veggie shooters

For the grad party Lisa was looking for a easy way to serve relishes with dip and this worked out great and couldn't have been easier.  While at the party store picking up paper plates and napkins she found these cute disposable square shot glasses and bamboo skewers.  A squirt of ranch dressing in the bottom of the glass was the dip and then we placed in the shot glass a carrot stick, a celery stick, a green bean and a skewer with two small cherry tomatoes.  Any long narrow vegetable would work.  Red, yellow, orange or green peppers cut into narrow strips would be colorful and tasty.  A pea pod would also work well or a stalk of asparagus.  We had the vegetables all prepped in the kitchen and filled the shooters a tray at a time and swapped out a full tray for the empty tray as needed.  The presentation was nice and they were very convenient for both the guests and the kitchen helpers.

Lisa used ranch dressing thinking that it would be familiar to most people but any favorite dip could be used.  The ranch worked out nicely as it had a squirt type top on the bottle.  Transferring your dip to a squirt bottle would make for filling the shooters neatly. Wouldn't these be good with fresh-from-the garden vegetables at their peak of flavor?

san marzano red sauce used two ways

Lisa served two sandwich choices at Kaylee's grad party.  Both were small, just a few bites, so guests could have one or both of the sandwiches.  One of the sandwiches was a panini grilled cheese and the other was a slider type hamburger.  She had a terrific red sauce that she used as a dipping sauce for the panini sandwiches. Guests could ladle some into a small disposable cup to dip their panini.  For the sliders, the burgers were in a crock pot in the same red sauce and guests were able to build their own sandwich as they went through the line, ensuring that everyone got a freshly made sandwich. The sauce was really good.  Similar to a spaghetti sauce but without the Italian herbs.  This one included only fresh basil.  San Marzano tomatoes are a plum style tomato from Italy.  Some interesting reading about the San Marzano tomato can be found here.

San Marzano Red Sauce

3- 28 oz cans of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
4-6 T garlic olive oil
1 red onion cut into small dice
Pinch of red pepper flakes 
Kosher salt and pepper  
4-6 T torn fresh basil
 
Break up the tomatoes with an immersion blender.  Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan and add the onion when oil is hot - saute 5-6 minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes.  Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to med low and saute for 30 min.  Makes a slightly chunky sauce with great fresh tomato flavor

Hambies  Slider Sandwiches

3 # hamburger
1 packet of McCormick Grill Mates Montreal marinade seasoning 
1 tsp season salt
1 egg
1/3 c Panko bread crumbs 

Combine the hamburger seasonings, egg and bread crumbs and form into burgers.  Lisa's burgers were very consistent in size and shape.  They matched the diameter of her bun and were about 3/4 pf an inch thick.  I think Lisa molded hers in a cookie cutter.  She then browned them in an electric fry pan and finished the cooking in the San Marzano red sauce in the crock pot. When building the sandwich, some of the sauce clings to the burger when you put it on the bun.   Delicious.

Grilled Cheese Panini 

The paninis were made with baguettes that were purchased from the Panera restaurant.  They were thinly sliced and buttered on the outside of the sandwich.  Inside the sandwich was a leaf of spinach and a thick slice of sharp cheddar.  They were grilled on the panini press but could as easily be done in an electric skillet, flipping the sandwich to cook both sides.  Once done they were transferred to  the buffet server to keep them warm.  The red sauce was available to use to dip the sandwich in.  We used a whole spinach leaf on the sandwich and in hindsight the whole leaf prevented the second slice of bread from adhering the the melted cheese.  I think that the spinach torn into smaller pieces or placed between two thinner slices of cheese might be something to try to keep the sandwich from coming apart when serving or dipping into the red sauce.  

a tale of two soups--soup two

Yesterday I made a soup using Nathan's venison bone broth, hamburger, vegetables and homemade pasta and it was really good.  Caitlin and I had it for lunch.  See here for soup one.  We talked about what else would be good in it and decided to add some stewed tomatoes, cabbage and barley for a different version. 

Since our vegetables and pasta were already cooked I felt that adding uncooked barley and cabbage and cooking the soup until those ingredients were thoroughly cooked would leave the vegetables and pasta overcooked and likely turn them to mush.  Adding cooked barley and cabbage seemed the way to go so I cooked the barley according to the package directions and roasted the cabbage and then added both to the soup along with a quart jar of stewed tomatoes that I canned from tomatoes that grew in the garden this summer.

This soup also  had good flavor.   The vegetables and pasta  retained good texture.  The tomato mixed with the broth was good.  The cabbage and barley I would do again. 

soup two in a handcrafted bowl made by Nikole on a potter's wheel

closer shot of the veggies, barley and cabbage

If I were to make this soup from the start I would probably cook the barley and cabbage in the broth and then add the frozen vegetables when the cabbage and barley were close to done.  I like that provides a little variety. 

I think that other additions could include wild rice, lentils, other beans, navy, pinto or black, potato, sweet potato, squash.

sweet potato and kale flatbread pizza

A couple nights ago when some of my kids were still home after Thanksgiving we went out to a local winery for some wine and music.  While we were there we had a flatbread pizza.  Now that the kids are gone I have been inspired to try a flatbread pizza at home.

The winery's flatbread came topped with roasted peppers and summer squash, mushrooms, sage, fresh mozzarella and a kale pesto base.  I decided to use what I had on hand so I went with sweet potatoes, kale and chopped pecans on a homemade ricotta base.

First I made the crust dough and while it was raising I made the homemade ricotta.  While the ricotta was in the chinois to strain I peeled and sliced a small sweet potato and tossed it with a drizzle of olive oil. When the ricotta was done straining I added a few thyme leaves.

To assemble the flatbread pizza I divided the dough in quarters and rolled one of the quarters into a rectangle approximately 6 inches by 8 inches and 1/4 inch thick.  I rolled it out on a sheet of parchment paper.

 I spread the ricotta cheese in a thin layer covering the crust.

Then I topped the ricotta with the oiled sweet potato slices and a little salt.

And put it in the oven on the parchment paper on the pizza stone and baked it for 7 minutes.  If you aren't using a pizza stone you can bake the pizza on the parchment on a baking sheet.  After seven minutes I rotated the flatbread and slipped the paper out from under the flatbread.  I used a spatula to lift a corner of the pizza, the pizza had released itself from the parchment and I was able to slip the parchment out leaving the pizza sitting directly on the pizza stone.  I then added the pecans and it baked for another 7 minutes.  While it was baking I massaged the kale with a little olive oil by removing the leaf from the stem and cutting into bite-sized pieces.  I put the pieces in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and stirred them around with my fingers rubbing the leaves together for about four minutes.  The massaging helps to reduce the bitterness of the kale.

At the end of the second seven minutes I sprinkled a little Parmesan cheese on and baked it for one more minute.

When the flatbread pizza came out of the oven I topped it with the massaged kale and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

I cut it into six pieces.

I was really pleased with how it turned out.  The crust was crispy.  The sweet potato was soft. The toasted pecans added a nice crunch and the balsamic adds a nice layer of flavor.

To make the crust:

3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp active-dry or instant yeast
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine the water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to dissolve the yeast.  Add the flour and salt and mix with the dough hook for five minutes.  Knead the dough a couple times to form a nice ball and place in an oiled bowl.  Cover and let raise until double, about 90 minutes.  When double in size, punch down and divide into quarters and roll out each portion into a thin crust on parchment paper or refrigerate the dough up to three days.

To make the homemade ricotta:

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (I used champagne vinegar)

Combine the milk and cream is saucepan, stir in the salt.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  When it reaches a full rolling boil, remove from heat and add the vinegar.  Allow to stand for a minute or two to form curds.  Pour through a strainer lined with cheesecloth to separate the curds from the whey.  I used a chinois.  Allow to strain for up to 30 minutes.  The longer it strains the drier the cheese will be.  Refrigerate until ready to use. Makes 3/4 cup of finished cheese.

To assemble a single flatbread pizza:

1/4 crust recipe
1/4 cup homemade ricotta
1/4 tsp fresh thyme
1 small sweet potato, sliced into thin (1/8 -1/4 inch thick) crosswise slices.
1 tsp olive oil
salt
1/8 cup pecans, chopped
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
2-3 small kale leaves, stems removed and cut or torn into bite sized pieces
1 tsp olive oil
drizzle balsamic vinegar

Place pizza stone on rack 1/3 up from the bottom of oven and preheat oven to 450°.  Roll out the crust on a sheet of parchment paper to a 6x8 inch or so rectangle .  Mix the thyme with the ricotta.  Spread over the crust.  Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl with 1 tsp olive oil and toss to coat.  Place the oiled slices on the ricotta layer and salt lightly.  Place the parchment sheet with the pizza on the pizza stone using a peel or inverted baking sheet to transfer the pizza to the stone.  Bake 7 minutes.  After 7 minutes rotate the pizza and remove the parchment paper.  Add the pecans.  Bake another 7 minutes.  Massage the kale with the olive oil.  When the second 7 minutes of baking has finished, add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and bake one more minute.  Remove from the oven and top with the massaged kale and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Cut and serve. 

sources:
crust recipe adapted from here
ricotta cheese recipe here
toppings inspiration adapted from here

Update:

 So the next day I took another quarter of the crust dough from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature.  Once it was room temperature I rolled it out into an oval and topped it with some leftover spaghetti sauce that was canned from our garden tomatoes and more of the homemade ricotta cheese and a little Parmesan cheese.  I baked it as before--450° for 15 minutes, removing the parchment paper after the first 7 minutes and it turned out great.

shared at this party:

The Comforts of Home Tasty Tuesday

Caitlin's sweet potato chili

 Today while Caitlin was home she made her sweet potato chili.  It is a tasty blend of sweet potatoes, tomato, black beans and corn.  We used sweet potatoes, corn and tomatoes from the garden.  The tomatoes were canned, the corn was frozen and the sweet potatoes are stored in our fruit room, an unheated room in the basement. 

It went together pretty quickly.  There were a few vegetables to prep--onions, garlic...

green pepper...

and sweet potatoes.

To start the chili a stock pot heats over medium high heat and the onions and garlic are sauteed for a couple minutes.

Then the green pepper is added and it all cooks a little longer.

Next the contents of the cans and the stewed tomatoes are added.

And then the sweet corn and the spices.

And then the sweet potatoes go in.

Now it just needs to cook until the potatoes are tender.  1-2 cans of water can be added if it is too thick.

We served ours topped with fresh cilantro, sour cream and a sprinkle of grated cheese.

Caitlin's sweet potato chili

Olive oil
1 medium or large onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper
1 15 ounce can Hunts diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1 15 ounce can black beans
1 15 ounce Kunner's southwestern black beans with cumin and chili spices
1 quart jar stewed tomatoes
2 cups whole kernel corn
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
6 cups sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
salt to taste

top with:
sour cream
shredded cheese
cilantro


Heat small amount of olive oil in stock pot.  Saute the onion for a couple minutes.  Add the garlic then the green peppers.  Saute a few more minutes then add the cans of beans, the tomatoes, the corn  and the spices.  Stir in the sweet potatoes.  Add 1-2 cans of water if it is too thick.  Cook over medium-high heat until the potatoes are tender.

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and cilantro

Source: loosely adapted from the this recipe

linked to Tasty Tuesday here

caprese salad

Insalata Caprese (Caprese Salad) is a family favorite and this was our last chance to have have this amazing salad this season with tomatoes from the garden.

Caprese is a traditional salad of Italy.  It had its origin from the Island of Capri off Naples, Italy and in Italy it is most often serves as an appetizer.

It has few ingredients: vine ripened tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese and basil.  These three ingredients are layered and then drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.  Although it is not done in Italy in the United States Caprese is often made with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar added and that is the way that we had ours today.

 This very colorful salad with its green, white and red is reminiscent of the Italian national flag:

tricolore

Caprese salad

fresh tomato, we used paste tomatoes from the garden
fresh mozzarella cheese (buffalo if available)
basil leaves fresh from the garden
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Thinly slice the cheese and the tomatoes and layer with the basil leaves.  Drizzle with small amount of olive oil.  Salt and pepper. Drizzle with small amount of balsamic if using.

roasted tomato soup

This is a roasted tomato soup recipe that I found in a saved magazine from a few years ago.  Before the internet and blogosphere exploded with information about any and all subjects there were magazines and I still have quite a few old ones and still buy the occasional new one.  This recipe was featured in a magazine called 'Grow Veggies For Less' that was put out by Birds and Bloom in 2009 and contained a bonus section of 21 vegetable recipes from Taste of Home.  This recipe takes a few ingredients which are roasted for 30 minutes, run through a blender (I used the food processor) and then cooked an additional few minutes to return to temperature.  It would count as 'quick and easy' and produced a thick, slightly chunky soup with good flavor.


Here are the ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds tomatoes
1 small onion, quartered 
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

12 fresh basil leaves
salad croutons 
fresh basil for garnish                       

I combined all of the ingredients except the fresh basil in a bowl and stirred them so all were coated with the olive oil and the seasonings were distributed.  We used our paste type tomatoes from the garden.

And then I poured them out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and roasted them at 400° for 30 minutes.

Once they are done roasting the tender vegetable are allowed to cool slightly and then blended or processed until thick and retaining some texture.

I processed mine in two batches and added the 12 basil leaves in with the second batch.

The soup is then returned to the stove in a sauce pan  to heat through.

Garnish with additional basil and croutons if desired.  We did not have croutons but both Caitlin and I agreed that it would have added another layer of interest to the soup.  We did top it off with a little Parmesan cheese partway through our meal and that was a good addition as well.

Other suggestions we came up with were for adding a little cooked pasta or perhaps some corn and/or some black beans as a fun alternative.  I think that in addition to eating this as is it could be a good base for many soup recipes.