I made this Saturday night with some of the last fresh corn of the season and sage from my garden. I always think of sage as a seasoning for cooler weather, perhaps in part because it withstands the cold outdoors until early winter. But here it makes for sort of a bridge between the seasons--a warming soup for a cool evening, made with the last of summer's corn.
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs new potatoes, cubed
1/4 cup white flour
5 cups corn kernels (from around 6 ears; scrape the cobs to get all the juice)
2 cups whole milk
2-3 Tbsp minced fresh sage
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. At the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the potatoes. Saute for another few minutes, then add the flour and stir to form a roux. Continue to cook over reduced heat for a couple minutes, stirring frequently, then add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Stir to blend the roux into the liquid, then partially cover and cook over medium-high heat until potatoes are tender (15 minutes or so).
When the potatoes are tender, add the corn cook another few minutes. Add the milk, sage, salt, and pepper and remove from heat.
Serves 4-6.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tomato Leek Quiche with Tarragon
I've seen lots of big, fat leeks at the farmers market, and I have a good crop of slender ones in my garden. Plus tomatoes, of course! I used tarragon as the seasoning here just for something different from my usual, but I think this would work with a variety of herbs - basil, oregano, sage, thyme, etc.
1 9-inch pastry shell
2 oz. shredded mozzarella (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup sliced leeks (about 2 fat ones or 4 slender)
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk (1% or 2% okay but not as good)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the pastry shell all over with a fork and pre-bake for about 10 minutes. If using homemade, line with aluminum foil and some pie weights.
Spread the mozzarella in the bottom of the pre-baked pie shell. Spread the tomatoes and leeks on top, and sprinkle with tarragon.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and milk and add salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables in the pie shell.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until eggs are cooked through.
Serves 3-4.
1 9-inch pastry shell
2 oz. shredded mozzarella (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup sliced leeks (about 2 fat ones or 4 slender)
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk (1% or 2% okay but not as good)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the pastry shell all over with a fork and pre-bake for about 10 minutes. If using homemade, line with aluminum foil and some pie weights.
Spread the mozzarella in the bottom of the pre-baked pie shell. Spread the tomatoes and leeks on top, and sprinkle with tarragon.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and milk and add salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables in the pie shell.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until eggs are cooked through.
Serves 3-4.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tomato-Ginger Chutney
This was inspired by a big pile of tomatoes from the garden that were starting to go bad. Try it on pork chops, ham, roasted chicken, etc.
10 cups chopped seeded tomatoes (no need to peel)
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and minced
2 fresh hot peppers, seeded and minced OR 3-4 whole dried hot peppers
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh ginger
1 cup sugar (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp lemon juice, lime juice, or combination
Combine tomatoes, garlic, hot peppers, ginger, sugar, salt and pepper in a Dutch oven and simmer uncovered over low heat until tomatoes are well broken down and it forms a thick sauce, 2-4 hours. Stir in lemon/lime juice. Simmer a little longer if desired.
Makes about 3 cups.
10 cups chopped seeded tomatoes (no need to peel)
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and minced
2 fresh hot peppers, seeded and minced OR 3-4 whole dried hot peppers
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh ginger
1 cup sugar (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp lemon juice, lime juice, or combination
Combine tomatoes, garlic, hot peppers, ginger, sugar, salt and pepper in a Dutch oven and simmer uncovered over low heat until tomatoes are well broken down and it forms a thick sauce, 2-4 hours. Stir in lemon/lime juice. Simmer a little longer if desired.
Makes about 3 cups.
Roasted Balsamic Peppers and Green Beans
Sweet peppers and green beans (not to mention purple, yellow, and other colored beans) are still showing up plentifully at the farmers market. Enjoy them while they last! (And freeze some for later.) Red peppers combined with green beans make a nice visual effect here, but use whatever color peppers and beans you like.
2 sweet peppers, in long slices
1 lb green beans, stemmed
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Toss the vegetables with the other ingredients in a roasting pan. Roast, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking, until tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.
Serves 4-6.
2 sweet peppers, in long slices
1 lb green beans, stemmed
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Toss the vegetables with the other ingredients in a roasting pan. Roast, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking, until tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.
Serves 4-6.
Goat Cheese Polenta
The Pioneer Valley is a land of riches where goat cheese is concerned. So many dairies turning out so much amazing cheese. I think I could eat it every day, if I could afford to! (A few years ago, Donovan and I went to Provence, where some type of goat cheese shows up in some form or another at about every other meal...it was heaven.) Anyway, this polenta with goat cheese is fantastic. Serve as a side dish, or top with veggies, chicken, tomato sauce, etc. as desired.
