite tasty. Deborah Madison says that this can also be a summer dish, especially when farmers markets have sweet little turnips with their greens. The dish uses the turnip greens, but I made it with chard since the turnips I bought didn't have the greens attached. She recommended broccoli rabe in place of the turnip greens, but I couldn't find those either. I think most any greens will do.

Here's how to get started

Peel 4 russet potatoes (about 2 pounds) and cut them into chunks. Peel 3/4 pound turnips (8 to 10 small ones or a few larger ones.) Put them in a pot, cover with cold water, add 2 t. salt and 1 thyme sprig. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 20 - 25 minutes.

While those are cooking, slice 2 onions and saute them in 1 T. butter plus 2 t. olive oil (or whatever combination you like.) Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden and tender - about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While that is cooking, wash and trim the greens. Cook in boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and add the greens to the pan with the onions.

When the potatoes and turnips are done, scoop them out of the pot into a bowl. Mix in 3 ounces of goat cheese and some butter to taste (I used 2 T.). Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, mound the mashed veggies on a platter, and smother it with the onions and greens.

Cost to Prepare

2 pounds potatoes - $1.00

3/4 pound turnips - $2.00

3 oz. goat cheese - $4.50

2 onions - $1.50

turnip greens - free if you buy them attached to the turnips OR

chard or other greens - $2.50

salt, pepper, butter, oil, 1 thyme sprig - negligible

TOTAL for 4 people - $11.50

I actually didn't use all the goat cheese, so that made the dish less expensive.

Curried Couscous Salad

I just got a big head of cauliflower in my CSA box. I'm planning to use half of it for Bollito Misto, which I will post soon, but I may try to use the other half for Curried Couscous Salad. I made this recipe awhile back and it was very tasty. I didn't leave myself enough time for it to chill in the refrigerator, so we just ate it warm. We liked it even better warm than we did chilled the next day, but both are really good. It features roasted cauliflower, along with couscous, dried fruits, fresh vegetables and herbs, and a tasty dressing.

Here's the link to the original recipe from Giada de Laurentis on the food network:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/curried-couscous-salad-recipe/index.html

Asparagus & Leeks on toast

We just finished our asparagus and leeks on toast dinner. It was simple, tasty, and easy to make. We will definitely have this one again. It's a great recipe for spring because asparagus is just coming into season and new skinny leaks will be available for the next few months.

Let's Get Started

• You begin by soaking the top 5 inches or so of your asparagus in water for a few minutes. I used about a pound for the two of us. Soaking loosens any dirt that may be in the tips and gills of the stalk. Rinse and set aside.
• Slice 2 skinny leeks into rounds and rinse well in water to get out any dirt. The rings will come apart and this is fine.
• Rinse a couple big handfuls of small spinach leaves. If you're using pre-washed, then just set it aside to use later. If you're using regular bunches of spinach, cut off the stems, rinse well and then soak in water for several minutes, then rinse again. It's really hard to get spinach all the way clean and nothing ruins a dish like having dirt in it.
• Chop one garlic clove. The recipe calls for 2 heads green garlic, which is much milder than regular garlic. One clove worked out great for us. Use more if you like.
• Melt 1 T. butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and garlic and stir to coat them with the butter. Let them cook for a minute or two. Add 1/2 cup white wine or water. I didn't have any white wine open, so I used water. Cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add the asparagus and another 1/2 cup water. Simmer for about 8 minutes until the asparagus is tender. You should end up with about 1/3 cup of liquid still in the pan.
• While that is cooking, toast 2 thick slices of good, rustic bread. We used sourdough from Nightingale Bakery. (SOOO good!) When the toast comes out of the toaster (or oven), cover it with thin slices of Italian fontina cheese or Gruyere.
• Add the couple handfuls of spinach and another tablespoon of butter. Stir until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Add the juice from half a lemon. Taste for salt and pepper.
• Put one slice of toast with the cheese on each plate. Cut the toast in half. Cover with the vegetables and their juices.

Things I'd Do Differently Next Time

I only used the tips of the asparagus and saved the stems for another dish. I think next time I would cut the asparagus into smaller, bite-sized pieces and include the whole stalk of the asparagus (except the tough lower part, of course). I will definitely try this with white wine next time, although it was really terrific with just water. If I ever find green garlic at the farmers market or get some from my CSA, I will try it in this dish. I'm not really familiar with using green garlic, so this would be a great opportunity to try it.

Cost to Prepare

1 lb. asparagus - $3.00

2 leeks - $3.00 (1 pound)

1/4 pound baby spinach - $1.25

4 thin slices gruyere - $1.00

2 slices really good bread - $.75

2 T. butter (organic) - $.20

1/2 lemon - free from my tree outside

1 clove garlic, salt, pepper - negligible

TOTAL for 2 people - $9.20

This was just about the right amount for 2 people, but we were really full. You could make this as a side dish if you were eating some other protein source and it could easily feed 4 people.

Mushroom lovers rejoice

Tonight I made a recipe that I made a long time ago and it was fabulous again. This was a "what do I have in the fridge?" night and what I came up with was the sauteed mushrooms over croutons with an egg recipe that can be found here. This time I followed the instructions and left the egg to cook in the 400º oven for exactly 15 minutes. It was perfect. I served it with brussels sprouts and pistachios cooked in garlic butter. (I have George addicted to these now!)

I also tried making it in 2 oven-proof bowls this time, which cut down on dishes and the recipe was perfect for 2 people.

