Category Archives: Vegetables

Summer is here: Traditional Caprese Salad

June 23, 2014 By in Appetizers, Dinner, Healthy, Italian, On the Side, Tomatoes, Vegetables Tags: , , 2 Comments

 

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I was in Grand Central Station last week for a meeting and decided to stop in to pick up some produce at their fashionable market on my way back up to CT.  For anyone that hasn’t been to the Grand Central Market it is a little paradise of food – farm stand produce, gourmet cheeses, artisan breads, jams, jellies, pastries, chocolates and truffles, cured/aged meats, fresh fish and poultry, and the list goes on.  As you can imagine, this little haven of food comes at a cost and is the biggest tourist trap going.  I knew I’d probably pay top-dollar, but I promised to bring a side to the dinner-party I was headed to that evening and knew I wouldn’t have time to hit up the grocery store beforehand.  Poor planning on my part.

1slice of tomato

As I scanned the abundant selection, I stopped short in my tracks at the sight of a table full of gorgeous vine-ripened tomatoes in every shape, size, and color known to the imagination.

Tomatoes

Right now is probably a good time to pause in the story and tell you about how much I love summer tomatoes.  There are obvious reasons – I am half Italian, I grew up every summer picking them from my grandparents garden, I even have a best friend from college that loves tomatoes just as much, if not more, than I do – but aside from posterity and fond memories, there is an X factor there that I can’t quite put my finger on that makes tomatoes stand out.  Among the many splendid summer fruits and vegetables, garden tomatoes are by far those that I look forward to the most.  They’ve always just made me happy.

Tomato Slices

So as I was saying, I approached the tomato table and carefully selected 3 perfect tomatoes.  I was in a rush, half paying attention, and texting with my hubbie when I was rung up.  I’m not going to tell you how much my total came to (because it’s embarrassing), but let’s just say the cost was more than my round-trip train ticket to and from CT.

Mozz

As mentioned, I was in a rush and really had my heart set on the tomatoes at that point so reluctantly forked over my card and ran out of the market to catch my train.  I vowed on the way home to never, ever again pay so much for produce, but I have to admit (and I think everyone at the dinner-party can tell you) that they were pretty outstanding.

Finished Salad

 

Caprese Salad Recipe Card

Roasted Baby Carrots and Shallots

May 15, 2014 By in Carrots, Dinner, On the Side, Shallots, Vegetables Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

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Easter is obviously over, but carrots are always in style.  The carrot has become a symbol of Spring due to its affiliation with Easter, but the best time to harvest carrots is actually in the Fall.  Despite the fact that it’s not currently the ideal season, I’ve been making a mean baby carrots and shallot side lately that is so delicious and versatile, I must share.  I don’t mean the kind of baby carrots that come shaped by a machine and packaged in a plastic bag (although those do make great snacks), but the kind that look like they’ve been yanked right out of the ground.

Full Carrots

Carrots remind me of something playful, like a bouquet of daisies or tulips.

Pot of carrots

This side is beyond simple to prepare, yet looks elegant.  For some reason there is something about baby carrots (and shallots) for that matter that make people think a lot of time and effort went into preparing, but in reality they are pretty low maintenance. One tip to keep in mind, the stems are a bit longer above (to make my photos look pretty!), but the reality I found was that the stems come out tough and chewy when roasted.  I’d recommend trimming the green stem down to no longer than an inch (as seen in the finished product).

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I also like leaving the tail end of the shallot in place, which holds the bulb together.

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Toss everything cleaned up with a vinaigrette and into the roasting dish they go to cook for about an hour or until you can pierce easily with a fork.

Tossed

I adore this dish with a pork tenderloin or chicken, but steak and a number of other meats and poultry would work as well.  Enjoy!

