You gotta try this recipe!

I try not to play favorites with the recipes on this site but sometimes I come across a recipe that’s so unique, so delicious that I have no choice. This is one of those times.

It couldn’t have come across this recipe at a better time considering it’s been a while since I have posted anything new. For the past few weeks, I’ve been focused on unpacking boxes, fighting with cable company phone reps, installing wallpaper (this alone was responsible for three or four nervous breakdowns) and building bookshelves (this was nervous breakdown number six).

One day I have to give you a photographic tour of my new digs. It’s a New York City apartment, so by photographic “tour,” I mean standing in the doorway and snapping one shot that shows the entire place. Ugh.

With all of that said, I honestly couldn’t think of a better recipe to “re-launch” with.

A few days back I came across this recipe for Spicy Red Pepper Jelly. The recipe looked unique, interesting and best of all, easy. I couldn’t pass it up.

Let me tell you, this ain’t the one note, singularly-sweet jelly that your mom slathered on PB&J sandwiches. This more mature version pacts an amazing concert of flavors: the tangy, sweetness of the red pepper; the earthy, hearty and almost smoky flavor of the fresh thyme; all finished off with a subtle push of heat from the pepper flakes. Delish!

Besides the flavor, what really sets this jelly off is its versatility. It’s a perfect condiment to put on buttered toast – the creaminess of the butter and tangy sweetness and heat of the jelly (in this post I paired it with miniature cornbread muffins).

It would also be AMAZING served as a slightly warm dipping sauce for grilled lamb chops – the tanginess, sweetness and heat would hold up well with the bold flavors of a perfectly grilled rosemary-garlic grilled lamb chop.

This jelly is seriously a must try.

Before I go, although things are great now (finally settling into my new place has done wonders), it’s been a year filled with ups and downs.  I want to say thank you to all of you who have been so generous in my absence with your emails, well wishes and CeramicCanvas.com inspired posts on your own sites (example 1, example 2). They are all very much appreciated.

It feels good to be back.

Cheers!

WORD TO THE WISE: After you add the fruit pectin, only cook the mixture for a 1 or 2 minutes as the recipe instructs. I made the mistake of boiling the pectin for about 3 or 4 minutes. And while it still tastes amazing, when the jelly cools it becomes to set, hard and unspreadable. Which can be fixed by gently reheating the jelly to make it more pliable.

SPICY RED PEPPER JELLY

Originally Printed in Gourmet Magazine, December 2006

1 1/2 lb red bell peppers (about 3), cut into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)

2 TSP dried hot red-pepper flakes

3 TBL Sure-Jell less- or no-sugar-needed pectin (from a 1 3/4-oz box)

3 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup white-wine vinegar

1 TBL unsalted butter

1 TSP fresh thyme, chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

Pulse bell peppers with red-pepper flakes in a food processor until finely chopped. (Mixture will measure about 2 1/2 cups.)

Whisk together pectin and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.

Stir together pepper mixture, vinegar, butter, salt, and remaining 3 cups sugar in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, then continue to boil vigorously, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add pectin mixture and chopped thyme. Return jelly to a vigorous boil, stirring constantly, and boil, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly). Remove from heat.

NOTE: For instructions on jarring the jelly, click here.

Don Quixote has left the building – kicking and screaming but he has left.

As I sit here writing this entry, I am huddled up on the coach with a blanket across my lap and sipping on a warm mug of my favorite tea (Harvey Nichols’ Black Vanilla). It’s at this point I realize that it’s over. No matter how much I protest, it’s still over.

So despite my Don Quixote-esque pledge to never give up on summer in last week’s yummy Ode to Summer Frozen Strawberry Margarita Pie recipe, I’m now calling in the troops. I’m waving the white flag. For heaven’s sakes, last weekend I wore a corduroy blazer to dinner. And when you start wearing corduroy, like it or not, you’re subconsciously admitting to yourself that deep down you know summer is over.

