Edible Flowers: Recipe

In the store today I saw a display of beautiful orange flowers. I've seen them before so I knew what they were but my husband was with me and he had never seen them nor did he realize one could actually eat them. So I promptly purchased them (what else would I do?) and sought advice from a book I have that I truly love (The Herb Farm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld).

As it states in the book, these blossoms actually taste like the zucchini themselves. They are referred to as squash blossoms and they are wonderful to look at and even more fantastic to eat. The book describes two different types of blossoms - a male and a female version - and goes into how you can tell the difference and how the plant produces so many of them. The thing I found most interesting was the fact that they are only at their peak for one day. So if you come across these it is worth purchasing them but be sure to use them quickly. You can stuff these, fry them, or chop them up and use them in a salad. I decided to deep fry them in a light batter for easy eating - and they were terrific.

Deep Fried Squash Blossoms
6-8 large male squash blossoms
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
several grindings of pepper
3 cups olive oil

In a deep pot - cast iron is a terrific choice - heat oil over a very high flame until a careful sprinkle of water makes the oil pop and sizzle.

Meanwhile, gently wash the blossoms and dry them on paper towels. Mix together remaining ingredients and drop each blossom into the flour mixture until well coated (shake off any excess flour). Once the oil is hot enough, carefully drop each blossom into the oil and fry about 3-4 minutes. With a large slotted spoon remove the blossoms and drain on brown paper bags. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

More from the Garden: Recipe

I don't know about you but we have had the worst summer dealing with mosquitoes. I don't ever recall it being this bad - we could barely let our children outside for fear they would come in with tremendous welts the size of quarters from the little buggers.

This morning my daughter and I went outside and I took a peek in the garden. There were green tomatoes and pink ones all over but inside the marigolds that I've used for the past 5 years to "protect" the herbs from pests, there were tons of mosquitoes. In my typical rash way, I grabbed the garbage bin and I hauled them all out - tomato plants, marigolds, pepper plants, and even an eggplant stalk. In the process, my daughter and I were completely bitten up and I discovered about three feet of rosemary growing under all those tomatoes.

I grabbed some basil and some rosemary and made a new pesto sauce. It was lunch on some hot pasta...and it was good! The only real difference I noticed was the consistency of this pesto - it was much thicker than regular pesto. But the flavors were a bit more complex and certainly it was not overpowering with that spicy basil bite.

Rosemary-Basil Pesto
1 cup fresh rosemary, off the stem
1 1/2 cup fresh basil
4 garlic cloves
4 1/2 oz walnuts
1 1/4 cup Romano cheese
1 cup olive oil

In a food processor combine all ingredients except the oil and cheese. Process about 10 seconds and pour the oil into the liquid tube so that it slowly pours into the bowl of the processor. Turn on the processor and allow mixture to become completely Incorporated and smooth. Add in the cheese and pulse about 5 times.

Afternoon Snack: Recipe

Today threatened to be a nasty day...when we woke it looked dreary and chilly. But that was not the case, at all! Instead, it was hot and humid. (So it was nasty, after all).

Regardless of the weather, the garden was overflowing and it was time to do something. For some reason I grabbed a cookbook off the shelf about Greek food and I modeled a recipe off something in there. My slight modifications made this a very delicious afternoon snack and even though it's a fried dish, I still feel virtuous knowing it's really really fresh food with very little that's bad for you.

Fried Eggplant and Zucchini
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 cup warm water
1 egg
1 Tbsp. lemon oil

Olive Oil for frying
2 Japanese eggplants about 6-8" long, sliced about 1/2" thick
2 zucchini about 6-8" long, sliced about 1/2" thick

1 lemon
salt

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and oregano. Add into it the water and mix until it's smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Then add the lemon oil and mix again until well combined. Allow mixture to sit at room temperature about 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the zucchini and eggplant. In a large skillet, heat about 2 1/2 - 3" of olive oil until very hot. Dip the slices of vegetables into the mixture and coat well. Carefully drop slices into the hot oil and fry at high heat for about 5 minutes, turning once, carefully, with a wire spoon or with a thongs. You will probably get about 8 slices into the pan at one time.

Remove slices and place onto a paper towel to drain off oil - sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining slices. Squeeze lightly with lemon.

Cherry Tomato Overload: Recipe

With about 100 perfect little tomatoes growing outside in my garden (or should I say gardens - for the past two years I have had one lonely cherry tomato plant crop up in the same spot alongside the house - even though I never planted one there. Now it seems to operate as a perennial. Bizarre.), I thought I would go crazy trying to figure out what on earth I could do with that many tomatoes. Truthfully I could wash them and leave them in a bowl on the table and just pop them in my mouth every time I pass by but that seems to be a waste for all of them.

