Taking Advantage of Green Garden Tomatoes

I'm headed out of town later this week for a conference (in Austin!), and as I checked out my garden this weekend, I got a little worried about my tomatoes. The plants are filled with green fruits, but they are also showing developing signs of late blight, the fungus that is wreaking havoc on crops throughout New England, thanks to the crazy wet weather we've had this summer. I wanted to make sure that I got to use at least some of my tomatoes, because who knows what they'll look like when I get back from my trip.

So I harvested a few of the tomatoes (probably only 1/20th of what's out there, though), as well as some Japanese eggplants ("Are they supposed to look like that?" my brother asked. Yes, yes they are.), basil, parsley, and scallions. I combined a few different recipes that I found online to form what I think is one damn good fried tomato. The combination of flour, buttermilk, and panko breadcrumbs created a tender, crispy crust while keeping the tomato and eggplant fresh. Another plus? It didn't soak up a lot of oil during frying, so it was light and not greasy.

Fried Green Tomatoes (and Eggplant) with Buttermilk Dressing
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, divided
juice of 3 limes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
2 sprigs of basil, minced
2 sprigs of parsley, minced
1 scallion, minced
1/2 tsp salt
2 large green tomatoes
1 large or 2 small Japanese eggplants
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning mix
Vegetable oil for frying

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup buttermilk, lime juice, olive oil, honey. basil, parsley, scallion, and salt and whisk together. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Slice tomatoes and eggplant into 1/3-inch thick slices. Arrange three bowls for the coating process - one for the flour, one for 1 cup of buttermilk, and one for the panko and Cajun seasoning (mix the seasoning into the panko to evenly distribute). Dredge slices in flour (shaking off extra flour), dip in buttermilk, then coat with panko. Coat all slices before beginning to fry.

In a large pan, heat about 1/2 an inch of vegetable oil over medium-low heat until it just begins to bubble. Cook tomatoes and eggplant in batches until golden brown on both sides. Do not crowd the pan. Drain on papertowels before serving. If needed, you can keep the cooked tomatoes and eggplant in the oven on the lowest setting (about 200°) until all the batches are done. Serve with dressing.

Butternut/Hazelnut Lasagna

It started when my friend Ann told me about a butternut squash lasagna that she had made - very tasty, but it had no structure. The squash was too loose, basically forming a mush that the noodles floated around in. Definitely not up to lasagna criteria. She was still craving the dish, though, so we went about trying to find a better recipe.

When I eventually stumbled across this recipe on Epicurious, I was intrigued. The hazelnuts, it seemed, would give the filling enough substance to stand up on its own, and I also tend to favor lasagnas that use bechamel, so I was sold. I did have to tweak the recipe anyway, though, because their rendition of bechamel - well, it just didn't work. We had to get out a strainer and there was lost garlic and - yeah, not worth it. I've subbed in a better (and easier) version of bechamel below.

We served with with some pan-fried kielbasa, and I think it was almost needed. The saltiness of the meat cut the sweetness of the lasagna and made for a more balanced flavor.

Also, my cheese measurements are approximate. I'm not one to cook with definite quantities (especially of things like cheese), so really, feel free to put in as much or as little cheese as you see fit (although, if you see fit to add less, we can no longer be friends).

Butternut/Hazelnut Lasagna

For the filling:
1 large onion, chopped
3 Tbsp butter
3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, loose skins removed, and finely chopped

For the bechamel:
5 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
5 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp salt

For layering:
2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella
1 cup finely grated pecorino Romano
1 lb fresh lasagna noodles, uncooked (you can use 12 sheets of no-boil lasagna noodles if you can't make or buy fresh pasta)

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Add squash, garlic, salt, and white pepper, and continue to cook until the squash is tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and half of the hazelnuts. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender until smooth (if you like it a little chunkier, puree with an immersion blender). Set aside.

For the bechamel, using a small sauce pot on medium-low, heat butter until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture is golden, stiring constantly, about 6 minutes. In a separate pot, heat milk until almost boiling. Add milk to butter, 1 cup at a time, whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil, add bay leaf and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add salt and nutmeg; remove bay leaf.

To assemble the lasagna, spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 glass baking dish. Lay down pasta sheets to cover the bottom of the pan, making sure they do not overlap. Spread with 2/3 cup of the sauce, then a third of the squash filling, then a half cup of mozzarella. Sprinkle with pecorino and remaining hazelnuts. Repeat layering process two more times, going from pasta to cheese and nuts. Finish with a layer of pasta topped with the remaining bechamel and cheese.