Evidently, this process of Autumn acceptance is an annual rite of passage for me. I remember going through the exact same thing last year when I posted this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Granola Bars.

But here’s the good news. With autumn comes autumn produce. At the top of my list this year are beets.

Since having it a few weeks back at one of my favorite restaurants, I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect beet salad. I can’t seem to get it out of my head. I’ve made Beet, Avocado & Roasted Chicken…I loved it. Then I conjured up a Beet, Avocado and Salmon Salad….that was a disaster. I’m not even sure what I was thinking…I mean, like Lady Gaga’s meat dress, some ideas just don’t need to be acted upon. Seriously, what was she thinking?

Back to the salad…last week, I stumbled onto a version that I really liked. As a matter of fact I liked it so much that I couldn’t wait to share the recipe with you.

As dishes go this recipe for Roasted Beet & Avocado Salad with Goat Cheese and Danelion Greens has a full range of flavors: sweet and earthy beets; creamy freshness of the avocados; peppery spice of the dandelion greens, hint of bite and salty brine from the goat cheese and the tangy flavor of the balsamic dressing kind of hangs out in the background, adding a little spike of flavor to each bite.

This is one of those “recipes” that’s less about following exact measurements and more about building a dish flavor by flavor until it suits your tastes. Love your salads sweet? Then pump up the amount of beets. Prefer to have a little bit of bite and peppery flavor? Dial up the amount of dandelion greens. Can’t live without avocados…. Well, you get the point. It’s a very forgiving and beautiful combination of ingredients.

One thing. Dandelion greens can be a little tough (and you would be too if everyone despised you so much that they constantly sprayed you in the face with chemical herbicides…Can you imagine? That would suck.) But if you let the salad sit for a bit, the acid in the vinegar should help to breakdown the greens.

And if you can’t find or just hate dandelion greens, no worries, I think the salad is still uber-delicious without them or better yet, toss in some spicy arugula).

Cheers!

Roasted Beet & Avocado Salad with Goat Cheese & Dandelion Greens

4 medium sized red beets

3 TBL balsamic vinegar

2 TBL extra virgin olive oil

1 TBL granulated sugar

1/8 TSP kosher salt

1/8 TSP freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dandelion greens, shredded

2 ripe avocados

Goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Trim beet roots of their stems and scrub under warm water to remove any soil. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and roast them in oven for 1 hour or until beets are cooked (when a knife easily pierces through the center of the largest beet).

When beets are done, unwrap and submerge them in ice water until they are completely cooled.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper until the mixture has emulsified.

Halve the avocado, remove pit, criss-cross cut the avocado’s flesh (see above photos) and scoop out flesh into a large bowl.

Once beets have cooled, peel and gently cut them lengthwise into ¼” discs. Cut the discs into ¼” batons. Add the beets and shredded dandelion green to the large bowl with the avocados.

Pour balsamic vinegar over beet-avocado mixture, and gently toss salad being careful not to break the beet batons. Let salad sit in refrigerator for up to an hour (allowing time for the vinegar to breakdown and tenderize the dandelion greens).

Put salad in a serving bowl.

Dot the salad with pats of goat cheese.

Serves 4.

It’s been some time since I’ve added anything to these pages but I’m back. After all, you didn’t think you’d be lucky enough to get through the entire summer without my virtual smiling face on your computer screens, did you?

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far. It’s been a busy one on this side of the internet with lots of things happening all at once. (On that note, thank you for the emails checking in during my absence. It was great to hear from everyone and I sincerely appreciate the sentiments and concern. Thank you.)

Not only has it been a busy summer but it’s been a very hot one too! So, I can’t wait to tell you about the salad in today’s post – it’s cool and refreshing, the perfect foil to steamy summer days – but first a little detour…

As I mentioned, there is a lot going on. Chief among them is that I am now a gypsy. A number of months ago, I moved out of my home and started the process of purchasing a new home. Sounds great? Well, hold off on any congratulations, cause there’s a wrinkle (why are there always wrinkles?).

