No More Excuses

As many of you know, food is my love language. When I researched my last cookbook, I discovered 70 percent of American’s don’t cook. This absolutely amazed me! I want to help adjust that statistic! What if I told you that many meals can be made in 40 minutes or less, with healthy and unprocessed foods? We should all be concerned about the amount of processed food we eat. Studies have repeatedly shown the more processed food we consume, the less healthy we become. In less time that it takes to order takeout pizza and wait for delivery, we could have a much healthier and satisfying meal on the table for ourselves and loved ones.

To accomplish this, I will do my part by blogging two recipes per month to give you examples of how easy this can be accomplished. Stay tuned for these as we explore how easy it can be to cook healthy meals with very little prep.

SHRIMP, BEAN AND ARTICHOKE STEW

INGREDIENTS:

  • Zest from one lemon, plus juice from half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp, tail removed
  • 2 large leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, white and light green parts sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, (1/2 stick)
  • 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (homemade if possible)
  • 1 can whole artichokes, drained and cut in half vertically
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Combine lemon zest, paprika, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and freshly cracked black pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat.
  2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. When butter is foaming, add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly pink, 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a plate; set aside.
  3. Add leeks, season with salt & pepper, and cook over medium heat until leeks are soft and starting to brown on the edges, 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, artichokes and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in reserved shrimp and any juices from the plate, parsley and lemon juice. Garnish with additional chopped parsley.
  4. Serve in bowls with toasted bread. SO SIMPLE!!!

Serves 4

“Good food is often, even most often, simple food.” –Anthony Bourdain

Warmth From Within

Many of us cook foods on a seasonal rotation. I know I do. There are times when it’s healthy to get outside the box, and try something new. Ever since I started using Napa cabbage, I started digging a little deeper into Asian cooking, beyond stir-frys. We eat lot of soups during the winter, so when the temperature nosedived back into the 30’s the other day I decided to try my hand at a Chinese classic, Hot and Sour Soup. I’ve had it many times in restaurants, but have never tried to make it at home. Had I known how incredibly easy it is to make, I would have tried it sooner. You can keep it vegetarian using firm tofu, or you can make it with a 1/2 pound of cooked ground pork, or thinly sliced pork chops or pork loin. Either way, you will find it delicious!

HOT & SOUR SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock (using homemade stock will definitely give you a MUCH better result)
  • 8 ounces shiitake or baby bella mushrooms, (I used bella’s), thinly sliced, stems discarded
  • 1 (8 – ounce can) bamboo shoots, drained and julienned
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar, or more to taste
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 generous teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 large farm-fresh eggs, whisked
  • 8 ounces firm tofu*, compressed dry with paper towels, then sliced and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • Kosher salt and white pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Set aside 1/4 cup or your chicken or vegetable stock to make a slurry for the soup.
  2. Add remaining 7 3/4 cups of stock, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce to a large stock pot, and stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until the soup reaches a simmer.
  3. While the soup is heating, whisk together the 1/4 stock that was set aside with the cornstarch in a small bowl until completely smooth. Once the soup has reached a simmer, swirl in the cornstarch mixture pouring it in slowly. Continue to stir until soup has thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
  4. Continue stirring the soup in a circular motion, then drizzle in the eggs in a thin stream as you stir the soup to create egg ribbons. Stir in the tofu, half of the green onions, and sesame oil. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
  5. Serve immediately, garnished with extra green onions.

Serves: 6-8

*NOTE: Consider freezing your tofu before using. This step will help release additional moisture from the tofu, making it firmer.

“Real soup is to the body what peace is to the soul.” ~ Isabel Allende

Gotta Have Crunch!

I’m one of those people where the texture of food is very important. Just like having a combination of savory to sweet and acid to fat, the texture of a dish adds to its interest. I find this to be particularly true when it comes to salads. For me, every salad has to have an element of crunch! Salads do not have to be constructed with the honeymoon approach (lettuce alone). I want a salad that is seasonal, colorful, crunchy and delicious.

