Ground Turkey with Roasted Eggplant

Puncture a couple globe eggplants and roast until soft in a 450 degree oven (about 30 min). When cool enough to handle, peel and slice into strips lengthwise.

Saute sliced onion and shittake mushrooms. Add chopped garlic and diced serrano chile. Before garlic browns, add ground turkey, salt, pepper, 2 T soy sauce, 1 T dark soy sauce, 3 T fish sauce, 1 T sugar, the juice of 1 lime, and a splash of mirin. Saute, stirring, until turkey is cooked. Add eggplant and sliced ginger. Add garlic-chile sauce if desired. Cook until eggplant starts to break down, about 5-7 minutes. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Chicken with Mushrooms in an Eggplant Basil Cream Sauce

Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs (bone-in is ok). Remove all fat and cut into small pieces (about 3/4 in). Salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Heat oil until shimmering in a non-non-stick pan. Brown chicken pieces on one side. Flip and stir in one medium diced onion, 4-5 cloves sliced garlic, shittake mushrooms sliced in half, and one peeled and diced eggplant. Stir until chicken is brown on all sides. Deglaze pan with dry vermouth. When all brown bits are scraped off, add chicken stock to cover and 5 sprigs of fresh thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and cook at a gentle simmer for 20-30 minutes, until sauce thickens and chicken is tender. Remove lid, turn heat up, and reduce sauce by half. Stir in 1/2 bunch of julienned basil and a splash of cream. Turn off heat.

Serve with quinoa, cooked in mushroom broth (if using dried shittakes) or chicken broth.

Grilled Pastrami and Cheese with Tomato Confit

I use whole wheat bread because I like the bite. Layer sharp cheddar and pastrami; top with tomato confit (see recipe a few weeks ago). Spread stoneground mustard on top slice of bread. Grill in a griddle or in a pan with a heavy weight on top until crispy; flip and grill on the other side. Serve cut diagonally into triangles.

Zucchini-Stuffed Squash Blossoms

We ate these too fast to take a picture-- but if you find yourself in a garden with squash blossoms, this is worth all the work.

Filling: Grate zucchini and sprinkle with kosher salt. Let sit 20-30 minutes. Squeeze water out and pat dry. Taste to make sure it's not to salty (if it is, rinse and squeeze again). Mix with grated cheese and egg (we used about 4 small zucchini for 2 cups cheese and 2 eggs). Add (about 1/2 c) fresh bread crumbs until mix is sticky and holds together.

Batter: 1 c flour, 1/4 c cornstarch, 1 c cold beer or milk. Whisk together flour and cornstarch with paprika, salt and pepper. Whisk in milk in a bowl placed over an ice water bath. Refrigerate until ready to use. Batter should be thick, but if it's too thick, add a little water.

Pick squash blossoms, preferably right before cooking. If you have to pick them earlier, rinse gently and place in a tray of ice water in the fridge until ready to use.

Stuff blossoms with filling; pinch ends to close. Dip in batter, and fry gently in oil over medium-high heat.

For leftover filling: Form small patties (about silver-dollar sized). Coat with fresh bread crumbs and fry until crispy on both sides.

Potluck Pasta Salad with Whipped Ricotta, Roasted Tomatoes and Basil

I had to put together something quick for a wine and cheese party-- I wanted it to be light and not terribly cheesy. I used what I had lying around.

Toss quartered and cored heirloom tomatoes with a shallot (separate layers), olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 375 degree oven until soft and slightly browned around the edges.

Cook pasta (I used a combination of farfalle and fusilli) in salted water until al dente.

Whip whole milk ricotta, thinned out with a little milk, until creamy.

Mix pasta with ricotta, tomatoes, chopped olives, fresh chopped basil, and salt and pepper. Serve lukewarm (do not chill).

Pasta Bake

Roast heirloom tomatoes with olive oil and spices; remove skins. Saute 1 large diced onion; add 5 sliced cloves garlic and dry herbs (oregano, red pepper flakes), 1 package frozen chopped spinach. Saute until water from spinach boils off (don't overcook!), then add roasted tomatoes and their juices. Cook to combine; turn off heat.

Make a roux with 3 T butter and 3 T flour. Add 2 cups milk. Boil. Add a handful of grated parmesan. Mix bechamel sauce with whole-wheat penne cooked al dente.

In a casserole dish (I used the same one I roasted the tomatoes in), spread a layer of bechamel pasta and then spread the spinach-tomato ragout over it. Cover with remaining pasta. Top with basil and pearl fresh mozzarella. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and top pasta is slightly crispy.

Tuna Cornmeal Burgers

Obviously, this is similar to my Salmon Burgers from a few months ago, but this is a quick lunchtime version. I like spicy; put fewer hot ingredients if you don't.

Mix canned tuna with finely chopped green onion, diced jalapeño pepper, red pepper flakes, one beaten egg, a spoonful of mustard and a few spoons of cornmeal; mix until it chunks together (add more cornmeal if it's too wet). Form patties (probably two for a small can of tuna) and dredge them in more cornmeal. Saute on both sides over medium heat until brown and crispy. Serve on a bun or toasted bread with avocado, tomato confit, and sprouts.