Although I went into contract on the seemingly complete place in December of last year, it is still not ready to be occupied. Evidently, we’re waiting on final approval from the NYC Building Department. It’s been a long, grueling process. Frankly, the whole things makes me long for the days when a strategically placed envelope stuffed with cash could magically open the doors to passing a city inspection. Evidently, New York City government and inspectors are now corruption-free (just my luck).

So, now I’m a nomad – roaming from one short-term place to another, waiting for the day that I can move into my new home (and get back to keeping these pages regularly updated). So, if you are walking around NYC and you see a visibly lost man wandering around with suitcases, a white Kitchen Aide mixer and a cooler filled with homemade smoked meats, don’t be afraid stop and say hi.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the Green Bean-Citrus Salad with Dill Pesto. This dish was kind of an accidental discovery. It was Sunday. It was a hot hot New York summer day. No one wanted to leave the comfort (and AC) of home. So, Robert (my talented, best BF in the world, BF) cobbled together this dish from remnants that were in the kitchen.

There was dill and parsley in the fridge and cashews in the pantry…the idea of a pesto was born. There were green beans from the previous night’s dinner. There was ricotta salata for creaminess and salt. There were oranges– which is all we needed to add a little brightness and acid to the dish.

And shock beyond shock, we absolutely loved it! It’s a great balance of flavors. And especially delish when served ice cold. Refreshing, light and bright.

NOTE: Since first making this dish, we’ve tested out a variation using diced roasted beets. It was even better. The beets added a layer of yummy sweetness that helped to round out the sharpness of the oranges. And it was pretty!

GREEN BEAN-CITRUS SALAD & DILL PESTO

1 TSP salt

½ pound fresh green beans, washed with stem ends removed

½ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 TBL fresh chives, roughly chopped

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup walnut halves

1 clove garlic

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large oranges

½ cup (or more) ricotta salata, crumbled with your fingers

Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, 7-8 minutes. Drain well; cool immediately in iced water to stop the cooking process. Once, beans are chilled drain well, pat dry with a paper towel and set aside in a large bowl.

In the bowl of a food processor, add dill, parsley, chives, cheese, walnut halves and garlic and process until all ingredients are finely chopped. With motor running, add oil and blend until incorporated. Set aside.

Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Carefully, remove individual orange segments with a knife. Cut each segment in half. Before discarding the orange membranes, squeeze them over the bowl of green beans to extract their juice.

In large bowl containing green beans, add half of the dill pesto, orange segments and ricotta salata. Toss to incorporate. To suit your taste, add more dill pesto and/or crumbled ricotta salata.

Chill salad to allow the flavors to meld together.

Serves 4 (as a side).

BREAKING NEWS…BREAKING NEWS…BREAKING NEWS!

University of California, Davis researchers have found that drinking beer can help prevent weak bones.

You hear that Sally Fields? You can give it a rest now. My drinking buddies and I aren’t taking your Boniva…anymore.

To celebrate this life changing medical discovery, I decided to make a companion snack to my new beer diet regiment. The usual suspects came to mind…pretzels (which I will make some day but not this time), potato chips and/or maybe a ‘gourmet’ popcorn.

None of these options really struck my fancy. I wanted something different. Around the same time, I came across a recipe in Food & Wine magazine for an interesting way of turning pasta into a snack food.

Fettuccine & Wasabi ‘Breadsticks.’ This recipe called for frying cooked pasta until it takes on a crispy texture. They are unique, ridiculously easy to make and make a great party conversation piece. I was drawn to this recipe. It should be noted that as a person who grew up in Alabama, any recipe that starts by frying an ingredient that really doesn’t need to be deep fried is tops in my book.

