PANZANELLA with MOZZARELLA and HERBS

(adapted from Melissa Clark, NYT Cooking)

Very easy, pretty and tasty!  And excellent with roast or as salad by itself.

Yield 6 servings

Time: 45 minutes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 oz  ciabatta or baguette, preferably stale, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups) You can use dried unseasoned croutons too

6 TBS extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste

¾ tsp kosher sea salt, more to taste

2 pds very ripe tomatoes, preferably a mix of varieties and colors (colors are pretty!)

6 -8 oz fresh mozzarella, torn or cut into bite-size pieces

½ cup thinly sliced red onion, about half a small onion

2 garlic cloves, grated to a paste -then mix with vinegar (next ingredient)

2 TBS red wine vinegar, more to taste

1 TBP chopped fresh oreganoor thyme (or a combination)

 Large pinch red pepper flakes(optional)

½ tsp Dijon mustard (mix with vinegar or oil)

 Black pepper, to taste

3/4 cup thinly sliced Persian or Kirbycucumber, about 1-2 small cucumbers

½ cup torn basil leaves

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1-2 TBS capers, drained – sort of disappear, either use more or mash an anchovy or two

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 425 degrees (only for drying bread cubes, can do in toaster oven or used purchased).

1. Toss bread cubes with 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake until dried out and pale golden brown at the edges, about 7 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

2. Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces and transfer to large bowl. Add mozzarella, onions, garlic paste, 1 TSB vinegar, oregano or thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and red pepper flakes if using. Toss to coat and set aside.

3. In medium bowl, combine remaining 1 TBS vinegar, the mustard, 1/4 tsp salt and black pepper to taste. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle  remaining 4 TBS olive oil until mixture is thickened. Stir in cucumbers, basil and parsley. (let sit for a bit while cucumbers absorb flavors)

4. Add bread cubes, cucumber mixture and capers to the tomatoes and toss well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before serving. Toss with a little more olive oil, vinegar and salt if needed just before serving.

MIREPOIX

Helen Jackson - adventure cooking in Maine

 My first venture making mirepoix to put under some fish (Haddock) we were going to broil later.   Mirepoix can also be added to soups, stews, rice or other dish for flavor enhancement.

Prep time: 10 minutes for dicing
Utensils:  Saute pan, kitchen knife, cutting board

*Ingredients: 
2 parts onion, 
1 part celery
1 part carrot
 2 tsp butter or 2 tsp oil or combination of both. 

 Process:
 Dice all vegetables, melt butter/oil and saute until onion is translucent.  You can also saute a bit longer until vegetables begin to brown.  

*Note:  2 cups of raw ingredients equals 1 cup of cooked mirepoix.  Can be made ahead. Also, useful to have on hand.  A great way to prolong the life of your vegetables  if you need to use up some older ingredients. 

An Indoor Barbecue

We had a few friends over last night for a midsummer dinner party :)

As it turns out, our local liquor store had just started carrying Suze last month, so the "house cocktail" was the Black Currant Suze from Jennifer McLagan's Bitter.

The evening's sides were roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta and caramelized corn with fresh mint, the latter courtesy of a recent NYTimes cooking newsletter (for which thanks, Dad!). The Brussels sprouts were middling (I should consult a recipe next time) but the corn was phenomenal!

The main event was a flank steak, marinated in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and honey, and grilled for 6 minutes each side. It was great, but a lot of the marinade stuck to the grill, making it a chore to clean. Next time, we'll heed the advice of an old Cook's Illustrated to skip the marinade and try instead a spice rub or simply salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Not pictured: a preprandial Oregon pinot, a Napa cabernet (for the steak), and a little half-bottle of port, which paired nicely with the chocolate-covered figs our guests brought for dessert.

 

                                                 ROASTED CHICKEN PROVENCAL
                                                       (Adapted from NYT Sam Sifton)
 
            This easy and tasty recipe is great for any party or meal.  Doesn't require a
            lot of attention. Pairs well with rice, potatoes or any starch, and squash or 
            carrots and asparagus because of the essence of lemon that is in the chicken.
            Tastes great the next day too!

