Roasted Tomatillo and Tomato Salsa

Our farm share this week was an end-of-summer treat. We ended up with a ton of tomatillos and tomatoes. So today's experiment is a roasted salsa. By roasting the heck out of all the ingredients they'll reach their full, sweet potential (and the smell coming from the oven is pretty delightful too). 

Roasted Salsa

tomatillos

tomatoes 

jalapeño

onion

2 garlic cloves 

lemon or lime juice 

cilantro

salt and pepper 

Preheat the broiler on high and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

How pretty does that look?

First husk and wash the tomatillos (they can be sticky). Cut and quarter the tomatoes and tomatillos. Dice one onion. Smash 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan. Quarter a jalapeño (I removed the seeds and ribs for less heat but you can add them in if you like it hot). Drizzle with olive oil and generously salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until charred. 

Let the vegetables cool for a bit before adding them to a food processor. Add the juice of a lemon or lime and a big handful of cilantro. Purée until you get the texture you like. You can always add water for a thinner salsa if you prefer. Taste for salt and pepper. Store in a jar and enjoy!  

Party time

Today we are having a party, and for good reason (although selfishly, I am feeling a little bummed).  My dear friend Lauren is moving to Ohio, and so the girls are coming over to celebrate all our time together in NYC.  My friend Tarra did all the work, but I am contributing my apartment and a few treats.  I made meatballs, hummus and baba ganoush. (http://farmtoharlem.blogspot.com/2015/08/baby-ganoush-baba-ganoush-made-with.html)


Hummus is one of the easiest things to make.  You will save a ton of money by making your own and can also mix things up by using a variety of beans or herbs.  Today's recipe is the basic, but trust me its delicious.

Hummus
1 can of chickpeas
2 tablespoons of tahini (use as much or as little as you like)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of cumin
handful of parsley
salt and pepper
water
olive oil

Place chickpeas in a food processor with a tablespoon of water and puree.  Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse.  While the food processor is on, drizzle in a little more water and/or olive oil to get the hummus to the consistency that you like.  

I like to drizzle a little olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika before serving.


Meatballs

Ground beef

1 egg

1/4 cup parmasen 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire 

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup of bread crumbs* 

handful of parsley

Salt and pepper 

*I make my own "lazy" bread crumbs.  All I do is toast two pieces of Udi's gluten-free bread, and then put them in the food processor.  

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Do not over mix but make sure all the ingredients are well combined. Roll into balls. (I am making mine ahead of time and leaving them in the fridge over night, but you can skip right to cooking). 

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking. 

Quick Pickle

It is hard to explain how much I LOVE pickles.  I also love quick, simple recipes and here is one of them.  There are certainly a ton of more complex ways to pickle vegetables, but this is too fast and easy to pass up.  These pickles won't keep forever, but they will last for about 2 weeks in the fridge.  You can use this technique with any and every vegetable you have and really any variety of spices you may like.  It is a great use of all of our CSA vegetables.  I also love to use them as a homemade accoutrement to a Bloody Mary bar.  Yum. 

Pickled White String Beans

white string beans

white vinegar

water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

First blanch the string beans in bowling water for about three minutes.  Shock them in ice water to stop the cooking.  Once cool, place the string beans in a mason jar.  

I may have forgotten this step, which is why there are peppercorns and red pepper flakes floating around.  Oops.  

Add the spices and salt.  Then fill the jar halfway with vinegar and fill the rest with water.  Shake it up and put in the fridge.  They will be at their peak pickle in three to five days.  

Pickled Radish

radishes

vinegar

water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon mustard seed

Cut the radishes in half and add them to a mason jar. Add the spices and salt.  Then fill the jar halfway with vinegar and fill the rest with water.  Shake it up and put in the fridge.  They will be at their peak pickle in three to five days.  

Fish Cake Friday (except it's Sunday, but Friday sounds better)

It's Sunday and my mom is coming to NYC for a visit.  I thought I would make us some lunch before we go out on the town.  I decided to make a favorite in our house, fish cakes.  For today's recipe I am using tilapia.  Tilapia is incredibly mild, so this preparation adds lots of flavor to the fish.  They are simple and can be prepared ahead of time, which is always great when you have guests.  I am serving this with some (leftover) cabbage slaw.