Actually, the original Food & Wine magazine recipe called for Udon noodles and ground Nori. I liked the concept but it was a little too fancy smancy as a beer snack. And plus, I was way too lazy to go the market and hunt down Udon noodles. I also decided to add in a little heat with a dash of wasabi powder (oddly enough while I don’t have Udon noodles, I have lots of wasabi powder in the pantry).

I really like these babies. I think they are the ultimate party snack: crunchy, salty, with heat from the wasabi and best of all…fried.

As easy as they are, I have to admit, I had to cook a few of them before getting them just right. Here are a few things I solved through trial and error.

Don’t tie the knots too tight (they won’t cook). Don’t fry them extremely hard (you’ll get something with the texture of a brick). If you need to salt them again, do so right after they are fried (the salt adheres better). I would suggest making a few extra and cooking them one at a time until you get the technique just right. Enjoy.

Cheers!

FETTUCCINE & WASABI “BREADSTICK” KNOTS

Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

30 strains of fettuccine

Vegetable oil, for tossing and frying

1 TSP wasabi powder (alternatively, you can use fine ground black pepper)

Kosher salt, to taste

In a medium saucepan of boiling water, cook the fettuccine noodles until they are cooked through and pliable, about 8-10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and transfer the pasta to a medium bowl. Gently toss the pasta with a teaspoon or so vegetable oil to keep them from sticking together. Lightly toss pasta with wasabi and Kosher salt to taste. (Add the wasabi powder a little at a time – tasting it as you go – to make sure that you season the pasta to your taste).

Take 3 fettuccine strands and carefully tie them in a loose knot near the end. Repeat with the remaining pasta. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Fry 2 of the fettuccine bundles at a time over moderately high heat, spreading the ends of the fettuccine out in a fan, until golden and crisp, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the bundles to paper towels to drain.

Makes 10

I was having serious doubts about this one…it just seemed too good to be true.

While watching television a while back, I came across a recipe for Homemade Goat’s Cheese. I was instantly torn between two states of mind. First, I was excited. Was it possible that I could actually make my own goat’s cheese at home? I sat shocked as I watched the recipe being demonstrated, “Wow! That’s so cool.”

Then came the cynicism. “Hmmm…but it looks too good to be true. I bet it tastes crappy.” I mean, if it was so good how come I had never heard of it before. Despite my doubts, I was motivated. It seemed so easy, so simple that I figured the recipe would be worth the effort even if it flopped.

I was so excited that almost I immediately put on my coat and headed out of the door to the grocery store. I only had to pick up two ingredients: goat’s milk and lemons. All was fine until I started looking for the goat’s milk.

There was none in sight.

How could this be? The chef on television proclaimed that goat’s milk “is now readily available in most supermarkets.” I asked a stockperson who was working around the diary section if he knew where I could find the goat’s milk. He was puzzled and confused.

Ultimately, I went to three stores before I finally came across a local specialty food store that carried goat’s milk. Ugh!

Was it worth it? Yes! Making the cheese was fun. And more importantly, it was actually very delish. The goat’s milk gives the cheese a rich, deep and earth flavor. The lemon juice adds a nice counter – a bright acidity that hangs around in the background.

Definitely a dish that would be a hit at a party or with your kids.

NOTE: I originally made this cheese using goat’s milk. Since then I’ve tried the recipe using regular old whole cow’s milk from the grocery store. I think that I may like the cow’s milk cheese even better – it’s more subtle then goat’s milk and blends well with the lemon juice.

HOMEMADE GOAT CHEESE

Adapted from Over the Rainbeau: Living the Dream of Sustainable Farming

1 quart goats’ or regular cow’s milk

juice of 2 lemons

coarse salt (1/4 TSP or to taste)

2 TSP dill, finely chopped

Freshly ground pepper (1/8 TSP or to taste)

Gently heat milk in a heavy medium sized saucepan until it reaches 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let stand until set, about 15-30 minutes. If milk does not set, add a little more lemon juice.

Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth. Ladle set milk into colander. Tie the four corners of cheesecloth together; hang on the handle of a wooden spoon set over a deep bowl and let drain until it is the consistency of slightly dry cottage cheese, 1 to 2 hours (depending on the consistency that you are looking for. Shorter drain time means gives you a creamier texture, longer draining gives the cheese a crumbly texture). Transfer to a bowl and fold in salt, pepper and herbs. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 1 week.

Makes 8 to 10 ounces.

And they say that a leopard can’t change his spots. Well, they’re wrong.

Typically, I am not a big fan of dips.

It has been my experience that most dips are uninteresting semi-liquid glops designed to mask the flavor of something equally uninteresting.

But despite this admitted prejudice, I stand before you a changed man – one no longer shackled by the weight, memories and horror of parties where my only semi-acceptable food options were pigs-in-a-blanket or a sad blue cheese dip sitting alone in the middle of a crudite platter.

I can now say that I have a dip recipe that is anything but boring. I recently picked up a copy of The New Portuguese Table cookbook by David Leitte (Leite’s Culinaria)

I’m not that familiar with Portuguese cooking, so I was excited at the chance of opening up a whole new world of tastes, flavor combinations and ingredients (I have over 150 cookbooks – I know, I need rehab – and surprisingly, not one of them is on Portuguese cuisine).

While there were quite a number of recipes that caught my eye, it was the Patê de Azeitonas Verdes (Green Olive Dip) that really piqued my interests.

The base of the dip is what the Portuguese call a ‘milk mayonnaise.’ Unlike what you would expect, this ‘mayonnaise’ doesn’t contain egg yolk or mustard. It’s made from milk that has been emulsified and whipped into a beautifully silky and creamy sauce. I had to see this for myself.

Not only is the dip simple to make, it’s delicious. It’s easily one of my favorite new recipe discoveries. The type of dish you know is going to be a party favorite (goodbye crappy blue cheese/crudite platter)

The dip is a beautiful marriage of flavors: earthiness of the green olives, creaminess of the whipped milk and brininess of the anchovies. NOTE: I am not a big fan of anchovies. But I don’t think the recipe would be the same without them. So I only used three anchovy fillets instead of the six called for in the recipe.

I tried the Green Olive Dip with another recipe that I found in the cookbook: Herb Potato Skins. Again, another great find. They puff up as you fry them (the skin separates from the vegetable)…the result is a crispy and light potato snack.

Green Olive Dip & Herbed Potato Skins…I’m thinking you’re gonna like this one.

Bon appetite.

GREEN OLIVE DIP & HERBED POTATO SKINS

From The New Portuguese Table by David Leite

GREEN OLIVE DIP

1/3 cup whole milk

3 oil-packed anchovy fillets

1 small garlic clove, smashed

6 cilantro sprigs (leaves and tender stem)

Pinch of freshly ground pepper (white pepper is ideal, but black will do)

¾ cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup pitted green olives, chopped (rinsed quickly if particularly salty)

Add the milk, anchovies, garlic, two thirds of the cilantro, and the pepper to a blender and pulse to combine. With the motor running, pour the oil in a fine stream. Keep whirring until the oil is incorporated and the mixture thickens, 30 to 40 seconds.

Scrape the dip into a serving bowl and stir in the olives. Mince the remaining cilantro, sprinkle on top and serve.

Makes about 1 ½ cups.

HERBED POTATO SKINS

1 cup roughly chopped mix of herbs (thyme, sage, cilantro)

3 cups vegetable oil

2 cups thick Yukon Gold potato peelings, patted dry

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Dump half the herbs in a medium saucepan and pout in the oil. Heat the mixture over very low heat until the herbs begin to sizzle, about 8 minutes.

Strain the oil through a fine sieve and discard the herbs.

