it's the balm!

Hydrangea in bloom to decorate the table, radishes harvested to decorate the salad.

Outdoor dining is here at last. The balmy late days of spring are perfect for enjoying  extended sunlight and the profusion of leafy enticements.

Tender greens are now readily available - I can plunder my own garden for new growth and actually begin to put a meal together from some humble backyard plants.

Garden pesto is a versatile use of just about any edible leafy green and tender herb.

My patch of backyard lemon balm is huge this year. It grows easily and spreads where ever it has a place to go. By mid-summer the leaves are spotty and crisp, not very appetizing, but right now the plant is ever so delectable! I tuck a sprig or two into my iced tea and tear up the smallest leaves to go into salads.  It had never occurred to me to use lemon balm as the base of a pesto, but with the profusion of growth and my basil still barely inches high I decide to give lemon balm a spin in the food processor to see how it would come out.

To add a little dimension to the pesto I included some chives, sorrel, mint and oregano, seeking out the smallest and softest leaves I could harvest. The pesto was so good! I half expected the lemon balm to taste soapy or too perfumey but the young leaves gave a pleasant green bite with the barest hint of lemon.

Night one, I mixed the pesto with spaghetti and roasted peppers. It looked so pretty and tasted great! Night two, I made it for friends and served it over Israeli couscous, adding some grilled vegetables. The two pickiest eaters at the table both announced it "really good" so please don't share this recipe with them because if they knew what was in it (green stuff and cheese) they would never have tried it in the first place.



recipe:

Garden Pesto with Israeli Couscous & Grilled Vegetables

For the pesto:
2 cups of fresh herbs or leafy greens-any mix of basil, mint, sorrel, chives, lemon balm, tarragon, parsley, cilantro, spinach, arugula, young kale, chard
2 Tbs. walnuts, pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon salt

-put all ingredients in food processor and blend till smooth

For the couscous:

1 cup of Israeli couscous
1 Tbs olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
In a sauce pan heat the oil and toast the couscous, stirring for about five minutes. Add the water and the salt, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for ten minutes. Transfer to a bowl and fluff with a fork.

For the grilled Vegetables:

1 cup of carrots sliced thin
1 cup of zucchini sliced thin
1 cup of bell peppers sliced into strips
2 Tbs olive oil
- toss vegetables with the oil and lay over a hot grill. Cook on each side till vegetables get some grill marks. They can be crispy. Take vegetables off the grill and chop into bite sized pieces if they are large.

Combine the pesto with the couscous and vegetables. Can be served hot or cold.

trying tapas

Deborah
Tapas are such a treat for those doing the eating. For the ones doing the cooking it is another story. This traditional small plates bar food of Spain can make a great party theme, as Amanda suggested in the last post, but not for the feint of heart. Tapas, like hors d'oeuvres, are labor intensive - lots of little things need to be prepared. Such is the case with the classic Spanish tapas dish croquettes. I was curious about croquettes because they seem to be featured on all tapas menus. Having never made them before a little research was needed.

The classic recipes I found on-line described a bechamel sauce based paste that is chilled and then rolled in breadcrumbs and egg and then deep fried. Really, just a thick bechamel sauce? Um, yeah. Bechamel is a classic white sauce of butter and flour that is thinned with milk. I have tasted traditional croquettes in tapas restaurants and it had never occured to me that this was how they were made.

Ok, let's try it. Most of the recipes call for chopped ham to be added as the flavoring. In keeping with our vegetable point of view I decided to go with swiss chard, sauteing it with some onions and garlic.

I confess I was feeling skeptical about the whole deal. A sludgy paste of flour dipped in bread crumbs and FRIED! I dont know. Didn't really sound healthy or good.

Making the bechamel did nothing to assuage my skeptism. It comes out like grade school paste. Not really appetizing. I folded in my cooked chard and then refrigerated the mush overnight as the various recipes suggested. Next day: form the croquettes, dip, dip, dip and fry.

The assembly line.

Still not convinced I took a bite. YO that is GOOD!!! I can't believe how yummy they came out! Creamy and crispy with a rich flavor from the chard. Kind of like a savory doughnut, which seems obvious now. I am stunned.