Tomato Season No-Cook Pasta

First, I made a tomato confit, both for the pasta, and to have leftover to add to other things. I used sungold tomatoes (the tiny orange ones), and tossed them in a baking dish with smashed garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh thyme & rosemary. Then I baked them for about 45 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

For the pasta: A variety of heirloom tomatoes-- I cored them and cut an X into the bottom, then dunked them in boiling water for about a minute, then in an ice bath, to remove the skins. Then I broke them up into chunks, mixed them with thinly sliced shallots, and tossed them with the pasta. I used a combination of Meyer Lemon with Chili and Sweet Pea fresh pasta from the Phoenix Pastificio. Then I drizzled some porcini mushroom oil and Bariani olive oil on the pasta, and mixed in some of the tomato confit and lots of freshly grated parmesan. Serve with more parmesan, and pepper.

Summer Feast

We began at the Downtown Berkeley Saturday Farmers' Market, where we bought what looked good. Then we hit up the Cheeseboard, Andronico's, and Vintage Berkeley, an excellent wine store on Vine where they helped us make wine pairings with our menu. A full day of cooking later, this was our meal:

First Course

Heirloom tomato salad caprese with Basil and fresh Burrata (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrata)

Second Course

Fatted Calf Rabbit Rillettes with Toasts and Daikon Radish Sprout salad, served with Dijon and Stoneground mustards

Baby Yukon Gold potatoes sauteed in rabbit fat, fresh thyme and rosemary, and roasted, served with garlic aioli

Third Course

Grilled pizzetta with eggplant caviar pissalidiere, served with sweet red peppers


Slow cooked okra in Heirloom tomato garlic reduction

Fourth Course

Thai-style grilled white prawns on kale, avocado, and mango salad

Fifth Course

Prosciutto-wrapped Black Mission figs stuffed with Manviso drizzled with Tan Oak honey

Wine

We drank an Uvaggio Vermentino 2006 from Lodi, CA with the first two courses, and a Gargola Tempranillo Blend 2003 from Merida, Spain with the rest of the meal.

Light summer dinner...

Chicken in toasted rice: Toast 2T raw glutinous/sweet rice. Grind to a fine powder in a mortal and pestle. Slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts thinly across the grain; toss with fish sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Marinate 30 min. Stir-fry until lightly browned. Remove chicken and add rice powder to oil. Saute and push to the sides of the pan; add a little oil to the center and put chopped garlic, ginger, and sliced shallots in oil. When garlic starts to sweat, stir everything together and deglaze pan with 1/4c white wine, vermouth, or chicken broth. Add chicken, stir to coat, and warm through. Turn off heat and toss in sliced scallions and chopped thai basil.

Serve with bulgar pilaf and summer salad.

Salad: boil frozen or fresh corn kernels and edamame for about 5 minutes (they should still be slightly crunchy). Drain and toss with grated ginger, red wine vinegar, sesame oil, and chile-garlic paste. Chill until ready to serve; add chopped parsley or cilantro before serving.

Spicy Salmon Cakes with Kale and Couscous

Use 1 large or 2 small cans of salmon (about 15 oz). Drain well and remove bones and skin. Flake and mix with 1/4 c corn, 3 chopped green onions, 1 diced serrano chile, juice of 1 lemon, 2 minced cloves of garlic, hot sauce to taste, a dash of Worcestershire, dried mint and dried tarragon, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Gently stir in 1/2 c panko and 1 beaten egg. Form 6 flat patties; squeeze gently and roll in panko. Pan fry in olive oil until golden brown and crusty.

Transfer cooked cakes to plate. Wipe pan and add olive oil, roughly chopped kale, and salt. Saute 3-5 min until tender.

Serve a mound of couscous topped with kale and two or three patties per person.

Quick Summer Dinner

Barbecue sausages (we got fresh pork-and-beef sausages from the farmer's market) and serve with bulgar pilaf-- saute onions, salt, and dried herbs in butter; when onions are translucent, add bulgar and saute; add chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover to cook.

Kale salad with Oro Blanco grapefruit (remove all skin and membrane) and avocado-- let grapefruit juice lightly dress kale, add white wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

Quinoa Risotto with leftover chicken

(Quinoa is kosher for passover-- it's a grass, not a grain!)

Heat olive oil and saute 1 small diced onion. When onion is translucent, add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 cup quinoa. Saute, adding more olive oil if necessary, 3 minutes. Deglaze with 1/2 cup white wine. When wine is almost absorbed, slowly add 2 cups beef broth, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes. When quinoa is cooked (should look sprouted) but still saucy, add 1 grated carrot and lots of thinly sliced shittake mushrooms; stir and cook until mushrooms are done. Add leftover chicken (I used chicken in tarragon cream sauce, recipe by Jacques Pepin), and stir until heated. Turn off heat. Add 3 cups kale, torn into small pieces (I used two different kinds-- any green would work). Add zest and juice from 1 meyer lemon, chopped fresh tarragon, and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.

