December 7, 2009

Pain Chocolat

Filed under: Pastry — by Carla

 

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As good as a homemade croissant is, it can’t hold a candle to pain chocolat.  Wherever you stand on the chocolate issue, flaky pastry wrapped around a bar of bittersweet chocolate just can’t be wrong. Sadly, unless you happen to live near an authentic French bakery, you’ve probably never tasted a truly fine example of this simple, but heavenly pastry. But, never fear. Once you get the knack of making the dough, this treat is not complicated to make. The flavor and texture is just unbelievable when eaten warm from the oven when  the chocolate is oozey. At the first bite you will be transported to the Paris and the rive gauche, where pain chocolat is just a short stroll away no matter what direction you happen to be wandering. For best results, try eating one (or two if you’re feeling naughty) with a really good cup of French press coffee. Bon appétit.

pain-chocolat_0511Kitchen Counter Point: This recipe is a basic croissant dough. In baking circles it is called a laminated dough because the butter is actually sandwiched between many layers. When the pastry bakes, the butter melts and creates steam, which causes the layers to rise and form that delectable flaky texture. Though this dough does take some time to make, it is mostly just rising. cooling or hands off time. I usually begin the process a day ahead and make the pastry through all of the “turns”. After a night in the frig, the dough is ready to be rolled out and shaped into either pain chocolat or butter rolls, your choice.

Thanks to Julia Child and Simone Beck’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking for the inspiration of this recipe.

Makes 12 pain chocolat

1 1/2 cups cold milk warmed in a microwave oven for 45 seconds (bathwater temperature)
1 package (7 grams) dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter
Flour as needed
3- 4oz bars bittersweet chocolate, each broken into 4 pieces
1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water and a pinch of salt

To the warm milk add the yeast and sugar and let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes while assembling the flour and salt. The top of the milk will be foamy and the yeast activated. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the flour and salt and stir to combine. Make a trough in the center of the flour and add the milk-yeast mixture. If using a stand mixer attach the paddle and mix on speed 2 until the dough is mixed and then change out the paddle to the dough hook and mix on the same speed for about 2 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. If making the dough by hand, mix the dough until combined with a wooden spoon, turn it out onto a work surface and knead the dough by hand until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.

Place the dough in a large (12 cup) bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set the dough to rise in a warm place (72 degrees) until tripled, about 3 hours. Punch the dough down to deflate it and let it rise again until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Deflate the dough by loosening up the sides with a rubber scraper, recover and place the dough in the refrigerator for a 30 minute chill. This will make the dough easier to work with.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle measuring 14x 20 inches.

Flour a work surface near the dough and lay out the cold butter with the two sticks side by side and the half stick across the top end to form what looks like two columns with a top. Flour the butter and with a rolling pin or a meat pounder,  pound the butter flat, trying to keep it stuck together in one piece until it measures roughly 12x 14-inches. Transfer the butter to the dough covering 2/3 of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. (It’s alright if the butter breaks into pieces, just piece it back together on the dough.)

The dough now needs to be folded in to 3 layers (like a business letter.) Start at the edge that isn’t covered in butter and fold the dough up and over to cover 1/2 of the butter covered dough. Pat down to secure it and fold over the remaining butter covered dough. You now have 3 layers of dough covering 2 layers of butter. This is called turn #1

To make second turn, position the dough so that an open end is facing you and roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 18x 10-inches. Brush any flour from the top of the dough with a dry pastry brush and fold it into 3rds as before. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in a plastic zip lock bag. Store the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour and then complete turns #3 and #4. Refrigerate again for another hour or let rest overnight to bake off the next day.

To shape the pain chocolat: About 2 hours before you need them, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let the unwrapped dough sit for 10 minutes to warm up slightly. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 30x 8-inches. Cut the dough in half crosswise and refrigerate the other half while you shape the first batch.

You now have a piece of dough about 15 x 8-inches. Cut in half lengthwise and refrigerate one half. Cut the remaining piece into 3 equal squares and roll them out so that they’re a little thinner. Lay down a piece of chocolate in the center and bring up the sides to cover. Pinch the seam closed and lay the pastry seam side down on a parchment lined sheet pan about 3-inches apart. Continue to shape the remaining pastries in the same manner. You will have 12 pastries total. It is important to keep the dough cold. If it starts to look oily or becomes difficult to work with, return it to the refrigerator to firm up.

Cover the pastry with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425º F.

Brush the risen pastries with the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: To make dinner rolls, cut the rolled out dough into about 20 triangles and roll the long end down to the tip. Or, just roll the dough into two logs, cut into 2-inch slices and bake the rolls on a parchment lined sheet pan or in greased muffin cups. Bake the same amount of time as for the pain chocolat.

 

 

 

 

 

November 26, 2009

Texas Pecan Pie

Filed under: Uncategorized — by Meredith

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Something to be very thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Texas Pecan Pie

Makes One 9-inch pie

1 deep dish pie crust-unbaked
1 cup light brown sugar 250 mL
3 large eggs 3
1 cup light corn syrup 250 mL
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 45 mL
2 tsp vanilla extract 10 mL
1/4 tsp salt 1 mL
1 cup finely chopped pecans 250 mL
1 cup whole pecans 250 mL

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll the flaky pastry on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch round cake pan with 1-1/2-inch high sides. Trim to align with pan edges. Freeze 15 minutes.
2. Combine the sugar, eggs, corn syrup, butter, vanilla and in a large bowl. Add in the chopped pecans and mix until just combined. Pour into crust. Arrange the whole pecans decoratively on the top.
3. Bake pie until set, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

November 18, 2009

The Pie Alternative-Pumpkin Pecan Bars

Filed under: Uncategorized — by Meredith

Pumpkin Pecan Bars

Don’t get me wrong, I love pie. I love to look at pie. I love to smell pie. I love to eat pie. What I don’t love is to make pie.  Even though I make a mighty fine pie. I know, this time of year, with Thanksgiving looming, being down on pie is culinary heresy. The fact is, it’s a mess. I don’t mind the filling, but the crust is another matter. Now please don’t send me your favorite recipe for pie pastry. I’m sure it’s great, but I already make a good pie pastry. I just hate to do it. It’s an added step that only creates havoc in my kitchen. Why can’t I be one of those adorably perky pastry chefs on TV that can toss their bench flour onto the work surface with such accuracy that nary a speck lands on anything but the intended area? (Those of you that know me are no doubt thinking “adorably perky’ was the deal breaker in that last sentence. On a good day I might be adorable, but perky? Hmmmm…) My bench flour ends up all over the floor, the dog, the kids, and yes, the counter, which then takes a ten step process to buff back to it’s previously shiny state. Not worth it…unless it’s a holiday (next week’s post-Texas Pecan Pie) or someone’s broken heart can only be consoled with something deliciously golden, round and flaky.

But what does one do when the need for something sweet, spicy and pumpkin arises? One turns to the incredibly easy and absolutely delectable Pumpkin Pecan Bar. This dense, moist and aromatically cakey bar is just the thing for when you feel the need to bring a little fall into your kitchen. And the best part is that they can be done in a snap. Packed with pumpkin, spices and crunchy pecans, these versatile treats are just as wonderful on a Thanksgiving table as they are in a lunchbox.

Kitchen Counter Point- When I’m baking with nuts, unless the nuts are going to sit right on top and be exposed to the full force of heat from the oven, as is the case with pecan pie, I always toast them first. This brings out the full flavor of the nut and takes whatever you’re baking to new heights.

Pumpkin Pecan Bars

Makes 24 bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4cup unsalted butter
1-2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
Powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13-inch x 9-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add in the pumpkin and stir to combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely. Cut into 24 squares. Dust lightly with the powdered sugar and serve.

November 11, 2009

Sweet Potato Chowder with Browned Butter and Crispy Sage

Filed under: Soups — by Carla

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 As a chilly November rain fell yesterday, I decided it was a good day to stay home and  forage for ingredients “in house” for our supper. While rummaging around in the potato/onion bin in the garage, I found a few home grown sweet and white potatoes a friend had dropped off. I’d also just been poking around at the sage in my herb patch, wondering if I would be able to use it up before the big winter frost. And that, my friends, is how we came to dine on sweet potato chowder with browned butter and crispy sage leaves. The freshly dug potatoes were so velvety smooth and sweet.  It wasn’t much work  to make the soup taste fabulous.  As for the fresh sage, herbalist and chef Jerry Traunfeld of the Herbfarm in Woodinville, Washington thinks that it has a much better flavor if cooked first in a fat before added to a dish and I heartily agree. I just adore sage when it is fried in a little butter (or a lot) and it makes for a lovely garnish as well. But, what to do with the remaining sage flavored browned butter? So simple yet delicious, it would be a crime not to just drizzle it over this plush chowder.