I love counterbalancing colors so green and red look great together, if you ask me. These tomatoes (and really any summer tomato) are so sweet that they required some type of acid as a balance. I find the often-used Balsamic Vinegar can overpower such delicate tomatoes but I wanted to add some bite to the dish - hence the lemon juice. The flavors come together nicely here, especially with the addition of the poppy seeds.

Cherry Tomato Salad in Lemon-Poppy Dressing
1 1/2 Lbs. cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
1/2 Lb. green beans, trimmed and halved
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 Tbsp. Olive oil

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add green beans. Cook the beans for about 3-4 minutes, drain, and run under very cold water for about 2 minutes. Drain well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, green beans, cilantro and shallot and toss gently. In a small bowl whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over the salad. Refrigerate about 1 hour and toss well. Serve slightly colder than room temperature.

End of Season Tomatoes: Recipe

It's often said that there is nothing more delicious than a homegrown tomato. And when you have an abundance of them, as most of us do who grow them, you begin to wonder how you can possibly consume them all. How much sauce or fresh mozzarella and tomato can a person consume?

Here is an interesting idea. This was different and wonderful - almost like the inside of a stuffed mushroom, only much better. Stuffed peppers can be a difficult dish to carry-off as the peppers can overwhelm the filling and the peppers themselves can be tasted for hours after consuming them. But this was a perfect use for the tomato and of course, the tomato was perfect since it was grown right in my backyard. Come fall, if you still have some tomatoes left, you can stuff them with ground beef or other fillings - they seem to be the perfect carrying case.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Andouille Sausage
6 medium-large tomatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil + 3 Tbsp. for drizzling
1 Tablespoon Ouzo
2 Andouille Sausage links (about 8 oz), diced
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, diced
3 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

With a serrated knife, cut a circle into the tops of the tomatoes and scrape out the seeds. Let stand upside down to drain juices. Pour off juice before using.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan, heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat and add onions. Saute onion about 6 minutes over medium heat and add the shallot. Saute another 3 minutes and then add the garlic. Saute another 2 minutes. Add the sausage and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the ouzo and saute for about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add olives and parsley; allow mixture to cool about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the cheese and the bread crumbs. Mix together bread crumb mixture and sausage mixture until moist and well integrated. Spoon mixture evenly into tomatoes. Place tomatoes into an oven proof dish and drizzle remaining oil over the tomatoes and the mixture. Cook about 30 minutes and serve hot.

Nature's Bounty: Caponata Recipe

I don't have a huge spot for gardening - the backyard is not terribly large and there is a wonderful spot for entertaining along with the much needed grass! But there is a small little plot that has become my herb/vegetable garden. To be honest, I love planting everything at the start of the season but by mid-July I truly hate to weed, but do reluctantly, and by late August I can't wait to pull everything out of the ground...despite the fact that I still have a huge crop growing.

In anticipation of a vacation, I tried to harvest what I had and then began to fret over what to do with it all. I've got about 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes that are perfectly ripe. A dish made with them surely will show up on tomorrow night's dinner menu. And I made a batch of pesto sauce with the abundant basil. I will gather tons of herbs together tomorrow and make a butter that I can freeze for the winter months. I already made rosemary oil...and I do not care to dry the herbs. Oh more ideas will spring to mind, I'm sure.

That left me with about 8 ripe full size tomatoes, 4 Itchiban eggplant and 4 or 5 green peppers. I began thinking about a stew-like dish that could morph into caponata. It smells and looks delicious with so many colors and flavors. I highly recommend this even if the wares did not come from your own garden. You can use this as a great sauce over a hearty pasta or it can be used as a dip with toasted bread. You could also use it, simply, as a side dish with rosemary-garlic lamb chops.

Garden Caponata
1 onion, finely sliced and diced
1/4 cup Rosemary Oil + 1 Tbsp.
3 large garlic, minced
4 cups Itchiban eggplant, diced into 1 1/2" pieces (about 3 medium/large)
2 small or 1 large green pepper, diced
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme, removed from stem
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh basil finely chopped
2 tsp. capers
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped
pinch of salt and pepper

In a large, heavy, pot warm 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat and saute onions about 5 minutes, stirring well. Add garlic and saute another 5 minutes, lowering heat if garlic looks like it will burn at all. Then add eggplant and saute another 5 minutes, stirring well. Add peppers and all remaining ingredients. Stir well and lower to low-simmer and cook, uncovered, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring well. Do not let mixture boil at any time.

Spoon about 3/4 of the mixture into a blender pitcher and pulse 5-6 times until blended very well and smooth. Mix in remaining caponata and serve over pasta or as a side dish. Alternatively, cool over night and serve as a dip with toasted bread.

Rosemary Oil: Recipe

There are many options on the market when it comes to olive oil. I do love the aforementioned company in California - The Olive Press (see http://www.theolivepress.com) for amazingly fruity olive oil.

Today with an abundance of goodies from the garden, I felt I should preserve fresh rosemary by making a delightful oil. So simple and it gets better over time.