Finished Recipe

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Hearty Zucchini, Chickpea and Kale Soup

March 24, 2014 By in Appetizers, Dinner, Healthy, Soup, Vegetables Tags: , , Leave a comment

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We have been lucky enough to have had nearly 3 straight weeks of visitors in Jackson Hole – a combination of beloved family and friends (see pictures below) so even though I have done some entertaining and cooking, there hasn’t been anytime for blogging.  I know – poor me, right?  I’m not complaining!!  But first, I thought I’d write about a soup I’ve been making that is perfect in what continues to be very chilly weather out here (9 degrees when I woke up yesterday – 1st day of Spring you lie!).  Lately I have been on a chickpea – or garbanzo bean as they are called – kick (you might see some falafel or chunky hummus spread popping up here in the near future) and can’t seem to get enough of these pudgy little beans.

chickpeasThis recipe was derived straight from Mom per usual.  She was home one night and sent me a photo of the soup she had made for dinner.  I thought it looked so delicious and easy that I made it that next day and have been hooked since.  It’s perfect for making at night and then heating up again for lunches and like all soups gets better with time.  It is healthy and chocked with protein, but doesn’t taste like it should be so healthy – in other words, it’s enjoyable to eat and you can dig in guilt free.

vegetable medleyVegetable soup – in general – can get really watered down from all of the natural moisture extracted from cooking down a pile of veggies so you want to make sure you buy regular or low sodium chicken or vegetable broth.  Sodium-free (while I know it’s more appealing for a variety of health reasons) will make the soup taste far too watered down.

zucchini peeled zucchini choppedSprinkle with a spoonful of nutty grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!

soup with cheese

Soup Receipt cardAnd now for a little timeline of our past few weeks.  We kicked off the end of February/beginning of March with some of my very dear and old friends from college. The first night got a little rowdy after we received our shot-ski wedding gift from the Male’s :

shotskiWe took a scenic sleigh-ride through the National Elk Refuge with a whipper-snapper tour guide in some cool chaps that filled us in on more information about the elk than I ever dreamed I’d know about in a lifetime:

elk2 Geish&I2 Guide2The next set of visitors included Chris’s parents and siblings who are all really good skiers and luckily we got some fresh powder just in time for their visit:

Chris & his sibs“Just Horsing Around”

Palm fam - sleighrideAfter they left, Chris’s best friend from college arrived and Chris’s youngest brother Sam stayed for another week.  We did a snow shoe hike one day in the park:

Chris,Sam&IAnd the next day my family arrived.  Their first night here we went out to eat and were seated next to a table that included a very A-list celeb that was shoulder to shoulder with my brother who got to briefly chat with her baby son at one point in the night.  Can you guess who it is?  That’s right – Sandra Bullock.  Kind of a big deal.

Jay:PatThe fam was here for a full week – there was lots of skiing, meals at the condo, and laughs.  My Aunt Leslie went down her first black diamond at Jackson Hole – no small feat!

AL Con&FelMy Dad stayed a couple of extra days past everyone and proved to be just as classically lion-hearted as always skiing full 9am-4pm days, riding the tram regularly, and hiking the Headwall – go Jack!

Dad&IThanks to everyone for making the long trip out here to see us – we loved every minute of it!

Eggplant Stackers

April 23, 2012 By in Dinner, Vegetables 2 Comments

When I think of a dish that was a culinary turning point for me, this recipe might be it.   Like many of my dishes, this recipe was half inspired from a restaurant and half from my Mom’s kitchen, but original enough where a lightbulb went off and I started to think about food outside of the box.  If you are like me, you are probably on the tireless path to recreating dishes that are not only nutricious and light, but TASTE GOOD.  In other words – searching for the loop-hole to a low calorie, low-fat meal that you can also look forward to eating.  While I love eggplant parm and lasagna, I often find the eggplant to be unappetizingly chewy, laden with heavy bread-crumbs and garnished with unwanted gobs of cheese.  I wanted to create something that wasn’t so heavy and overwhelming as I found many eggplant dishes to be.

Eggplant can be a tempermental little vegetable.  When cooked correctly it will make your taste-buds do cartwheels.  When prepared poorly it is similar to munching on the end of my pencil eraser – bitter, soggy, chewy.  Technically you are supposed to salt the eggplant to draw out some of the moisture.  I don’t include that step in this recipe, but I promise it will make any finished-product eggplant delciously nutty and tender.

Instead I brush the eggplant generously with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle salt and pepper over ultra-thin slices.  Peeling at least half of the skin away also gives the finished eggplant thins a crunchy finish.

 

After baking comes the fun part: stacking.  I set up my toppings much like an ice-cream sundae line.

 

You can be as creative as you’d like with your stacking ingredients.  I’ve found a layer of sauce, a small piece of paper-thin prosciutto and sprinkle of shredded mozzerella really does the trick.

 

Repeat and top with one last slice of eggplant and dusting of grated parmesean cheese and you have yourself a stacker.

 

Classic Greek Salad

March 24, 2012 By in Dinner, Vegetables Tags: Leave a comment

Sometimes in life you need something light for dinner and nothing screams fresh and light like a simple Classic Greek Salad.  My boyfriend has requested this dish a couple of times since I originally made it (most often after a gratuitously indulgent weekend) to sort of cleanse the palate and recharge the batteries.  You won’t need many ingredients for this recipe.  Just enough crunch and the right amount of color make any Greek Salad a classic.   

Traditonally, a Greek Salad does not have lettuce, but I like to add a head of fresh buttery Boston lettuce.  Toss in some diced onion and tomato, chunky bite-sized slices of baby cucumbers, pitted chopped Kalamata olives and a dusting of fluffy feta cheese.  If you are feeling creative and want more of a zing, a handful of pickled peperoncini peppers (say that 3 times fast) add texture and a tart, refreshing edge.  Drizzle with a simple lemony Greek dressing and toss well.  Oh!  And because my boyfriend CANNOT stand to go one meal without an inclusion of some sort of meat product, I roll several dry-peppered salami slices to garnish the sides of the dish.  I have to admit I like them too….Enjoy 😉 

~ RECIPE ~

Classic Greek Salad (Serves 2)

1 Head of Boston lettuce

1 Tomato (diced)

4 baby cucumbers (semi-peeled and sliced)

1/2 Red Onion (diced)

Kalamata Olives (about 1/4 cup, pitted and thinly sliced)

1/4 Feta Cheese

Picked Peperoncini Peppers (5 chopped up; 1 for garnish)

Sliced Dry Italian Salami (4 or 5 slices rolled)

Greek Salad Dressing

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 c. white vinegar

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 c. olive oil  

1/4 tsp. dry oregano

Dice and slice veggies and toss well in a large mixing bowl.  Make sure you squeeze the juices out of the peperoncini peppers and chop up well as they will be filled with water.  Prepare your dressing by emptying the Greek salad ingredients into a dressing bottle and shake well.  Drizzle lightly over the salad (you don’t want to over-dress the salad and make it soggy).  Scoop hearty helpings into each serving plate and finish with rolled salami slices and a bright green peperoncini pepper. 

Brussels Sprouts w Pancetta

February 23, 2012 By in On the Side, Vegetables 1 Comment

I decided to make brussels sprouts my first post as it is the dish I make the most often.  To many this might be a surprise as brussels sprouts unfortunately had the unfair reputation for many years of being bland and boiled.

I hated them as a child (as most did) and was pleasantly surprised about 5 years ago when I had them at a restaurant and could not believe my taste buds.  I immediately rushed home to look up recipes (that’s a lie – I did a casual google search the next day or even possibly the next week) and found that there were many fun, tasty ways to prepare brussels sprouts. Now these little green globes pop everywhere from refined restaurants to trendy celebrity chefs – brussels sprouts are all the rave and are finally prepared as they always should have been. With lots of rich, nutty, salty ingredients that bring out each mouth-watering bite, brussel sprouts could become your next and/or first favorite vegetable.

The best thing about brussel sprouts is their capacity to absorb.  They don’t overpower and perfectly compliment strong herbs and spices, stinky cheeses and smoky meats.  Layered and surprisingly rich and flaky, they are the perfect side dish (or main dish as I often eat them) for many meals.

~ RECIPE ~

1 Pint of  Brussels Sprouts (or 12-15 Sprouts)

Pancetta (ounces?)

3 Cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tsp of red pepper flakes

3 tsp of grated parmasean cheese

5 tbsp of olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

First cut the pancetta into cubes and toss into a frying pan.  Cook pancetta for about X minutes or until crispy. Prepare the sprouts by cutting the stumps and discarding any browned or discolored leaves.  Cut each brussel sprout in half and toss into a pot of water.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the brussel sprouts and any remaining leaves into the pot of boiling water (add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water to maintain the color and nutrients in the sprouts).  Cook for 5-7 minutes and drain.  While the sprouts are cooking mince 3 cloves of garlic and toss with the cooked sprouts, olive oil and red pepper flakes.  Saute in the frying pan until crispy and browned.  Toss in the parmesean and cooked pancetta, mix well, and serve immediately.