Recently, I was totally gobsmacked when I realized I have never used Napa or Chinese cabbage at home. How can this be? I love cabbage! So when a recipe for an Asian salad popped up on my internet feed, I took a look. Because I’m slightly anal about this, I changed some things, and made a completely different dressing than the one suggested. The Miso-Sesame Vinaigrette worked beautifully. This salad is now my new obsession! It’s also perfect for those of us that eat a fair amount of chicken. I roast a whole chicken about every other week, so the leftovers are perfect for this salad. No leftovers? Grab a store-bought rotisserie chicken and you’re have way done! I even ordered three Napa seed varieties for our farm. I know I will be experimenting with this delicious, crunchy ingredient in the next few months.

ASIAN SHREDDED CHICKEN SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SALAD:

  • 2 heaping cups of cooked and shredded leftover, or store-bought rotisserie chicken
  • 4 heaping cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
  • 4 scallion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup English or Persian cucumber, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup toasted almonds

FOR THE MISO-SESAME VINAIGRETTE:

  • 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tamari or Braggs liquid aminos
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (white or reg)
  • 2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon miso paste of your choice (white or red)
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sunflower, avocado or vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients except for the nuts. In a small food processor or quart jar, using a stick blender, combine all the ingredients for the dressing, except the oil and sesame seeds. Blend dressing ingredients until smooth. Slowly add the oil, blending until emulsified. Stir in sesame seeds.
  2. Right before serving, toss the salad with the 1/4-1/2 cup of the dressing. Garnish with nuts and more sliced green onions. Serve cold.
“Pray for miracles, but plant cabbages.”
― Ken Follett

A Beautiful Nightshade

It sometimes surprises me when a standard recipe hasn’t come up on my radar. I’m one who doesn’t really like ground beef so I’ve never made stuffed peppers. I know, it seems odd to me too; most people eat them with enthusiasm. So when my wife asked me to make them, I wondered what I needed to change so I would be enthusiastic too? I immediately swapped out the ground beef for ground lamb. I also wanted them to be visually appealing, not buried under a bunch of cheese making the pepper unidentifiable. So instead of covering them with cheese I incorporated feta in the meat mixture, giving them a Greek theme. I gave them a little whimsy by standing them up with little hats, instead of cutting them in half and laying them down. The final product turned out so good I will have them on a regular rotation. Who knew? You can teach an old dog new tricks.

GREEK STUFFED PEPPERS

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound grass-fed ground lamb
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided
  • 4-6 large colored sweet peppers (I like red & yellow), Cut the tops of at about 3/4 of an inch, removing the stem of each pepper, remove membranes and seeds.
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups tomato sauce, preferably homemade, divided
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup cooked rice, or other grain of choice
  • 8 ounces feta, crumbled

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Set oven rack to middle position.
  2. Depending on the number of peppers you are using, place the peppers cut side up, in a 8×8 or 9×13 baking dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place each pepper top on peppers. Cover with foil (shiny side toward peppers), and place in oven for 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion and saute stirring frequently, until translucent about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more; do not brown. Add ground lamb, salt, pepper and oregano and increase heat to medium-high, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 of tomato sauce, tomato paste and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium low, and cook, uncovered until meat is cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Add the rice, stir to combine. Take off heat and add feta.
  4. Remove peppers from oven and spoon the remaining tomato sauce around the peppers. Fill each pepper with meat mixture, and cover with the tops of each pepper. Bake for an additional 25 minutes.
  5. Spoon tomato sauce in shallow bowl, place a pepper on top of sauce, and spoon additional sauce over pepper. Serve hot.

“Good food & a warm kitchen, are what make a house a home.”

A Beautiful Brassica!

It seems that cauliflower is having a moment. For decades this lowly forgotten vegetable was relegated to the back of the freezer section. I never had it as a child, as my mother preferred its green cousin broccoli. As far as a fresh head of the stuff, what? What do I do with this? Now it seems its having a well deserved renaissance. I have found it to be an extremely versatile vegetable. Yes, you can steam it, but you can also roast it, make salads with it, turn it into a cake, use it as a rice substitute, make tacos, pizza crust, fritters, even steaks.