pork tenderloin cutlets with tarragon sauce and kale mashed potatoes

clean tenderloin and slice diagonally into 1-inch pieces. pound pieces between plastic wrap until uniformly thin (about 1/4 inch). dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. saute until golden, about 4 minutes on the first side and 2 on the second, in olive oil. remove and keep warm. add shallots to pan; add butter if necessary. when shallots are cooked, deglaze pan with vermouth and add chopped tarragon and dijon mustard. reduce. pour over pork and serve with kale mashed potatoes: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001566.html (i followed the recipe almost exactly but whipped the potatoes with butter and cream before adding the kale; i also kept the potato skins on)

squash, goat cheese, and pine nut ravioli with argula walnut pesto:

loosely based on a ravioli recipe from epicurious.com...

winter squash (farmer's market lady called it "asian squash"-- similar to pumpkin) peeled, cubed & boiled; puree, add toasted pine nuts, fresh goat cheese, and fresh ginger. a little asian five spice & cinnamon, salt and pepper.

scoop into wonton wrappers; cover with another wrapper and seal edges with water. boil until they rise, in batches. keep cooked ravioli submerged in some cooking water so they don't stick.

sauce: combine arugula, toasted walnuts, and parmesan in a food processor. gradually add olive oil until the mixture forms a paste.

when ravioli are done, pour out most of the pasta water. add pesto and stir until combined. turn off heat, gently add raviolis until they are covered in sauce. sprinkle with parmesan and pepper; serve.

a cookbook recipe so successful it deserves a mention...

Seafood Gratin from Barefoot Contessa at Home: shrimp, halibut, and lobster layered with julienned leeks and carrots in a thick sauce of seafood stock, cream, wine, and saffron; topped with a mix of panko, parmesan, parsley, tarragon, and garlic, and baked until golden.

served with quinoa and squash the farmer's market lady called "asian" (it was large, round, and very close to a pumpkin), cubed and roasted; browned in the broiler with some parmesan right before serving.

chardonnay.

Lamb Patties with Pomegranate-Orange Glaze, Tsatziki, and Couscous

Tsatziki: mix 1 c Greek yogurt (Trader Joe's makes a great nonfat Greek-style yogurt) with 1 chopped Mediterranean cucumber, 3 cloves crushed garlic, and some olive oil to thin out the sauce and combine ingredients. Refrigerate.

Mix ground lamb with minced yellow onion, shallot, serrano chile; chopped cilantro and mint; salt and pepper; roasted and ground cumin; 5-spice, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and coriander powders; add one spoon of prepared harissa. add one beaten egg and mix well. check for correct spices by sauteing a small lump of the lamb in a frying pan. form patties and refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the glaze, mix 1/2 c of pomegranate juice, juice of 1/2 orange, 1T honey, orange zest, and coriander in a small pan and simmer until reduced and thick enough to coat a spoon.

Place patties on barbecue. Cook one side until edges turn dark, then flip and coat top of each patty with pomegranate glaze.

Serve with simple couscous (I use whole wheat) and a Rhone wine (I drank a 2001 Crozes Hermitage).

green tea buckwheat noodles with thai-style ragout

marinate small cubes of tempeh in light coconut milk, panang curry paste, and thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves for 1-2 hours.

saute finely sliced onions, shittake mushrooms, and thai eggplants (quartered) in canola oil, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. once onions are translucent, add tempeh, marinade, and sliced garlic. saute for 5 minutes, then add pea shoots and pre-soaked seaweed. mix and add buckwheat noodles. mix until sauce is distributed and serve.

appetizer: pates (forestiere and foie au poivre) with baguette and white burgundy (to be drunk throughout meal)

main: quinoa cooked with chicken broth
chicken with mushroom sauce: cut chicken breasts into small pieces (1-in cubes) and marinate at least 1 hour in salt, pepper, dried spices, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil. drain marinade and flour chicken. heat pan (not non-stick) and add oil. when oil is hot, add chicken and brown on all sides. remove from pan and keep warm. add oil to pan (do not remove browned chicken stuff) and add sliced shallots and mushrooms. cook until mushrooms shrink, covered, about 5-10 minutes. add white wine and scrape browned chicken stuff with a wooden spatula, mixing into mushrooms. add chicken and stir until heated through. turn off heat and add a large spoon of creme fraiche.

salad: arugula with halved cherry tomatoes and aged goat cheese.

cheeses: reblochon, chevre, st. felicien, comte, epoisse

dessert: raspberries-- i was going to serve them with cream but we were too full so we ate them plain.

no food in the house but an eggplant and some oldish mushrooms:

cut eggplant into small cubes. peel cloves from one head of garlic and smash slightly. cut spring onions in half. mix all with olive oil, salt, pepper, peppercorns (the 5-baie mix), and sprinkle dried thyme on top. roast in hot oven until eggplant is soft and brown, then add quartered tomatoes and roast until they start to disintegrate. saute shittake mushrooms in a pan with some olive oil and add roasted veggies. cook covered for 10 minutes, then add zest of 1 lemon and cook until tomato disappears. add water if necessary. add chopped cilantro, cook 30 seconds longer, and serve on top of bulgar wheat. would go well with poultry or fish.