Return the oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350˚F on a deep-fat or candy thermometer. Carefully lower the potato peels into the oil and fry until golden and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir frequently an adjust the heat so they don’t burn. Just before the potatoes are done, dump the rest of the herbs into the oil and fry for 30 seconds to crisp them.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the skins and the herb to paper towels, toss to drain well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Corn Soup with Basil Oil

You know the saying, “If you love someone/thing let it go and if it comes back to you it’s yours.” Well, I think that’s a bunch of bologna.

Cause I love summer and I am not ready to let it go (although I am totally stoked to break out my new autumn wardrobe. But that’s another story.

So in a futile last ditch effort to keep summer alive, I wanted to post one of my favorite summer recipes – Corn Soup with Basil Oil. Me likey…

and if you use fresh corn during the peek of the season it’s true perfection.

By how I’m going on, you would think that I’ve been making this soup for years. The truth is I just came across it this year while looking for recipes to utilize the bounty of corn that was available at my local farmers’ market. I’ve made this soup a few times this summer.

And a few weeks ago I served it at a dinner party. I was such a hit that I decided that I would post it before the end of the season.

The soup has a beautiful, smooth and velvety texture that becomes apparent the second you dip your spoon into the bowl. It’s luscious and creamy. And then there’s the flavor.  While the corn’s sweetness is definitely there, it’s not overpowering. It fills your mouth with this beautiful balance corn and cream. The basil oil adds the final touch of summer. I mean, corn and basil – what could be more summer-like?

If you’re doing a soup and sandwich meal, this soup would be perfect. The soup’s subtle and fresh flavor would serve as the perfect accompaniment to a hearty and robust sandwich (such as paring the soup with a grilled beef & smoked mozzarella Panini.

You’ll forget that summer is coming to a close.

NOTE: I love fresh uncooked corn but this is not the dish for it. Make sure you thoroughly cook the corn or you’ll have a very starchy soup. For a vegetarian version, swap out the chicken stock for veggie. While fresh corn is ideal, you could use frozen corn kernels (but not canned).

CORN SOUP WITH BASIL OIL

Soup adapted from Vegetables by James Paterson

Basil Oil:

½ cup basil, loosely packed

½ cup light oil (such as walnut, grapeseed)

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add basil and boil for 6 seconds. Remove basil with a strainer and pat dry on a paper towel. Puree in a blender with olive oil. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain basil olive oil and refrigerate in a lid with a tight container. Use within a weeks time.

Corn Soup:

2 TBL unsalted butter, diced

½ medium onion, diced

½ Russet potato, diced

1 ½ cup milk, plus 1 cup

1 ½ cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

3cups of corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

¼ cup heavy cream

½ TSP kosher salt

¼ TSP sugar

Basil oil, for garnish

Heat butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add potato, 1 ½ cups of milk and stock, and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes and add corn kernels. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove soup from stove. Using a hand held emersion blender, process soup until the corn and onions are smooth (alternatively, working in batches, process soup in blender).

Pour soup through a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Use a plastic spatula to stir and scrap corn matter off of strainer to allow soup to continue flowing through the strainer. Return strained soup to the saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

While soup is simmering add heavy cream, kosher salt, sugar and remaining cup of milk. Stirring occasionally, cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from stove. Serve with a few drops of the basil oil.

Makes 4 cups of soup

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart

It’s not right to take chances with your friends’ wellbeing…but sometimes you have no choice.

Yesterday a few of neighbors and I were lounging around in one of our backyards when we decided to have an impromptu cocktail party. Nothing major – some wine and a few simple dishes for the five of us. We would each bring a little snack for everyone to nibble on while we continued enjoying the lazy summer evening.

At first, I was excited. But when I got home I realized that my fridge was a bit light on ingredients. This was a problem since I was feeling especially lazy and unable to muster up the energy to make a trip to the market.

I knew what I had to do. It was time to play a round of Refrigerator Roulette. I would cross my fingers, hope for the best and make something out of whatever random ingredients were left in the fridge – which could be a dangerous game to play if you haven’t gone to the market in a while. And this was one of those days.