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 cup coarse corn meal
4 oz. goat cheese, diced or crumbled
Bring the water to a boil, then add the salt. Whisk in the polenta and stir rapidly to prevent lumps. Lower the heat and cook until nicely thick (you may want to cover it to prevent thick bubbles from burning you when they pop...I speak from experience). When polenta is done, remove from heat and stir in goat cheese, mixing well until goat cheese is thoroughly distributed.
Serve hot.
Serves about 4.
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 cup coarse corn meal
4 oz. goat cheese, diced or crumbled
Bring the water to a boil, then add the salt. Whisk in the polenta and stir rapidly to prevent lumps. Lower the heat and cook until nicely thick (you may want to cover it to prevent thick bubbles from burning you when they pop...I speak from experience). When polenta is done, remove from heat and stir in goat cheese, mixing well until goat cheese is thoroughly distributed.
Serve hot.
Serves about 4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Red Lentil, Tomato, and Couscous Soup
This North African-inspired soup is a colorful and appealing use of some of the season's last tomatoes, plus cilantro.
1 cup dried red lentils
6-7 cups water
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 veggie bouillon cube
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp dried coriander
1-2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dried couscous
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Place the lentils and water in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat while you prepare the rest of the soup, about 12-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot.
Heat the butter in a large skillet, then sauté the garlic and onion until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add to the lentils and tomatoes.
Add the bouillon cube, cayenne, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper to the soup and stir well. If the lentils are not yet tender, continue to simmer the soup until they are.
Add the couscous. It should cook in 3-5 minutes.
When the couscous is tender, add the lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve hot.
Serves 3-4.
1 cup dried red lentils
6-7 cups water
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 veggie bouillon cube
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp dried coriander
1-2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dried couscous
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Place the lentils and water in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat while you prepare the rest of the soup, about 12-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot.
Heat the butter in a large skillet, then sauté the garlic and onion until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add to the lentils and tomatoes.
Add the bouillon cube, cayenne, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper to the soup and stir well. If the lentils are not yet tender, continue to simmer the soup until they are.
Add the couscous. It should cook in 3-5 minutes.
When the couscous is tender, add the lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve hot.
Serves 3-4.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Wine Cap and Fennel Risotto
Last weekend I bought some wine cap mushrooms from New England Wild Edibles at the farmers market. I had never tried them before. They look a little like portobellos, but have more flavor. A little poking around on the Internet found that they pair well with flavors like fennel, citrus, and wine. So I pulled some fennel out of my garden and concocted this risotto, which was delicious. The end result has a rather earthy color from the mushrooms; if you want a little more bright green, chop up some of the fennel leaves and stir them in at the last minute.
1 Tbsp olive oil
4-5 cups diced wine cap mushrooms
1-2 cups diced fresh fennel (bulb plus stalks if tender)
1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Several cups veggie broth (or water if you like)
Dash of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in Dutch oven or similar heavy-bottomed pot. Add the mushrooms and fennel and saute until they just become tender. Add the rice and saute for 1-2 minutes, until it turns translucent. Add the wine and cook over low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Stir in the lemon juice, then add the veggie broth 1/2 cup at a time, each time simmering and stirring until the liquid is almost totally absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. Continue this process for 20-30 minutes, until the rice is extremely tender and the risotto takes on a somewhat creamy texture. At that point, lightly sprinkle the nutmeg over the risotto, then stir in the salt and pepper.
Serve hot.
Serves 4-6.
1 Tbsp olive oil
4-5 cups diced wine cap mushrooms
1-2 cups diced fresh fennel (bulb plus stalks if tender)
1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Several cups veggie broth (or water if you like)
Dash of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in Dutch oven or similar heavy-bottomed pot. Add the mushrooms and fennel and saute until they just become tender. Add the rice and saute for 1-2 minutes, until it turns translucent. Add the wine and cook over low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Stir in the lemon juice, then add the veggie broth 1/2 cup at a time, each time simmering and stirring until the liquid is almost totally absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. Continue this process for 20-30 minutes, until the rice is extremely tender and the risotto takes on a somewhat creamy texture. At that point, lightly sprinkle the nutmeg over the risotto, then stir in the salt and pepper.
Serve hot.
Serves 4-6.
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