Posts filed under 'In Season'
This winter has been a strange brew of warm sunny days mixed with some serious wind and a generous dose of cold rain. What ain’t we got? We ain’t got snow (Sung to the same tune as There is Nothing like a Dame from South Paciifc).
In the winter, one can only eat so much oatmeal. So when you are tired of dreary mornings and warm cereal, start off with a bright fruit plate made of sliced bananas, kiwi and oranges (with a few almonds tossed in for good measure).
Maverick has enthusiastically jumped onto the kiwi bandwagon. I sliced up 4 kiwis for him and a friend the other day. Before I blinked, the entire plate was devoured. I would venture to say that he loves kiwi as much as Lollie loves pomegranates.
The time to enjoy California kiwi is November to May. At roughly 50 calories each, kiwis are very nutrient dense. One kiwi delivers about as much vitamin C as an orange in addition to Vitamn K and E. All those little seeds equal 2 1/2 grams of fiber, 10% of the RDA.
For youger children, I like to peel and slice kiwi. For solo snacking, I simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the middle with a spoon.
Maverick’s Strawberry Kiwi Milkshake adapted from All Recipes
Serves 2
1 banana, sliced
6 frozen strawberries (or 1 cup frozen raspberies)
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream (or frozen yogurt)
1 kiwi, peeled and roughly chopped
1/3 cup milk
Add everything to a blender and process until smooth.
March 6th, 2010
My brother-in-law, Jock, introduced me to this recipe over a year ago. It wasn’t until Mo and I were at the Shapiro’s holiday party for the Communications Strategy Group, that I too fell in love with this wonderful lasagne. Steven’s wife Tracey throws the best holiday party. She used the Denver based caterer Kristen Hanson. Everything was delicious but no one could stop talking about the lasagne.
When I got home I quickly checked my Everyday Italian book but it wasn’t there, however it is on the Food Network’s site. Michael Chiarello had one posted there too, but his is a little more complex. Giada’s features crumbled amaretti cookies, which makes this dish unique. I made a few alterations which included adding mushrooms and caramelized onions and removing the basil just because I didn’t have any. For Giada’s recipe click here.
I followed her recipe exactly except for a few things. I used whole wheat flour for my bechamel sauce (white sauce) as this gives it a nutty flavor. Additionally I added:
1 lb. sliced Shitake mushrooms, sauteed with 2 chopped garlic cloves and 1/4 tsp. dried thyme.
3 onions, sliced and caramelized (You can use Kimberly’s slow cooker method featured on the French Onion Soup or use Tracey’s method in her Israeli Couscous)
I layered the mushrooms and onions together between sheets of fresh pasta. Giadia uses the no-boil variety. I think making it with fresh is better but if you’re pressed for time use the no boil sheets.
My layers were as follows:
Bechamel, lasagne sheet, butternut squash puree and cheeses, lasgane sheet, bechamel, mushrooms, onions, and parmesan cheese, lasagne sheet, butternut squash and cheeses, final lasagne sheet and bechamel and cheese. So the 3 layers were 2 butternut squash and one onion and mushroom. Delicious!
Being pressed for time one night, I used the frozen butternut squash. I defrosted sauteed it with 1 diced yellow onion it then pureed it in the food processor with the basil and ameretti cookies which shaved off a bit of time. I know there is even canned butternut now so that might be another way to try it, either way, this recipe is really good.I served it with some grilled asparagus. It’s light, delicate, yet flavorful. Perfect with a glass of white wine.
PS from Kimberly: Stay tuned for Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagne, the pictures have not made it out of the camera yet. Clearly lasagne is perfect fare for cold winter nights.
February 1st, 2010
The scene in It’s Complicated where Meryl Streep makes Pain au Chocolat with Steve Martin reminded me how much fun it is to cook with puff pasrty.
This onion tart is a really easy and delicious; it goes well with any meat, with soup or alongside salad. It could also be cut into thin slices and served as an hors d’oeuvres. I love recipes that lend themselves to versatility. Serve this tart with a German reisling or Alsastian white.
Made like a tarte tatin, but savory, this tart will forever be in my repetoire. I don’t make my own puff pasty because I think DuFour makes a very good one. I found mine at Whole Foods but you can check their website for other locations. If you love puff pastry then you will also love Martha Holmberg’s book called Puff. I will post some fantastic things to do with Dufour’s over the next few months.
Onion and Potato Tart
Makes one 12-inch tart
.jpg)
Upside down tart baking. Flip it and serve.
8 Tbsp. butter
2 medium yellow onions, sliced thinly
6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch think pieces
Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme, or a bit less dried thyme
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese ( or cheese of your choice) as garnish
1 sheet puff pastry
Preheat oven to 400.
In a 12-inch skillet that is ovenproof, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and potatoes, season with salt and pepper and thyme and stir to coat well. Cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, roll out the puff into 12 inch circle about 1/8 of an inch thick. Prick holes all over the top. Turn off the flame and place the pastry on top of the potato/onion mixture. Pat it down and place it into the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove it from the oven and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. Place a large plate over the top of the pan and carefully invert the tart on to the plate. Slice tart into 6 wedges and serve.
January 22nd, 2010
My friends Sam and Christine hate brussel sprouts. I was able to convert them this past holiday with my newest rendition of Brussel Sprouts Almondine.
I usually chiffonade the sprouts but two Boulder restaurants (Happy Noodle and Arugula Ristorante) introduced me to the painstakingly time consuming but oh-so-worth-it technique of pulling the leaves off and cooking them quickly. The result is delicious, tender greens with a yummy crunch. If you happen to have small children at home, pulling the leaves off of the brussel sprouts is a great job for them.
Brussel Sprouts Almondine
4 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 medium leek or 1 small onion, diced
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Zest of half a lemon
1 (1-lb.) bag brussel sprouts, end trimmed and each leaf pulled
1 cup Marcona Almonds (slivered almonds can be substituted)
1/4 cup Heavy Cream (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon (optional - if you are not using the heavy cream)
Maldon Smoked Sea Salt and Pepper (regular sea salt is fine too)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
Heat the butter over medium heat and add the leeks and cook until soft. Add the thyme and lemon zest and increase heat to high.
Add the sprout leaves and mix to coat well. Add the almonds and mix well. Add the cream or the lemon juice and cover for a minute or two.
Remove lid. Season with salt, pepper and the crushed red pepper. Toss once again then serve.
January 2nd, 2010
‘Tis the season for citrus and we were very lucky to receive a largebox of what I thought were tangelos, but as I got to researching this post, I realized that the fruit we juiced and subsequently turned into sobert was probably not tangelos but some sort of oranges.
Regardless of the citrus variety, the gift was truly appreciated (thank you Jen & Greg) plus Vincenzo had so much fun using the automatic juicer. We loved the fresh juice. Lollie deemed it "super delicious."
Being a big fan of all things sorbet, I couldn’t think of a better plan than some homemade sorbet - What a lovely way to brighten a dreary, December day, what a perfect thing to plop into a glass of prosecco for holiday entertaining.
The freshly squeezed juice produces a supreme sorbet, but if you were really strapped for time, high quality, minimally processed juice could be substituted.
Orange Sorbet
Yields about 4 cups of finished sorbet
3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (or tangerine)
2 tsp. lemon juice
2/3 cup of sugar, or up to 3/4 cup sugar if you like a sweeter sorbet
1/2 tsp. orange zest
pinch of salt
Mix all of the ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Whisk before processing to ensure the sugar is dissolved. Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer instructions. Serve immediately or transfer sorbet to a freezer-safe container and freeze until it’s time for dessert.
Alternatively, if you are planning to use this in a cocktail or punch, you could simply freeze the sorbet mixure in ice cube trays and add a cube to each champagne glass before adding the sparking wine - Move over mimosa! There’s a new gal in town.
December 22nd, 2009
My newlywed neighbors have started a hand-crafted pasta company. I was lucky enough to sample some roasted delicata and kuri squash ravioli. It was ravioli nirvana, I am still having dreams about the toothsome pasta wrapped around a dreamy, yet rich, squash filling perfectly rounded by a touch of marscarpone.
I was very curious about the kuri squash as I had never heard of it. When questioned, Tim, the pasta maker extraordinaire, explained that kuri squash tastes like you think fresh pumpkin should taste only better. His definition combined with his deft hand in the kitchen was spot on. Once I started researching this post, I realized that I had seen kuri squash at the farmer’s market, I had just never inquired.
I found lots of kuri squash topics in blog land, check out:
Plant Whatever Brings You Joy
Gratin of Red Kuri Squash, Boston Globe
Baked Kuri Squash and Maple Apple Pudding from Just Hungry
Red Kuri Squash Soup with Spiced Pepitas from Denise Dishes
November 23rd, 2009
Previous Posts
