todays-blog-and-recipes

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:05:53 +0100

(from LottieandDoof.com)

Crust:

1 5-ounce package shortbread cookies

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Filling:

2 pounds strawberries, hulled

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 teaspoons)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pulse cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs, add sugar and butter and pulse until combined. Carefully press crumb mixture into 9-inch pie pan. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Select 15 large strawberries as close to same size as possible and set aside. Cut remaining strawberries into 1/4-inch dice and toss with sugar and lemon juice. Let stand, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Drain berries in a sieve set into a large glass measuring cup. Add enough water to make 2 cups. Transfer to a medium saucepan and set berries aside.

Sprinkle gelatin over strawberry liquid and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Add diced berries and then transfer to a metal bowl set into an ice bath and stir frequently until mixture begins to mound, this could take anywhere from 20 to 50 minutes. (I ended up putting bowl in fridge after 30 minutes in ice bath and waited like 50 minutes before it started to set up)

Spoon 1/2 cup of filling into pie crust and arranged reserved whole berries, stem side down, on top of filling. Spoon remaining filling over and between berries. Chill pie until filling is set, at least 4 hours.

Roasted Whole Chicken

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:58:24 +0100

4 oz. good butter at room temperature

1 4-lb. free-range chicken

Salt and pepper

1 lemon

Several sprigs of thyme or tarragon, or a mixture of

the two

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Smear the butter with your hands all over the bird. Put the chicken in a roasting pan that will

accommodate it with room to spare. Season liberally with salt and pepper and squeeze over with the juice of the lemon.

2. Put the herbs and garlic inside the cavity, together with the squeezed-out lemon halves—this will add a fragrant

lemony flavor to the finished dish.

3. Roast the chicken in the oven for 10–15 minutes. Baste, then turn the oven temperature down to 375° and roast for a

further 30–45 minutes with further occasional basting. The bird should be golden brown all over with a crisp skin and

have buttery, lemony juices of a nut-brown color in the bottom of the pan. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Sauteed Collard Greens

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:56:48 +0100

3 large bunches washed collard greens
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 minced peeled garlic cloves
1 chicken flavored bouillon cube
freshly ground white pepper
1. Trim stems from 3 large bunches washed collard greens. Stack leaves, roll together lengthwise into a tight bundle, and
cut crosswise into strips about 1" thick. Cook greens in a large pot of boiling water until just tender yet still bright green,
3–5 minutes.
2. Drain and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. butter together in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add 2
minced peeled garlic cloves and 1 chicken-flavored bouillon cube and cook, mashing cube with back of a spoon, until
garlic is soft, 1–2 minutes. Add greens and cook, stirring to coat well, for 3–5 minutes. Season to taste with freshly ground
white pepper.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:52:58 +0100

Adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

1 pound Penne pasta

1 whole, free range broiler chicken*

Salt And Pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4 cloves Garlic, Minced*

¾ cups Dry White Wine

¾ cups Low-sodium Broth, More If Needed

1 bag Baby Spinach*

2 cups Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise*

4 ounces, weight Parmesan Cheese, Shaved With Vegetable PeelerPreparation Instructions

* From Murray Hill Farm

Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.

Cut chicken into chunks and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Heat butter and olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken chunks in a single layer and do not stir for a minute or two in order to allow the chicken to brown on the first side. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side. Cook until done, then remove chicken from the skillet.

Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and quickly stir to avoid burning. After about 30 seconds, pour in wine and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until it’s reduced by at least half (most of the surface of the liquid should be bubbling at this point.)

Turn off the heat. Add spinach, tomatoes, chicken, and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine; the spinach will wilt as you toss everything. Add plenty of Parmesan shavings and toss to combine. Serve with extra Parmesan shavings.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:38:53 +0100

2 lbs asparagus, trimmed of woody stem bottoms

1 large yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped)

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

Leaves of 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp dry vermouth

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Cut tips from the asparagus 1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish. Chop the remaining asparagus stalks into 1/4-inch rounds.

Melt the butter in a 4 to 5 quart pot on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus (not the spear tips) to the onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook another 5 minutes.

