Corn Mango and Tomato Salad

So . . . you may have noticed that it's been a while since I posted.  Life.  Work.  Summer.  Did I mention life?

But as usual I have been busy in the kitchen so I thought I'd share a little something I threw together earlier this week from some fresh corn and tomatoes I got at the Green Market and a mango I had on hand and some scallions left over from a batch of fresh salsa I had made over the weekend.

A friend and I have been getting together to make bread so she can get familiar with the process.  It has been a ton of fun.  We started with Focaccia, then a Turkish flatbread, and then we made this Riga Rye Bread.   It came out really well and she said she couldn't wait to make avocado toast with it.  I just happened to have some avocados so I decided to do the same.  I had already made the salsa so it seemed like the perfect addition.

 And then I bought some fresh corn at the market and had one tomato left that I had brought the week before that needed to be used up so I looked around for an idea of how to use them.  And as soon as my eyes fell on the mango in my fruit bowl I knew exactly what I was going to do.  I had already removed the corn from the ears so I chopped up the tomato, mango, and scallion and threw them in a bowl with the corn. A quick seasoning with salt and pepper, a squeeze of lime juice, and a few tablespoons of olive oil finished it up quite nicely.

It was delicious in its own right but it took a delicious avocado salsa toast to the next level.

I toasted the rye bread and spread it with mashed avocado and then topped it with the Corn Mango and Tomato salad and then topped that with salsa.

In a word:  sublime.


Here's how I did it.

Home Cooking v9.76 Chapter: My Recipes
CORN MANGO AND TOMATO SALAD
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 medium mango, peeled, pitted and chopped
3 scallions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 Tbsp olive oil

Combine the corn, tomato, mango and scallions in a medium size bowl and mix everything together. Add the salt, pepper, lime juice and olive oil and stir together well.

Garnish with salsa and/or cilantro, if desired.

8/22/2019
exported from Home Cookin v9.76 (http://www.mountainsoftware.com/homecook.php)

Turkey Isn't the Only Reason to Love the Winter Holidays

Most of my friends and family look forward to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays because it is the only time they have turkey during the year.  Which is mainly interesting for the fact that most of them don't really like turkey all that much.  I include myself in this group.  While I do love those leftover turkey sandwiches, I usually only eat one or two small slices at the Thanksgiving table, mainly as a vehicle for sweet pickles and cranberry sauce, both of which I only eat with turkey, and vice versa.  I am a big fan of the stuffing, potatoes, and other side dishes but the turkey itself is my least favorite part of the meal.  (That being said, I have no problem whatsoever having it those two times of the year for those who do actually, you know, like turkey.)

So what does make me happy this time of year?  In a word, citrus.  Late fall and early winter is citrus season, when oranges are orangier and limes and lemons are juicier, and Texas Red grapefruits make their annual appearance in my local Chicago grocery store.

As I mentioned when I first wrote about them in this 2009 post, the two things that I miss the most since moving away from Texas are Ruby Red grapefruit and the Pecos Cantaloupe.  I still haven't found the cantaloupe, but every November the grapefruit shows up at Jewel.

Apparently I am not the only one who feels that way about these deep red, sweet gems.  The 73rd Texas State Legislature declared it to be the State Fruit in 1993.  That is a resolution I can get behind!

Since my move this summer I have been thrown off kilter from my normal routines, and seeing all kinds of things from a new perspective.  The holidays and grapefruit have not been much on my mind, especially once I decided that I was not going to travel this year and instead spend time working on my apartment and other things I have been neglecting since I moved (like this blog).  So I wasn't really thinking about the usual things this fall.  A few days ago I did have the fleeting thought that we were coming into citrus season, which made me happy because oranges are more plentiful and juicier this time of year, but that is as far as my thoughts went.  So when I walked into Jewel Monday afternoon and this five-pound bag of Texas Reds was the first thing I saw, I think I actually squealed with delight.  And threw it into my cart, of course.  That five-pound bag of flour I was going to buy could wait until my next visit.

I went home and immediately supremed a few of them and have been enjoying them all week.  Unlike pink or white grapefruit, the reds are sweet with just a hint of tartness.  I am not a big fan of the pink and white varieties but I absolutely love the reds.  If you give them a try I think you will too.

Many people find grapefruit to be more trouble than it is worth.  I always supreme a few at a time and keep them in a container in the fridge so it is ready to eat when I want some.  If you have never supremed citrus before, this post will show you how.  So now you have no excuse not to enjoy these seasonal gems.