When would I make this again? I don't know, it isn't really everyday cooking as it is so time consuming and wont be appearing on any weight watchers list. I almost want to plan a whole tapas party around them. Eat them right out of the fryer and bliss will follow!

Swiss Chard Croquettes
-adapted from Tapas Recipes, small plates from Spain

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 bunch swiss chard, washed and chopped
2 cloves garlic finely minced
½ cup onion, chopped
7 Tbs. Butter
¾ cup flour
2 ½ cups cold milk
1/2 teas. ground nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 cub of bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
olive oil or vegetable oil for frying

Heat oil in a sauté pan and add the chard, garlic and onions. Cook for 10 minutes until the chard is tender. Drain chard and set aside.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the flour, stirring continuously. Allow the flour to cook in the butter for a couple of minutes, continuing to stir.
Start adding the cold milk little by little, stirring all the while until you have a thick, smooth sauce.  Season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the cooked chard and continue to cook for 3- 4 minutes. The end result should be quite thick. Let the mixture cool completely - it is usually a good idea to leave it overnight.
Take a scant tablespoon of the mixture and form into a croqueta, a 1 1/2 - 2 inch cylinder. Roll the croqueta in the breadcrumbs, then coat in the beaten egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs again. Make sure the breadcrumbs are always dry to ensure an even coating.
Heat the oil for deep-frying in a large, heavy-based pan until the temperature reaches 350ºF or a cube of bread turns golden brown in 20-30 seconds. Fry in batches of no more than 3 or 4 for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slatted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.

makes about 36 croquettes

Amanda
I'm definitely willing to give this one a try! I had a very light lunch and now it is 3:30 and my stomach is growling reading this post! By the way, in case you were wondering - guess what I had for lunch? Brussel Sprouts!!! Leftover from last night. The ones I made following Denise Landis' recipe! Outstanding! In fact, not only did I have them for lunch, but my mother in-law is coming for dinner tonight and guess what is on the menu?! Yep - you got it - Brussel Sprouts with Sherry and Pecans. Can't wait. Might even shake things up a bit and add some carmelized shallots. Serving them alongside salmon.


Back to the croquettes and the Tapas idea...my first inclination was to suggest Pinot Noir. But, if I were to do a Tapas themed night at my house, I would be pouring Spanish wines. And I would have both red and white. So, starting with red - I want something simple. Again, the context in which you are drinking the wine is important. I don't want an expensive, complex, serious wine for a fun, light-hearted night with friends. If "fun" food is served, I want a "fun" wine to match. Something light, fruity and food-friendly to match a variety of the foods that will be enjoyed. Go for a Grenache, or perhaps Tempranillo.

These days, I am enjoying a delicious, affordable Garnacha (Grenache) from Spain called Evodia. The Garnacha comes from old vines, and the wine offers sweet fruit, and is very smooth drinking. It's easy-going, and not overly complex. I love the idea of this wine with these croquettes! Evodia can be found for around $8.99. If you can't find the Evodia, ask your local shop for a recommendation on a nice, affordable Garnacha.


For white, Cava would be a wonderful choice. Cava is a sparkling white - Spain's answer to Champagne. Just a great option for a Tapas themed party. Cristalino Brut Cava is a big seller here at Wine and Spirit World. And at $7.99 a bottle, it's just the perfect crowd-pleasing sparkler! The Spanish varietals used are Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo. This is such a crisp wine with bright citrus flavors and hints of green apple. A terrific match for fried foods! And, extremely versatile. Renowned wine critic Stephen Tanzer from the International Wine Cellar calls the Cristalino an "extraordinary sparkling wine for the price".

Tapas, sparkling white and wonderfully fruity reds - this is definitely a recipe for an incredible night with friends!

Dinner Simplicity

Deborah

Halloween is over and still the weather remains magnificent!

The sky was so clear this weekend it was impossible not to stay outdoors. We actually grilled lunch in our backyard on Saturday. After a long hike on Sunday dinner plans needed to be simple. Stir fry seemed to be the way to go. This is the perfect way to clear out all the odds and ends in the fridge and make everything palatable again.

I like to cut carrots into what I call a ROUGH julienne. Not so fussy as a classic julienne, but still with slim angular shapes. I decided to combine the carrots with a few leaves of swiss chard I had on hand.

Hot oil in the wok gets seasoned with chopped garlic and ginger (about a Tbs of each), then the carrots and roughly chopped chard gets a quick cook. I finished the dish with a drizzle of soy sauce, rice vinegar and a tablespoon of oyster sauce.

The chard really cooked down and the carrots kept their shape and firmness. This dish really tasted good and was very simple to prepare.

A large batch of fried rice is always popular with my WHOLE family. Amazing. I chopped up about a cup each of cabbage and onions. I had a half of a cooked sweet potato left over that got cubed up to be included in the mix.

Celery chopped on an angle helps it to stir fry quickly and still keep the crunchy texture.

I like to add something green to the fried rice. I used edamame rummaged from the freezer. Peas and green beans work well too.

Again, I season the oil with garlic and ginger, then add all the vegetables to soften up and get a little golden.

When the vegetables are about done I added cooked rice. After tossing the rice around for awhile I created a well in the center of the wok and poured in 3 beaten eggs which I quickly scrambled and then stirred to combine with the rice. To finish I added 2 Tbs. tomato paste, a splash of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil.

We ate really well and I managed to get a myriad of vegetables into everyone's belly with a minimum of fuss to boot. Is there a wine that would complement this meal Amanda? Alan had a glass of merlot, but we both agreed it was not a particularly inspired pairing.

Amanda

I would have to agree on the Merlot. It would not necessarily be my first choice. If red is the preferred wine for these dishes, I would recommend something a little lighter with plenty of fruit, like a Barbera from Italy. It is the most cultivated vine in the region of Piedmont. I would definitely go with a younger Barbera, which  typically has fresh and bright fruit. Due to the low level of tannins, the wine is soft, and elegant. Barbera is a very versatile, food friendly varietal and often results in easy-drinking reds. You can definitely find Barberas in a variety of price ranges, from $10-$30. There are plenty of well-made wines out there for under $15 though. Some of my favorite producers for this wonderfully food-friendly wine are Vietti and Giacomo Conterno.

So, Barbera would be my first choice for red. That being said, my personal preference would actually be Rose. Something again with an abundance of fruit. In my opinion, the ripe fruit flavor of the wines would create a nice harmony and balance with the saltiness of the soy sauce. One of my favorite Roses is the Crios Rose of Malbec from Susana Balbo. It is full, rich and loaded with fruit and spice. I think this would be the ideal match for these recipes.  Susana Balbo is one of my favorite producers from Argentina. She creates more expensive wines under her own name. The Crios wines make up her line of more affordable wines, though the less expensive pricetag is no reflection of quality. Her Crios wines typically sell in the $15 price range. Though the Rose of Malbec can be found for around $10. If you can find her wines locally, I highly recommend them. They are truly special!

Not all bad

Deborah
So many fall lovers have been extolling the pleasures of the season to me since my last post. Don't get me wrong. I really do love fall, all those crunchy leaves underfoot, long shadows on the streets, sweaters out of the closet finally. My problem seems to be that my little backyard just doesn't have much pizzazz this time of year. It looks so dreamy in the Spring with pale green shoots and flowering bulbs. And in Summer while I don't get enough sun for a satisfying vegetable garden, my plants stay green and cool even on the hottest summer dog days. I tend to have more passion than skill when it comes to gardening, but I'm working on it.

Not every garden in Queens is as pitiful as mine this fall. 

Don't those kale leaves look wonderful? Perfect in soup!

Fall brings finality to all my summer garden ambitions and then there are those darn short days. BUT change is good and fall recipes are great! Sticking to the theme of soup this week I am offering up my lentil soup recipe. This is one of those recipes that can accommodate massive improvisation. I urge anyone who tries this to have fun and play, yes play with your food.

I think of the recipe in four stages:

One- vegetables/aromatics that get gently softened in oil.  This would include onions, garlic, celery, carrots, fennel, celery root, bell pepper, leeks, etc. These are the vegetables that won't completely fall apart or be grossly mushy after an hour of cooking.

If you like things spicy, why not add some chili peppers like these beauties growing at Stone Barns Center for Agriculture

Two- the liquid and seasonings get added now. For liquids think of vegetable or meat stock, tomato juice, tomato paste, or even water.  For seasonings I might add herbs or curry powder or chili powder, what ever I'm in the mood for. Again, you can play and experiment.

Three- When the liquid is simmering I add the lentils, along with maybe rice, potatoes, cubed pumpkin. This is the starchy stuff that will thicken the soup.

Four- Finishing the last 5 minutes of cooking with green vegetables like chopped swiss chard, green beans, broccoli florets, anything that will taste good with a brief blanch in the soup liquid and will add color or a little crunch of texture.

Even pale wax beans will look pretty in the soup


Depending on the flavor direction I have been going in I will also add any of the following: some grated cheese, a splash of vinegar or lemon juice, a dollop of pesto, a drizzle of olive oil.

Four steps with lots of chopping may seem like a lot of work, but you really don't have to pay much attention to what you are doing (not that I'm advocating inattention at the stove). The recipe is very forgiving. Lentils cook quickly and they have a very comforting earthly flavor. This soup will happily feed a crowd, is very cost effective and it can be eaten all week.

I love to serve this soup over macaroni or noodles, which I cook separately.

I am going to sit in my backyard with a bowl of lentil soup and warm myself in the beautiful October sun.

Lentil Soup 
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped into small bite sized pieces
1 large carrot, peeled or scrubbed and chopped into small bite sized pieces
1 clove garlic finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. tomato paste
4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup lentils
1/2 cup diced potato
1 cup chopped swiss chard
1/2 cup green beans cut into 1" lengths
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs grated Romano cheese
1 Tbs high quality extra virgin olive oil

Part One:
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan and add the onion, celery, garlic and carrots, the salt and pepper. Gently sweat vegetables till they begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes.

Part Two:
Add the tomato paste, the thyme and the bay leaf and cook with the vegetables for about 30 seconds to mix well. Add the stock and raise heat a bit to bring to a simmer.

Part Three:
When the liquid is simmering add the lentils and the potatoes. Cook at a simmer for about 25- 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Part Four:
Add the chard and the green beans and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes till the green vegetables are cooked but not mushy. Finish with the vinegar, cheese and a drizzle of good quality of extra virgin olive oil.

serves 4 and can easily be multiplied

Amanda
I have to say that each post and each recipe sounds better than the last. This presents a bit of a problem for me. Case and point: Yesterday, I went to the market and purchased the ingredients to make the Cauliflower soup (I also added Kale to the mix). My plan was to make it this evening. This Lentil Soup recipe just about resulted in the abandonment of the said previous plan. I was on my way to the store this afternoon to pick up what I would need to make the Lentil Soup this evening, when it occurred to me there was an expectant head of cauliflower and bunch of kale in my fridge eagerly awaiting my return home from work.  "One thing at a time" I convinced myself, and ultimately decided to let the Lentil Soup wait a few more days.

But - I do at least have a wine (or wines) in mind. Definitely not too big or too bold for this meal. (Remember - it is difficult to pair wine with soup...) My thoughts immediately turn to red - something earthy, perhaps mushroomy, light-medium bodied with soft fruit and spice. Pinot Noir, maybe? Not the big, ripe, highly concentrated Pinots from California. I'd like to say Burgundy, and I know it would work well. However, though I'm confident this meal is wonderful, does it merit the high price demanded by Burgundy? Wines simply labeled "Bourgogne" can include grapes from all over the region and typically run between $15-$25. This would be the best bet for Burgundy. Even so, it's not cheap for a bowl of Lentil Soup (even a spectacular one at that!)

The Marlborough region of New Zealand provides an alternative. The wines typically have bright red fruit flavors, but also a smoky, herbal quality that would work well here. In the wines from this region, there is a similar "terroir" characteristic as is found in Burgundy, as well as those funky, earthy, savory flavors. When I think of lentils, I think of similar flavor descriptives, so I think this would be a match made in legume heaven!

