Rustic Pasta with Chunky Vegetables

We like to call this dish “rustic pasta”.  Why do we call it that?  I have no clue.  We even served it here in a white square bowl, which is probably the opposite of rustic.  Nonetheless, something about this meal brimming with big chunky vegetables and whole wheat pasta says rustic to us.  We coated the vegetable chunks and penne pasta in a tomato sauce brightened up with hints of saffron, ginger, and garlic and then gave it a creamy twist with mascarpone cheese. 

Ingredients
1 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small red onion, cut into 1/8th
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
12 ounces asparagus spears, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
3 tablespoons minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
12 ounce box whole wheat penne

Instructions
Heat oven to 400.  Place vegetables pieces in large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, herbs, salt, pepper, vinegar, and lemon juice.  Pour the liquid mixture over the vegetables and coat using tongs.  Place on baking sheet and set in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables have cooked through.  Set aside

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add shallots and ginger and sauté until the shallots are soft (about 3 minutes).  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the tomatoes and saffron threads.  Simmer for 20 minutes, until the flavors come together.  Stir in mascarpone cheese.  Add all the vegetables, herbs, and liquid left on the baking sheet to the sauce and heat.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce.

Day 188.5 Lemon Elderflower Martini

Every once in a while, recipe ingredients come along that awaken the senses to such a degree that mere mortal words do not begin to describe the experience. Everyone's heard of "foodgasms" - the oft-used hybrid word that describes the sublime pleasure one gets when eating something, well, sublimely sublime. But yesterday's discovery of St. Germain elderflower liquor caused a full-on sensorygasm. That's the equivalent of the big "O", not to be confused with Oprah or the run-of-the-mill "o", ergo, sensorygasm in a bottle. Made from the blossoms of elderflowers that are harvested by hand in the foothills of the Alps, St. Germain is one of the most interesting and intense liqueurs I know of. Vraiment.

Image Courtesy of Crave

Here's how the sensory thing went down:  First, the beautiful light golden color of the liqueur is a feast for the eyes and the bottle design is one of the coolest I've ever seen. Next, the smell (with my eyes closed), was floral, Meyer-lemony, passion-fruit-sweet, pear-clean, and vanilla-warm. I am not a sophisticated connoisseur of liqueur (in fact, I'm a total libation plebeian and admit to choosing booze based mostly on groovy label design), but this is one of the most unique and romantic liqueurs I've ever tasted: sweet, but not cloying, floral on the tongue at first, then simultaneously citrusy and pearish (yes, that's a word). All the while the scent imparts the taste of flowers to the olfactory senses, sending the brain crazy-sensual perfume signals. This is not an uber thick glycerin liqueur, and I love that it didn't coat my tongue and mouth with thick syrup - it had just the right feel from sip to swallow. Finally, the sound - that would be me, sighing in pleasure and surprise with my first taste, then exclaiming out loud (to myself) Holy Sh*t, that's amazing" whilst going back for a second sip.

Making this cocktail took less than 30 minutes from start to finish. The end product is a complex blend of florals, exotic citrus and juniper berries (from the Bombay gin), and the lemon garnish adds just that little bit of bite to off-set the sweetness of the liqueur. One is plenty, and a salty dish of roasted peanuts is a perfect accompaniment. A BIG shout-out to Andrea at The Depot Package Store for her expert consultation!

Juniper berries give Bombay Gin a distinctive flavor

Peel lemons with a zester, then slice thin

 Add sugar and water to lemons to make simple syrup

 Bring to a boil, then take off heat to cool

 Strain simple syrup, discard lemons

Pour gin over ice in a pitcher

 Add St. Germain

 Add lemon simple syrup

 Stir until icy cold, strain, pour and...

Serve, garnished with lemon

Lemon Elderflower Martinis (Adapted from foodnetwork)

1 lemon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups gin
3/4 cup elderflower liqueur, such as St. Germain
1 1/2 cups ice

1. Remove 8 thin strips of zest from the lemon using a vegetable peeler and set aside. Thinly slice the lemon and place in a small pot with the sugar and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves. Let cool and strain the syrup.

2. For each of 8 martini glasses, rub a strip of zest around the rim and then drop in the bottom of the glass for garnish. Combine the gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon syrup and ice in a measuring cup or pitcher and stir until very cold. Remove any unmelted ice or strain into the prepared glasses. Serve icy cold.


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Cheesy Frittata with Spinach, Asparagus and Mushrooms

Jerry Seinfeld once said that a washing machine was like the night club for clothes. 
I always think of that quote when we have frittatas.  Why?  Well, frittatas are kind of like the nightclub for vegetables, right?  It can get a bit stuffy in the crisper drawer, so its inhabitants need to get out and live a little.  Vegetables, fresh herbs, and in this case fungi, each get all primped and pampered, rinsed, peeled, chopped, cleaned up and ready for a night on the town to mingle with the other cleaned up vegetables.  They get to dance and sauté and bake together in a cheesy egg mixture.  And a good time is had by all.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, chopped
5 ounces fresh spinach
12 ounces asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
5 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese, divided
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

Ingredients
Preheat oven to 325.  In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat, sauté the leek in butter and olive oil until soft.  Increase the heat to medium-high and add the asparagus and mushrooms.  Sauté for 3 minutes.  Meanwhile, boil some water (I tend to do this in the microwave) and wilt the spinach leaves.  Wring dry, being sure to get rid of the excess moisture.  Chop the leaves, and add the spinach to the rest of the vegetables and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites, 1 cup Fontina cheese, 1/8 cup Parmesan, seasonings, and the fresh herbs.  Add to sauté pan, sprinkle with remaining cheeses, and bake for about 35 minutes until edges are golden brown and eggs are set.

I sometimes serve this with a quickly assembled sauce of jarred pizza sauce mixed with some red pepper sauce like Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.  Just mix together, heat, and serve.

Day 188! United States of America ~ Pan Seared Scallops with Cider Brown Butter and Field Greens - Up Next, Uruguay

Finally! Nearly two years since first starting this journey, I have reached my beloved homeland, the United States of America. But what to cook to represent this vast country? I thought about cheese burgers, chocolate shakes and apple pie, but that felt too, dare I say, American? Since the United States is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries in the world, it's impossible to capture all of the culinary traditions Americans eat today with one meal or dish.

Map Courtesy of Lonely Planet

So... I got to thinking about who was here first. That led me to the indigenous people who inhabited this land some 10,000 to 35,000 years prior to America's discovery by European explorers and settlers. Although there are hundreds of Native American and Indian tribes, bands, clans and groups in this country, all with distinct cultures, customs and beliefs, I turned to the Wampanoag Tribe on the island of Martha's Vineyard for inspiration, because four generations of my family have summered and lived on the island since the 1930's. That seems like a long time, but in comparison, the Wampanoag have lived on this beautiful island  for more than 10,000 years. Despite unimaginable injustices, death due to foreign diseases, and dislocation from their land in the 1700's, the Wompanoag Tribe are a strong, thriving community in Aquinnah (Gay Head). Today, their customs, traditions and culture live on, including their ancient language, nearly lost after 150 years of dormancy, which is currently being reclaimed by the Wopanaak Reclamation Project.

As luck would have it, a little searching led me to the Wampanoag Tribe website, complete with recipes from their cookbook. I chose an amazing scallop dish because it uses local New England ingredients - plus, who in her right mind passes up an opportunity to eat scallops? To compliment these sea-jewels, I found locally-grown sunflower greens and a super-micro mix  (seriously, the tiniest greens I've EVER seen), of watercress, mizuna, red giant mustard and crimson mustard. So, while this meal represents only a fraction of the culinary traditions in America, it's a place to start that both honors and celebrates the United States of America, it's first inhabitants and the many immigrants who followed.

Map Courtesy o f Lonely Planet

The United States of America is federal constitutional republic made up of 50 states and the federal Disctrict of Columbia. Situtated mostly in North America, the U.S. is bordered by Canada and Mexico, with the state of Alaska to the Northwest and the state of Hawaii in the mid-Pacific. The U.S's maritime borders are the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. First inhabited by indigenous people who migrated from Asia, the population was greatly diminished due to displacement, war and disease that was introduced by European explorers who created the first 13 British Colonies along the Atlantic Seaboard. On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was created following the defeat of the British Empire during the American Revolution. In 1778, the U.S. Constitution that we know today was adopted, and in 1791, the Bill of Rights with 10 Constitutional Amendments was ratified, proclaiming the fundamental civil rights of all people regardless of race or creed. In 1860, the Civil War between the South and North over the institution of slavery and states rights, with the North prevailing to end the legal enslavement of African American people, a shameful practice that existed for more than a century before the founding of the United States. Since there's no way I can do justice to U.S. history, past or recent, in this little blog, please refer to U.S.A History for a more in-depth discussion.

One of the most bio-diverse countries in the world, the U.S. landscape includes the coastal planes of the Atlantic Seaboard, the forests of the Pacific west, mountains, lakes, rivers and the deserts of the Midwest and western states and active volcanoes in Alaska and Hawaii. Rich in animal and plant life, the U.S. agricultural landscape produces corn, wheat, soybeans, sorghum, rice, hay and virtually every kind of fruit, berry and vegetable imaginable. As you can imagine, it's difficult to pin-point any one culinary influence, since  aside from regional cooking, America is home to thousands different ethnic groups, each with their own influences and traditions.

Cider, a Granny Smith apple, sage and butter for the sauce

 Reduce cider to 3 Tbsp., and julienne apple - fresh lemon juice add zest and keeps colors fresh
 Lovely sea scallops 

 Season with salt and pepper, then sear in a heavy, hot skillet - in butter - never forget the butter

 Do not overcook - about 2 minutes on each side will do it

 Melt remaining butter, add cider, lemon juice and sage - simmer until slightly thickened

 Serve- I used sunflower sprouts and super-mini-macro greens - but wild rice would be great too!

Seared Scallops with Cider Brown Butter  (Adapted from Wampanoag Tribe Cookbook)

1 cup apple cider
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound sea scallops, patted dry with paper towels (see note)
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and julienned
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
16 small fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
In a large skillet, bring the cider to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 6 to 8 minutes, or until reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
In another large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Season the scallops with the salt and pepper. Cook the scallops until lightly browned on the outside and opaque throughout, about 2 minutes on each side (do not overcook). Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Brown the butter over medium heat, being careful not to burn. Stir in the reduced cider, half of the julienned apple, the sage, and lemon juice. Simmer until the apple is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To serve, put the scallops on a bed of wild rice or field greens on a plate, and spoon on the sauce. Garnish with the remaining julienned apple.
Yield: 4 servings


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Pop Tarts, 3 ways – Rose Hip and Apple, S’mores, and Brown Sugar Spice

So this post is all thanks to my mom, who gave me some random things that, when put together, created a super fun treat!  My mom lives on the opposite side of the country, so she likes sending us packages to stay in touch.  Just recently, she sent me two jars of rose hip fruit spread.  I’ve never even heard of rose hips before this.  And I’m not really the kind of person who puts jelly on toast.  I’m not really sure why.  So I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with this.

Also about 8 years ago, my mom gave me this kitchen gadget, telling me she thought I would use it more than she would.  It was a Cut-N-Seal gadget from Pampered Chef that can make tarts.  At the time, I was an odd choice of recipient for this gadget, since I didn’t cook, and what I did cook consisted of packaged Lipton sides, Easy Mac, and ramen noodles (I was not a sophisticated eater in college).  I always assumed I would never get around to using it.  Over the years, I have moved far away from our once college-style cooking, and it has been bugging me that I have this gadget that has never been used. 

Then there was an epiphany- I could put both of these things together! So I finally unearthed the kitchen gadget from its place in the baking kitchen utensil drawer and put it to use, cutting out pocket sized tarts filled with rose hip jelly.  I also decided to try out some other fillings, like s’mores and brown sugar and spice.  So 8 years later, I can finally say, “Thank you mom!”

Adapted from the King Arthur Flour website.

Ingredients 
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
4 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
1 egg for egg wash

Rose Hip and Apple filling:
8.8 ounce container rose hip fruit spread
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 apple
1 lemon wedge

Brown Sugar and Spice filling:
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
pinch allspice
pinch ground ginger

S’mores filling:
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 graham crackers, chopped
½ cup marshmallow creme

Instructions
Place flours, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together.  In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk and set aside.  Add the pieces of butter into the flour mixture with the paddle attachment of the mixer to make a mixture of coarse crumble.  Add the egg mixture and beat with the paddle attachment until the dough comes together.

This is what I did for the 3 ½ -inch circle-shaped tart maker, and if you don’t have a special gadget, just use a traditional biscuit cutter or really anything circle-shape (like a mason jar lid) and use it to trace circle shapes from the dough.  If you want the traditional rectangle shape for the pop tarts, the King Arthur site has directions for that.  Divide the dough in half and roll each half into an 8-inch circle.   You can either place them in the fridge or continue rolling them out.  If you do choose to chill the dough, let the dough come to room temperature before working with it (takes about 25 minutes).  Lightly flour a work surface, and roll each half of dough to a 1/8 inch thickness.  Use the cut and seal gadget to cut out 18 circles from the dough (to make 9 tarts).  Fill each tart with filling then seal shut, either using the gadget or pressing together the edges of dough by hand.  Beat the egg, then brush on the egg wash and cut a few vents into each tart.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the pastry has turned golden brown.

To make the rose hip and apple filling:
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water.  Place fruit spread and cornstarch mixture in small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for two minutes. Let cool.  Peel and dice the apple, then squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon wedge over the apple pieces.  Place 1-2 tablespoons of the thickened fruit spread in each tart, then a tablespoon of the apple pieces. 

To make the brown sugar and spice filling:
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together with a fork.  Put 1-2 tablespoons in each tart.

To make the s’mores filling:
Mix the chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces in a bowl.  Place 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture in each tart and top with a tablespoon of the marshmallow crème.

Day 187! UK~Bubble and Squeak - Up Next, USA

Shout-out to our family friend, Kevin who inspired me to make Bubble and Squeak to represent the UK. Kevin recently traveled to England and regularly saw this dish on restaurant menus. As we got talking about his recommendations of what meal would best capture the culture of this beautiful country, he produced his phone with lightning speed, did a few seconds of research for me, and instantly sealed the deal - Bubble and Squeak it would be. I mean, the name alone is reason enough, right?! And just so you know that I only use the most reliable sources, Kevin is a pre-med student at Harvard, so who am I to question his advice?! Way to be Dr. to-be!

Map Courtesy of Lonely Planet

The United Kingdom is a sovereign state on the North Western coast of the continent of Europe. The UK is comprised of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and is surrounded by the Atlantic, North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The earliest record of human inhabitants dates back 30,000 years ago. In 1707 the kingdoms of England and Scotland were created and by the 18th century, the parliamentary system was developed. One of the most significant events that helped grow the British Empire was the Industrial Revolution. The textile industry along with shipbuilding, coal mining and steel making positioned the UK as a major international trade force, as it continues today. Finally, by 1801, the Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland united to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Of course the country has much richer, more complex history which cannot be captured in this little blog.

Owing to its temperate climate and ample rainfall, cool weather vegetables such as potatoes, peas, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, turnips and brussel sprouts (to name but a few) are most commonly grown. Dairy products like eggs, cheese, butter and cream are plentiful as well. Traditionally British food is based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish.. The most common and typical foods eaten in Britain include the sandwich, fish and chips, pies like the cornish pasty, trifle and roasts dinners...and let's not forget tea and beer, both of which are hallmarks of the UK's cuisine and culture.

Bubble and Squeak is a traditional British fried dish of left-over vegetables. The name comes from the popping and squeaking sound the densely packed vegetables make as they cook under pressure. Traditionally it was eaten on a Monday for lunch or dinner with a fried egg, bacon, or meat leftovers. From what I can tell, there isn't a specific recipe for Bubble and Squeak, since other than the mandatory base of mashed potatoes that binds all the vegetables, any leftover vegetables from the night before can be used. Most of the recipes I found included cabbage, but other than that, any combination of carrots, parsnips, turnips, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and peas be used. Interestingly, in Ireland, the same meal is called colcannon, but uses kale and onions, and in Scotland, it's called rumbledethum. Lastly, according to traditional recipes, animal fat, like lard, should be used to achieve a perfect golden brown exterior. I couldn't bring myself to use lard,...but, I most certailny could use bacon as mighty and righteous substitute.

Last night's leftovers - Roasted carrots, turnips, parsnips and boiled cabbage

Left over vegetables, mashed potatoes and frozen peas (added frozen, not pre-cooked)

 Mmmmmm....bacon - nothing more need be said

 Chop vegetables

Fry bacon - reserve grease for cooking patties

 Combine vegetables with mashed potatoes, shape into patties and fry in bacon fat and onions

Served up for breakfast with a fried egg - Bubble and Squeak rules!

Bubble and Squeak (adapted from about 20 different recipes)

4 tbsp. bacon fat
½ cup onion, finely chopped
Leftover mashed potato
Any leftover vegetables, cabbage, carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, turniips etc...finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fried bacon pieces (optional)
Preparation:

In a large frying pan, fry bacon. When bacon is crisp, remove and reserve.
To the bacon fat in the pan, add the chopped onion and fry gently for 3 mins or until soft.
Combine mashed potatoes and vegetables, form into patties (about the size of a hamburger).
Turn the heat up slightly and add the mashed potato and vegetable patties. Fry for 5-7 mins turning over in the bacon fat,  two or three times ensuring the potato and vegetables are thoroughly reheated.
Press the potato mixture patties on to the base of the pan with a spatula and leave to cook for 1 min. Flip over and repeat.
Serve.


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Baked Pork Flower Dumplings with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce

Sometimes, pork just wants to be elegant.  Don’t get me wrong, pork does enjoy being in the comforting, homey dishes like pulled pork and pork chops, or more often in our house, pork stir fry.  But every now and then, the mood strikes, and it has the desire to put on its frilly dress and head out to the gala.  So we let ground pork mingle with a juicy mixture of scallions, ginger, and Serrano, then wrapped them up in wonton wrappers and baked them into some fancy, flowery dumplings.  A lime and soy ginger sauce gives it a final adornment on its way to the ball.  These dumplings do a great job of being juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, without any need to fry in oil.

Ingredients
8 ounces ground pork
4 scallions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping tablespoon minced ginger root
1 teaspoon minced Serrano pepper
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 ½ teaspoon lime juice
20 wonton wrappers

Soy Ginger Sauce:
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon minced ginger root
½ Serrano pepper, sliced

Instructions
Heat oven to 375.  Grease two muffin tins, as these make about 20 dumplings.  In a medium-sized bowl, mix the ground pork, scallions, garlic, ginger, and Serrano pepper with a fork.  In a small bowl, whisk chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, and lime juice.  Pour the liquid mixture over the ground pork mixture and mix together with a fork.  Cup a wonton wrapper in your hand, then scoop about a tablespoon of the pork mixture, and place it in the middle of the wrapper.  Bring up the sides of the wrapper and sort of twist them together, then place in the cup of a muffin tin.  Repeat until all cups are filled.  Bake about 15 minutes, until you see a nice golden exterior.  While the cups bake, mix together the dipping sauce by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl.