Parmesan-Zucchini Tots

The grand plan this summer was, since it's so popular here, to grow our own zucchini.  I bought a few seedlings and ... well, they're not progressing quite as well as I'd hoped.  Paying more attention to them probably would help.  In the meantime, there are some great local farmers markets and farm stands to keep us going.  I've found via Pinterest a bunch of zucchini recipes I want to try, including this one, for zucchini tots.  These are crispy little mini muffins made with grated zucchini, cheese, bread crumbs, onion and egg.  They're super simple to make--and eat.  I used parmesan today, but I  think they'd also be really good with smoked gouda or an aged goat cheese.  Also, you'll probably want to double this recipe--I did, because 12 little bites just wasn't going to be enough.

Penne with Four Cheeses

Comfort is ... pasta baked with four creamy cheeses (Vermont cheddar, Cambazola, smoked Gouda, and Leerdaamer.) - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sandwich Perfection

This is not just a sandwich. This is apples, d'Affinois, bacon, and avocado. Crunchy, sweet, creamy, salty, and smooth.  On challah, no less.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Gnocchi with a Fontina-Basil Sauce

It's hard to tell from this picture just how delicious these gnocchi are. Gnocchi are very popular around here, and there are some--one, at least--who would say they're fine plain, too. I, however, wanted a little something more and found this simple sauce that tastes like you really had to slave over a hot stove to make.

Fontina Sauce
(enough for 1 lb gnocchi)

2 Tbs butter
2-3 Tbs shallots, finely chopped
6-8 oz Fontina, cubed
1/3 c heavy cream
3 Tbs parmesan
2-3 Tbs fresh basil, chopped
Black pepper

Sauté the shallots in the butter til tender. Then add the cream and let cook til the mixture is almost boiling. Stir in the parmesan, basil and pepper and pour over the cooked gnocchi.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Grilled Corn Cakes

These corn cakes made an easy and different weekend lunch. Usually lunch is a pickup affair, often leftovers or just a sandwich. For this recipe we used frozen corn, which is actually what was called for in the recipe, but I bet it's even better with fresh corn. The corn is put into the food processor to break it up a bit, and then it's mixed with smoked mozzarella, breadcrumbs, sour cream, chives, and other seasonings. After being shaped into burgers, they're chilled for thirty minutes, rolled in breadcrumbs and then grilled til golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Oven-Baked Parmesan Fries

Potatoes and cheese go together like, well, peanut butter and chocolate. Making these fries took a little more effort than sticking a Hershey bar in a jar of Skippy, but they were definitely worth it. I soaked the potatoes in cold water to remove some of the starch, parboiled and dried them, and then baked them in a hot oven with just a drizzle of olive oil. When they started getting brown, I sprinkled them with Parmesan and let them bake a little longer. Once out of the oven, I tossed them with more cheese, a little sea salt and some Italian seasoning.

Cinco de Mayo

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I put together a taco bar for dinner tonight. Warm cornmeal tortillas were topped with pulled chicken, black beans, fresh guacamole, crumbled queso fresco, chipotle cream, grated carrots, cilantro, and peach-mango salsa. I also made a grilled corn-red cabbage slaw that added more crunch and flavor.


Dessert was fresh, local strawberries dipped in sour cream and then brown sugar. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spinach and Feta Mini Quiches in Phyllo

Quiche is pretty straightforward--a few eggs, milk, seasonings and some kind of filling. Making the crust, however, takes a little more effort. Phyllo dough is a nice solution--and it's lighter as well. I layered four sheets of phyllo, lightly brushed with olive oil in between, and then sliced the stack into six pieces. Each sixth was pressed into a greased muffin tin cup, repeating with more phyllo as needed, and then filled with the custard mixture and baked.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Muffaletta

It's been pretty warm here recently. And while we're nowhere near New Orleans, a no-cook muffaletta sandwich sounded like just the right thing tonight. On a loaf of ciabatta that had been split in half, I spread a mixture of ground olives, a little smoked paprika aioli, French jambon, muenster and mozzarella cheeses, and roasted red and yellow peppers. All of this was weighted down in the fridge for several hours, and then sliced up into several big, delicious wedges.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spinach and Three-Cheese Soufflé

I keep saying this because it's true: soufflés are a lot easier to make than they seem, and they're always a big hit. Even if your soufflé doesn't rise sky-high, if you put sufficient flavor in the base, it will still taste good. But you can protect against low rising by adding an extra egg white, giving the beaten whites just a little more volume. For this soufflé, I lightly steamed some baby spinach--and I could have used a lot more, but I only had about a cup or two raw--and then squeezed it dry and chopped it fine. For the cheeses, I grated Parmesan, Gouda, and a goat Brie--but you can use what you like.


Alongside this, we had steamed asparagus with toasted hazelnuts


And a mixed berry salad



 Spinach and Three-Cheese Souffle

10 eggs, separated (you'll need 10 whites and 8 yolks)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 Tbs unsalted butter
6 Tbs flour
2 c hot milk
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 bag baby spinach (steamed, squeezed dry, and chopped fine, or you can use frozen)
2 c grated cheese (use whatever combination you like)

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Butter a large souffle dish well, and then coat with grated cheese (like you would with flour for a cake.)

1. Start by making the white sauce: melt the butter, then add in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.  Then add the hot milk and whisk til it's smooth and thickened.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

2. Off the heat, add the egg yolks, one or two at a time, and whisking them in quickly so they don't scramble. Then add the chopped spinach and cheese and mix well.  Pour this mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, starting slowly and working your way up to high speed.  Beat til the egg whites are stiff but not dry.

4. Whisk about one quarter of the egg whites into the sauce mixture.  Then, carefully fold the rest of the whites into that mixture, til it's well blended (a few little bits of white are ok, better to keep the volume.)

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dish.  Carefully put this into the oven, and turn the heat down to  375 degrees.  Bake for 25-30 min.--and don't open the oven til it's about done, browned on top and not too jiggly.  If it seems not quite ready, cook for a few minutes more, but it will continue cooking even out of the oven, too.  Serve immediately.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday Brunch

Yesterday was rainy--really rainy--but we were cozy inside with good friends and warm food. The night before I put together a big strata, with layers of bread, cheese, onions and peppers and then soaked in a mixture of milk and eggs. This was refrigerated and then popped into the oven about an hour before everyone arrived. It came out puffed up and golden, a savory, delicious sort of bread pudding.


I also made a coffee cake that included lots of fresh ginger and was swirled with crunchy pecans and brown sugar.





We also had a big berry salad--blueberries, raspberries and strawberries--a couple of different cheeses, and, of course, lots of coffee.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Linguine Carbonara

We had all sorts of grand plans for dinner last night--and watching cooking shows only added more ideas. However, it was a Friday evening, after a long week, and I had no desire to tackle a grocery store. When in doubt, pasta, right? Except that I didn't want plain pasta with things just added on top. The basic carbonara sauce isn't as heavy as some restaurants would have you think. There's no cream, and only two eggs for an entire pound of pasta. Bacon and cheese are featured, but it's all about balance, right? It's quick, easy, uses ingredients you probably already have, and, done right, is so very satisfying.
Pasta Carbonara
(four generous servings)

1 lb pasta (any shape works, but something that will hold the sauce is good)
1 c grated parmesan
2 eggs
12-16 oz bacon
olive oil (opt.)
freshly ground pepper 
parsley

1. Bring a large, salted, pot of water to a rolling boil and cook til done.  Just before the pasta is done, set aside up to a cup of the pasta water.
2. In the meantime, slice the bacon across the strips, so it's in fairly small pieces, and then saute in a large frying pan til crisp.  Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel.  At this point you can, as I did, pour off a some of the bacon fat from the pan and add in some olive oil, or you can just go with all bacon fat.
3. Mix together the eggs and the parmesan in a small bowl.  It will be very thick.
4. When the pasta is done, pull it out of the water and add it into the frying pan, tossing it to make sure it's thoroughly coated in oil.  Then add the egg/cheese mixture and, working quickly so the egg doesn't scramble, mix everything together.  Add the bacon back in to the pan, mix again, and season with pepper.  If the pasta seems very dry, add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.  Add some fresh parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good

This recipe comes straight from Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook, "Around My French Table." A baking pumpkin (vs a carving one) is filled with cubes of bread and cheese, bacon, scallions, herbs, and a little cream. Two hours in the oven and the pumpkin is soft and the stuffing is melty and gooey. I also made a vegetarian version with walnuts instead of bacon, and it could be lightened with chicken stock and/or cider instead of cream. Mushrooms would be tasty, too. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Not Your Basic Blintzes

