Brown-Butter Orzo with Butternut Squash

And the winner is...

Brown-Butter Orzo with Butternut Squash! And yes, boys and girls, it definitely is a winner!

It's another recipe from the New York Times cooking section. A source I highly recommend for some pretty good recipes.

Yes, they have their fair share of Really?!? recipes - you know... the kind with ingredients you can only find in a mountain village outside of Machu Picchu on a Thursday afternoon after the first full moon - but the vast majority are recipes actual people can source and prepare.

This particular recipe hit all the right buttons - rich, flavorful, easy to prepare, and made with ingredients one can easily find in their pantry. Naturally, even though we both knew we had orzo in the house - we didn't - and Victor ran down to the store while I started.

It's a quick meal from start to finish.

Brown-Butter Orzo with Butternut Squash

adapted from the NY Times

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
  • 2-pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (3 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chopped rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
  • 3 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta

In a medium Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells nutty and toasty, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add squash, rosemary, a large pinch of salt, the 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and the 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and cook until squash is golden at the edges and begins to soften, 12 to 17 minutes.

Add stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo and lemon zest. Cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat until orzo is just tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 14 to 18 minutes, stirring once or twice. If the pan dries out before the orzo and squash are tender, add a splash or two of water.

Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan. Taste and add more salt if needed. Dollop with ricotta and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan and black pepper just before serving.

Simple and totally delicious! A perfect fall meal.

 


Quiche

Puff Pastry Quiche

While Victor was perusing the Washington Post the other day, he came across a recipe for a quiche that sounded so good, he had to make it! And I'm really glad he did!

I had recently been to the Produce Store - 185th Produce just a couple of miles from us - and we had plenty of good things to fill it with. Having a local produce store is great - it really beats the major supermarkets for price and local availability. And, they sell growlers of local beers!

To make it even better, in these Days of Covid, it's never wall-to-wall crowded. Lots of fresh air circulation and social distancing.

The premise of the recipe is pretty straightforward and there is a lot of flexibility to make it your own. The original recipe called for broccoli. We had half a head of cauliflower, so Victor started there.

Quiche

Quiche with Cauliflower, Gorgonzola, and Walnuts

adapted from the Washington Post

Ingredients

  • One (9-by-10-inch) sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 cup cauliflower florets
  • 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup peas
  • 1/4 cup (about 1 ounce) roughly chopped walnuts
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup light cream
  • 4 large eggs
  • Finely grated zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

Assembly

Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-by-2-inch baking pan with parchment paper so you have a few inches of overhang. Roll the pastry sheet to a 12" square and place in pan with the dough come up the sides to hold the filling in.

Cut the cauliflower florets into bite-size pieces. Scatter the florets, peas, tomatoes, Gorgonzola, walnuts, green onions, and red pepper flakes evenly over the pastry.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, lemon zest, salt and garlic, then pour the mixture over the quiche filling.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is cooked through and just starting to brown and the center of the quiche is slightly wobbly.

Remove from the oven and let the quiche rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, remove from pan, peel away the parchment, slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

We had half for dinner - warm - and half, today, for lunch - cold. It was excellent both ways.

I can see more of this in our future...


Lentils and Orzo

Lentils and Orzo

Here's a hearty meal that can be meaty, vegetarian, or even vegan just by swapping out a couple of ingredients - and it's simple to make! I used chicken broth and put a fried egg on top, but you could easily use vegetable broth or water and serve it sans egg. Or... really meat it up and add sausage or chicken chunks... or any number of clean-out-the-'fridge-vegetables...

The concept comes from the NY Times Cooking section. Their recipe calls for topping the dish with cheese. I thought an egg was even better... It also called for coriander seed... I used a bit of ground coriander. It worked fine.

Lentils and Orzo

Lentils and Orzo with Roasted Eggplant

adapted from The NY Times

  • 1 1/2 pounds eggplant (2 small or 1 large, skin on, or peeled, if desired), chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup dried lentils
  • 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
  • 1/2 cup orzo
  • Zest and juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

Heat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with 1/4 cup olive oil and crushed coriander seeds until coated; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, giving the baking sheet a shake halfway through roasting to toss the eggplant pieces for even cooking.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the carrot, onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste begins to darken on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the lentils until coated. Pour in stock or water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type and age of lentils you use.