ME and Julia

Deborah
Anyone who loves to cook has had a Julia Child moment. The "moment" is the experience that the new movie "Julie & Julia" captures so well. It is the romance, the pure romance of food. Precisely, it is the experience of tasting a dish and falling in love with it, learning how to prepare it and serving the results to someone you love.

After coming home from seeing the film I went to the book shelf to pull out my old copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", a wedding gift from when I was a very young bride many years ago. I was curious to see where the pages would open. The book immediately plopped open to a well worn recipe of Timbales de Foies De Volaille (unmolded Chicken Liver Custards), but I was amused to see that where it read Chicken Livers I had crossed out the words and written Spinach. Apparently I was the Queen of substitutions long before becoming a professional cook.

How would I cook this dish now? I remember the spinach version of long ago was a big hit at a family Christmas dinner. I had a dozen fresh farm eggs purchased on my recent trip to Stone Barns center for Food and Agriculture and I remembered admiring their yellow stemmed swiss chard growing in neat abundant rows. I had a plan.

yellow chard growing in the greenhouse at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

Embellishing and trimming Julia's recipe as I saw fit I made a bechamel sauce and added some nutmeg (why not), I trimmed the stems off a bunch of swiss chard and chopped them up with 2 cloves of garlic and sauteed it all in some butter and oil till soft, then added the cleaned chard leaves (roughly chopped) w/ some s & p. I cooked the greens till wilted, then added 1/2 a glass of white wine, cooked that down and then let it cool so the chard would not cook the raw eggs when I blended them together. It was at this point that I remembered how labor intensive this recipe was.

beautiful rainbow colored swiss chard stems

Ok, then I broke 3 eggs and put them in the food processor, added the cooled chard mixture, the bechamel sauce and 6 tablespoons of heavy cream and blended till smooth. Julia recommends ramekins for baking, but, I don't know, ramekins kind of bug me out so I used a faux-copper ring mold which I thought looked cute and retro. I heavily butter the mold, placed it in a pan of (oops forgot to get the water boiling) boiling water, and filled the mold to nearly the top. Ok, my work is done here. Into a 350 degree oven till edges start to brown, for 25 min.

After 40 minutes and still not quite as brown as instructed I pulled the thing out. Very nice. Ran a knife around the edges of the mold and inverted onto a plate. Well, you can see the mess for yourselves. Deflated but still curious I took a taste. Heavenly!! The timbale was light as air yet had tons of flavor. It was delicious and went down easily. I had to force myself to save some for my sister and her husband who where expecting me for lunch.

Out of the oven! and onto the plate


Bon Appetit!

Amanda
Hmmmm...well, it certainly sounds delicious. I'd actually like to try this one too. Just a question - if you did it again, is there anything you would do differently as far as preparation? Do you think cooking it longer would have held it together? Or would you suggest sticking to the idea of ramekins? Given your description of the flavors, I would love to give this a go! The cream base and bechamel sauce immediately bring white Burgundy to mind. White Burgundy is made from 100% Chardonnay. While a California chardonnay will work well too, just make sure it is not one which is too powerful or over-oaked. Over-use of oak would surely snuff out the light flavors of the dish. Yes, white Burgundy seems to me the perfect option. Learning about Burgundy can be confusing, so always ask someone at your local wine shop for guidance. For example, Chablis tend to be lighter, and more crisp than wines from other regions in Burgundy. I'd go for something richer and rounder. What comes to mind is Pouilly Fuisse. Pouilly Fuisse is typically medium-bodied and elegant, and more affordable than some of the other appellations such as Chassagne Montrachet and Meursault. And, it's not too light, but also not too "big" for this dish. Olivier Leflaive makes a great Pouilly Fuisse - Marie Antoinette. Usually around $20, it is inexpensive for Burgundy. The earthiness and richness of the wine will work beautifully in conjunction with the swisschard and cream. I'll try it out and let you know how it goes!

Deb

-Good question about what I would do differently! I finally realized that I had neglected to squeeze the cooked chard dry to drain off some of the liquid. It was too wet and so the timbale never had a chance to firm up properly. I love a good white Burgundy, excellent suggestion!