Parmesan Thyme Roasted Cauliflower

I'm not usually a cauliflower person, but this is excellent. Roasting makes cauliflower deeply flavorful, and the Parmesan and thyme add additional savory layers. (Note that the cauliflower in the photo looks quite dark because I used purple cauliflower. If you use the white kind, it should be nicely browned in places but not dark.)

1 lb cauliflower, cut up
3 Tbsp walnut oil
Salt and pepper
2-3 Tbsp grated Parmesan
A sprinkling of dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the cauliflower in a bowl with the other ingredients and make sure it is well coated. Spread it out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Serve hot.

Serves 3-4.

Roasted Chicken Legs with Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, and Mushrooms

Since we picked all our remaining tomatoes before the freeze, we have quite a few ripening inside still. In fact, we suddenly had more cherry tomatoes ripe on the counter than we were going to be able to use in salads. They were perfect in this one pan oven roasted dinner, which has a Mediterranean flair.

2 lbs chicken legs or other bone-in cuts, skin on
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 pint shiitakes or other mushrooms, cubed
1 head garlic (or more to taste), cloves separated and peeled
1 1/2 cups cooked chick peas or white beans
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.

Combine cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and beans in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the tomato mixture in the bottom of a large baking dish (10x14 inches) or a half sheet pan with a good rim on it. Place the chicken pieces on top of the veggies. Sprinkle all over with thyme.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden.

Serve pieces of chicken with a spoonful of juicy veggies.

Serves 4-6.

Roasted September Vegetables with Thyme and Red Wine Vinegar

This combination of vegetables goes well together with many different seasoning options. Here's another one, savory and tangy on the tongue. Substitute other mushrooms if you like.

1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 sweet red peppers, in bite sized pieces
1-2 summer squash or zucchini, cubed
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, halved or sliced
1 medium onion, diced
Olive oil
2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 Tbsp fresh)
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle generously with olive oil, quickly tossing to coat the vegetables before it all soaks into the eggplant. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper, then drizzle with the red wine vinegar and toss again.

Spread the vegetables out on a rimmed baking sheet, preferable in a single layer. Roasted for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender.

Serves about 4.

Goat Cheese and Thyme Quiche

Another easy and delicious brunch number. Use your favorite pie crust recipe.

1 9-inch pie crust
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Have the pie crust ready to go, pricked with a fork and chilled.

Spread the goat cheese in the bottom of the pie crust. Combine the eggs, milk, salt, and thyme, and pour carefully over the cheese, being sure to avoid overfilling the crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through.

Serves 3-4.

Easy and Excellent Slow Cooker Braised Beef

This is the simplest recipe I have developed for braised beef, but it is astonishingly good. You can use shanks, short ribs, or a pot roast cut. To speed the morning preparation, brown the beef the night before and refrigerate. Load everything in the cooker in the morning and revel in your forethought come suppertime.

Braised beef shanks with a side of Maple Walnut Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes

3 lbs beef shanks, short ribs, or similar
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
1 head garlic, unpeeled
3/4 cup dry red wine
Beef stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4-1/2 tsp dried

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel, then lightly oil all over.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper all over. Place in a baking pan, then brown in the oven for at least 10 minutes per side.  If desired, refrigerate for up to a few days before slow cooking.

Separate the head of garlic into cloves but do not peel. Place the garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pay the browned beef on top of the garlic. Pour in the red wine, then add enough beef stock to cover the meet about three quarters of the way. Top with the sprigs of thyme or a sprinkling of dried thyme. Cover the cooker and cook on Low for 7-9 hours, until meet is very tender.

Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, or with a side of roasted potatoes or root vegetables, with plenty of the braising liquid spooned over the meat.

Serves 4-6.

Pizza with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Feta

Tangy, sweet, and salty with Fire Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and feta. A great way to enjoy some of the last flavors of summer. You can, of course, substitute tomatoes roasted in the oven. If you like, sprinkle a bit of chopped fresh parsley, sage, or thyme over the pizza after it comes out of the oven.

1 14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
2-3 oz shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 - 2 cups Fire Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2-3 oz crumbled feta
Freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped fresh herbs (optional) - 1 Tbsp parsley or 1 tsp sage or thyme

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the mozzarella over the crust, then add the tomatoes, shallot, and feta, and top with a bit of freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown. Top with herbs if desired.

Serves 3-4.

Mediterranean Ham and White Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Garlic

Great made with leftover ham - put the whole ham bone in to simmer with the soup if you have one.  Tomatoes, garlic, and thyme give this soup a Mediterranean feel.  Canned tomatoes work well here; chop them if they are whole.  If you want to use frozen ones, make sure to skin them and drain them well.  Make sure to soak the beans ahead of time.  You can do it overnight, or start them soaking in the morning to make the soup in the afternoon.

Olive oil
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, diced
2 cups white beans, soaked, drained, and rinsed
3 cups chopped cooked tomatoes
2-3 cups cooked cubed ham, plus the bone if you have it
6 cups chicken stock
2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot.  Add the garlic and onions and saute over medium high heat until soft and a little browned.  Add the beans, tomatoes, ham (plus bone if using), stock, and thyme.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours, until the beans are tender.  Remove the bone if it's in there, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8.

Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Stew

Simple, easy, and in season. (And not that different from Slow Cooker Chicken Stew.) Assemble it in ten minutes in the morning, then enjoy at night after a busy day or when you want to spend time wrapping gifts or baking cookies instead of making dinner.

3 cups shredded cooked turkey (frozen is fine)
3 medium potatoes, cubed
3 medium carrots, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
1 large onion, finely chopped
Water and/or stock (turkey if you have it, otherwise chicken)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sprig of sage or thyme (optional)

Place the turkey, potatoes, carrots, and onion in the slow cooker and add enough water or stock to cover. Add some salt and pepper, and the sage or thyme of using. Cook on Low for 7-9 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serves 4-6.

Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken

In light of this post, an easy and delicious recipe for whole chicken. The timing is quite forgiving, and the chicken comes out incredibly moist, yet with pleasantly crisped skin. This is also a great use for some of the fresh herbs becoming available in abundance at this time of year. Throw some garlic cloves in the cavity, too, if you like.

1 whole chicken (neck, giblets, etc removed)
A bunch of fresh rosemary, sage, oregano, or thyme
Salt and pepper

This will work for any size chicken that fits in your slow cooker. Stuff the cavity with the herbs and don't be shy about it. Sprinkle the bird liberally all over with salt and pepper. Place in the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6-7 hours for a 3-4 lb chicken (a bit longer for a larger one).

Garlicky Tomato Soup with White Beans

Next year, I think we can either freeze fewer tomatoes or I need to make tomato soup more often. Right now I am in the mode of working through what's left in the freezer so I will be ready to start filling it again this summer - and we have quite a lot of tomatoes left! This soup used a fair amount of them, though, and it was definitely a winner that I will be making again. Easy, quick, and satisfying, with lots of flavor. You can thaw frozen tomatoes in the microwave or, if you plan ahead, overnight on the counter.

2-3 Tbsp olive oil
10-12 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
8-10 cups tomatoes and their liquid (thawed if frozen; canned also ok)
3 veggie bouillon cubes or some veggie stock
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup small uncooked pasta such as shells (optional)
3 cups cooked white beans

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, then add the garlic an onion. Saute over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and their liquid, some stock or bouillon cubes, dried thyme, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or so.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or do it in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to the pot to the burner and add the pasta and white beans. Cook over medium heat until the pasta is done, 8-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serves about 6.

Lamb Stew with Tomatoes and White Beans

I like to make meat stews on the weekend, when I have time to let them simmer properly. This one goes together fairly quickly, then bubbles happily away by itself while you go do something else. I used tomatoes that I froze last summer, thawed in the microwave, and their liquid. You could also add a little stock and/or red wine if you like.

1 lb stew lamb, trimmed of excess fat and connective tissue and cut into bite-sized pieces
olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups crushed or chopped tomatoes and their liquid (frozen or canned)
1 bay leaf
1/2 - 1 tsp dried thyme
3 cups cooked white beans
Salt and pepper to taste

Pat the meat dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat some olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add the lamb and brown on all sides. Pour off most of the fat, then add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low and simmer gently for about an hour.

Add the beans at the end of the cooking process, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves about 4.

Asparagus Frittata with Cheddar and Thyme

This is a great way to celebrate the first asparagus of the season, which I am very much hoping to see at the farmers market tomorrow. If you skip the potatoes, you can use a bit more asparagus.

¼ cup olive oil (2 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium red potatoes, cubed (about 12 ounces; optional)
1 medium bunch asparagus (about 6 ounces), in 1-inch lengths
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 large eggs
½ cup milk
1 ½ cups shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the potatoes, if using, and lower the heat to medium. Sauté, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. To speed the cooking process a bit, cover the skillet when not stirring. If not using potatoes, sauté just until the onions are translucent.

Add the asparagus, thyme, salt, and pepper to the skillet and sauté until the asparagus is tender but still a bit crisp, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove the potato and asparagus mixture to a bowl. Clean out the skillet, dry it, and coat it with the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Stir in the cheddar.

Add the egg mixture to the potato mixture. Pour the combination into the freshly oiled skillet. Spread the vegetables and egg around to make sure everything is evenly distributed.

Bake the frittata for 30-35 minutes, until the egg is cooked through.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 3-4.

Dried Tomato Quiche with Cheddar and Thyme

It seems I've been on a bit of a quiche kick lately. Hope I'm not boring anyone. I think it's partly because local eggs, milk, and cheese are available all winter long and I have a lovely stash of dried tomatoes in the pantry from last summer's garden. So here's another variation on the theme. A note about quiche: if you're using a deep dish pan, increase the eggs to 4 and the milk to a full cup.

1 9-inch pastry shell
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
3 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375. Prick the pie crust in several places with a fork, then pre-bake for about 15 minutes (weight it down with pie weights if homemade).

Rehydrate the tomatoes by soaking in boiling water for several minutes. Drain and chop.

Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the tomatoes and thyme and saute another minute or so. Place onions, tomatoes, and cheese in the bottom of the pie shell.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Add salt and pepper. Pour into the pie shell. Bake quiche for about 35 minutes, until cooked through.

Serves 3-4.