Crisp on the outside and soft inside, these cheese blintzes are delicious. They start with extra-thin crepes that are cooked on one side only. They are then filled with a mixture of soft cheeses (farmer, cottage, and cream) along with vanilla, egg yolks, and a little sugar. The blintzes are pan-fried, though you could bake them instead, and served warm. I topped them with cinnamon applesauce and sliced strawberries. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Souffle au Fromage

I think people are intimidated by souffles, but really they are very easy. Basically, you make a white sauce, a bechamel, then mix in egg yolks, and then fold in whipped egg whites and whatever filling, which was a mix of Jarlsberg and parmesan cheeses today. The end result is both flavorful and impressive. Butter, milk, cheese, and eggs are among the most basic, and tasty, ingredients out there. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Vacation Food

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Orzo Salad with Feta, Tomatoes and Spicy Shrimp

When the temperature soars above the 90 degree mark, it gets really hard to think about cooking. We eat a lot of salad--which are both cooling and easy to throw together. Orzo, a rice-like pasta, adds a little more substance to a salad, without the heaviness of regular pasta and without the longer cooking times for rice. For this salad, I mixed the orzo, cubes of feta, and halved grape tomatoes with a lemon-shallot vinaigrette. This was placed on a bed of arugula and other lettuces and then topped with some quickly sauteed shrimp. The shrimp were marinated in garlic, shallots, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper, and hot and smokey Spanish paprika. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Crepes Monsieur

Dinner tonight was based on a recipe for Man Crepes that was published in today's Washington Post. Man crepes, meaning that the author successfully served them to the menfolk in her family. She used turkey and cheese as a filling, but I took this a couple steps further and added a little ham and slices of honey crisp apple. The result was smokey and cheesy and sweet and crunchy, all wrapped up in a super thin pancake.

Guest Chef: Iron Chef Swimmer

This guest chef post is from the fabulous SwimmerGirl, 14, who volunteered to make us all dinner. She planned the menu, bought the ingredients, and, as you'll see below, cooked a wonderful meal. Tonight, I conquistadored the kitchen. I decided to make Baked Penne with Farmhouse Cheddar and Leeks, Brown Butter Soda Bread with fresh garden rosemary, and Cinnamon Dusted Mini Churros with orangeness for dessert. After my wonderful adventure to Whole Foods from which I was rescued, I made the bread dough before mixing the cheese sauce and cooking the pasta. This timed very well, as the bread finished in the oven as the pasta needed to go in. While these two were cooling or baking, I mixed and fried the churro dough. Deep-frying is actually rather alarming, but it was pretty cool. I rolled each churro in cinnamon sugar and then we ate! I think it turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. And all this only took about three hours, start to finish!

Simply Souffle

When I was growing up we used to have cheese souffles on a fairly regular basis--not all the time, but they weren't uncommon, and they were always very good. A cheese souffle has all the same ingredients of scrambled eggs, but it is so much more elegant and light. Somewhere along the way we stopped having them, possibly when eggs fell out of favor or when we needed something on the table a bit faster. They do take some extra time, but they are super simple to prepare--essentially a white sauce with cheese and separated eggs--and the results are well worth it. Cheese Souffle (based on the recipe in Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking) 1 tsp unsalted butter 1 Tbs Parmesan 3 Tbs butter 3 Tbs flour 1 c hot milk salt and pepper pinch of nutmeg 4 eggs plus 1 egg white 3/4 c grated cheese (any combination) 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 2. Butter the inside of a 2 1/2 qt. souffle dish and coat with the 1 Tbs Parmesan. 3. In a saucepan, melt the 3 Tbs butter and then stir in the flour. Let cook for about two minutes, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn't brown. Off the heat, pour in the hot milk and whisk til smooth. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Return the pan to the heat and cook for about 1 min., stirring constantly. The mixture will be quite thick. 4. Take the pan off the heat. Start separating the eggs, and quickly whisk the yolks into the sauce after each addition. Set aside. 5. Using a mixer, beat the five egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Add about a quarter of the egg whites to the sauce and stir in. Then stir in most of cheese, saving out about 1 Tbs for the top of the souffle. Carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites. 6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. 7. Place the souffle in the middle level of the oven, making sure there is plenty of space above the dish. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. 8. Do NOT open the oven for the first 20 min. Resist the urge. After 25-30 min., the souffle will have puffed up and the top will be lightly browned. Let cook for another 4-5 min. to firm up, and then serve immediately.