Fish Cakes
4 Tilapia filets
1 egg
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon of mustard (I use whole grain mustard, but any dijon or spicy mustard would work too)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup bread crumbs*
Salt
Pepper
(If I had parsley, I would chop some up and throw it in here too, but I don't, so I won't)

*I make my own "lazy" bread crumbs.  All I do is toast Udi's gluten-free bread, and let the food processor do the work. 

      

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the tilapia on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake (with nothing on it) for about 10 minutes, or until the tilapia flakes easily with a fork. Once the tilapia is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to cool.  

In a large bowl combine the egg (lightly whisked), mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Once the fish is slightly cooled throw it in the bowl and use a fork to flake the tilapia. Mix all of the ingredients together and add the bread crumbs.  If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit more bread crumbs.  If the mixture seems too dry, then add some more mayonnaise.  

Now comes the fun part.  Get your hands dirty and start to form the fish cakes.  If you are unsure of the size, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to keep your cakes uniform.  Once you have formed the cakes into the shape you like, place them on a plate.  Cover the plate with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but up to several hours (this will help your cakes stay together when you cook them).

When you are ready to cook, preheat a large pan with enough coconut oil to coat the bottom.  Once the oil is hot (medium/high heat), place the cakes into the oil (I do this about 4 at a time, so you have to do it in batches).  Let the cakes cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown.  Cook them on the other side to achieve the same color.  Remove and drain on a paper towel (if your oil is nice and hot these fish cakes will not be oily at all, if they are too oily then you need to turn up the heat).  

When ready to serve, drizzle some lemon juice over the fish cakes and give them an extra pinch of salt.      

Sinful Chocolate Chip Cookies

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but sadly, I cannot. I will however gladly share the link and give all the credit to Elizabeth Falkner (the brilliant pastry chef).

These cookies are a favorite to many friends.  I bring them to Sunday football with the boys and to anyone hosting a dinner party.  Today though, these cookies are going to a surprise birthday party for our friend Leslie.  Leslie LOVES these cookies, so I felt like I couldn't show up without a batch for the birthday boy.  

Here are the steps so you can see the recipe in action.  The only thing I change is that I don't use brown sugar, I use regular granulated sugar and add some molasses (it's cheaper and a jar of molasses lasts FOREVER).  I just eyeball how much to use, but if you want to measure you need about a tablespoon of molasses for every cup of sugar.  These cookies freeze incredibly well.  Seal them in a freezer bag to enjoy any time! I've made these cookies with gluten-free flour lots of times too (just replace 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of arrowroot starch).

The texture of the cookies is so much better when you cream the butter and sugar by hand.  It's good for your arms too ;).

I usually hate kitchen gadgets with only one use, but I can make an exception for my cookie scoop.  It makes life so much easier. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-cookies-straight-up-or-with-nuts-recipe.html

Family Brunch

Today my mom, brother and nephew are coming over for brunch.  For casual entertaining like this, I like something that doesn't keep me in the kitchen and away from everyone.  I also wanted something that would be inexpensive but delicious and a way to use up some of our farm-share vegetables.  Here's what I came up with...

Mushroom, Squash and Goat Cheese Frittata
1 container of Baby Bella mushrooms
2 baby squash
Goat Cheese
Scallions
12 Eggs
Salt and Pepper

Roast the mushrooms and squash in the oven (see my Pizza Party post for recipe).  This can be done the morning of or the day before.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile whisk together eggs, salt and pepper.  Crumble in the goat cheese. Heat a bit of oil or butter on medium heat in an ovenproof saute pan. Add the scallions and the roasted vegetables. Pour eggs over the vegetables and let cook, without stirring, for about 2 minutes. Transfer the pan into a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes (make sure the center is set).  Let cool a few minutes before cutting. This can be served warm or at room temperature. 

Baby Yam Latkes

8 Baby Yams
1 Onion
1 large Egg
4 tablespoons of flour

1 tablespoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of salt

(I also threw in the leftover baby zucchini I had and one small kohlrabi) 


I use a food processor to grate all of the vegetables, but you can easily grate by hand.  I don't remove the skin of the baby yams (just wash them well).  I also grate the onion in the food processor.  Gently whisk an egg in a large bowl.  Add the grated vegetables and the flour, baking soda, salt and pepper. Mix together.  If the consistency seems too wet, add more flour.

Make sure the mixture is not too wet, otherwise the latkes will fall apart.