      Prep Time: 25 minutes
      Cook Time: 25-30 minutes plus more if a lot of chicken
      Utensils needed:  Large roasting pan or cast iron skillet, chef's knife, shallow pan or plate
      Serves : 4-6

     Ingredients
            4 chicken legs or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
            2 tsps kosher salt
            1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
            ½ to ¾ c. all-purpose flour
            3 Tbsps olive oil
            2 Tbsps herbes de Provence (see note below)
            1 lemon, quartered or cut in 8ths.  Go easy on the lemon, very strong flavor
            8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled, can add a lot more!
            4 to 6 medium-size shallots, peeled and halved, can add a lot more!
            ⅓ cup dry vermouth or white wine, more can be added during cooking if needed.
            4 sprigs of thyme, for serving
     Preparation
           1.Heat oven to 400 degrees or 425 if oven not accurate.
           2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 
           3. Put  flour in a shallow pan, lightly dredge chicken in it, shake to remove excess.
           4. Swirl oil in roasting pan/skillet, and place the floured chicken in it skin side up.
           5. Coat chicken with herbes de Provence. Arrange lemon, garlic and shallots              
               around chicken. Add vermouth or wine
           6. Put pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the juices. 
               Continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is very crisp and
                meat is cooked through.  If skin is not crisp, place under broiler for 1-2 minutes.
            7. Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with the thyme.

            NOTES
             Purchased 'Herbes de Provence' never seems to have enough aroma.              
              I prefer to create my own from a selection of dried or fresh herbs. Herbes de
              Provence is best made by combining several ingredients (can vary slightly). 
             The usual ingredients are usually dried and are as follows: 3 Tbsp thyme, 2 Tbsp,
             savory, 1Tbsp oregano, 3tsp rosemary, 2 tsp  marjoram. I substitute more of one 
              if I don't have enough of each and if using fresh herbs, double the quantity.  
             Even if doing only 1/2 the recipe, I use all of the herbs de Provence as it adds 
             so much flavor to the  sauce. 

Giblet Gravy

I return to this recipe year after year, doubling it for a Thanksgiving of any size. After all, there's never enough gravy!

ij

Doubled	Original Recipe
	1 turkey gizzard plus 1 turkey heart, about ¼ pound
	1 turkey liver, about ¼ pound
	wing tips, neck bones, neck meat
2 Tbsp.	1 tablespoon butter
3 cups	1½ cups finely chopped onions
4 tsp.	2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
½ tsp.	¼ teaspoon dried thyme
⅓ cup	3 tablespoons flour
6 cups	3 cups fresh or canned chicken broth
2 cups	1 cup water
2	1 bay leaf
	Salt to taste if desired
	Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tsp.	2 teaspoons tomato paste
	Kitchen Bouquet for color
1 cup	1. Cut away and discard outside tough membrane from the gizzard. Trim off end of the heart. Place gizzard and heart on a flat surface and chop finely with a heavy knife. There should be about ½ cup.
1 cup	2. Chop liver separately. There should be about ½ cup.
	3. Heat butter in heavy saucepan. When melted add onions and garlic. Cook until wilted (takes time).
	4. Add chopped gizzard, heart, liver, neck meat, and thyme. Cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. (gives off liquid)
	5. Sprinkle with flour, stirring to distribute evenly.
	6. Add broth, water, bay leaf, pepper and tomato paste and stir to blend. Let simmer, covered, over very low heat, stirring often and skimming surface of fat and scum as necessary, about 1½ hours or until reduced to about 3½ cups.
	7. Combine gravy with turkey basting juices from roasting pan as directed in recipe for roast stuffed turkey.
7 cups	Yield: About 3½ cups
	Craig Claiborne, The New York Times, http://snipurl.com/terrg [www_nytimes_com]
	Accessed 11/24/09; retyped with additions 11/25/14; corrected 4/26/16

Sauteed Cod with Greens

Wall Street Journal.  10.27.2012 

Great recipe!  Fast, not too expensive and really pretty!  Great for dinner party. 

