Recipes of the Week - July 23rd

Crisp Garlic Yukon Gold Potatoes 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved 3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley Preheat the oven to 400°. Brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet, cut side down, and bake for 45 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until crisp and lightly browned; do not let the garlic get too brown or it will be bitter. Pour the garlic and oil over the potatoes, add the parsley and toss. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once. Warm New Potato Salad w/Chives 1/2 pound red new potatoes 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 1 Tbsp cup olive oil Seasoned salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 1 Tbsp cup chopped fresh chives Cook potatoes in boiling salted water in a large saucepan for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender when pierced. Drain the potatoes and cut them in half (if potatoes are large, cut into wedges) and place in a shallow serving bowl. While potatoes are warm, sprinkle with vinegar and oil, toss well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss again with chives and serve immediately. Tasty Collard Greens "A classic recipe for collard greens that uses smoked turkey to add some flavor. Greens are simmered in chicken stock, then spiced with a dash of red chile flakes." 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 cups chicken stock 1 smoked turkey drumstick collard greens - rinsed, trimmed and chopped salt and black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional) Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, and gently saute until light brown. Pour in the chicken stock, and add the turkey leg. Cover the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the collard greens to the cooking pot, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the greens cook down for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until the greens are tender and dark green, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain greens, reserving liquid. Mix in red pepper flakes if desired. Use liquid to reheat leftovers. Shanghai Cabbage Stir-Fry Shanghai cabbage bunch 2 Tb peanut oil 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp minced garlic salt or soy sauce to taste Cut stems into 1-inch pieces and slice leaves coarsely. Heat wok or heavy frying pan. Pour oil in. Add stems and toss over moderately high heat until somewhat softened, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, garlic, salt and soy sauce. Add reserved leaves. Toss another 2 minutes. Serve.

Recipes of the Week of July 16th

BEETS WITH CREAM SAUCE from: cooks.com 2 c. sliced cooked beets 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. flour 2/3 c. beet juices or chicken stock (or combination of both) 1/3 c. heavy cream Salt and freshly ground pepper Nutmeg Place beets in a small buttered casserole. Melt butter in saucepan; add flour, stirring, and cook for 3 minutes without coloring mixture. Remove from heat and beat in beet juice or stock, then cook until smooth and thick. Add cream, heat, and season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Pour over beets and heat in a 350 degree oven until the sauce is bubbly and the beets are heated through. MOROCCAN BEET GREEN SALAD from: http://food.gearlive.com 1 bunch beet greens and/or spinach 1-2 cloves garlic Extra virgin olive oil Sweet paprika Cumin Salt and black pepper Juice of one lemon Clean bunch of beet greens. Agitate well, leave to soak a few minutes, lift out, drain the water. Slice horizontally, about 1/4 inch wide, and put into a deep pot. Add a spoon or two of water if they seem dry. Cover and steam on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes or until soft. Let cool. Put the greens in a wire colander over a bowl and press out as much liquid as possible. (You can save it for soup) Finely chop 1-2 cloves of garlic and put in a large frying pan with 3 T (tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil. Sauté at medium high until garlic begins to brown. Add greens, stir and cook a few minutes. Add 1 t (teaspoon) paprika, 1 t ground cumin, 1 t oregano, 1 t kosher or other salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir and cook a few more minutes, adding a bit of reserved liquid or olive oil if it seems dry. Add cumin if desired, but it's easy to overdo the oregano. Remove from heat, squeeze in the juice of one lemon (can be partly bottled juice), and taste for salt and lemon. Serve at room temperature. GREEN POLE BEANS AND GREEN ONIONS 1 lb. young green pole beans (whole, end removed) ½ bunch green onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 Tbsp butter Parboil beans in lightly salted water only until tender (still crisp) and drain. Melt butter and add garlic and onions. Sauté until onions are clear. Add beans to butter mixture and saute 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately. BEANS & SHRIMP 1 lb. string beans or pole beans cut 1 inch long 1/2 c. shelled shrimp, fresh 1/2 c. fresh tomatoes, chopped 1 lg. onion, sliced 3 lg. cloves garlic, chopped fine Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp. shortening Sauté garlic until brown. Add onion. When brown add tomatoes and shrimp, salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp is tender, add string beans and continue cooking until beans are crisp tender.

Recipes of the Week of July 9th

Zucchini Squares from: http://southernfood.about.com
Zucchini squares, a quiche-like recipe made with eggs and zucchini.
3 cups thinly sliced zucchini, unpeeled
1 cup biscuit mix
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
dash garlic powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cut into squares and serve as an appetizer or side dish.

Zucchini Frittata
2tbsp. salad oil
1 sm. onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 lg. Swiss chard leaves (including stems), coarsely chopped
1med. zucchini, coarsely chopped
6 eggs
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. each dry basil & oregano leaves
1 c. (3 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large frying pan over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, chard and zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally until veggies are soft (about 5minutes). Remove from heat, cool slightly. Beat eggs lightly with pepper, basil and oregano. Stir in cheese and veggies.
Pour into greased 9" pie pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until puffed and brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Swiss Chard from: http://www.elise.com/recipes
½bunch of fresh Swiss chard
1 -2 garlic curls, chopped into small pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp water
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon butter
salt

Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Roughly chop into inch-wide strips. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for the recipe below.
Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the Swiss chard to a serving dish.

Sautéed Swiss Chard Ribs with Cream and Pasta from:http://www.elise.com/recipes
1 lb Swiss chard, yielding 2 cups of chopped ribs
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
Enough dry pasta to make about one quart of cooked pasta (use rice pasta if gluten-free is required)
Salt and pepper

Separate the ribs from the greens in the manner described here. Cut the ribs into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Blanch the ribs in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes.
Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the drained, blanched ribs and simmer for 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook until cream reduces by two-thirds.
While the cream is reducing, cook up your pasta according to the pasta's package directions.
Mix creamed chard with pasta. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Recipes of the Week of July 2nd

SORREL The lemony flavor of sorrel compliments fish, tofu, grilled vegetables and poultry. Eaten raw or cooked, it is used anywhere a lemon flavor is welcome. Add the fresh leaves to salads, salad dressings and mayonnaise, dips such as guacamole or hummus, grain pilafs or fruit salsas. When cooked, the leaves turn olive green and melt down into a thick puree, often incorporated into soups and sauces. The leaves can also quickly be sautéed with leafy greens, spring vegetables or mushrooms. Eggs Poached in Sorrel Sauce
3 large eggs ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic curls, finely chopped 2 cups sorrel leaves Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Dash cayenne (optional) 3-6 tablespoons freshly grated Swiss Gruyere cheese For the sauce, place oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté about 30-40 seconds. Add sorrel, salt and pepper. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning if necessary. Crack eggs and gently place in a single layer over sorrel mixture. Season eggs lightly with salt, pepper and cayenne, if desired. Cover and poach until set about 5 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of the eggs. Place under broiler to melt cheese. Spaghetti with Salmon and Sorrel
4 oz Cooked and flaked salmon 1 oz Fresh sorrel (or spinach) * 2 oz Broccoli florets 8 oz Fresh spaghetti Lemon juice and butter 2 tbl Freshly grated Parmesan *Note: Amount given for sorrel (or spinach) is for trimmed weight. Take some sorrel or spinach leaves and roll them up tightly, a few at a time. Snip across with scissors to make fine green ribbony shreds. Chop the broccoli florets into very small pieces indeed, and bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for cooking the pasta. Melt 2 oz butter in a flameproof casserole suitable for bringing to table. Add the broccoli, stir to coat with fat, cover with a lid and cook gently for just 1 minute. Add a very generous grinding of pepper, some salt and 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or quite a bit more lemon if using spinach). Shake the casserole to distribute the flavourings, then scatter the flaked fish over the broccoli but do not stir it in. Cover and leave over very gentle heat for just 3 minutes or so. Meanwhile cook the pasta. Draw the casserole away from the heat. Add the well drained pasta, the Parmesan and most of the sorrel or spinach ribbons. Toss quickly, gently and thoroughly so that every strand of pasta is anointed with butter and prettily flecked with the pink and green of the salmon and vegetables. Check the seasoning, sprinkle the remaining ribbons of greenery over the top and serve straight away, accompanied by wedges of lemon instead of the ubiquitous bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Sea Scallops with Sorrel Sauce from recipetips.com 1 pound large sea scallops 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 teaspoons flour 1/2 cup stock (fish, chicken, or vegetable) 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup cream 1/4 cup tightly packed sorrel leaves, ribs removed salt and pepper
Since the scallops cook very quickly, make the sauce first. Melt butter, whisk in flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add stock , whisking constantly, until smooth. Stir in wine and cream and simmer until reduced to desired consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Chop sorrel finely and stir in. Set aside until scallops are cooked. Heat grill to high (have grates very clean to prevent sticking). Skewer the scallops, leaving space between them on the skewers. Brush or spray lightly with olive oil, and grill, turning once, about 3 minutes per side or until opaque all the way through. Spoon sauce over and serve immediately.

Italian Kale 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Salt and ground black pepper to taste Cook the kale in a large, covered saucepan over medium-high heat until the leaves wilt. Once the volume of the kale is reduced by half, uncover and stir in the garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Cook while stirring for 2 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

How To Prepare and Cook Fava Beans Fava beans need to be shelled (removed from their pods). To open the pods just pull on the stem at the top to unzip the string down either side of the pod, then gently push the pod open between your thumb and forefingers. Pop the beans out.

Cook shelled beans in a large saucepan in plenty of boiling water until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the size of the bean. Drain well and rinse with cold water to cool. Using the tip of a knife or your thumbnail, slit the translucent skin covering the bean, peel off and discard. Use the peeled cooked beans as appetizers, in salads or in recipes.