To bake, preheat oven to 425°. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbly. Let lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Croissants are Surprisingly Easy

Another snowy weekend, another desire to bake. This time, I went with something a little more difficult than biscuits, and something I've only dreamed of making - croissants. I've always thought that croissants must be this time-consuming, nit-picky endeavor, since it is so difficult to find a truly delicious specimen. But as I started to tackle this recipe, I was astounded to discover that each step is fairly easy and short - it's just the waiting period between each step that makes this seem to take forever.

True, it took almost 24 hours to complete the croissants, but active time was under an hour. The result was exactly what I was looking for - buttery, flaky, light-as-air pillows of dough that practically dissolve on your tongue. I'm very happy to know that when I want the real deal, I can now make them at home, instead of driving all over, looking for something that may or may not sate my craving.

And since this was an experiment (I didn't even know if they would turn out at all - better to have low expectations when trying something "difficult," I feel), I opted to try both plain and chocolate croissants. Both turned out splendidly, and I actually liked splitting the batch in half so I could have both flavors. If you do split your batch, use only about half the chocolate I listed below, and save any chocolate that doesn't get folded into the dough for melting and drizzling.

Croissants

3 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp instant or rapid rise yeast (about 1 1/2 packets)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup warm milk
3 sticks unsalted butter
1 large egg, beaten
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 2 3/4 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. With the mixer at low speed and the dough hook installed, slowly add milk and mix until the dough begins to pull together, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough becomes sticky and elastic, about 8 minutes. If the dough isn't forming roughly into a ball by about 5 minutes, add 1/4 cup more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl and put the dough into a lightly greased bowl. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Lay out a large sheet of parchment paper on a counter. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of flour on the parchment, then lay the 3 sticks of butter side by side on the flour. Sprinkle 1 more Tbsp of flour on top of the butter, then top with another sheet of parchment. Working with a rolling pin, gently pound the butter until it is softened and the flour is incorporated. Roll butter into a 12-inch square. Keeping the butter in the parchment, refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a floured surface, roll out dough so that the butter square will fit diagonally in the center. Place the butter in the center of the dough in a diamond shape, with the corners of the butter at the middle of the sides of the dough. Fold the dough over the sides of the butter so that they meet in the middle and press to seal shut. Roll the dough out to a 14-inch square, sprinkling on more flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Once dough is rolled out, fold the square into thirds, like a letter, to form a rectangle, then fold that rectangle into thirds to form a small square. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Roll out the dough again, lightly dusting with flour to prevent sticking. Repeat the previous folding process, folding the dough into a rectangle and then a square. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper (rimmed baking sheets are best). Roll the dough into a 20-inch square. Cut the dough into two halves down the middle.

For regular croissants, cut each half into 3 rectangles, then cut each of those pieces diagonally into 2 triangles. Cut a small slit into the wide end of the triangle, then gently roll the dough, starting at the wide end and moving towards the point. Place the croissants on the baking sheet and curl the arms around to form the crescent shape.

For chocolate croissants, cut each half into 6 even rectangles. Place a tablespoon of chopped chocolate at one end, then roll the dough up around it into a log shape. Arrange on the baking sheet with the seam on the bottom.

Loosely cover shaped croissants with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 to 16 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush the croissants with egg wash and place the sheets in the oven, using both racks. Bake until golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Rotate and switch the baking sheets halfway through baking. Serve warm or at room temperature. For chocolate croissants, wait until the croissants have cooled, then drizzle with melted chocolate.

Carrot Parsnip Ginger Soup

Mmm, root veggies. One thing I love about fall is the abundance of sweet, earthy vegetables that are awesome just about any way you prepare them. I don't really have a story about this soup - it's just quick and easy, hearty and delicious. If you're not a huge fan of ginger, you might want to bring it down to a 1-inch piece instead of 2-inch.

Carrot Parsnip Ginger Soup
4 cups chicken stock
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 pound parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced finely across the grain
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 tsp sugar
salt
white pepper

Bring the chicken stock to a boil over medium high heat. Add carrots, parsnips and ginger and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until the veggies are tender (about half an hour - the carrots are the hardest, so check them for doneness). Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender (you can also blend in small batches in the blender). Blend in milk, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Yep, that's it.