But if you want to impress your company, I suggest you roast it whole and give it center stage. In this rendition a head of cauliflower is covered with lemon juice, olive oil and ground pistachios, then roasted. Once roasted a delicious pistachio cream sauce is drizzled over its crown. Cut in wedges with additional sauce and fresh parsley and listen for the ooos and ahhhs.

PISTACHIO-CRUSTED CAULIFLOWER

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 medium to large cauliflower head, trimmed of outer leaves, leaving core in tact
  • 1/2 cup roasted and salted pistachios
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 8-12 cups water to fully submerge your head of cauliflower
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

FOR PARSLEY PISTACHIO CREAM SAUCE:

  • 1/4 cup roasted and salted pistachios
  • 1/4 cup water (plus more to thin sauce if necessary)
  • 1/3 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Using a food processor, grind 1/2 cup of the pistachios and add a few grinds of pepper, 2 teaspoons of olive oil and mix until combined. Set aside.
  3. In a large stock pot, add 8-12 cups water (enough for your head of cauliflower to be completely submerged upside down in the water). Add juice from one lemon and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, submerge the cauliflower in the water upside down. Boil for 11-14 minutes or until a knife inserted into the core meets only a slight resistance. Transfer the cauliflower to a colander face up and let sit for 15 minutes to drain.
  4. Place the cauliflower in an oven proof dish and drizzle 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and rub it all over the crown. Sprinkle with salt and a little garlic powder. Press the ground pistachios all over the crown and sides of cauliflower. Place on the middle rack of your oven and roast for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and golden. If the pistachios start to get too brown, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the pistachio cream sauce. In a food processor or high speed blender, add the 1/4 cup pistachios, water, and parsley and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and process to combine. If sauce is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached (you want to be able to pour it over the cauliflower).
  6. Remove cauliflower from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Place on serving plate and drizzle generously with cream sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley, cut into wedges and pass additional cream sauce.

Serves 4-6 (depending on your size of cauliflower head)

“Cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education.”

Never Say Never

When I was a child, you could tell the day of the week by what we ate for dinner. My mother who worked full time relied on me to get things started in the kitchen. To this day I can’t look at meatloaf with any enthusiasm, although I will make it for my wife in a way that differs greatly from my mother’s recipe. The things we do for love! The other thing that will illicit a yuck from me is cream of mushroom soup from a can. Any can. I hate the stuff (and I love mushrooms)! All I can picture is it congealing around baked chicken breasts, and tasting, well, bland.

As we approach Thanksgiving, there are memories and traditions that families enjoy. A favorite side dish for many is green bean casserole. I love green beans and was on a mission to create a slightly different version of this beloved dish, minus that awful cream of mushroom soup. Fresh beans were a priority, along with fresh mushrooms. Onions, garlic, a flavorful roux of butter, flour, homemade chicken stock, and half & half, became something both old and new. Don’t forget the crispy french fried onions (my nod to tradition)! Afterall, we can’t completely through the baby out with the bath water!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed, stemmed and cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock (homemade really makes a difference here)
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 6 ounces french fried onions (I used French’s)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large pot of salted water to boil. Generously season with Kosher salt. Prepare a large bowl with ice water to stall the cooking of the blanched beans.
  2. Blanch beans by adding them to the salted, boiling water a cook for 5 minutes. Drain beans in a colander and place in the ice bath. Once cooled, drain and set aside.
  3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauteing them for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and mushrooms, stirring to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in the chicken stock, making sure there are no lumps. Slowly add half and half and continue to whisk. Cook until thickened about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add your blanched green beans and stir to combine, then transfer to a 9×13 casserole dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and french fried onions. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serves 6-8

“Tradition is a guide, not a jailer.” —W. Somerset Maugham

Let Them Eat Cake!

During these cooler autumn days, we often lean into our personal versions of comfort food. For many it’s soups, stews or casseroles. I enjoy casseroles and they can be delicious; but they often look like a blob of melted cheese. I’m someone who requires food to be good tasting, and visually appealing. As the saying goes, “you eat with your eyes.”