Add the broth, water, and thyme to the pot. Increase the heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, until the asparagus are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. At the end of cooking, stir in the chopped parsley.

While the soup is cooking, blanche the asparagus tips in a small pot of boiling, salted water (about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water), until the tips are just tender, about 2-4 minutes, depending on the size of the asparagus. Drain. Rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. (If you use an upright blender, work in small batches, fill no more than a third the blender bowl at a time, and hold down the lid while blending.) For a creamy texture, if you want, press the puréed soup through a sieve or food mill. Stir in the cream. Stir in the vermouth and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with asparagus tips.

Yield: Serves 4-6. Adapted from Simply Recipes.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:35:07 +0100

adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients
1 lb. spaghetti
8 slices bacon cut 1 inch thick crosswise
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
1/2 cup half-and-half

Directions

Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside.
Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly, add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

Couscous Tabouli Salad

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:57:59 +0100

Adapted from SparkPeople.com

Ingredients
1/2 cup boiling water

1 1/4 cups dry couscous
   4 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
   1 clove garlic minced
1/2 medium red or green pepper, diced (I used frozen from last summer)
1/4 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium cucumber diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

(note: add tomato when in season)

Directions
Mix dry couscous with boiling water, add olive oil and lemon juice. Stir thoroughly, then cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Perfect time for dicing all those veg. Fluff the couscous then add in all veg & herbs. Toss together with lemon juice, then salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Fluff again prior to serving.

Garnish with feta cheese and black olives

Asparagus Frittata

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:36:36 +0100

adapted from Fresh Vegetarian

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

heaping tablespoon finely chopped shallot

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

big pinch salt

handful of thin asparagus

drizzle olive oil

big squeeze fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with two strips of parchment paper, cut to size. In a medium bowl, scramble the eggs with the milk, goat cheese, shallot, mustard and salt. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared baking pan, tug up the sides of the parchment paper if necessary, and carefully slide it onto the middle rack of the oven. Bake for ten minutes. While the eggs are baking, rinse the asparagus and pat dry. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus; they should be shorter than 9 inches in length. Toss the asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil, a big squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper, and set aside. After ten minutes have passed, remove the egg dish from the oven and place the asparagus, one by one, on top in a neat row. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes. The center should be springy to the touch when it's done. Let the frittata rest for a few minutes, then slide a knife around the edges of the pan (paying special attention to the corners) and use both hands to lift the frittata out and onto a flat surface. Use a sharp chef's knife to slice it in three columns, in between the strips of asparagus. Then use a gentle see-saw motion to slice down the middle, through the asparagus. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Bibb and Arugula Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:32:19 +0100

Featuring items from MHF CSA

Adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

1/2 cup unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

*1 tablespoon honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

*1 large head of butter or Bibb lettuce, torn into 1-inch pieces, to yield 4 cups

*4 cups arugula

Optional 3/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds, toasted (see Cook's Note)

Directions

For the vinaigrette: Place the raspberries, olive oil, lemon juice, and honey in a blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. In a large salad bowl, mix together the lettuce, arugula, and pumpkin seeds. Just before serving, add the vinaigrette and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Cook's Note: To toast the pumpkin seeds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.

Mayonnaise

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:47:04 +0100

Since we don't often use mayonnaise, making our own makes so much sense. For added flavor, try the Basil Mayo below. Recipe courtesy Alton Brown of Food Network

Ingredients

1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 pinches sugar
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup oil, safflower or corn

Directions

In a glass bowl, whisk together egg yolk and dry ingredients. Combine lemon juice and vinegar in a separate bowl then thoroughly whisk half into the yolk mixture. Start whisking briskly, then start adding the oil a few drops at a time until the liquid seems to thicken and lighten a bit, (which means you've got an emulsion on your hands). Once you reach that point you can relax your arm a little (but just a little) and increase the oil flow to a constant (albeit thin) stream. Once half of the oil is in add the rest of the lemon juice mixture.

Continue whisking until all of the oil is incorporated. Leave at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours then refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Basil Mayonnaise Adapted from Old Fashioned Living.com

This wonderful mayonnaise can be used for burgers, sandwiches, or to coat chicken before roasting.

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Blend in food processor or blender until smooth.