Stir in the orzo and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the roasted eggplant pieces and a fried egg, if desired.

The entire dish is done in the time it takes to roast the eggplant, so it's a definite weeknight-get-it-on-the-table-quick meal!

 


Eggplant Parmesan Non-Meatballs

Barbara Olson

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 1/4 lb eggplant, cut into 1″ pieces
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup parmesan, finely grated
  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 cups marinara sauce (low sodium)

Heat oil and garlic in a large skillet on medium heat until it sizzles – about three minutes.

Add eggplant and 1/4 cp water and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.. Cook, covered, on medium-low heat stirring occasionally, until tender – about 12-15 minutes.

Transfer to colander and let drain 5 minutes.

Heat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil and coat lightly with cooking spray.

Transfer eggplant mixture to food processor and pulse to roughly chop. Do Not Puree.

Add breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, basil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Pulse to combine.

Stir in egg.

Form into about 20 1 1/2″ balls and transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Bake until firm and browned on the bottom 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat sauce in a large skillet then gently toss in meatballs.

Top with freshly grated parmesan and parsley.

Enjoy!


Veggie Stromboli

Lauren Snyder

  • 1 pkg herb pizza dough
  • 3/4 bag shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 – 3/4 bag melange a trois peppers
  • 1/2 – 3/4 bag broccoli florets
  • 1/2 bag baby spinach

Roll out dough.

Season shredded mozzarella with curry, cumin, garlic, onion, paprika, and turmeric.

Saute veggies in a dash of olive oil.

Put half of seasoned cheese on dough.

Place veggies on top of cheese.

Put remaining cheese on veggies.

Fold dough. Cover in a light layer of oil.

Cut slices to vent.

Bake at 425°F for 15-17 minutes.

Cool and enjoy!


Tomato Galette

Tomato Galette

The garden tomatoes are slowly coming tpo an end, but while they're still around, we're coming up with more ways to eat them.

Tonight, Victor made a Tomato Galette - layers of sliced tomatoes under crisp and crunchy croutons. It was pure perfection!

He took a bunch of yellow heirloom tomatoes and sliced them and then layered them in a small casserole dish with thinly-sliced shallots, a bit of shredded quattro formaggio cheese blend, salt & pepper, topped with homemade croutons from the Italian Bread I made yesterday.

The croutons were bread cubes mixed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder - baked in the oven until crunchy and toasted. Since toast is one of my most favorite food groups, he made enough for me to snack on, as well!

It all went into a 350°F oven for 45 minutes.

Tomato Galette

Crispy crunchy croutons atop perfect tomatoes - seasoned simply, because they're so delicious on their own they don't need a lot. And the homemade croutons made the dish!

I made the bread to go along with a beef stew I had made.

I make stew based on a Boeuf Bourguignon recipe I've been making for years. It started off as a quick version of Julia Child's classic and has just morphed over the years. The constants are beef, bacon, brandy, a bottle of red wine, and beef stock - the rest changes to suit what's in the kitchen at the time... It slow-cooks in the oven for several hours and comes out great every time.

beef stew and tomatoes

This really has been the year of the tomato and I'm going to be sad to see it end.

But it ain't over, yet!

 

 

 

 


Eggplant and Eggs

Eggplant, Ravioli, and a Seven Minute Egg

I always know when Victor asks if I have planned anything for dinner that he has a plan for dinner. And I ain't no fool - I let him go for it!

His plan, tonight, was based on a soft-cooked egg he had seen on Milk Street - steamed for exactly 7 minutes.

Dinner based upon a simple egg?!? You betcha!

Of course, one needs something to put that egg upon - and he did not disappoint!

First, he made ravioli. Perfect little pillows stuffed with ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, egg, and parmigiano.

Our eggplant did not produce as it has in past years, but we were able to make some cutlets and freeze them. A couple of them came out and went into the oven with his sauce and the same ricotta filling in between them.

When they were ready, the ravioli went into the sauce and the eggs went into the steamer basket. And then everything went onto the plate.

Eggplant and Eggs

Absolute perfection!

It was one of those texture sensations - the silkiness of the ravioli, the crunch of the eggplant breading, and that perfectly cooked egg.