Dutch Babies, Two Ways

I saw this recipe the other day for a make-at-home Bickford's Big Apple, the one thing I always order at Bickford's. So when my roommate suggested pancakes this morning, I was thinking something more along the lines of a Dutch baby rather than a traditional pancake. My recipe is super easy - it only takes a couple of minutes to get the batter ready, and then you get to kick back while they bake in the oven... no slaving over the hot stove, flipping each pancake.

I opted for the traditional topping of melted butter, lemon juice, and powdered sugar, while my roommate went with mixed fruit- bananas, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, topped with powdered sugar.


Dutch Babies
4 eggs
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sifted flour
2/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp soft butter

Preheat oven to 400°. In a blender, process eggs on low until light and frothy. Add the rest of the ingredients and process on medium until smooth, scraping down the sides if anything sticks. Butter 2 9-inch cake pans. Pour batter into pans and bake for 20 minutes.

Butternut Squash Couscous

It was post-Thanksgiving week, and there were no leftovers in sight, one of the downfalls to going to someone else's house for a holiday. So for lunchs this past week, I set out to create something with a "holiday leftover" feel (without it going bad by the end of the week, of course).

I couldn't be happier with how this dish turned out. I was so busy at work this week, I ended up eating every lunch at my desk every day, and it was great to have this waiting in the fridge. Thank goodness I have my "I heart Jim" mug to look at.


Butternut Squash Couscous

1 lb butternut squash, diced
10-15 pearl onions, halved
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup water
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup whole wheat couscous
3 sprigs thyme
sea salt

Toss squash and onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil. Roast in oven at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until squash is tender.

While squash is roasting, heat water and 1 tsp olive oil until boiling. Add couscous and remove from heat. Stir to make sure all the grains are coated, then cover and let stand 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine squash and onions with couscous in a bowl. Add the leaves from thyme sprigs, plus a large pinch of salt, and mix to incorporate. Add a splash of olive oil if the mixture is too dry. Keeps well all week.

It's that Easy?!?

Needing to use the rest of my mozzarella curd, I decided to try my hand at Armenian string cheese. For some reason, I've always enjoyed making the most labor-intensive Armenian dishes (manti is my favorite), so of course I'm crazy enough to want to make my own string cheese. But after actually doing it, I can't believe how easy it is... why have I never done this before?!? (Oh right, finding the curd has been a bitch...)

If anyone else decides to try this, I thought I'd provide a more pictoral recipe - I didn't think I could describe the process well enough without examples...

Armenian String Cheese

1 pound mozzarella curd
mahleb
nigella seeds
salt

Fill a bowl with cold water and salt it heavily; set aside.

Chop curd into small pieces and put into a microwaveable bowl or measuring cup. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, until the lumps are melted, but before the curd becomes soupy. Drain off whey and add a large pinch of mahleb and a large pinch of nigella seeds. Kneed the cheese to incorporate mahleb and seeds; pour off any more whey that may have separated. In your hands, form cheese into a ball. Poke a hole in the middle, forming a donut, and begin to stretch.


Double the cheese over and stretch some more.


Keep stretching and pulling, doubling it back up when it gets too long.


The more you stretch and twist the cheese, the more stringy the final product will be.


As the cheese begins to cool, twist the cheese like a rope as you pull, then let it twist up upon itself.


Keep twisting and pulling. When the cheese seems like it has cooled too much to stretch without breaking, tuck one end over the other, forming a braided ball. Place the cheese in the salted water for 2-3 hours. It can be eaten immediately or frozen, wrapped in plastic.

Massachusetts Pizza Kitchen

Labor Day means grilling with friends, and this year I managed to commandeer the menu with something I've wanted to try for a long time - grilled pizza.

I don't have my own grill, and it's rare that I have the wherewithal to cart a whole slew of ingredients over to someone else's house, but being that it was a holiday, I went all out. Assuming that the grilling of the dough would work, I prepared 6 different sets of toppings - because I'm crazy. There was a lot of prep work to this, but only because there were 6 different kinds - if there had only been 1 or 2, it would have been a cinch.


My roommate did all the actual grilling as I hovered and directed. We used Trader Joe's packaged pizza dough for ease - 1 bag of wheat dough and 2 of herb & garlic. Each dough was halved and then shaped to form the 6 pies. Each dough was brushed with olive oil, then placed oil side down on the grill for about 5 minutes. He also brushed the grill itself with plenty of olive oil to prevent sticking, and he says this was vitally important.


Once they were half-cooked and off the grill, I topped the cooked side with the toppings before the pizza was transfered back to the grill. Luckily, with the two upper grill racks, there was room enough for all 6 pizzas to be on at once. We rotated the pizzas around to make sure they all got evenly cooked, and the top was closed for a few minutes to allow the heat to really bake the pizzas.

I was so happy with how these turned out, and they were surprisingly easy to put together. I know this will show up again next summer, and I'll be spreading the love of grilled pizza to whatever barbeques I go to.


Thai pizza with homemade peanut sauce, shrimp, carrots, scallions and mozzarella on wheat dough.


Pizza with caramelized red onions and grilled green pepper with mozzarella on garlic & herb dough.


Mexican pizza with salsa, black beans, shredded chicken, and Mexican-blend cheese on wheat dough.


Margherita pizza with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella on garlic & herb dough.


Greek pizza with tomatoes, feta and olives on garlic & herb dough.


Pizza with brie, green apple and honey on garlic & herb dough.

Vomit Soup

The other day, as I was reading about Ugly Soup over at The Best Bite, I was thinking that her soup wasn't really that ugly. It wasn't beautiful, no, but it wasn't something that should be hidden from view.

And then, last night, totally without meaning to, I one-upped Andrea in the ugly soup department. A simple name of Fresh Corn and Tomato Soup won't do for this one. No, all I can picture is my 10-year-old nephew playing some nasty practical jokes on his teachers, and now the name Vomit Soup has stuck in my head. It tastes fantastic, though, uses the late summer crops, and was ridiculously easy to make. It's wicked healthy, too. This recipe yielded about 6 cups of soup, or 3 big bowls-worth. I served the soup with Trader Joe's Southwest Style Gourmet Flatbreads, little flat breadstickets baked with chilis and cheese.

Perhaps next time, I'll serve it in the dark in front of the TV.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Soup (aka Vomit Soup)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper (I think I used more, I didn't measure)
1/2 tsp salt (again, I didn't measure)
1/2 cup water
5-6 ears of corn, kernals cut off
fresh tomatoes (I used 3 small tomatoes and a pint of cherry tomatoes)
about 1/2 cup skim milk (you can also use whole milk or cream)

In a large pot, saute the onion in the oil. Add cayenne and salt. After 4-5 minutes, when the onion is tender, add water, corn and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes, until corn is tender. Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender. Add milk as you puree. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

And no, I'm not going to give you pictures, because I like having readers.

Sunday Experiments - Couscous Crepinettes and Scallion Pancakes

So generally, Sunday seems to be a time when my roommate and I look at each other and say "I really want to cook something new."

With a fridge full of veggies that had nearly overstayed their welcome, I started a search for a recipe that would encompass most of the varied cast of characters. I struck out with a somewhat lame look through my cookbook collection, but the Food Network came to my rescue.



I've never watched Cat Cora on TV. I think I might have glimpsed her for about 5 seconds on a morning talkshow once. Nevertheless, I wanted to dislike her. Don't ask me why; I guess I'm just petty. But I gave her "Vegetable Couscous 'En Crepinette'" a shot, and, with some variations, it actually turned out pretty well.



Our edits to the recipe:
- I'm not sure why you turn on the oven at the beginning...
- Veggie filling was comprised of zucchini, red pepper, red onion and (uncooked) scallions.
- The couscous was cooked in 1 1/2 cups of water - a compromise between the recipe and the back of the couscous box. I think 2 cups would have been way too much.
- No herbs - we had none.
- Rice wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar - again, that's what we had on hand.

The assembly took a little while to get the hang of, but I'm wicked smaht, so I caught on.



Now, the recipe called for searing the little packets before serving. I'm not sure if this step is necessary. I ate the leftovers today and, fearing the stench of hot cabbage spreading throughout the office via microwave, opted to eat them cold... and they were better. Although, using plastic cutlery did prove to be a challenge with the cabbage leaves.

As I assembled the packets, my roommate was trying to decide what needed to go with them. The bowl of extra scallions winked up at him from the counter, and neither one of us could shake the idea of scallion pancakes from our heads. I didn't follow what he put in them... all I know is that they were tasty! Since they were fried in very little oil, they didn't puff up much. As they cooled, the dough compressed; it seemed a lot like naan to me after a while. Looking at this picture now is making me hungry...