During a quick scan of the fridge and freezer I discovered some promising items: slab bacon (you can always find use for bacon), puff pastry and goat cheese. Along with some staples (i.e. butter, milk…), that was pretty much it. As a less accomplished cook, this required some thought on my end.

With the puff pastry leading the way in my head, I decided to make a quick tart.

I had also decided to call the bacon, goat cheese and onion into service. I was digging the flavor combo of the deep sweetness of the caramelized onions, the heartiness of the smoked bacon and the briny/creaminess of the goat cheese.

So, I hoped for the best and started cooking.

I was happy with the results. I loved the way this tart turned out – including the homemade, free form shape. And luckily, it was a hit with the group.

DISCLAIMER: This was an unplanned dish so there aren’t as many step-by-step photos as you would normally find in these pages. Sorry. And since I am far from being a recipe writer (I’m getting better), please feel free to pass on any suggestions that you have for improving the recipe (ingredients and/or instructions).

Oh yeah, one of the last times I played a round of Refrigerator Roulette I cooked this Cream of Leek & Parsnip Soup – which actually turned out really nice.

Bon Appetite!

CARAMELIZED ONION AND GOAT CHEESE TART

1/3 cup slab bacon, cut into strips

1 TBL butter

½ of Vidalia Onion, cut into strips

1 TBL sugar

¼ TSP thyme

2 TBL goat cheese

Dash of red pepper flakes

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400˚

Sauté bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until bacon is cooked through and crisped, about 7 minutes.

Set bacon aside and disregard rendered fat (being careful to leave behind any solids stuck to the saucepan). Returning saucepan to stovetop, add the butter, onion, sugar and thyme. Stir to evenly coat onions with the sugar and butter. Stirring occasionally, cover and sauté onions until cooked through and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out a 10”x5” sheet of puff pastry (most sheets of store bought puff pastries are folded into thirds. Each third is roughly 10”x5”). Using a sharp knife, carefully draw a ½” border around the edges of the puff pastry – being careful not to cut all of the way through the puff pasty.

Place the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Remove puff pastry from refrigerator and spread caramelized onions within the pastry’s border. Dot the onion mixture with the bacon and goat cheese. Lightly brush the exposed edges of the puff pastry with the beaten egg.

Bake tart in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden.

Remove tart from the oven and sprinkle with a red pepper flake. Allow tart to cool. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve.

Makes one 10”x”5 tart

Cheese Puffs

Cheetos don’t really love me.

Actually, it’s a very destructive relationship. I try to spend as much quality time with them as possible. In turn, they do their best to give me high cholesterol and love handles. It’s a very unhealthy relationship.

So needless to say when I came across this intriguing recipe for real homemade cheese puffs I was ecstatic and prepared to kick the Cheetos to the curb. The first thing that struck me about the cheese puffs featured in the Barefoot in Paris cookbook was their use of Gruyere cheese. I was hooked before I tried them.

As you probably know, Gruyere is a beautifully rich Swiss cheese (no holes in this version).

To me Gruyere has a complex and slightly sweet flavor – kind of like a less briny version of Parmesan. And speaking of Parmesan, this recipe has a little of that too. I mean, what’s not to love?

The base of these cheese puffs is the French dough, pâte á choux. It’s the same dough you’d use for profiteroles or éclairs. But don’t let the name or the dough’s origin fool you, it’s a very easy dough to prepare – I have never messed it up and that’s saying something.

I love the flavor of these puffs. They have this yin yang, sweet, briny flavor combo from the Gruyere and Parmesan cheese, respectively.

The other stand out is the fact that they actually ‘puff’ up leaving you with a final product that’s slightly crusty of the outside and hollow and light in the center….delicious.

I usually topped the puffs off with a little minced Parmesan and chopped herbs (in this case dill)

NOTE: Despite the fact that I do own a proper piping bag set, as you can tell by the above picture, I still use this homemade piping bag made from a Ziploc bag. I don’t know how to explain why I do this. But you know what they say, you can take the boy out of Alabama but it’s useless if he’s just moving up the road to Mississippi.

