- Lettuce
- Broccoli or cabbage
- Tomatoes
- Green peppers
- Hot peppers
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Basil (the whole plant this time!!)
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- Beans (big long ones are “Fortex” these are the very best! And shorter ones are a variety)
- Eggplant
- Onions
- Plums (sorry you will have to pick them, ran out of time
This week Juvencio and I head off to Alaska. We are down to the wire as usual. I am busy stuffing a cooler full of meat and veggies and a few canned goods for Jacob. We managed to get the fall broccoli and cauliflower planted, I will try and seed radishes for the canning party as we race out of town. Enjoy your week and follow our adventures if you are so inclined on Instagram at: lyn_c_jacobs, juve66 and la_finquita_del_buho.
Here are some great recipes to use this week!
Ottolenghi’s Pasta and Fried eggplant Salad
Good hot, warm or cold. It says salad in the title but it’s basically a pasta dish.
Ingredients
4 servings
- Salt and Black Pepper
- 2/3 cup sunflower oil
- 3 medium eggplant cut in 1/4 inch slices (slightly diagonal)
- 1 1/2 tbsps red wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup edamame beans or peas (frozen)
- 2 cups basil leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 9 oz pasta (penne or strozzapreti)
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 1/2 tbsps capers
- 7 oz buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks
Steps
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- While you’re waiting, in a medium saucepan or skillet, heat sunflower oil over medium-high heat. Fry zucchini slices in batches for about 3 to 4 minutes, flipping once, until golden on both sides. [If your zucchini isn’t browning right away, bump up the heat until it does in just a few minutes.] Drain in colander, shaking with a couple pinches of salt, then transfer to a large bowl and pour vinegar on top. Set aside.
- In the hot water, cook edamame for 3 minutes, frozen peas for 3 to 4 minutes, or fresh peas for 1 to 2 minutes (to taste). Drain and run cool water over until lukewarm. Set aside to dry. Leave pot boiling, then cook pasta until al dente in it. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Combine half of basil and all of the parsley and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, then season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer pasta back to empty pot. Add fried zucchini and any juices, basil-parsley oil, edamame or peas, lemon zest, capers and mozzarella. Stir gently together, then season generously with salt and pepper. Right before you serve it, stir in remaining basil leaves.
Alberto’s Ratatouille
This recipe calls for about everything that is in season now. It is delicious by itself, cold temperature or warm, with a baguette or so, or with scrambled eggs. It is originally from Murcia, the “Farm of Spain.” It is similar to ratatouilles, but better.
The trick is to cook the ingredients separately first so cooking is even and right.
INGREDIENTS
2 small zucchinis
1 small eggplant or 1 big, in essence, equal amount of zucchini and eggplant
1 large clove of garlic
1/2 large sweet onion
1 whole red pepper
1 whole green pepper
A little bit of chopped parsley
1/2 can whole San manzano tomatoes (or about 5 VERY well ripened tomatoes, peeled, no seeds). I prefer the San Manzano for consistency
salt
pepper
a tiny bit of “Pimenton de la vera” (Spice, you can find it in New Seasons or so)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 anchovy filet chopped very fine
HOW TO
1. Chop the eggplant and the zucchini and add salt, let it be. Chop them in very small size bites.
2. Chop everything except for tomatoes and garlic, very small bite size.
3. In a tall pot, begin sautéing onion at medium-low heat until soft, put a little salt and pepper at beginning. use a ton of olive oil, about 1/2 cup or more
4. When is almost ready, add garlic (chopped finely) and cook for another min and lower heat a bit
5. Remove and save in a large bowl, careful to leave oil on pan. Don’t add any oil on subsequent steps
6. Sauté peppers on same oil at medium-high heat until they get color and a little char. Take out to the bowl
7. Sauté now the zucchini and eggplant, same thing, don’t add oil, let them cook for about 3min, until soft, then to the bowl
8. Chop the tomatoes loosely, save the juices from the chopping, and add them with the sugar, a little salt and the tiny amount of pimenton de la vera, about 1/2 teaspoon. Add the chopped anchovy, Cook for about 5min
9. Add all ingredients back to the pot and lower the heat some. Let it cook until the tomatoes juices are almost gone. remove and put on bowl and add parsley, just a little, about 1 tablespoon
10. Try salt and correct as needed.
11. let it cool down completely then put on refrigerator
12. Let be in refrigerator at least 4h
Sesame Parsley Salad Dressing
adapted from Renee’s
Garden
1 stalk green garlic or 1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in blender. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt to taste.
Sherry Vinaigrette
adapted from Mediterranean Fresh, by Joyce Goldstein
¼ cup sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
S & P to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Thyme, Rosemary, and Wine Vinegar Dressing
adapted from: Cooking with Friends, by Trish Deseine and Marie-Pierre
Morel
1 cup olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
Blend the thyme and rosemary leaves in a food processor or crush them with a mortar and pestle. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and combine with a whisk.
Shallot Salad Dressing
1 spring shallot, cleaned and chopped, include most of the light green part
1/3 cup (or to taste) vinegar: we use champagne or sherry vingear
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
S & P to taste
3/4 cup best olive oil
Whirl everything in a blender or food processor. I use an immersion blender for this with the ‘jar’ that came with it: any jar will do. Super easy! You control the quality of the ingredients! enjoy.
Julia’s Favorite Daily Dressing
Into a mini blender jar (or small canning jar, they work with most American blenders), put in equal parts vinegar (balsamic or rice or sherry or?) or lemon juice, and olive oil. With S & P you’ve got dressing. Extras I like to add to this dressing: 1 roughly minced, peeled garlic clove, a small dollop of fancy mustard, and a small dollop of jam. Screw blender bottom onto the jar, then insert into the blender and whirl. You’ve got dressing! The variations are endless….
Low-Fat Blue Cheese Dressing
adapted from Cook’s Country
makes about 1 cup 8 servings
Use a great pungent cheese
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup reduced fat mayo
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tablespoons water
1 clove garlic, grated (try a microplane!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.
Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette
2 small shallots
2 Tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra‑virgin olive oil
Peel and dice the shallots very fine. Put them in a small bowl with the
vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. Stir and let the mixture sit for 10 to
30 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil. Makes about 3/4 cup.
Low-Fat Ranch Dressing
adapted from Cook’s Country
makes about 1 cup 8 servings
1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup reduced fat mayo
1 Tablespoons water or buttermilk
1 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated (try a microplane for this job)
1 Tablespoon minced chives
1 Tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne pepper
Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.
Tahini Dressing from Salad by Amy Nathan
1/2 Cup safflower oil
1/2 pound soft tofu
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
generous 1/4 cup tahini (julia says: use toasted for a richer flavor)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 scallion, chopped
2 Tablespoons tamari (soy sauce)
3/8 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. (Julia says: I like to use my immersion blender in a tall jar). Adjust the thickness to your liking by adding water. This stores well if covered.
Tahini Dressing
Adapted from The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin by Shopsin and
Carreno
1 cup tahini
3 Tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
¼ teaspoon sugar
Combine everything with 2 cups of water in a blender and blend until smooth.
Green Garlic Dressing
1-3 stalks roughly chopped green garlic, tough end leaves discarded
1/3 cup rice vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon honey or jam
1/3 cup olive oil
S & P
Whirl all in a blender. Can be used as a salad dressing or marinade.
Lime Dill Dressing
from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Renee Shepherd and Fran Raboff
2 T lime juice 1 T vinegar
1/2 t sugar 1/2 t dry mustard
2 T chopped dill 1 T mayonnaise
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together except oil. When thoroughly blended whisk in the
oil.
GREEK BASIL DRESSING
Shepherd’s Garden Seeds Catalog
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot or 1 green onion, cut in thirds
6 Greek olives, pitted
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest (yellow part only)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 sm. tomato, quartered
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
freshly ground pepper
Blend all ingredients except last three (garlic through basil). Add
olive oil gradually, processing until combined. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Toss with salad greens. Makes 2/3 cup.
Winter Herb Vinaigrette
from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by D. Madison
Use it also with steamed or roasted winter vegetables. Makes about ½ cup.
1 garlic clove
Salt
1/4 tsp. black peppercorns
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
½ tsp. dried tarragon
½ cup chopped parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbs. capers, rinsed
1 large shallot, finely diced, or 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, including a
little of the green
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. champagne vinegar or tarragon vinegar
In large mortar, mash the garlic with 1/4 tsp. salt, the pepper, fennel, tarragon and 2 Tbs. of the parsley to make a smooth paste. Add the lemon zest, capers, shallot, oil, and remaining parsley; let stand for 30 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, taste for salt, and add more vinegar if needed for balance.
Dijon Vinaigrette
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
2 T each plain non-fat yogurt, lemon juice and red wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, parsley, etc. or a mixture or dried,
but use less if using dried.
Combine in a blender at medium-high speed. Chill overnight before serving.
From : Chef Andrew Cohen
Honey Mustard Cilantro Dressing
1C cilantro stems
1/4 C water
1/4 lime juice(or lime/lemon or lemon)
1/4 C honey
1/4 dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 small clove of garlic peeled(optional)
Puree in blender til smooth, then through opening in top add olive oil slowly
until the hole at the center of the dressing disappears. This is usually the
proper amount of oil for a properly emulsified vinaigrette.
Options: use some cayenne powder to heat it up. Use 3:1 basil to flat leaf
parsley instead of cilantro and use red wine vinegar instead of citrus juice.
Candied pecans to add to your green salad from: Chef Andrew
Cohen
Spray sheet of foil with nonstick spray (if you have a Silpat cookie sheet liner, it’s perfect for this). Stir 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar over medium heat until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes. Mix in 1 cup pecans. Stir until nuts are toasted and syrup coats nuts evenly, about 7 minutes. Turn nuts out onto prepared foil. Using fork, separate nuts and cool completely (coating will harden).
Orange Balsamic Dressing
3/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons grated orange peel 1 to 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon
ground cumin 1/2 cup olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste . Place
the orange juice, vinegar, peel and cumin in a blender. Blend for a few
seconds. While the motor is running, slowly add the oil in a small stream until
mixture is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups dressing.
Rice Vinegar, on it’s own, makes a great salad dressing.
Julia’s Easy Blue Cheese Dressing
1/4 cup light sourcream
1/4 cup mayo
a couple of ounces crumbled blue cheese
salt and
lots of pepper
a bit of finely chopped parsley
finely chopped red onion
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
Mix all of the above ingredients, then thin with buttermilk or milk.
Raspberry Salad Dressing
(The Summer Book by Susan Branch)
1/2 C salad oil
3T raspberry vinegar
1T raspberry jam
1T minced green onions
1/2T Dijon mustard
a few fresh raspberries
Whisk all together-great on fresh spinach.
Makes 1 Cup
Magic Garlic Cream
(The Summer Book by Susan Branch)
1/2C milk
1/2C sour cream
2t olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
2T cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all together in order given. Makes 1 Cup