Rosemary Oil
16 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 large sprigs of rosemary, washed and well dried
1 16 oz. glass olive oil jar

Heat oil over low flame for about 6 minutes or until really warm but not too hot to the touch. Meanwhile place both rosemary sprigs into the jar and with a funnel, pour the warm oil into the jar. Allow to cool. Oil will last about 3 weeks at cool room temp.

Quick Thinking: Recipe

You know, this blog thing can be pretty stressful at times! Yikes. I want to make something easy for dinner and then write about it - but hey! Easy isn't always...well, easy!

But tonight I raced to the market after you know what (the trip to the gym) and grabbed the most perfect sausage. You don't all live in Lynbrook, naturally, but I have to tell you that this place where I buy meat is so great (for those of you who do, you know it...it's Cross Island!) and the pinwheel sausage is out of this world. Moral of the story is to find a butcher - the meats and the service there are always superior to what you'd find in a supermarket.

Anyway, I picked up a wheel of lamb sausage (watch the BBQ flare-ups from the fat) and some watermelon. I thought I'd round out the dish with some homemade pesto for pasta but by the time I walked in the door at 6:01 p.m., my children looked like they were going to eat me - so waiting another 25 minutes while my husband cooked the meat and I made some pesto sauce and pasta didn't seem like much of an option.

And then it hit me (see, these things aren't always so organized): I made a whole bowl of fava bean puree/dip the other night for our get-together but because there was so much food already out that I was sure someone would mistake me for a lunatic, I didn't serve it. I took the bowl out of the fridge and set it on top of the stove - right next to the burner that I was using to boil the pasta (so it warmed to room temp faster). I sliced up some cherry tomatoes from my garden and threw them into a giant bowl. I added the pasta and the puree and mixed it all up. Then I took a veggie peeler and peeled off some Parmigiano-Reggiano curls on top. Delicious and it only took about 18 minutes.

see the link to the post about Fava Bean Spread: http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/06/fava-beans-recipe.html

Sustainability: Recipe

I feel a bit like a little kid when I come home from work each day and see my tiny herb and vegetable garden growing more and more robust. I can actually see the difference a day makes (and sun and water, of course). When you're able to go out and pick your own food, it is a thrill. This year I planted the usual but I shuffled the deck with regard to placement in the garden and low and behold the old "rotating the crops" concept actually works!

I have Itchiban Eggplant, green peppers, tomatoes, rosemary, sage, basil, thyme, mint, chives, lemon thyme, oregano, parsley and cilantro. I even have a rogue squash plant growing in the front yard - I didn't plant it and neither did any of my neighbors. Odd, really...but I'm patiently waiting for the flowers to turn into zucchini.

I picked out several eggplant to make one of my favorite dishes (and one I've been waiting all year for...): grilled Japanese eggplant. This recipe is so easy and generates a terrific eggplant (something I really don't care for normally).

Grilled Eggplant with Soy and Rosemary
5 Japanese eggplant, washed and sliced longways
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
1/4 soy sauce
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. salt

In a Cuisinart combine all ingredients except for eggplant. Combine well until garlic is finely chopped and mixture is emulsified. Brush mixture onto eggplant and put on the grill, quickly thereafter - skin side down first. Grill, turning at least once, about 3-4 minutes per side or until prepared to desired doneness.

Sprinkle lightly with salt and rosemary, for garnish.

Wise Old Sage: Recipe

By now you know that weekly meals in my house are made short on time but big on taste. This dish is no different - and this was a huge hit with the little ones. I love this meal and it can be augmented, of course, but why bother? It's simple and it's simply perfect in its ease. A nutty brown flavor, flecks of browned butter, a subtle hint of fresh herbs...hmmm. This dish tends to show up on menus in the fall for Thanksgiving coupled with pumpkin ravioli (and that is awesome) but I think when you have really green sage growing like wild in the backyard you should pick and use.


Ravioli with Sage Butter

3 pkgs. of frozen mini ravioli
8 large sage leaves, washed and dried, stems removed
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Boil water for ravioli and cook according to directions. With about 3 minutes left in the cooking for the ravioli, melt butter over high heat in a large saute pan. When butter is thick and foamy and all pieces have melted, toss in sage leaves and swirl around with spoon about 1 minute.

Drain ravioli and pour into large serving dish. Pour sauce over ravioli and stir. Serve with grated cheese.

Fresh Food

Here in New York it is a glorious day - crystal clear sky, crisp but warm air, that smell of grass and flowers. Hmmmm. Makes me think of fresh herbs. This weekend I planted my herb garden and annual flowers. If you can, plant some fresh herbs - you'd be amazed at how little care they need (some water and a careful eye) and how much they come in handy. The other night I was making something that required some chives and there was no need to run to the store. Herbs to consider planting: basil, rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage. Throw them into scrambled eggs, lamb, beef, pork, chicken, fish, salsa, etc. Next come tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers!