Tag Archives: cherry tomatoes

Mediterranean Dreams

When I think of the Mediterranean, I think vibrant colors, earthy flavors, and of course feta. This sheet pan dinner has all the elements of color, flavor, and savoriness combined into a crowd pleasing and easy dinner. Although designed to feed about 4 people, it’s easy to double (who wouldn’t want leftovers?). Simple can indeed be delicious. A uncomplicated side salad with a Dijon vinaigrette, and a chilled glass of white wine and you’re in business. The only thing missing is a view of the sea.

GREEK SHEET PAN DINNER

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
  • 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch half moons
  • 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium red onion, sliced into wedges
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Move oven rack to upper third of oven. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
  2. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl or zip lock bag, and pour 2/3 of the marinade over chicken. Rub marinade into chicken with your hands making sure it is well coated. Marinate chicken 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, add the zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, and tomatoes, then cover with remaining marinade. Toss together until they are completely coated. Place coated vegetables on sheet pan. Nestle chicken thighs in the middle of vegetables.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove sheet pan from oven and add the olives and feta. Return sheet pan to oven and bake 15 minutes more, or until chicken registers 165 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Yields, 4-6 servings

“Greece is a good place for rebirths.” – Judith Martin

Quick, Easy & Delicious!

Summer is a busy time for most of us, so it’s important to have a few recipes that are quick, easy and delicious. As the heat of summer increases, and we fire up our grills, salads are the order of the day. This salad is a meal in itself. There are times when a simple charcuterie board works to nibble at when the temperatures climb, but why not turn it into a salad? Enter the Antipasto Salad.

You can tweek this in so many different ways. Although I chose 3 cheese tortellini from Buitoni, you can use the mixed tortellini with regular and spinach combined, or your favorite small chunky pasta such as penne, farfalle or orecchiette. If you choose regular pasta you will want to add 6 ounces of Ciliegine mozzarella (cherry-size) drained and cut in half, to replace the cheese in the tortellini.

Don’t like black olives? Use green or kalamata. Don’t like pepperoncini? Use another pickled pepper of your choice. Don’t have Ciliegine? Cube another soft cheese like gouda, provolone or Swiss. The hard salami can be replaced with some other cured meat like Soppressata or Genoa Salami. Remember you are in charge. You can make your own vinaigrette, thin out some pesto or in a real pinch, try Paul Newman’s Oil & Vinegar Dressing. You can easily make this for a crowd by going from a 9 ounce to a 20 ounce package of tortellini.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 9 ounce package Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini, cooked according to package directions and drained
  • 1 2.25 ounce can sliced black olives, drained
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
  • 3 ounces cured meat of your choice (I used hard salami), chopped
  • 1 15 ounce can quartered artichoke hearts (you can also use 7 ounce jar of marinated), drained
  • 1/4 cup pepperoncini, drained and chopped
  • 3 scallions sliced thinly

LEMON OLIVE OIL DRESSING:

  • 1/4 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Place in mason jar and shake vigorously.

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a large salad bowl add all the ingredients. Toss gently to combine.
  2. Pour dressing over salad. Toss once more to coat ingredients.

Keeps for up to 4 days in refrigerator.

Serves: 4

“We don’t need a melting pot in this country folks, we need a salad bowl. You appreciate the differences. Jane Elliot

Mediterranean Dreaming

After 3 inches of rain last night, it is a steamy, warm day here in Michigan.  Although the farm really needed the rain, humidity generally puts me into salad mode; and there is no better time for salads than summer. I enjoy leafy salads, I like to get outside the box and create salads that use other ingredients.  Anything Mediterranean comes to mind, so a layered salad of hummus, ground lamb, and veggies hits just the right cord.

This layered salad makes a particularly nice presentation at a gathering on a large platter. You can also make individual plates if you rather. The hummus can be made a few days ahead to save time on the day of assembly. Macerating the cherry tomatoes in red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil adds even more flavor. You can also top it with crumbled feta cheese. Garnish it with parsley, cilantro or mint. It makes a good appetizer for a crowd along with other Mediterranean sides or can be used as a main coarse. I find that I typically have leftovers after I construct the salad, which are just as good the following day. Serve with pita or naan.

MEDITERRANEAN LAYERED SALAD

FOR HUMMUS (from my first cookbook Basics with a Twist:In

  • 2 15 ounce cans of chickpeas, drained but reserving their liquid; save 1/4 cup chickpeas for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

METHOD:

  1. Place drained chickpeas in a four cup glass measuring cup and heat in your microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Heating your chickpeas allows them to break down in the food processor much easier.
  2. Feed your garlic through the tube of your food processor.
  3. Add remaining ingredients except liquid from chickpeas. This liquid will be used to thin the hummus if needed.
  4. Process for at least 3 minutes. Your hummus should be very smooth and creamy. If you feel you need to thin it slightly, add chickpea liquid 1 tablespoon at a time.
  5. Taste for salt and/or additional lemon juice. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

FOR LAMB:

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout

METHOD:

  1. Brown the ground lamb in a medium sized non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add garlic, onion, pine nuts and Ras el Hanout. Saute until onion is soft and translucent. Depending on the age of the lamb, you may need to take a few paper towels held with tongs and absorb any unwanted fat. This can sit until you are ready to assemble your salad.

FOR VEGETABLES AND GARNISH:

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cups sliced cucumbers, quartered
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt, such as Maldon
  • 1/4 cup chopped herbs, such as parsley, cilantro or mint
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, (optional)

METHOD:

  1. Place cherry tomatoes in a small bowl; sprinkle with red wine vinegar, olive oil and a little coarse salt. Mix and let macerate for 30 minutes. Keep tomatoes and cucumber separate.
  2. Chop herbs.

ASSEMBLY:

On large decorative platter, spoon hummus over bottom leaving a little space near the edges.  Next top with lamb leaving an edge to show the hummus. Sprinkle reserved chickpeas around the edges.

Sprinkle cucumber over lamb. With a slotted spoon drain cherry tomatoes, then sprinkle them on top of cucumbers. Garnish with herbs. Sprinkle with crumbled feta if using.

Serves 4

img_6600

“Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.” —Alan D. Wolfelt

Opportunity Knocks

As we all creep forward during this time of uncertainty; nature, reading, planting our vegetable farm and cooking are keeping me grounded and hopeful.  Rural living is a calming lifestyle that continues to nourish us.  Even with the farm year slowly ramping up, we have an established rhythm for daily life, that is forward thinking and hopeful.  Regardless of how this crisis plays out, if we can’t get to the farmers market to sell our food, it will certainly not be wasted.  We will be canning, along with making sure that our neighbors have access to fresh food. I respect that our farmers market is staying open, with a plan of action and necessary precautions.  Young farmers and businesses need to serve their communities and stay open as long as possible.  As elders, with my wife having a compromised immune system, we have been self-sheltering with the understanding that growing food is the very best use of our time.

It is often said that the character of a individual is how they respond to adversity.  After all happiness is an inside job; but I admit to having several sleepless nights. I am keenly aware of my privilege in feeling relatively safe during this time.  My heart hurts for people who have lost their jobs, businesses that have had to close, people without a sufficient safety net to get them through this time of uncertainty.  I trust the creativity and innovation of people, much more than the total lack of leadership at the federal level.  I know we will collectively get through this stressful time.  It is my hope that lessons will be learned that can lift all of us up, in the face of future challenges.

Actually, self-sheltering has been our rural life style.  When people come to the farm to laugh, cook and eat with us, they often say how they need to be a part of something with purpose.  Urban living has its own forms of signature stress.  They see a well lived in home, with a rich history, surrounded by land and vegetables, as something distant from their own reality.  We look forward to being able to welcome our friends back into our home and break bread together.  In the meantime, reading, writing, planting and preparing food is our devotion.

I usually make the following recipe during the summer months, but I have found that the use of frozen corn and the frozen cherry tomatoes that I put up during the last farm season create a beautiful and delicious alternative.  Depending on your circumstances and location, most grocery stores have cherry tomatoes even this time of year.

FRESH CORN POLENTA WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 ears of fresh corn (or 6 cups frozen)
  • 2 1/4 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 7 ounces feta, crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 6 cups fresh or frozen cherry tomatoes
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish

img_4999

img_5001

img_3130

INSTRUCTIONS:

FOR THE TOMATOES:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Pour cherry tomatoes and garlic onto sheet pan and drizzle 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.  Roll the tomatoes around with the palms of your hands to evenly coat.
  2. Sprinkle the tomatoes and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Roast for 30 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven and toss the tomatoes.  Return to oven for 20-30 minutes more or until the tomatoes have slit and are slightly brown in some places.

FOR POLENTA:

  1. If using fresh corn, peel the leaves and silk from each ear, then chop off the pointed top and stalk.  Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels, taking care to remove as much of the ‘milk’ below the kernels as possible, while stabilizing the cob on a cutting board.  You will need 6 cups of kernels.
  2. Place the fresh or frozen kernels in a medium saucepan and barely cover them with water.  Cook for 12 minutes on a low simmer.  Use a slotted spoon to lift the kernels from the water and into a food processor; reserve the cooking liquid in a Pyrex measuring cup.
  3. Process for several minutes; you want to break as much of the kernel case as possible.  Add some of the cooking liquid if the mixture becomes too dry to process.
  4. Return the corn paste to the pan with some of the cooking liquid and cook, while stirring, on low heat for 10-15 minutes; or until the corn mixture thickens to a mashed potato consistency. (the more liquid you use, the longer this process will take; watch carefully in case it sputters)
  5. Fold in the butter, the feta, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Spoon some of the polenta into individual shallow bowls,.  Spoon roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic on top.  Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.

Serves: 4

img_5003

“When we are generous in welcoming people and sharing something with them— some food, a place in our homes, our time— not only do we no longer remain poor: we are enriched.”  —Pope Francis

 

 

Blog at WordPress.com.