Heat coconut oil (or any other high temperature oil) on medium high heat.  Once it is hot, scoop some of the latke mixture (I use a 1/4 cup as my scoop) and place in the hot oil.  I usually can fit about 4 or 5 in the pan at a time, so this has to be done in stages.  Let cook for about 3 minutes on each side.  Then remove and drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with salt. 

The latkes can be kept warm in a low temperature oven until ready to serve.

I served this all with a salad using the greens and roasted beats from our farm share, with lemon juice and olive oil.

The latkes and frittata recipe are great for entertaining. They can both be made with a variety of vegetables or whatever you have on hand.  I have made latkes with butternut squash, kohlrabi or of course any variety of potatoes.  The frittata is also great with any leftover vegetables you may have in the fridge.

Pure Food and Wine, at Home

Pure Food and Wine (http://oneluckyduck.com/pages/pure-food-and-wine)is one of my all time favorite NYC spots.  They are a raw and vegan restaurant.  Now I know that immediately may turn some of you off, but trust me, it is amazing.  My favorite dish there is their "lasagna", and so I thought I would share how to do it at home.  While I can't take credit for the recipe, which I will share, I will say that it is one of my favorite summer meals. Not turning on the oven in the summer is a dream.  The other great part about this recipe is that all the steps can be made well in advance.  I have even assembled the lasagna, without the garnish, ahead of time.  This makes it a great dish for entertaining and one that will certainly impress your company.  

Here is the link the recipe:
http://nymag.com/restaurants/articles/recipes/zucchini_lemonpignoli.htm

The one thing about the recipe that I change, is the Pine-nut "Ricotta".  Instead of this, I make Cashew Cheese.  It has a creamy consistency like ricotta and the cashews are way cheaper than pine nuts.  

Cashew Cheese

1 cup Raw cashews

1 tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Water

First, soak the raw cashews in water for approximately 3 hours. Drain the water and put into a food processor with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.  Start to run the food processor and drizzle in water through the feed tube.  Do this slowly, stopping to check if the consistency is to your liking (think ricotta, not cashew soup).  I use this all the time in recipes instead of cheese.  You'd be amazed how good it is!

Caramel and Chocolate and Popcorn Oh My

This tasty treat is a favorite of my friends.  Whether served at a party, or wrapped up in individual snack bags it goes FAST! I like this recipe because there is no corn-syrup and it's dairy free.

Irresistible
 

Caramel can be intimidating, but I promise it is totally manageable.  I don't own a candy thermometer or any fancy equipment.  Truth be told, I don't even measure when I make it. Here is what you need...

Caramel Sauce

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 cup of Brown sugar*

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/4 a teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/2 a teaspoon of Salt

*A note on brown sugar: I actually don't ever buy brown sugar.  I just add a bit of molasses to white sugar and mix well (1 cup of sugar to 1 tablespoon of molasses is a good ratio).  It's way cheaper, and that way you never have to throw away a brick of brown sugar or wonder if you have any in your pantry. 

Instructions:

Melt the butter over medium heat 

Add sugar and stir until well mixed

Turn up the heat a bit until the mixture starts to boil.  You want it to boil for about 4 minutes (keep stirring!)

Take the pot off the heat and add vanilla, salt and baking soda. It will bubble up like crazy so don't get scared, just keep stirring until you have a nice thick sauce.  

I suggest making your popcorn first, so it is ready to go while your caramel sauce is warm (I make popcorn on the stove using a tablespoon of coconut oil and about 1/2 a cup of kernels).  Pour the sauce over the popcorn and mix well. Spread on two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake in a 250 degree oven for about an hour, giving it stir a few times.  Remove and let cool completely.

Once it cools, I like to drizzle melted dark chocolate over all of the popcorn and sprinkle with kosher salt (this process makes a Jackson Pollock type mess, so I cover a large section of our dining room table with parchment paper and go to town).  Let it cool at room temperature or you can put it in the fridge if you have room.  Once it cools, break up the popcorn and store in an airtight container.  

Tips for melting chocolate: I have a large bag of dark chocolate chips that I keep in the freezer.  I temper the chocolate in the microwave by putting a handful of chips in a glass bowl and letting the microwave do the work.  Every 15 seconds or so I give it a stir. The whole process should take under a minute for all of the chips to be melted.