Apricot Chutney

I had rye bread in the freezer and wanted to take it to our Fourth of July cookout as I did not have time to bake anything new for the occasion.  But what to serve with it?

photo from http://www.peacockcheese.com

I had recently discovered this lovely MontChevre lemon goat cheese at Treasure Island when I was looking for something to go with a loaf of rye I had made earlier.  Goat cheese and lemon make for a heavenly combination.  I planned to take that but I wanted something extra to make it a more substantial dish.  So I thought about what might go well with rye bread and cheese and decided that some form of fruit would work well.

Having recently discovered the most delicious Turkish dried apricots at Nuts.com, my go-to place for that kind of thing, I went looking for recipes that included them and found a recipe for Apricot Chutney that I had marked years ago as something that had potential.  I had all of the ingredients on hand and it looked quick and easy so I gave it a try.

It was delicious and the perfect complement to the lemony goat cheese and was a huge success.  It works well as an accompaniment to dals and curries and pairs well with chicken and lamb as well.

This is one of those big reward for little effort kinds of things.  You can't go wrong with it.

I did not add the sugar.  It was sweet enough without it.

Home Cookin Version 9.70 Chapter: Appetizers Spreads Dips Sauces
Apricot Chutney
Makes 2 cups

3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp curry powder
1 small onion, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece peeled ginger, minced
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup raisins
1 cup water
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Heat oil and curry powder in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until curry powder is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add apricots and raisins along with 1 cup water, lime juice, and sugar (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

from Saveur Number 123 http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Apricot-Chutney

Exported from Home Cooking v.9.70

Lemon Apricots (aka Golden Velvet Apricots?)

Happy first day of summer!  I'm not really that big a fan of the heat and the humidity, but I love all of the fresh fruits and vegetables the season brings.  And I'm always on the lookout for something new.

Last week I was browsing the produce section at Treasure Island and I saw these lovely things nestled in among the plums and nectarines and other stone fruit.  The sign said "Lemon Apricots."  They looked quite fresh and lovely so I bought a couple to see what they were like.

They were golden, velvety and delicious.  They are sweeter than regular apricots, and had more juice than any fresh apricot I have ever had in the past.

They would probably work well in a dessert, but quite frankly I wouldn't want to waste them that way.  These are just too sweet and delicious as they are to .

When I went to find out more about them, I found very little information online.  I also kept running into something called Golden Velvet Apricots that looked a lot like these, but that site also referenced lemon apricots so I'm not sure whether or not there is a connection, or what it is (other than both being apricots, of course). Whatever they are called, they are truly delicious.  If you happen to see them in the produce section of your local grocer, I highly recommend you give them a try.

Chicken with Mustard and Apricots

This is a seasonal dish that I have been working on for a couple of years. As soon as apricots come into season, I buy some and cook them with chicken and thyme. It is a good combination, with the potential to be great, but I have not yet found the perfect proportion of the ingredients to make everything shine together.

This year it was close, I think. I put a layer of roughly chopped onion and a head's worth of garlic cloves in the bottom of the baking dish, then added several sprigs of fresh thyme. To that I added about a cup of sliced apricots. I seasoned with salt and pepper, then sprinkled olive oil over the top. I then had the brilliant idea of adding some of my homemade mustard, so a few tablespoons of that as well.

I layered the seasoned chicken (I use the leg quarters, as that is my favorite part of the chicken), and then inserted fresh thyme and sliced apricots between the skin and the meat. I covered the chickens with more mustard and sprinkled more thyme around the dish, then added another cup of sliced apricots.

I baked the chicken at 375 deg. F. for 45 minutes, then lowered the heat to 350 deg. F. and baked for another 30 minutes, until the skin was browned and crisp.

The result was good, but not great. I think the main reason I did not hit it out of the park is that I used too much of the mustard, or at the very least, did not add any honey or sugar to help offset the acidity of that particular mustard. It was a little too tart, and the flavor was overpowering instead of enhancing. It could also have used a little more thyme.

I was going to add the first of the season's new potatoes to bake with the chicken, but I forgot about them until the chicken was halfway baked. Instead, I removed the onions (but not the garlic!) from the cooking liquid, put it into a saucepan, and cooked the potatoes in that. And again, the acidity from the mustard was a little too much, but it was otherwise good.

And I had no trouble whatsoever eating the results of this experiment. Depending on how long the apricot season is this year, I might try it again now instead of waiting until next year. But whether it's this year or not, I believe my next attempt will be the keeper.

Pineapple Orange Coconut Bread Pudding

When I first moved to Chicago one of my co-workers was kind enough to invite me to her house for Easter dinner. I had only been in town for about a month and knew no one, so it was very nice of her. Her niece even colored an egg especially for me, which I took home with me and kept in my refrigerator for the next several years (no, I don't know why.)

Easter dinner was about what you would expect: ham, bean casserole, potatoes. But there was also a bread pudding, made with mandarin oranges and pineapples, that was delicious, and as sweet as a dessert. It worked perfectly with the ham. I fell in love with it, and would have eaten it all if I thought I could get away with it. At my request she gave me the recipe, and I have held onto it all these years, even though I never made it.

I finally decided to make it last year. But when I looked at the ingredient list, I just could not do it.

1/2 cup butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
8 slices firm white bread, cubed
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained

The eggs and the butter were what I would expect for this dish, but that is a lot of sugar (on which more in a later post), I no longer eat white bread, and I can't remember the last time I bought canned fruit of any kind.

I became obsessed with the idea that I could healthy up this dish. I decided to use whole wheat bread, so I used cream instead of butter, to make more of a custard. I used fresh pineapple and mandarin oranges, and I cut the sugar down to 1/4 cup. The coconut was a flash of inspiration sparked by the fact that I had some in my freezer and was trying to think of something to sprinkle on top for a little extra crispness. And even though it isn't really a dessert, I added vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg to bring out the other flavors.

On my first attempt, I mixed everything together and baked it right away , but the whole wheat bread was too dense to soak up much of the egg/cream mixture and I didn't add the vanilla, nutmeg or coconut. It tasted all right, but it did not hold together and there was a certain flatness to me that was confirmed by a co-worker who was kind enough to taste test it for me. We both agreed that it had possibilities but needed more flavor, and I knew I had to let it soak longer before I put it into the oven.

For my next attempt I added the vanilla and nutmeg and mixed everything together and put it into the refrigerator the night before I was going to bake it. The next morning I let it come to room temperature while the oven was preheating, sprinkled more coconut over the top, and put it in the oven. The result was quite delicious, if I do say so myself.

If you are looking for a fancy breakfast bread option to serve on a special occasion, this is a healthier option that tastes delicious and would work well with a frittata, quiche, or even just scrambled eggs and ham.

And if you still want to make the original version, just mix together the ingredients above and bake in a 350 deg. F. oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

PINEAPPLE ORANGE COCONUT BREAD PUDDINGServes 9 as a side dish

8 slices whole wheat bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup cream at room temperature
3/4 cup fresh pineapple, diced
3/4 cup fresh mandarin orange segments
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, plus more for topping
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Dash of freshly ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp brown sugar, for topping

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream until well blended. Add the pineapple, orange, coconut, salt, vanilla and nutmeg and mix well.

Add the bread to the bowl and mix well. Pour into a well-greased 9 x 12-inch baking dish and cover. Refrigerate overnight.

Take the casserole out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature while the oven is preheating to 350 deg. F. Uncover and sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of the coconut and the tablespoon of brown sugar over the top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the coconut is toasted and the casserole has set. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving, but it is best at room temperature.

04/07/2012

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)

DIY Trail Mix

I love my granola, but even though it is much healthier than pre-packaged granolas it does have quite a bit of sugar in it. Which unfortunately means that it is not the healthiest thing to be eating every day. In addition, while it is easy to make, it does take some time so I have to plan for it if I want to be sure I have it on hand for breakfast.

With that in mind, I decided to go back to eating regular oatmeal for breakfast, adding trail mix and dried fruit. In the past I would just buy a bulk trail mix, but since I had so many of the ingredients already on hand I thought it would be just as easy to make my own.

And it was. I preheated the oven to 350 degrees, put my mix of nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, and baked them on a middle rack for about 25 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to make sure they weren't burning. I did almost burn one batch and they were not good. They were edible and too expensive to throw away, but I will never make that mistake again. I set the timer and I check.

What I love about making it myself is that I control the ratio of the kinds of nuts, and the fruit. I use the expensive nuts more sparingly and go wild with the less expensive. I also have all of the nuts available for other uses, which I would not be able to do if I were buying the pre-mixed packages.

I don't know if making it at home is less expensive than buying the pre-packaged version. That would depend on each batch, and what you ratio of more and less expensive nuts you used. But when the prices range from about $3/lb to $15/lb for the various sees and nuts, you know the pre-packagers are using mostly the cheaper ingredients and averaging higher on the pricing.

But the main reason I like making my own mix? It just tastes better.

HOW TO MAKE TRAIL MIX
Note: You can use any combination of nuts and seeds, in any amounts.
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw pecans
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw hazelnuts

Combine all ingredients in a rimmed baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until nuts are golden. Check and stir every ten minutes.

Let cool and mix with the raisins and cranberries. Store in an airtight container for a few weeks.
Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

DIY Condiments: Homemade Jam

A few weeks before summer's end Treasure Island had organic raspberries on sale for a ridiculously low price so I bought a couple of pints. (Although, after reading the piece I wrote about here I am no longer sure they really are organic - bummer.)

I wasn't until after I got home that I began to wonder just what I thought I was going to do with them. While I love the flavor, I am not so fond of the fruit. But I am fond of raspberry jam, so I decided to make some.

I had already been experimenting with making my own jams from both fresh and frozen fruits. It is surprisingly easy. You just cook the fruit down with sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until it has reduced to the thickness you want. It started with the strawberry jam I made a few years ago, but it didn't take off until this year. So far I have made blueberry jam, the raspberry jam you see here, and several batches of fig jam. All have been delicious, especially on my flaky buttermillk biscuits.

These are what I believe is called "freezer jam." I am nowhere near the idea of canning. Not that I haven't thought about it, mind you. I just don't have the space, either to do the canning or to store the end results. This jam will last a few weeks in the refrigerator, and it can be frozen (hence the term freezer jam). So when I make a batch, I usually freeze half of it immediately, since I am not likely to eat that much jam in such a short time.

Does this mean I will never buy jam or jelly again? Probably not. But it does mean that I can have it whenever I need it, as long as I have some fruit around the house.

And, more to the point, I know exactly what is in it when I make it myself.

Chicken with Apricots and Lemon Thyme

Last week one of my co-workers brought me a beautiful bounty of fresh herbs from her garden - basil, boxwood basil (a relatively new variety that has small, tight leaves that have a concentrated basil flavor and which I am going to try to find so I can grow it myself), a beautiful variegated oregano and some lemon thyme. What a treat!

I have been having fun deciding how to use them. The basil went into a few batches of succotash. The variegated oregano went into a frittata and an eggplant dish. And the lemon thyme? The apricots at the market were so beautiful last week that I knew on the spot that they were destined to be baked with chicken and the lemon thyme. I could hardly wait to get home and get started.

It was delicious paired with kennebec potatoes roasted with garlic and rosemary. The apricot has that beautiful tartness that counterbalances its sweetness, and the lemon thyme imparts a gentle tang of citrus and earthiness that brings everything together.

In addition to being a delicious, satisfying dish for company or family, it is quite simple to make. Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F. Take 1 roughly chopped onion and layer it on the bottom of an 8-inch by 12-inch baking dish. Place 8 pieces of chicken (any cuts, but I like the dark-meat of the thigh, which is full of flavor and doesn't dry out as easily as breast meat), skin side up, over the onion. Season the chicken well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cut 1 pint of fresh apricots into 4 pieces each, removing the pit. Layer the apricots over the chicken. Take a generous amount of lemon (or regular) thyme (about 20 small sprigs) and sprinkle them over the chicken and apricots. If the herb is older and has a thick stem, then remove the leaves and sprinkle them over the top. Pour a little olive oil over the chicken, and then cover with foil.

Bake the chicken for abount 45 minutes, then take off the foil. Bake for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the chicken has browned and the juice runs clear when pricked with a fork.

Remove the chicken and the apricots from the pan. Strain the remaining liquids and either use as a sauce or reserve for later use. (I actually found that the chicken did not need any sauce, so I put the strained liquid in the refrigerator, then removed the fat, and used it later in the week for a different dish. Double duty!

Blueberry Tease

Blueberries are abundant in Chicago right now, and I find myself buying a couple of pints once a week. They have been delicious in yogurt with strawberries, and I have made my new favorite blueberry buttermilk cake a couple of times, but I have been looking for something new.

What you see above is my first attempt at blueberry pie. It was not bad, although there are definitely some adjustments that need to be made.

Once I have made them, and come up with a winner, I will share with you what I did, something that tastes as good as I think this one looks.

Baking Class: Banana Bread

I can't remember whether or not I have written about banana bread before. It was something my mother made frequently, I suppose owing to the simple fact that it calls for over-ripe bananas, and for some reason that happened fairly often in our house, even with six people living in it. I always loved the smell of it baking, but it was not my favorite sweet thing to eat. I hated most banana-flavored foods, but because it was so often the only sweet option in the house, I learned to tolerate it.

And I would even bake it as an adult, whenever I found that I had bought more bananas than I could eat before they turned. And while I still loved the way it smelled, the taste, not so much. I would take it to work or bring it to friends after one piece confirmed to me that my taste had not changed.

With this loaf, I am surprised to say, it has. This banana bread is moist, rich, and sweet, with just the right amount of banana flavor. I am not sure why, but I suspect part of it might be the ingredients, and part of it might be how over-ripe my bananas were. In addition, as I have grown more aware of the huge disconnect in this country between the food we eat, how it is produced, and from whence it comes, I have made the choice to use ingredients as close to their original states as possible.

So, the bananas are fair trade, the flour is white whole wheat, the butter and eggs are organic, and the sugar is fair trade organic evaporated cane. The baking soda is the only conventional name-brand product in the mix. And now that I have decided to do some research on that, I have discovered allegations that they test on animals, so I will have to look further into that and decide what I want to do about it.

In the meantime, this recipe is ultra easy to prepare. The trickiest part is making sure you have the ripe bananas, and that they they are over-ripe enough. This was so good, however, that I think there will be many occasions in the future when I will take a look at my bananas, see a brown spot or two, and decide that they are beyond edible consumption and I might as well wait another three or four days and make banana bread with them.

The recipe as originally written is just a list of ingredients and two short sentences. In those days, it was assumed that one would know what to do with the ingredients without needing step by step instructions.

Home Cookin Chapter: Breads and Muffins

BANANA BREADMakes 1 loaf

3 over-ripe bananas
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter,at room temperature
1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Peel the bananas. Put them in a small bowl and mash them well with a fork unti they have become liquid.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, then whisk well to blend the ingredients together.

In a larger mixing bowl, beat the egg. Whisk in the melted butter and then the mashed banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan (approximately 8 x 4 x 2 1/2 inches). Bake at 350 deg. F. for 50 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)

Recall of the Week: Cantaloupe

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm248103.htm

:sigh:

I can't even talk about it anymore.

Mango Corn Relish

This is very close to a salad, but it is so bright and fresh that it works much better as an accompaniment for a nice juicy skirt steak, a fish taco, or chicken. The organic mango was the best of the season - sweet and juicy perfectly ripe. It pairs beautifully with the fresh local corn, although frozen would work just as well.

I had the spicy mango chutney from when I made that lovely Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower. Come to think of it, this would go exceptionally well with that dish as well.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes
MANGO CORN RELISH
1 mango, cubed
2 ears corn, cut from the cob (about 2 cups)
1/4 red onion, diced

Dressing:
1 tsp mustard
1 Tbsp spicy Mango chutney
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp apple cider
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Place mango, corn and onion in a medium-size bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, mango chutney, fish sauce, and apple cider. Whisk together until well incorporated. While whisking, slowly add oil. Season to taste.

Pour the sauce over the mango and corn mixture and stir gently until it is well mixed.

8/27/10

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)

Strawberry Banana Yogurt

I have been buying strawberries at the Green Market like they are going out of style. Actually, they're probably going out of season so it's good to get them while I can.

My favorite use for them? Cutting them up, letting them macerate in a little bit of sugar, and adding them with a sliced banana to plain yogurt. It take a quick minute to prep the strawberries before I head into my morning shower, and then slice the banana and add the yogurt about half an hour later and either eat it right away if I have time before I leave for work, or put it into a container and take it to work with me.

Either way, it's sweet and delicious. Much better than any of those "fruit on the bottom" or "fruit mixed in" versions. My brand of yogurt? Stoneyfield Farms, of course. Of course, you can use the low-fat or fat-free versions as well, but ever since reading this post by Usha at Veg Inspirations I have been using whole dairy products. It kind of falls into that whole "whole foods" thing, you know?

And when strawberries are out of season? Blueberries are also delicious, with or without the banana. And when there just isn't any fresh fruit that fits the bill, a mixture of dried fruit and nuts can be quite tasty as well.

Roasted Asparagus and Grapefruit Salad

Spend enough time in Chicago and you will inevitably hear someone mention that the Windy City has two seasons: Winter and Construction. I'd like to point out a third season, that starts sometime around the last week of February and lasts through March 17th. There's a run on corned beef at the grocery stores, beer and the Chicago River turn green, and people wear the most ridiculous things just so they, too, can wear green. Chicago is B-I-G on St. Patrick's Day. Go figure.

There's another, more exciting green that appears about this time of year. Asparagus pops up everywhere, and it's on sale for an incredibly low price. I don't know if it's local, and I'm sure it's not organic, but it's fresh, and cheap and I always end up buying as much of it as I can and eating it until I can't stand to eat any more. Which is fine because, by then, it is no longer fresh and the price has gone up.

I don't know if there's a direct connection between asparagus and St. Paddy, but they will always be interlocked in my mind because asparagus is green and it always shows up right right before March 17th. Which is more than fine with me.

And if I'm particularly lucky, Texas ruby reds will also be available, and I can make this delicious Roasted Asparagus and Grapefruit salad. It's another one of those bridge dishes that starts to whisper sweet nothings of springtime in my mouth.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND GRAPEFRUIT SALAD

1 bunch (approximately 1-1/2 lbs.) asparagus
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 large grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
2 Tbsp gorgonzola or bleu cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

Trim the bottom ends from the asparagus and rinse under cold water. Toss with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place on a shallow baking sheet and roast until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

In the meantime, heat the grapeseed oil in a small skillet. Add the shallots and saute, stirring frequently, until they are well browned, but not burned. Remove from the skillet and place on a paper-towel covered plate so they will drain and get crispy.

When the asparagus is tender, remove from the oven and divide them by four. Arrange each fourth on a salad plate in a single row and cover with the cheese while they are still warm.

Divide the grapefruit in fourths, and arrange each fourth on top of the asparagus and cheese, and then top each dish with the basil, nuts and shallots.

Makes 4 individual salads.

Exported from Home Cookin 5.9 (www.mountain-software.com)

More about Pizza

Ok, call me obsessive - I've made pizza at least once a week ever since I found my perfect pizza crust recipe. I've been mastering the crust and playing around with sauces and toppings, and I have more to report.

The main thing I have learned I got from watching Adam Gertler's show "Will Work for Food" on the Food Network. I would provide a link to their site, but they have loud annoying videos that load automatically, and I will not inflict those on anyone, including myself.

It's not a show I normally watch, but when I saw that he was going to be working with champion pizza thrower Tony Gemignani at Pyzano's Pizzeria I decided to check it out. I thought I might learn a tip or two that would be helpful.

And I did. After they made the dough, they started forming it into balls so they could put them in a refrigerated room overnight. At one point, Tony warned Adam that they should move faster because the dough was starting to rise. That made me sit up and take notice. Every recipe I've seen says to cover the dough and let it rise until it's doubled in size, and then either use it right away or put it in the refrigerator or freezer to save for later use. This was the first I had heard that you might not need to let it rise first.

I knew yeast did not die in the cold (or you wouldn't be able to freeze it), but I didn't know that it would still rise. Apparently, refrigerator temperature isn't enough to stop the rising process, just retard it. A quick google search confirmed that many pizza makers, professional and amateur, actually prefer to let their pizza dough rise slowly in the fridge - the longer rise causes more alcohol to develop, which adds to the flavor. It also improves the texture of the dough.

So a few weeks ago I made up a batch of the dough, divided it in half, and put each ball into a plastic bag (after covering it lightly with flour). I put the bags into the refrigerator and went to bed. The next morning, I woke to two beautiful balls of dough that were about twice the size as when I had put them in. I wanted to take them out and play with them right away, but I had to go to work.

The whole time I was at work, all I could think about were those two beautiful balls of pizza dough just waiting to be made into pizza. I rushed home and pulled one of the bags out and put it on the counter to warm while I prepared the sauce and the toppings. When I was ready to form the crust, I found that it was much easier to manipulate into shape than when I let the dough rise right after mixing it. And the texture of the cooked crust? Crispy and chewy at the same time - pretty near perfect. The next day I cooked up the other dough and it was just as good.

So now, at least once a week I will mix up a batch of pizza dough and throw it in the refrigerator until I am ready to make the pizza. Without the rising time, it takes less than half an hour to throw together, which means I can mix up a batch in the morning and let it rise while I am at work, and by the time I get home it's ready to go.

Here are some of my latest samples:

I used fresh mozzarella on this pie, along with what have become my signature green olives and garlic. Thinly sliced zucchini and corn have also become favorites - corn fresh off the cob adds a crunchy sweetness to this pie.

For the sauce, I sauted a little bit of onion and garlic in olive oil. I seasoned it with salt and pepper to taste, then added a can of tomato puree and dried thyme. I let it cook for about 20 minutes, then let it cool down before putting it on the pizza crust.

I called this my "antipasti" pizza. I roasted an eggplant in the oven, then peeled and mashed it with some balsamic vinegar. I spread it over the pizza just after the sauce and cheese, then added green olives, artichoke hearts, red onions and, of course, garlic. It was tart and salty and smooth and tangy, in a word - delicious.

The other thing I have learned is something I read on a cooking newsgroup. It's not necessary to cook the sauce before you put it on the pizza - it cooks in the oven. So for this pizza I seasoned the sauce and spread it pretty much right out of the can, then sprinkled it with the oregano and basil. I have to say it was just as tasty as the precooked sauce, and cut down on the prep time that much more. I've been making it this way since.

This is the closest I have come to a traditional pizza. I had meant to just use sauce, cheese and pepperoni, but I had sliced the green olives and chopped the garlic before I could stop myself.

This has been my least favorite pizza. I remembered too late that I don't really like pepperoni. But it was still pretty good and I had no trouble getting rid of it.

I haven't really experimented that much with meat toppings, but I love all of the vegetables so much that I'm not missing it at all. Given how much of it I'm eating, I want to keep it as healthful as I can.

Oh, and those slices up at the top? Eggplant with a little bit of the artichoke hearts, red onion and garlic, topped off with pomegranate seeds I had bought for another use but seemed like a good idea. It was - they provided a burst of sweetness that complemented the savory eggplant.

Baking Class: Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

What do you do when you have an abundance of blueberries that are about to over-ripen? The answer is easy if it's a lazy Sunday morning, you are craving pancakes, and you are all out of maple syrup.

I've been playing around with fruit reductions over the past year. I made a cherry sauce that I used for some cookies with which I was experimenting (that never saw the light of day - the red mixed with the flour and butter gave the dough an unsightly gray tinge, even though they tasted ok). I had more success with the raspberry syrup I made for my Raspberry Chipotle Sweet Potatoes, which I plan to make often this coming fall.

Blueberry syrup seemed like the next logical step. And I'd been craving buttermilk pancakes for the longest time. And searching for a good recipe, too. I found one on the website joyofbaking.com. There sure are a lot of cooking sites out there in the virtual world. This one seems to have a lovely selection of recipes for all kinds of delicious-looking baked treats. I will have to visit it more often.

I also found a recipe for making blueberry syrup online. It involved cooking the blueberries with lemon juice and then straining the mixture through cheesecloth before cooking it again with sugar. This recipe also involved boiling jars and sterilizing lids, but since I was only going to use a pint of blueberries I decided I didn't need to go to all that extra trouble.

Straining the blueberry mixture through the cheesecloth was trouble enough. It took a long time because the mixture was so thick. I also didn't use a big enough piece of cheesecloth, but that's another story.

The end result was quite delicious, and complemented the pancakes perfectly. But I think it would work just as well if I cooked the blueberries, lemon juice and sugar together and then strained them. Less work, too.

I was especially happy with how the pancakes turned out. Light and fluffy, just a hint of sweetness. If they look a little dark on top up there in the picture, that's because I had the cast iron skillet a little too hot. They were just this side of burned, but definitely still edible. Next time, however, I will know how hot to let the pan get.

Home Cookin Chapter: Breads and Muffins

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together to blend thoroughly.

Put the egg, buttermilk and ghee in a separate bowl and whisk together. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.

Place a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium high flame and heat until water sizzles and dries instantly when flicked into the pan. Brush oil over the pan's surface.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan. You can cook more than one pancake at a time, but be sure to leave plenty of room around them so you can turn them without splattering any surrounding pancakes.

Let cook without touching for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles form on the top of the batter and the edges are cooked. Flip the pancakes over and cook another minute or so on the second side.

Stack finished pancakes in an oven-proof dish and keep warm in a 250 deg. F. oven until ready to serve.

Serve with favorite topping.

adapted from recipe submitted by Stephanie Joaworski on joyofbaking.com

Exported from Home Cookin 5.9 (www.mountain-software.com)

Braised Chicken with Summer Squash and Apricots

The idea for this recipe was born from one I found for Vegetables with Apricot Sauce in American Whole Foods Cuisine. I had just bought some of the season's first fresh apricots back in June, and with the zucchini and pattypan squash just starting to come in as well, I decided take the idea of apricots and vegetables and come up with something of my own. Adding chicken seemed like a no-brainer way to cook a complete dinner over the stove so I wouldn't have to heat up the apartment by turning on the oven.

I cooked this up in my recently-acquired Lodge Cast-Iron Dutch Oven. It cost significantly less than Le Creuset or Staub, although it is not quite as pretty, I will admit. It does go well with my perfectly-seasoned cast iron skillet, though, so I'm not complaining. And it gets the job done, which is what the experienced cook cares about most, am I right?

As usual, I cooked the vegetables a little too long. It is a good thing I do not mind mushy squash, but I am getting a little tired of this. The pattypan held up better, but the zucchini was holding it's shape in the picture only because I was holding my breath while taking it.

But it tasted delicious. The cinnamon added a subtle hint of sweetness that matched perfectly with the tart sweetness of the apricots. I used the braising liquid to cook the couscous, which added an extra layer of flavor.

I garnished the chicken with a quick gremolata I made with some green olives. I thought it would contribute to the slightly middle-eastern theme I had going on there, but truth be told it did not blend as well as I thought it would. It was not terrible, but it was a little "Hey, who invited you for dinner?" I am a huge fan of gremolata ever since I discovered it earlier this year, but I guess it doesn't go everywhere.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH SUMMER SQUASH AND APRICOTS

Makes 6 servings

1 chicken, cut into 6 pieces
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper
garlic powder
cinnamon
1 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. patty-pan squash, summer squash, or zucchini, any combination, cut into 1-1/2" chunks.
1/2 pint apricots, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas

Lay out the chicken pieces skin side up. Liberally sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon over the chicken.

Heat oil over high heat in a Dutch oven. Place chicken, seasoned-skin side down, in one layer in the dutch oven (do not crowd the pan - do batches if necessary). Let the chicken sear for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle the top side with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and cinnamon. Turn the pieces over so the newly-seasoned side is now down, and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium high and add the onion and garlic to the pan. Add salt and pepper and saute, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 15 minutes. Place all of the chicken back into the pot. Add the broth, then enough water to cover the chicken about two-thirds of the way. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes.

Add the squash, the apricots and the chickpeas to the pot and cook another 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the juice from the chicken runs clear when it is pricked.

Serve over couscous prepared with the braising liquid.

7/19/09

Exported from Home Cookin 5.9 (www.mountain-software.com)

Black Mission Figs Simmered in Sherry with Creme Fraiche

Even when you are on a tight budget, it is important to splurge every now and then. And that's just what I did the other day when I was wandering through the produce section at Treasure Island. They had the most beautiful fresh black mission figs for a price that, while by no means inexpensive, was something in which I could indulge without spending all of my weekly allowance.

Once I got them home, I had to decide what to do with them. I don't have them often, and the few times I've eaten them I've just eaten them as is. They're such a rare treat for me that I enjoy them just as nature made them.

But this time I wanted to doll them up a bit. I recently learned how to make creme fraiche so I had some in the refrigerator. I thought a dollop would be nice over lightly poached figs, and the sherry I have on hand for Mexican Wine Cookies made the perfect poaching liquid.

These took just a few minutes to prepare, and they make a beautiful presentation. The perfect finish to a light summer meal.

BLACK MISSION FIGS SIMMERED IN SHERRY WITH CREME FRAICHE

Makes 4 servings

1 pint black mission figs
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup sweet sherry
1 Tbsp butter
creme fraiche*

Wash the figs and trim the stems. Place in a three-quart saucepan with sugar and sherry over medium-low heat. Once the sugar has melted and it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and poach for about 5 minutes. Remove the figs from the pan and add the butter, letting it melt into the sauce. Cook a few minutes longer, until the sauce has thickened.

To serve, place 3 or 4 figs on a plate and cut them into quarters, leaving them whole at the bottom. Open the quarters and drop a dollop of the creme fraiche over each fig. Spoon some of the sauce over the figs.

*To make creme fraiche: Add 2 tablespoons of buttermilk to 1 cup of heavy cream in a glass bowl or measuring cup and mix well. Let stand at room temperature until it thickens to the consistency of sour cream - anywhere from a few hours to overnight. Stir and refrigerate. Will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Baking Class: Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

I have been baking with a lot of fruit this summer. It is not something I usually do, but I have been enjoying it immensely. Maybe it's because I'm baking more in general, so it is only natural that fruit would find it's way into the batter, given how bountiful it has been.

I stumbled across this recipe in the June issue of Gourmet magazine. It was the buttermilk that caused me to tear the page out of the magazine and stick it on my big old recipe pile. For some reason I am fascinated with buttermilk. I didn't grow up with it, although I do have at least one memory of my father chugging down a nice cold glass of it. It looked nice and refreshing, but I have since taken a taste of it straight out of the carton and I can tell you that refreshing is not the word I would use. Tart? Yes. Thick? Yes. Refreshing? Not so much.

But I love to cook with it. I have finally found a buttermilk pancake recipe that is within a stone's throw of perfect. I am thinking of making my flaky biscuits flaky buttermilk biscuits. I have used it to moisten my potato and onion galettes (of which more later).

And add two tablespoons of it to a cup of heavy cream, let it sit out for a few hours until it has thickened, and you have creme fraiche, which has certainly made my life a better place.

But in this instance, buttermilk gives you a rich, moist, delicate cake that has a light crumbly texture and almost melts in your mouth. The original recipe calls for raspberries, but blueberries are so abundant and inexpensive around here right now (at least at the grocery store - they're more than twice as much at the green market I am sorry to say), that I have been using them in all kinds of recipes that call for other fruits.

And it works beautifully in this recipe.

I healthied up this recipe by using half white whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. It stayed light and moist, but there was just the slightest hint of backbone that in my opinion held up quite well against the blueberries.

Home Cookin Chapter: Cakes and Pies

BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK CAKE

Serves 8

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1-1/2 Tbsp large-crystal decorative sugar (can substitute regular sugar)

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. with the rack in the middle, then butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together the first five ingredients, then set aside.

Beat together the butter and sugar with the hand beater on medium high. Add the vanilla and mix it in. Next add the egg, making sure to beat it in completely.

With the beater on the lowest setting, add a third of the flour mixture and just beat it in. Add half of the buttermilk and just beat that in. Repeat with another third of the flour, the rest of the buttermkilk, and the rest of the flour, beating just enough to mix it in after each addition.

Spoon the batter into the cake pan. Smooth the top, then spread the blueberries over the batter.

Sprinkle the large-crystal decorative sugar evenly over the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cake is golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack and let it cool another 15 minutes or so more.

Invert onto a plate before serving.

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, June 2009 issue

Exported from Home Cookin 5.9 (www.mountain-software.com)