It was heaven on the end of my fork.

 

 


Making Tomato Paste

Homemade Tomato Paste

The tomato bounty contines.

Victor was online and came across recipes for tomato paste. We had both thought about making it, but neither of us were thrilled about stirring it on the stovetop for literal hours, worrying about scorching or burning...

Enter the Oven Method!

The concept is to take the tomato juice/pulp and reduce it in the oven instead of on the stove. Since we can't do it outdoors as they do in Sicily, it seemed like a perfect solution. We watched a video of people in Sicily making tomato paste - spreading the juicy pulp on five wooden tables outdoors, and then gradually combining it until they were left with a bucket of paste.

The reality is you don't get a lot of volume - it reduces 90%. One woman made a great point, though, about it - Yes, it's a bit of work, but would you ever consider spreading canned tomato paste on a crusty slice of bread?!? Most likely, not. You will with this, however! We spread it on fish and then topped it with fresh tomato relish - but that's another story.

We added just a bit of citric acid. Tomatoes are naturally acidic - something you want for canning - but the seeds carry a lot of that acidic content and you take out the seeds for paste.

You can use any tomatoes, but plum tomatoes will give you the most volume per pound - they're more meaty. We did a combination of about 7 pounds of plum/San Marzano and 3 pounds heirloom.

You'll need a food mill and 2 rimmed sheet pans. You will also need 3 to 4 hours of oven time. It will vary based on the juiciness of your tomatoes.

Tomato Paste

  • 10 pounds tomatoes
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp citric acid

Wash and cut tomatoes. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and mix well.

Making Tomato Paste

Simmer the tomatoes until they break down and are soft and cooked through.

Making Tomato Paste

Let cool a bit and then pass through a food mill.

Making Tomato Paste

Spread juice/pulp onto two sheet pans and place in upper and lower thirds of a preheated 350°F oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Making Tomato Paste

After 30 minutes, remove from oven, stir, and return - switching pan location each time. This is after the first 30 minutes. Still quite thin, but noticeably thicker than when it went in.

Making Tomato Paste

After an hour and a half.

Making Tomato Paste

After 3 hours. The deep brick red color you're looking for.

Making Tomato Paste

Ready to jar.

Making Tomato Paste

The finished product.

Making Tomato Paste

You can place it in containers and freeze, or you can can it either with a water bath or pressure canner. We have a pressure canner, so I use it almost exclusively.

Use 4 oz jars.

For a water bath, process for 15 minutes or process for 15 minutes at 11 pounds pressure with the pressure canner.

The result is unbelievable - the most awesomely rich tomato flavor you may ever experience.

We're hoping we'll be able to do at least one more batch before the season is over.

It really is awesome stuff!

 

 


Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed Tomatoes

The tomatoes just keep coming! The eggplant fizzled, the peppers fizzled, but the tomatoes are coming on strong.

If I was going to hope for at least one of the three to come on strong, it would be the tomatoes - there are so many more things you can do with them.

Tonight, Victor took a few plums and stuffed them Victor-Style - the perfect side dish!

Stuffed Tomatoes

  • bread crumbs
  • parmigiano
  • garlic powder
  • oregano
  • salt & pepper
  • crushed red pepper flakes
  • fried hot Italian peppers

Slice tomatoes in half and core. Lightly salt and lightly cover in olive oil. Dredge in bread crumbs.

Mix bread crumbs with parmigiano, garlic powder, oregano, crushed red pepper, and S&P.

Place a hot Italian pepper in tomato cavity. Top with bread crumb mixture.

Place in small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Add about 1/2 cup white wine to dish, cover, and bake about 30 minutes at 350°F.

Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Stuffed Tomatoes

Absolutely delish! We're both fans of hot peppers, so the Italian hot in the tomato was perfection. If you don't like heat, leave it out - but it was really really good!

The steaks were liberally doused with Nick Stellino's magic spice mixture - equal parts of:

  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • brown sugar
  • salt
  • pepper
  • paprika

Onto the grill they went.

There are more heirloom tomatoes ripening with another round of San Marzanos and plums not far behind.

This is fun!

 

 


Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Soup and Tomato Galette

It's summertime and it's rather hot outside, but with the air conditioner running, it could be any time of the year, at all, indoors. Time for some soup!