Prep Time:  20 minutes
Cooking Time:  Greens, 5-6 minutes, fish 5-8 minutes.
Total time:  30 minutes
Serves: 4
Utensils needed: Colander (to rinse greens), large saute pan or deep skillet, Large deep pot chef's knife, a couple of small bowls. 

INGREDIENTS
 Vinaigrette:
1/4 c. olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce (low sodium if possible)
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger 
1 tsp plus a small shallot minced

Other:
6 Tbsp veg or olive oil
8 c. mustard or other greens, thoroughly rinsed, stems removed torn into rough pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (6 ounce) cod fillets (about 1 1/2 inches thick), or 2 pd fillet cut to size
salt and pepper

PROCESS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Make vinaigrette; Whisk olive oil together with lime juice,soy sauce, ginger and 1 tsp minced shallot until thoroughly combined.  Set aside. 
3. Make Greens: Heat 3 Tbsp oil in large deep cooking pot with shallot and garlic. Let cook a couple of minutes.  Watch so doesn't burn!    Wash greens thoroughly and dry slightly using colander or salad spinner.  Add greens to pot.  If using variety of greens, add tougher greens (like kale) first and let cook for a few minutes, then add more tender greens (mustard, dandelion, beet, etc).  Saute until greens start to dry a bit and are totally wilted (approx 5 minutes).  Set aside. You can chop greens smaller if they seem too large.
4. Make Fish: Set large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat.  Pat cod dry and lightly season with salt and pepper.  Pour remaining oil into pan, and once oil begins to shimmer, lay fillets, flat-sides down, into pan.  Once crust forms on underside of cod, (approx 5 minutes) transfer pan to oven.  Roast until fish turns white all the way through (about 4 minutes).  Remove pan from oven and gently flip fillets (optional). Return pan to oven and roast fish 1 minute more. 

Serve by dividing greens among four plates.  Top greens with cod fillets.  Whisk vinaigrette once more and spoon it around greens.  Serve immediately. 

NOTES: 
Vinaigrette and greens can be made a day ahead, esp vinaigrette. Use microplane or small grater for ginger. 
 Greens take time to rinse, pick over and tear up. Best to do in a sink full of water as many are quite sandy!.  Remove stems and chop with knife either before or after cooking if you don't have time to manually tear into pieces.  Allow about 15minutes for prep time.  Also, greens will cook down by 50 % so make sure you have a big pan!
Haddock can be used as well as cod. Maybe bluefish too or any firm fleshed fish.
This dish is really pretty and can be served with roast asparagus (4-5 minutes at 450 degrees in toaster oven) and broiled cocktail tomatoes (2-3 minutes at 450 degrees in toaster oven).  

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

(adapted from Melissa Clark, NYT)

This soup is easy and excellent. Can be served at any temperature. Great soup for a large party. Other vegetables such as broccoli, kale (any dark green), tomatoes, or rabe can be added, as well as cooked chicken, sausage or ham. These should be added at the end or at the table.  For a party, it can be nice to have a selection.  A swirl of yogurt at the end is nice too.

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cook Time:  30-40 minutes

Yield: 3-4 servings

Utensils needed:  Chef’s knife, cutting board, measuring spoons and cups, 2 quart or larger soup pot

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
• 1 large onion, chopped (size of your fist or larger)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons cumin seed (za’atar is a good substitute or add 2 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsps black mustard seed, and 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp minced fresh ginger for added flavor bomb)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste (pimenton is good too)
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup red lentils
• *1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste (sumac is good also)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley 
• Garlic-rubbed croutons (optional -but great!)

 *more veg is good too: I used 2 cups carrots, parsnips and/or turnip.  For extra flavor, dice veg and roast them for 15 min at 450 degrees.

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, (ginger,coriander, mustard seed, turmeric if using) cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, lentils and vegs. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. (OPTIONAL) Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot.   Soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro/parsley. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired

NOTES:  Add water if soup is too thick.  Sumac can be added instead of lemon for mellowness.  Pimenton dulce can be used instead of cayenne for a more gentle taste.  It is not necessary to blend soup.  It isn’t very chunky and has a nice texture as it is.  
Great with garlic rubbed croutons!