GRUYERE CHEESE PUFFS

Via Barefoot in Paris Cookbook

1 cup milk

¼ lb (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 TSP kosher salt

1/8 TSP freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 extra-large eggs

½ cup grated Gruyere cheese. Plus more for sprinkling

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg beaten with 1 TSP water, for egg wash

½ cup of finely chopped dill, for garnish

In a saucepan, heat milk, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture comes together. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Immediately add eggs, Gruyere and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 ¼ inches with and ¾ inch high onto the baking sheets.

With a wet finger, lightly press down on the swirl at the top of each puff. Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.

Makes about 40 puffs.

These babies are addictive and delicious.

Last weekend we were invited over to a neighbor’s place for an outdoor party (shout out to Amy and Mitch). I was excited – these people are serious foodies and seriously good cooks! The only task that was asked of me, “Can you make those zucchini fries you cooked last year?” I didn’t need to be asked twice…deep fried food…I’m all over that (Have I mentioned that I grew up in Alabama?)

I came across the idea of frying thinly chiffonaded zucchini about this time two years ago. If you’re a home gardener you know that late summer is the time of year when your little patch of veggies becomes over loaded with zucchini. The damned things are like bunnies.

One day you go out and you have three cute little zucchinis growing on the vine and then you walk outside the next day and you see that an army of baseball bat-sized zucchini plants have invaded your garden over the night. You’re stunned and left waving your fist at the sky screaming, “Damn you, zucchini fairy!”

So, it was really out of need that I went on a hunt to find the perfect recipe to use up what had turned into my own little zucchini plantation.

I mean, there are just so many zucchini baskets you can make before your neighbors realize what you’re up to and beg you to stop.

I was happy as a clam when I found this recipe. It’s simple and a party favorite – ever time that I have made them the fries disappear in a blink of an eye. They have a delicious light flavor (well, as light as deep fried vegetables can be). Think tempura.

And the olive oil makes them a step above your average fried foods.

I promise you, no one will be able to have just one.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are three keys to this recipe. First, you have to use medium to small sized zucchinis – the seeds in large zucchinis are to mature and make cutting strips difficult. Second, you have to get the zucchini as dry as possible – you do that by letting the salt draw out as much of the liquid as it can and then you have to squeeze the zucchini strips like there’s no tomorrow in a dishcloth.

And lastly, get the oil hot (but not smoking) before using it – this will keep the zucchinis from soaking up too much oil while frying.

ZUCCHINI FRIES

This recipe can be easily multiplied – just keep the olive oil at one cup. Instead of increasing the olive oil just increase the number of batches you fry the zucchini (i.e. cook one zucchini in two batches and two zucchinis in four batches).

1 medium zucchini (about 7” long)

1 TSP kosher salt, plus more for final seasoning

¼ TSP freshly cracked pepper

3 ½ TBL all purpose flour

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cut the zucchini into relatively thin strips, about 1/8” wide (see above photo step-by-step). Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper on the zucchini strips and toss to evenly coat. Place seasoned zucchini strips in a strainer and allow to sit until it releases a good amount of liquid, about 25 minutes.

Place zucchini in the middle of a dishcloth, roll into a tight ball and twist until you are able to wring out as much of the zucchini’s liquid as possible.

Placed zucchini in a medium bowl and sprinkle with flour – toss to evenly coat with flour. If there are large clumps of tangled zucchini strips, carefully untangle by pulling apart. Shake out excess flour and set zucchini aside.

In a heavy-bottom saucepan or wok, heat olive oil over med high heat until it’s relatively hot but not smoking. In batches (about 2) dropped zucchini in oil and cook until the zucchini is a rich yellow, about 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Place zucchini fries on paper towel to drain. Salt to taste.

Makes about 1 ½ cups of fries.