The temperatures reached upwards of 100 degrees this past week. Because of so many incredibly hot days, this blog is very quickly becoming a reflection of the weather. When the weather is scorching, it's very hard to get excited about firing up a grill or basting something in the oven. We need to cool off! Cucumbers have always had a cooling effect which is why many spicy foods are accompanied by cucumber to act as a sort of palate cleanser. Creamy avocado joins with buttermilk in this filling, chilled soup while the cucumber adds a satisfying crunch!
INGREDIENTS
2 each Cucumbers
2 each Avocados
3 each Scallions, chopped
1/4 C. Mint Leaves
2 C. Buttermilk
1 1/2 C. Cold Water
1/2 tsp. Salt
Cut the cucumbers in half and use a spoon to remove all the seeds. Reserve about one half of a cucumber and mince it and set aside.
Coarsely chop the remaining cucumbers and place into a food processor.
Peel the avocados and mince one, setting it aside with the minced cucumber. Coarsely chop the other avocado and place it into the food processor.
Puree the cucumber and avocado until smooth. Add the buttermilk, water, salt, mint, and scallions and continue to puree until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Chill the soup until ready to eat, at least 15 minutes. Float the minced cucumber and avocado in the soup when serving.
There are all kinds of salsas, but my favorites have always been the simple salsas like Pico de Gallo. If using fresh ingredients, Pico de Gallo can be one of the most flavorful salsas imaginable. I like to serve this side dish as an appetizer for Mexican dinner parties. Next week's blog will be Puerco Pibil, and this Pico de Gallo was a great compliment to the spicy pork of Puerco Pibil.
INGREDIENTS
1 White Onion, 1/4" dice
4 Jalapeños, minced
4 Tomatoes, 1/4 dice
1/4 C. Cilantro, chopped
1/4 C. Lime Juice
1 tsp. Salt
I remove the over-powering onion aroma by rinsing them under cold water. Combine the onion, jalapeños, tomatoes, cilantro, and lime in a bowl. Toss well to combine and season with salt.
Theoretically, a soup can be any combination of vegetables, meat, or fish cooked in a liquid. It may be thick (like gumbo), thin (such as consomme), smooth (like bisque), or chunky (chowder or bouillabaisse). Though most soups are hot some like vichyssoise and many fruit soups are served cold. Soups are often garnished with flavor enhancers such as croutons, grated or cubed cheese or sour cream. They can be served as a first course or as a meal, in which case they're often accompanied by a sandwich or salad.
INGREDIENTS
6 Onions, sliced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Butter
6 Tbsp. Flour
6 C. Chicken Stock
4 Tbsp. Ground Mustard
4 Tbsp Heavy Cream
TT Salt & Pepper
Color the onions in the butter over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the flour and mustard and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. The flour will bond with the fat in the butter to create a roux and produce wonderful fond in the bottom of the pan. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock and bring everything to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the heavy cream and simmer until the flavors have married. For thinner soups, pulse in a food processor or hand mixer until your desired consistency is acquired.
When you hear "bruschetta" you think tomatoes. Technically the term bruschetta, meaning "to roast over coals", refers to slices of bread that are rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, salted, peppered, and baked. Essentially it's a crostini... a crostini that we're going to top with marinated tomatoes and freshly cut basil.
INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 C. Olive Oil
1/2 C. Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 oz. Basil, chiffonade*
1-1/2 lb. Roma Tomatoes, small dice
1 Baguette
*To chiffonade the basil simply stack a bunch of leaves on top of each other, roll them up width-wise and slice them into little ribbons.
Start out by making a vinaigrette by combining the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. A vinaigrette, like this one, containing three times more oil than other liquids will emulsify when whisked vigorously. If you prefer, you can simply combine the ingredients without whisking. This is called a "broken" vinaigrette.
Combine the diced tomatoes, basil, and vinaigrette mixing gently so as not to smash the tomatoes. Let marinade for 24 hours - up to 5 days. If you like a stronger tomato flavor, let your bruschetta sit long than 24 hours. The vinegar will begin to break down the tomatoes, releasing tomato juice into the olive oil.
To serve, brush some toast points with olive oil and freshly cracked pepper. I'm using a garlic infused olive oil because I like the combination of garlic and tomato, but regular oil is perfectly acceptable. Bake the toast points at 500 degrees until golden brown. While they're still warm, top the toast points with the bruschetta mixture.
I had a hankerin' for some hummus. So, why not blog about it? It's a lot of fun to make and it's better than most kinds you'll find in a can. My good friend is an advocate for hummus and he put my recipe up amongst some of the best he's ever had. Coming from him, it means a lot. Don't have to be #1 to feel like a winner.
INGREDIENTS
30oz. Chickpeas, drained (Garbanzo Beans)
2 Red Bell Peppers
1-1/4 tsp. Cumin
1 Onion, minced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
5 Tbsp. Tahini
2 tsp. Salt
1 Lemon
Parsley
Olive Oil
Cayenne
French Bread
Roast the bell peppers exactly like in the Stuffed Chicken w/ Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese blog. [http://ediblemenu.blogspot.com/2009/10/stuffed-chicken-w-roasted-red-peppers.html] While the peppers are cooling in a plastic-wrapped bowl, saute your onions and garlic on low heat in a touch of butter until they begin to smell sweet. There should be no color on the onions or they begin to taste savory.
In a bowl, combine the chickpeas, onions, garlic, touch of oil, cumin, salt, touch of cayenne and lemon juice. When the peppers are cool, skin them, seed them, and dice them up and add to the bowl.
I like my hummus smooth, if you prefer it chunky then mix everything by hand. Since I like it smooth, I put everything in a food processor and blend on high speed. As everything is pureeing I slowly add the tahini. Tahini really adds depth to hummus. It's essentially a Sesame Seed pasted puree. At this point just adjust the seasonings as you see fit.
Slice some french bread and brush with oil and freshly cracked pepper. Place in a 500 degree oven for 3-4 minutes, top with hummus, and garnish with parsley.
The Insalata Caprese, an iconic Italian salad. Traditionally, this salad is made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, then seasoned with freshly cracked pepper, salt, and olive oil. The three prominent colors; red, white, and green, are said to signify the colors of the Italian flag. My dear friend, Amanda, brought me the last of this season's harvest of Heirloom Tomatoes from Charleston, SC. These tomatoes are absolutely amazing, both in appearance and flavor! I've decided to use them to their full potential and stray a bit from the traditional Caprese salad.
What is an Heirloom Tomato?
The advent of megaagriculture in America has seen the gradual depletion of ancient varieties of native nonhybrid plants. Unfortunately for those who appreciate full-flavored fruits and vegetables, produce-seed conglomerates focus only on those strains that have mass-market appeal - which means they're beautiful and hardy, but not necessarily the best-tasting. Fortunately, about 25 years ago some dedicated individuals began saving what they could of the remaining open-pollinated (without human intervention) seed varieties, which have become known as "heirloom seeds."
-Food Lover's Companion
INGREDIENTS
Heirloom Tomatoes
Smoked Mozzarella
Garlic
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Basil Infused Oil
Measurements aren't particularly necessary for this recipe. I sliced all my heirloom tomatoes into about 1/2" wheels, lined them up on a sheet tray, topped with garlic, salt, pepper, and a basil infused olive oil that I'd made earlier. I decided to use some basil infused oil instead of fresh basil because these tomatoes were on the small side and I didn't want them dwarfed by the basil leaves. I set the oven to 400 degrees and roasted the tomatoes for 15 minutes, checking on them every 3 minutes.
If there is an outcry, I'll be happy to do a blog about how to make fresh mozzarella from scratch, but it's a bit of a long process for most people to tackle at home without previous experience. For this recipe, I just bought smoked mozzarella from my local grocer and diced it into cubes roughly as large as I had sliced the tomatoes. When the tomatoes were finished, I began to assemble my salad alternating tomato and mozzarella until I had completed one giant wheel. There were a lot of delicious pan juices in the bottom of my sheet tray, so I poured them into the center of the plate for dipping the cheese into. You never want to waste any flavor!
This is the simplest blog yet. You can make this dish in under five minutes. This Ponzu incorporates two very common ingredients when it comes to oriental cuisine; Soy Sauce and Wasabi! I absolutely love wasabi. Despite its sinus-cleansing heat, I find wasabi to have very intriguing layers of flavor. In this recipe the wasabi really takes the Ponzu to a new level by adding that little something extra.
INGREDIENTS
8oz. Tuna Fillets
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
1/4 C. Chicken Stock
1/4 C. Olive Oil
1/4 C. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Wasabi Powder
2 Tbsp. Water
Olive Oil (for sauteing)
2 C. Rice
For the Ponzu, you'll want to start out by bringing the soy sauce, chicken stock, olive oil, and lemon juice to a simmer in a saucepan. Combine wasabi and water to make a paste, then add it to the Ponzu.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saute pan. When the oil is about to smoke, add your tuna and sear briefly on all sides. I like my tuna "blue" which requires about 6 seconds per side. Your time will vary depending on the size of the fish; just use your best judgement.
After the fish has rested, slice the tuna much like Tataki. I serve my tuna with Jasmine rice, ginger, and lemon zest, and the Ponzu on the side for dipping.