Kitchen Counter Point: One of the basic skills taught in cooking school is how to season soups and sauces. The usual suspects such as kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper play a large role, but soup can go from good to sublime with the addition of a touch of nutmeg, cayenne, acid and fat. I keep a whole nutmeg and a grater close to the stove so that I can grate it fresh. It adds spice and a warm nutty note which makes a huge difference in soups that contain dairy or greens. A touch of cayenne, not so much that you make the dish hot, but just a dash, will add interest. The acid can be in the form of lemon juice, sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, wine, etc. It doesn’t take a lot, just a teaspoon or so, but the acid helps to elevate or bring up the flavors. Notice in this recipe that I’ve used a bit of sherry (acid) and reduced it early in the recipe and then added some lemon juice (acid) at the end. Fat helps to carry flavors, so when making a vegetable soup I often add a touch of heavy cream, butter or olive oil at the end just to make the flavor of the basic ingredients sing. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, acid and fat one ingredient at a time and taste with each addition. It’s a good way to teach your palate to taste and you will be amazed by the increased depth of flavor in your dishes.

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Serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil
18 sage leaves, 10 thinly sliced and 8 left whole
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock or a blend of the two
2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the sliced sage leaves and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute or until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the sherry to the pan and cook until it has reduced somewhat, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, potatoes and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Transfer about 2 cups of the potato to a bowl, mash it and return it to the soup to thicken it. Season the soup with the lemon juice, cayenne, nutmeg and pepper. Add the heavy cream. Taste again and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, nutmeg or cayenne pepper.

Just before serving, heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the butter sizzles, add the sage leaves and cook them in the butter on both sides until crispy and browned, about 1 minute. Transfer the sage leaves to a paper towel lined plate and pour off the browned butter into a heatproof bowl (so that it doesn’t over brown).

Ladle the soup into heated bowls and top each with a drizzle of the sage butter and two fried sage leaves.

  

October 15, 2009

Southern Comfort Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

Filed under: Desserts — by Carla

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When contemplating dessert for a family celebration, chocolate, much like cream, rises to the top. Of course it makes the chocoholics happy and it’s a good idea to give them a  fix every now and then, but even non-dessert lovers can become enthused at the sight of a majestic, rich with butter and sour cream chocolate cake. So, for my husband Rick’s birthday last week, I decided to go for chocolate and adapt an already chocolatey rich cake recipe with enough chocolate to make even the most ardent dessert lovers cry uncle. To make matters even more interesting, I topped off the 8 ounces of unsweetened chocolate in this cake with a touch of “likker” in the form of Southern Comfort which makes this chocolate tower of a cake even more luscious.

The cake was a hit with an added bonus. The intense flames from the 55 burning candles melted the bittersweet chocolate garnish a bit…which wasn’t a bad thing at all.

Kitchen Counter Point: The next time you ice a cake, borrow a technique from the pros that will keep your cake stand clean and neat. Cut triangles of parchment paper and slide the long side of each piece under the bottom cake layer so that the cake stand is covered. Use an offset spatula to ice the cake. It is ever so much easier to use than a butter knife and you will love, love, love your new tool. Turn out a large blob of icing on top of the cake and smooth it to the edges, leaving a thick layer of icing extending over the perimeter of the cake. Smooth the excess icing down the sides adding more icing to cover. When finished, pull the parchment away from the cake, et voila, a picture perfect cake.

Makes 1 double layer 9-inch cake serving 12

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons Southern Comfort
2 teaspoons vanilla

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
5 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Southern Comfort
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
One 4-ounce bar bittersweet chocolate, chopped for garnish

Preheat oven to 350ºF

Two 9-inch round metal cake pans greased and lined with greased and floured parchment paper

In a large bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda and whisk until combined.

In a medium heat proof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until completely melted. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside to cool.

In a mixer bowl, combine the sugar and sour cream and beat on medium until combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until blended. Add the milk, Southern Comfort, vanilla and melted chocolate mixture and blend.

Add the dry ingredients by the cupful and mix on low speed until incorporated. Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes or until the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool on racks for about 5 minutes, then invert onto racks, peel off paper and let cool completely.

To prepare the frosting, melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring until melted. Remove from the heat and add the confectioners sugar, sour cream, Southern Comfort, vanilla and salt. Beat on medium speed until glossy, adding more confectioner’s sugar if too thin or milk if too thick a spreading consistency.

To assemble, place one cake layer, flat side up on a cake stand and spread approximately 1 cup of the frosting over the top. Add the remaining cake layer, flat side up, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top. The cake keeps covered at room temperature for 2 days.

October 8, 2009

Crispy Whole Wheat Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Feta Cheese and Pine Nuts

Filed under: Uncategorized — by Meredith

crispy-penne-3

OK, I know summer is over and fall is upon us (making a winter a forgone conclusion), but even in my Minnesota markets there are a few local eggplants and zucchini to be had, and no better way to have them than in this dish.

If you’ve ever tried the crispy noodle cakes at your local Asian restaurant, you know how wonderful crispy pasta can be. With that in mind, we set about finding a way to use this technique in some of our other favorite pasta dishes. For this recipe, we sauté penne pasta until it’s browned and combine it with roasted eggplant, zucchini and cherry tomatoes for a delicious dish you’ll want to sneak back down for in the middle of the night. Just repeat after us “any food I eat in my nightgown by the light of my refrigerator doesn’t count”.

Kitchen Counter Point: This recipe works beautifully with almost any roasted vegetable. In late fall I like to substitute the summer vegetables with roasted leeks, mushrooms and butternut squash. Goat cheese and toasted walnuts are also lovely with the crispy pasta.

Serves 4

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups cherry tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 oz penne
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 450º F and start 6 quarts of water boiling in a large stockpot.

Drizzle the 1/4 cup of olive oil in equal amounts onto two large baking sheets.

Divide the vegetables between the two pans, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat with the oil. Place the pans in the oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes or until very tender and browned.

Meanwhile, when the water comes to a boil, stir in 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook the penne in the boiling water until it’s al dente. (Begin checking for doneness after 8 minutes of cooking. Bite down on the pasta and look for a tiny white dot in the center of the noodle. It should be firm, but not hard.) Drain the pasta into a colander, shaking assertively to remove as much of the water as possible.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add half of the pasta. Sauté the pasta, stirring frequently to ensure even browning, until the penne becomes a crispy, golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the pasta to a large, warm serving bowl and set aside. Repeat with the second half of the pasta.

In the serving bowl, add the remaining sautéed pasta, roasted vegetables, feta cheese and pine nuts. Toss together to combine.

Taste to correct the seasonings and serve.

September 24, 2009

Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

Filed under: Pasta — by Carla

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By about mid-September I usually begin to think about fall cooking.  And though I enjoy contemplating  the wonders of a good stew, this year I’m just not quite ready to pull out the heavy duty Dutch oven yet. No, I’m still in summer mode for the simple reason that  my appetite for tasty local tomatoes has not been gratified. I think there are probably a few others out there who feel the same way, so I’m offering one of my favorite ways to eat a really good tomato. All you have to do is make a salad of chopped fresh tomatoes, herbs, balsamic, olive oil and garlic and then toss it with cooked to perfection fresh pasta for a dish that epitomizes the simplicity of summer. To top it off I like to add crunchy, buttery croutons for texture. I often do make dinner just of this delightful dish, but it is also a great side paired with grilled chicken or fish. Everytime I eat it, I think how lucky I am to be tasting such great flavorful food… at least until I’ve picked the last tomato of the season.

 

Kitchen Counter Point: Fresh pasta is one of those things that you never knew you missed out on until you taste it. And then once you’ve discovered it, you lament the lost years that you could have been eating these silken, chewy noodles. It was an epiphany of sorts for me, so I ran out and bought a hand crank pasta machine so that I could roll out luscious fettuccine on a regular basis. It really is easy to make, especially if you make the dough in the food processor. But just so you know, there are some who insist that the best pasta dough is mixed up on the counter by hand. I can’t really tell the difference, but the ease of making the dough in the processor means I’m more likely to make pasta on a Tuesday night. Another great tool, if you have a KitchenAid, is the pasta roller that attaches to the mixer. It comes with two cutters (fettuccine and angel hair) and not only rolls and cuts quickly, but it is pretty fun to use as well. If a hand crank pasta machine or a KitchenAid aren’t on your wish list, just purchase fresh pasta at the market and proceed with the recipe.

 

Serves 4 to 6

 

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2 cups rustic bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon salt, divided
3 large tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup fresh basil and parsley, chopped
1 lb fresh fettuccine (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375ºF

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add one clove of the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat. Place the bread on a baking sheet and pour the butter mixture over the bread, tossing with your hands to distribute the butter evenly. Salt lightly and bake the croutons in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the croutons are crispy and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a large pot, heat 1 gallon of water to a boil.

In a large bowl, toss 1 teaspoon salt, remaining garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, pepper flakes, pepper and basil and parsley mixture. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your taste with more salt, pepper flakes or vinegar.

When the water comes to a boil, add remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Add the fresh pasta and cook for 4 or 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender and cooked through to the center. Drain the pasta.

Add the hot pasta to the bowl of tomatoes. Toss for a minute and add the croutons to the bowl. Toss again and serve immediately.

summer-pasta_045

Egg Pasta

Makes about 1-1/4 pound pasta, serving 4-6

2-3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs

Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add eggs and pulse several times until the dough is shaggy, but clumps into a ball when squeezed. Turn the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 4 sections. Gather each section into ball and knead until smooth, sprinkling lightly with flour if sticking, about 3 minutes. Wrap in plastic. Let rest at room temperature at least 20 minutes.

Rolling dough into sheets:
Set a pasta machine to its widest setting. Working with one piece at a time, and keeping the others covered, flatten a piece of dough into rectangle and run it through the machine. Fold in thirds crosswise, as if you were folding a letter. Dust the outside lightly with flour and putting the open end through first, run through the roller again. Repeat this process on the widest setting until the dough is smooth and elastic. It may take 3 or 4 times. This is a continuation of the kneading process. It gives the dough a chance to absorb more flour if it is too sticky. Then continue to roll the dough through the narrower settings (one time through each setting, without folding). Dust lightly with flour as needed to keep from sticking until pasta sheet is the desired thickness (if using the KitchenAid pasta roller, roll the dough down to #5). Place sheet on lightly floured work surface. Repeat with remaining pasta pieces. If the pasta tears at any time during the rolling process, just fold in half, dust the outside with flour on both sides and run through the same setting  one more time.

Cutting the dough:
Let the pasta sheets rest until slightly dry but still pliable, about 20 minutes. Cut the sheets into the desired length. Fit the machine with desired cutter and run sheets through. Using floured hands, toss strands to separate; spread out on flour dusted sheet pans. Cook as directed.

September 16, 2009

Chilled Roasted Tomato Soup with Pesto Swirl

Filed under: Soups — Tags: — by Meredith

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With food, as is true with most things, timing is everything. Now that summer is waning and fall is whispering in our ears, there is no better time to enjoy tomatoes in all their glory and no better way to do it than with a bowl of this deeply flavorful soup. Think of this as a slightly sweeter, more intense version of a gazpacho which is made with uncooked tomatoes. The roasted tomatoes, along with the garlic, rosemary and thyme give this soup a big bold flavor that holds up well when chilled and a colorful swirl of pesto adds a lovely bright note right at the end.

Serves 6

3 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon (or more) dried crushed red pepper
4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
1/4 cup pesto store-bought or your favorite recipe

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast until tomatoes are brown and tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Transfer tomatoes and any accumulated juices to processor. Pulse until slightly chunky.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, rosemary, thyme and dried crushed red pepper. Add chicken stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until soup thickens slightly, about 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes to allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Taste again to adjust seasonings if necessary.

Ladle the soup into chilled serving bowls. Top with a spoonful of pesto and gently swirl into the soup with the tip of a knife (or a soup spoon). Serve cold.
Make-ahead: This soup can be made 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Garnish right before serving.

September 11, 2009

Ratatouille

Filed under: Side Dishes — by Carla

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Call me crazy, but I almost never go to the market with a list or plan for dinner that night. I like to let the produce inspire me. So, at the farmer’s market yesterday I couldn’t resist buying a few golden zucchini to go with the green ones at home in the frig. The tomatoes from the Tomato Guy looked really good, so I chose a couple of those as well. The Amish family in the corner stall had vibrant orange peppers and shiny eggplant and that’s when it hit me…ratatouille. Velvety textured vegetables, garlic, herbs and cheese with generous amounts of spicy extra virgin olive oil. Why not? I had everything else I needed to make it back home in my pantry. The kids were coming over for dinner so I could make it earlier in the day and just serve it at room temperature. That night we feasted simply (but well) on grilled herbed pork tenderloin, just picked corn on the cob and because I had extra, a few sliced tomatoes with balsamic, olive oil and fresh basil plucked from the garden. Dessert was the berry crisp posted a few weeks ago using plump, local blackberries. We drank a vinho verde from Portugal which was light, fruity and just what the wine doctor ordered. I hope it wasn’t our last dinner of the season on the patio, but if it was, at least it was a tasty bon voyage to summer.

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Kitchen Counter Point: I’ve been making a version of this dish over the last 30 years, but just recently I’ve discovered the secret to a truly unctuous dish…Japanese breadcrumbs. Otherwise known as panko, these crunchy, flaky crumbs absorb and then blend lightly in with the texture of the vegetables. In this dish, they soak up some of the soupy liquid in the ratatouille, rendering it more dense and firm and the sprinkling of breadcrumbs over the top of the casserole makes for a pleasant crunch. My local grocery here in Northeast Ohio stocks the panko (though it is much cheaper to buy it at the Asian market) so you may find it in yours as well. Buy lots, because you will use it in more ways than you can imagine.

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Serves 8 as a side dish

2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil, more or less, divided use
1 medium red onion, chopped
Pinch of salt
3 zucchini, sliced
2 orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence or a mix of marjoram, thyme and rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped niçoise or kalamata olives
1 cup feta cheese  

Toss eggplant slices with salt and let stand 30 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels.

Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the eggplant and fry until lightly browned on both sides, adding more oil as necesssary. Transfer the eggplant to a plate and continue to cook the remaining eggplant in the same manner. Set aside.

Add a few tablespoons of the remaining oil to the skillet over medium-high heat and when hot add the onion and pinch of salt. Sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and peppers and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until they soften. Add the garlic, tomatoes and herbes de Provence and cook until the tomatoes give off their juices, about 5 minutes. If the mixture becomes soupy, cook for 5 minutes more to reduce the liquid. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread a tablespoon or so of the remaining olive oil over the bottom of a 2-quart casserole, lay down half the eggplant, 1/3 of the breadcrumbs and top with half the zucchini tomato mixture. Sprinkle over the olives and the feta and repeat the layers with eggplant, 1/2 the breadcrumbs, zucchini and the  mozzarella. Sprinkle over the remaining breadcrumbs and drizzle with some of the remaining olive oil. Bake the ratatouille in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top is crispy and the vegetables are tender. Serve hot or at room temperature.

September 3, 2009

Celery Root Remoulade

Filed under: Salads — by Carla

 

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In the waning days of summer there are always a few balmy evenings when you just want to eat a thick, juicy steak. Which, oddly enough, brings me to celery root remoulade. There is nothing, and I mean nothing that goes better with a fine slab of protein than this Frenchified version of cole slaw. This crunchy root, lightly scented with the flavor of celery makes a delicious stand-in for everyday cabbage. The tangy acid in the dressing tenderizes the awkward looking vegetable and also provides a foil for the rich flavor of the meat. I love to eat a bit of steak and remoulade in each and every bite. In la belle France, they would serve this bistro favorite with pommes frites, but you could easily slice up some potatoes tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and brown them in a hot oven (or on the grill) to round out an easy, but delicious meal for family and friends alike.

 

 

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Kitchen Counter Point: You’ve probably seen celery root in the produce section and wondered what you could possibly do with it. It looks like a brown, dirty, knobby round with lots of squiggly little roots growing out in all directions. I find it easiest to quarter it and then peel it with a paring knife. Sometimes it has the green celery like top still attached. Because it is a bit on the tough side, I like to thinly slice it and cut it down into little thin matchsticks with a super sharp knife, but sometimes I just shred it in my food processor with the medium shredding disk. If you happen to have a mandoline or benriner, they will make short work of the task as well. The mandatory rest in the refrigerator with the acid packed dressing tenderizes this ungainly root and transforms it, Pygmalion-like into a toothsome salad fit for filet mignon.

 

 Makes 6 generous servings

 

1 large celery root, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks (if you cut them too thickly, they won’t tenderize) or shredded with the medium shredding disk of a food processor
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoonsDijon whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours before serving. The remoulade keeps covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Tip: Remoulade goes well with a hamburger as well. Just sandwich your burger with the salad on a lovely toasted bun. Or, if you’re watching your calories, how about pairing remoulade with a simple grilled chicken breast or salmon filet? Your choice!

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