The combination of mushrooms, rosemary, red wine, croutons, and eggs is simply inspired. This dish is fast and easy and super tasty. A must try. I need to memorize this one so I can pull it together quickly any old time.

Portobello Sandwiches with mozzarella and greens

Oh wow, I will definitely be making this again. These open-faced sandwiches are good enough to serve to company. It took under half an hour and had a big flavor payoff. I think garlic mashed potatoes would be a nice accompaniment. Deborah recommends a pinot noir to go with this meal, but I think any red will do.

We had leftover hamburger buns that we needed to use up, so that's what we used for these sandwiches. The recipe calls for ciabbata or good crusty french bread, which would be fabulous.

Let's Get Started

Preheat the oven to 400º. You'll need one portobello mushroom per person. Using a damp paper towel, wipe off the cap of the mushroom. Remove the stem and the gills. The gills are those dark brown things inside the mushroom. A spoon works great to remove them. Drizzle the inside of the mushroom with olive oil and set on a baking dish. Chop 2 cloves of garlic together with a small handful of parsley leaves. Sprinkle the garlic-parsley mixture onto the inside of the mushroom (saving 1 t. of the mixture for later). Add salt and pepper and pop them in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until they are sizzling.

While they are cooking, wash and trim 1/3 pound greens. I used beet greens and curly kale. Any kind of braising greens will do. Heat 2 t. oil. Add the greens, the rest of the garlic-parsley mixture, a pinch of red pepper flakes and some salt. Saute the greens until they are tender. Taste for seasonings and doneness of the greens

Cut some fairly thick slices of fresh mozzarella. Put the mozzarella slices on top of the mushrooms, then layer the cooked greens on top of that. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese is melted. While that is baking, toast 1 thick slice of bread per person. Place the cooked mushrooms on top of the bread and serve.

Things I'd do differently next time

I just realized that the recipe called for 2 garlic cloves, a small handful of parsley, 1/3 pound of greens and 4 portobellos, but I only used 2 portobellos. If I were making this for 4 people, I think I'd increase the amount of garlic and parsley and greens, because those amounts worked perfectly for 2 portobellos.

I'd also try this with ciabatta or focaccia bread. It would also be wonderful with polenta or garlic mashed potatoes instead of the bread.

Cost to Prepare (for 2 people)

2 portobellos - $4.00

fresh mozzarella (4 slices) - $3.00

1/3 pound greens - $1.50 (organic)

2 slices bread - $.25

2 cloves garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, olive oil - negligible

TOTAL - $8.75 for 2

Brown rice and mushroom "burgers"

One night while the kids were here visiting, we decided to have burgers for dinner. They made their own meat version, and I made these vegetarian patties for George and me. They are so much better than any veggie burger I've bought at the store. This recipe could also be formed into a loaf and sliced into sandwich shaped slices and frozen for future burger nights. This recipe is also used as the filling material for "Cabbage Parcels with Sweet-and-sour Sauce". I made that a couple nights later and was actually disappointed that I didn't have any more of the filling material left to just cook up and eat when I felt hungry. It's really yummy.

I made the recipe while up at Lake Tahoe, and I didn't have a food processor, so I just chopped it up after it was cooked. It didn't stick together in burgers very well. I'd like to try it again and see how much difference the food processor makes.

Ok, Let's Get Started

• You'll need to start out with 1 cup cooked brown rice. It's great to use leftover rice, but if you need to cook the rice, get it going first. Brown rice usually takes about 45 minutes to cook.
• Grate 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Have 1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1 egg standing by for later.
• Chop an onion into fairly small dice. Have 1 t. dried sage leaves and 2 pinches of thyme standing by. (I used fresh sage and fresh thyme.)
• Heat 1 T. olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and crumble the herbs on top. Cook over high heat stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.
• While that is cooking, chop 1/2 pound of mushrooms, 1/2 cup of cashews, and 1/2 cup of pecans.
• Add the mushrooms and nuts and cook, stirring frequently. The mushrooms will release their juices and then they will reabsorb back into the dish.
• Stir in 1 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce if you don't have tamari). Season with 1/2 t. salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer this mixture to a food processor. Add 1 cup cooked rice, 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup bread crumbs.
• Pulse this mixture in the food processor until it resembles ground meat.
• Fry a dab in some olive oil to check the seasonings and correct them if needed.
• Fry up your veggie burgers by scooping 1/2 cup measures into a heated skillet coated with oil. Press down on the mixture with a spatula so that the patties are about 1/2 inch thick. Fry over medium heat until brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then turn and cook the second side.
• Serve with buns and burger fixings.

Things I'd Do Differently Next Time

I'd use a food processor to get the texture right. Even though I just chopped it all up really fine with a knife, it didn't alter the taste, and they were delicious. I'd make a whole batch of this and freeze the leftovers in pre-formed patties for later use. I might also try cooking the whole batch in a loaf pan, slicing it and freezing it to have individual patties that could be used for quick weeknight "burgers".

Cost to Prepare

1/2 cup brown rice (to make one cup cooked) - $.25

1 large onion - $.50

1 t. dried sage, 2 pinches dried thyme - negligible

1/2 pound mushrooms - $2.50 (for cremini in bulk)

1/2 cup cashews - $2.00

1/2 cup pecans - $1.50

tamari, salt, pepper - negligible

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese - $1.00

1 egg - $.50 (less if you buy conventional eggs)

1/2 cup bread crumbs - $.25

TOTAL - $8.50

This made enough for 2 burgers, plus filling for the Sweet and Sour Cabbage Parcels which I made later. If you used this just for veggie burgers it would make about 6 or 7 of them.