I’m a huge fan of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cauliflower cake and have made it several times. What a great way to present and eat vegetables. It covers all the bases. It’s creative, delicious and showy. So the other day when I picked up a beautiful head of savoy cabbage from the farmers market, I wanted to create something that showed off the deep veins in the leaves. Then it occured to me why not riff from the idea of cake, and make a cabbage roll on steroids? Well, it not only worked but will be on a regular rotation as the temperatures drop. Try it and see if you don’t agree!

STUFFED CABBAGE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 large head of savoy cabbage
  • 2 lbs of grass-fed ground lamb
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup pecorino cheese, grated
  • 1 cup marinara sauce, or pasada
  • 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
  • 1 large egg
  • Olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Core and separate the leaves from the savoy cabbage, by gently lifting them from the bottom of the cabbage, one leaf at a time. Continue until all large leaves have been removed. This should yield approximately 10-14 leaves. Cook the leaves in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, and place them in an ice bath to cool them down. Drain once again and place on a kitchen towel, pat them dry and set aside.
  2. Grease the bottom and sides of a deep souffle dish. Place a large attractive leaf on the bottom of dish, allowing it to partially curl up the sides of the dish. Then take 4 additional leaves, and place them from the center and up the sides of the souffle dish covering all the sides.
  3. In a large skillet, cook the ground lamb until it’s no longer pink. Drain if necessary and place in large bowl.
  4. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and saute the onion, garlic, carrots and red pepper until soft, then toss it all together with the meat in the bowl and add the cooked rice. Add the chopped parsley, 1/2 the cheese, tomato sauce, egg and salt and pepper. Stir to thoroughly combine.
  5. Place 1/4 of mixture on top of cabbage in souffle dish. pushing it to the sides of the dish, then cover with 1 or 2 cabbage leaves depending on their size. Repeat, using 1/4 of filling at a time, then covering with 1 or 2 cabbage leaves. You should have 4 individual layers. Top this with 1 or two cabbage leaves, and fold in any additional leaves that are hanging over the sides of the dish.
  6. Cover the cabbage with remaining half of pecorino. Place in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then invert a serving plate over the souffle dish and flip it over. Cut in 6 slices and serve with additional marinara sauce or passata and additional cheese.

“Cabbage: a familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about as large and wise as a man’s head.” —Ambrose Bierce

Addictions Aren’t All Bad

Have you ever tried something new and realized that you were a goner? I was introduced to this amazing concoction from my dear friend Vitali, who is my foodie soul-mate. When he gave me some to try he said, “You will love this!” He was 100% correct. I love it and put it on everything from toast to chicken, lamb, fish and the closest spoon.

What is this concoction you ask? It’s a Serbian spread called Ajvar. Ajvar is a condiment made principally from sweet bell peppers and eggplants. The relish became a popular side dish throughout Yugoslavia after World War II and is popular in Southeast Europe. Homemade ajvar is traditionally made with just four ingredients: roasted peppers, sunflower oil, garlic and vinegar. Many countries that call it their own may add: eggplant and/or chilies. It can be mild or hot depending on your personal preference. Although there are many good commercial brands, I absolutely love making it from scratch. In late summer and early fall when Carmen sweet peppers and eggplant are in their peak, is the time to make jars of it to use throughout the winter months (if it lasts that long!!).

 

AJVAR (SERBIAN ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 pounds red bell peppers (about 5 medium peppers)
  • 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound)
  • 5-6 medium cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup sunflower or extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat a gas grill to 500 or a charcoal grill using one side of the grill. Heat charcoal until it is covered with gray ash. Clean and oil grilling grate. Place peppers on hot side of grill and cook until blackened all over, 10-15 minutes. Transfer charred peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Remove charred skin, seeds, and cores from peppers.
  2. While the peppers are cooling pierce skin of eggplant with a sharp knife all over. Place eggplant on cool side of grill. Cover and cook until skin darkens and wrinkles and eggplant is uniformly soft when pressed with tongs, about 30 minutes, turning halfway though for even cooking. Remove eggplant from grill and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Trim top of eggplant and split in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out flesh of eggplant and discard skin.
  3. Place roasted red peppers, eggplant pulp, garlic and red pepper flakes in food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add in oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and pulse until incorporated and peppers are finely chopped.
  4. Transfer sauce to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add more salt, pepper or vinegar to taste. Fill 1/2 pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace and process in water bath canner for 30 minutes. If eating right away, let cool to room temperature. or store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Yields 3-4 half pint jars

Everyone appreciates good food! –Michael Seibel

Flavor Bomb

We just returned from a trip up north, and of course it was off to the races on the farm. Our fall crops are coming in, while the summer crops are slowing down. It was an incredible year for our tomatoes. I’ve been putting up tomato sauce like a crazy woman! I wanted something simple tonight, while using up the last of our cherry tomatoes and newly ripened Carmen peppers. Although this skillet chicken dinner was served and on the table in just 45 minutes, it was NOT lacking flavor. If you have a cast iron skillet, use it. Next time I’ll even sprinkle some feta on the top. Served over rice it really hits the spot and soaks up all those incredible juices. This will definitely remain on rotation.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 Carmen peppers, or 2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon local honey
  • 1 pint red cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
  • Cooked jasmine rice

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. One hour before preparing dish, pat dry your chicken thighs and dry brine by sprinkling generously with kosher salt on both sides. Set aside while you prep the rest of your meal.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet (cast iron if you have one) over medium. Add the onions and peppers and saute until onions are just soft. Add garlic slices and cook, stirring frequently until garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Move cooked vegetables to plate and set aside.
  3. Pat dry chicken thighs, add additional oil to skillet and place chicken thighs skin-side down and sear without moving until the skin is golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan.
  4. Add 1/2 water to the skillet stir and scrape to loosen any stuck bits. Stir in the sherry vinegar and honey. Cover with a lid or a piece of foil and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium-high and add the cherry tomatoes. Cook until they begin to split and soften, about 4 minutes. Take a potato masher and crush them to help create a sauce. Return the onion, pepper, garlic mixture to pan and stir to incorporate. Heat until the vegetables are warmed through.
  5. Remove from heat and add feta if using and chopped herbs. Serve in bowls over rice.

Serves: 4

“A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins.” –Laurie Colwin

Easy Does It!

Garlic scapes are the flower of the hardneck garlic. As farmers, we remove them from the plant in order for the garlic to spend its energy in bulb development. If you are one of those fortunate enough to find garlic scapes at your local farmers market, or grow hardneck garlic yourself, don’t miss out on their culinary diversity. Anything from potato salad, scrambled eggs, and pesto; you can use these little gems as you would garlic cloves. Although milder in flavor, they add a pleasant texture and kick to many recipes.

Today we will focus on pickling them. They are an unexpected treat. I prefer to make them as a refrigerator pickle.You can whip them up in no time, and will keep for 3 weeks in your refrigerator. Give them 2-4 days to absorb the flavor of the brine, and you will wonder why you haven’t tried these tangy morsels.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3-4 bundles garlic scapes
  • 1.5 cups seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 4 cloves garlic diced
  • 1/2 bunch fresh dill
  • 1/4 teaspoon each of the following: cumin seed, fennel seed, dill seed and mustard seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Wash scapes and remove the white flower (these are tough)
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the rice vinegar, water, white wine vinegar, sugar and salt to pot. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the garlic and seeds/spices to the pot and remove brine from heat.
  3. Layer scapes and dill sprigs in a half or full wide mouth pint jar. Twist them around the inside of jar, while gently pushing them in until you have 1/2 inch head space from the top.
  4. Pour brine over scapes until they are covered. Spoon out seeds to divide them between jars. Cover and refrigerate 2-4 days. ENJOY!!!

“There are five elements: earth, air, fire, water and garlic.”
Louis Diat
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