Victor found a recipe for a Turkish red lentil Soup that sounded like the perfect dinner. A spicy red lentil soup drizzled with a spicy oil. How perfext!

 

Red Lentil Soup

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

For the Soup:

  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 1 heaping Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried mint
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme or oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • salt, to taste

For the Paprika Oil:

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

Pick through your lentils for any foreign debris, rinse them 2 or 3 times, drain, and set aside.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the olive oil and the onion with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and sauté for another 3 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir it around for around 1 minute. Now add the cumin, paprika, mint, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper and sauté for 10 seconds to bloom the spices. Immediately add the lentils, water, broth, and salt. Bring the soup to a boil.

After it has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover the pot halfway, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils have fallen apart and the carrots are completely cooked.

In the meanwhile make the paprika oil by swirling together the olive oil, paprika, and red pepper in a small sauce pan over medium heat. The moment you see the paprika starting to bubble, remove the pan from the heat. It's done.

After the soup has cooked and the lentils are tender, blend the soup either in a blender or simply use a hand blender to reach the consistency you desire. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.

Serve the soup with a drizzle of paprika oil, wedges of lemon, and extra mint and red pepper for everyone to customize to their taste.

While Victor made soup, I set my sights on a tomato galette

It's a stellar year for tomatoes - they are just sooo flavorful - I doubt I will ever get my fill of them.

This was about the easiest thing to make in the history of easy things to make. I pulled the pie dough out of the freezer, but it's really easy to make.

Tomato Galette

  • 2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 4 oz mixed cheeses, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°. Gently toss tomatoes, garlic, and 1 tsp salt. Let sit 5 minutes (tomatoes will start releasing some liquid). Drain tomato mixture and transfer to paper towels.

Tomato Tart

Unwrap dough and roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to a 14" round about 1/8" thick.

Tomato Tart

Transfer on parchment to a baking sheet.

Tomato Tart

Scatter cheese over dough, leaving a 1½" border.

Tomato Tart

Arrange tomatoes and garlic over cheese.

Tomato Tart

Bring edges of dough up and over filling, overlapping as needed to create about a 1 1/2" border.

Sprinkle tomatoes with sea salt and pepper. Chill in freezer 10 minutes.

Bake galette, rotating once, until crust is golden brown and cooked through, 55–65 minutes.

Let cool slightly on baking sheet.

Top with sun-dried tomatoes, if desired.

It was the perfect combination - soup and galette - and it really brought home the flavors of summer.

 

 

 

 


Tomatoes and Potatoes

Tomatoes and Potatoes

The Tomato Bounty continues...

We have lots of sauce downstairs and lots more to make - and that's just from the plums and san marzanos. The other heirlooms are coming along strong, as well.

I had less than a pint of sauce left from the last canning - too little to process - so tonight, I used it to braise a couple of sliced red bliss potatoes. I started with a chopped leek and a bit of garlic, then added the potatoes to brown just a bit. Next went the sauce and a handful of the principe borghese tomatoes. A bit of salt, pepper, mint, and oregano - along with some crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper, finished the dish. On top of the potatoes and tomatoes went some sliced, grilled chicken, with three varieties of heirloom tomatoes on the side.

Tomatoes and Potatoes

The tomatoes are just so damned good! I'm going to be very sad when they're done for the season.

 

 

 


Rice and Tomatoes

Leftover Rice

I've always found it easier to cook a minimum of one cup of rice - I just don't have a lot of luck with cooking smaller amounts. It's even easier to cook two cups and have a couple of meals set up in the freezer or 'fridge.

Rice is the perfect vehicle for many things, so, tonight, I took plain cold rice and made a bit of a Mediterranean stir-fry.

Mediterranean Stir-Fry

  • 2 cups cold cooked rice
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • basil and mint, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Saute leek, carrot, and mushrooms until wilted and lightly browned. Stir in rice and heat thoroughly.

Stir in chopped tomatoes and herbs and heat through.

Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.

We had our rice with a small bacon-wrapped filet but it would be equally good with a protein of your choice - chicken, pork, ground beef - whatever.

Rice and Tomatoes

Total simplicity - and really good!