OMG, More Zucchini....A lovely salad

Yes, we still have zucchini.  You would think after several days of 100+ degree temperatures that the buggers would at least slow down production.  Not so.

After eating this salad, I don't want the zucchini to ever stop and may seriously buying it (*gasp*) out of season at the grocery!!

I've mentioned the cookbook "Plenty" before and one taste of this salad will be explanation enough as to why I love it so much!  Of course I had to substitute a few items in the original recipe due to living in a rural community, but I'm going to assume they made it taste BETTER!!

The other perk of this salad is the grilled zucchini that gives it a substantial feel and grilled flavor.  Perfect for the vegetarians in your life, or as a filling luncheon salad. 

I didn't completely peel the hazelnuts after oven toasting to give a little color to the salad and keep a rustic look going on!  I also used my vegetable peeler on the Parmigiano-Reggiano to have a nice cheese curl and a larger piece of cheese.

ZUCCHINI & HAZELNUT SALAD

1/3 cup hazelnuts

3 small zucchini, sliced on bias about ¼ inch thick

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & pepper

1 Teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 ¼ cup lettuce, sliced, I used romaine hearts

¼ cup basil leaves, torn

3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast 12-15 minutes until nicely browned.  Rub off skin, or leave on and roughly chop.

In a small bowl, toss zucchini with 2 Tbs. olive oil, salt and pepper.  On grill over high heat, lay out zucchini slices and cook 2 minutes per side, making sure you get nice grill marks.  Place in a mixing bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar.

Allow zucchini to cool, then add remaining olive oil, hazelnuts and basil.  Mix lightly, taste and adjust seasonings. (I added a bit of additional balsamic at this point too!)  Place small pile of lettuce on plate, top with zucchini mixture and a few pieces of shaved Parmigiano cheese.

New Cookbooks and Recipes! Radicchio Salad

I'm sure you've gathered that I might have a slight addiction to purchasing cookbooks.  Borders sends out these 50% off coupons that I HAVE to use...really.  Lately, I have been obsessed with books published by Phaidon.  The photography is incredible, the food, fresh and simply prepared, seasonal cooking and small stories about locations and traditions of the area. 

The Aylward family was in need of a new propane grill, badly.  This week amongst the mosquitos and 90 degree heat, I purchased a lovely 5 burner Brinkman and here we are.  (PS: It's worth the $20 bucks they charge to put this baby together....who writes these instructions????)

Last evening, I was hankering for a grilled salad with our Italian Sausage...and radicchio fit the bill.  Not everyone is as fond of this slightly bitter vegetable as I am.  My brother, the farmer, wouldn't even try it and John pretended to like it because I didn't make any other side dishes except a baguette. 

I personally thought it was delicious!!  The recipe from the book just called to grill the radicchio with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.  I threw in my own twist which really gave a bit of dimension to this dish and served it warm...which is fun and different!

RADICCHIO SALAD

1 head fresh radicchio, cut in 6 wedges leaving a bit of core on bottom of each to hold together on grill
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper
1 ripe peach, sliced thinly
1/4 pound aged goat cheese, I used Four Corners Creamery aged goat log, you can also use Bucheron

Preheat grill on high and let get up to temperature.  Cut up radicchio and toss with oil, salt and pepper liberally.  Grill each piece about 3 minutes per side until slightly browned and barely crunchy.

Place in shallow bowl and top with slices of peaches and crumbles of goat cheese.  Add another drizzle of your best quality extra virgin olive oil, additional salt & pepper to taste and toss lightly!  The sweet and bitter, the salty and sweet, the tang and creamy of goat cheese.  I'm so glad I didn't have to share much of it!!!

Southwestern Chicken Salad

I had been waiting for that first 90+ degree day to whip up this favorite salad of ours!  Last Sunday was it!  John and I worked outside and soaked up the sun, relaxed with family and caught up on naps.  It was a blissfully calm day in our hectic lives.

I so enjoyed smelling the Russian Olive bushes blooming their hearts out and listened to every bee in a 5 mile radius hum a tune while collecting their pollen!  Those shrubs are forever horrid and dangerous, yet gracefully beautiful with the most intoxicating perfume that tempts you into keeping them around.
You may enjoy a "before" shot: 

We spent our day cleaning away all of the dead branches (piles and piles of the thorny buggers) trimming the weeds and all of the dead pine branches.  A previous owner really over planted this portion of our yard.  20 or so spruce and pine trees as well as the hedge of Russian Olives and some apple trees.  20 years later, with little sunlight penetrating the ground, the pines and hedges needed a massive makeover!  After shots will be coming soon-helps build anticipation right? 

For supper we needed fresh, fresh, fresh and cool, cool, cool!  I decided to make a family favorite.  John loves Mexican food, I love avacados and lime juice, the girls love crispy tortilla strips and salsa.

This is another of those "non-recipe" type salads...I just throw it together, using whatever is on hand.

The dressing is the very best part!  1/2 and 1/2, bottled Catalina or French dressing and fresh salsa!
I used romaine lettuce, drained black beans, crispy tortilla strips, cilantro, tomatoes, avacados, and chicken that I marinated in lime juice and chili powder.  Oh, and some cheese-of course!

Layer all of your ingredients and drizzle on the dressing!  So good, so refreshing on a hot day and very filling with the beans and chicken!

Roquefort Roulade

I'm stuck at "A Table in the Tarn" recipe section and I'm never leaving!!! 

A year ago at this time our family was preparing to visit France.  This week has been fun to relive a few of those memories and eat a slew of French dishes. 
We absolutely love Roquefort cheese, it's powerful and a tad salty, yet beautifully delicate enough to melt on your fingertips.  I have served it with grilled steaks and served it with seedless grapes...it complements so many different flavors.

I believe the only downside of Roquefort is it's price, not for the faint of heart.  I wouldn't use any substitutions in this recipe, however, as the cheese is the star and it only take 1/2 pound.  The finished recipe is also quite rich and will easily serve 6 with a salad and bread. 

This Roulade is a bit like a quiche, but more interesting in texture, flavor and appearance.  I only changed the size of the pan required.  I have made a few egg roll-up recipes and liked the size the 11X15 sheet pan created.  A bit easier handling than the 10X13 called for.  You can make your own judgement on that.  Despite what looks like a huge recipe, it all came together rather quickly and we were eating in 40 minutes, start to finish!  I love that!

Roulade of Roquefort
by Orlando Murrin of "A Table in the Tarn"

Roulade:
3 T butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 1/3 cup Cantal, Comte or Cheddar cheese, grated
dash of nutmeg, Dijon Mustard and cayenne pepper
3 eggs, seperated
2 T Parmigiano-Reggiano,grated

Filling:
2 T Butter
2 T flour
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 pound Roquefort cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter, flour and milk and stir constantly until thick, reduce heat to simmer and cook 3 minutes.  Stir in cheese, seasonings and egg yolks.  Mix to combine.  Whisk egg whites to soft peaks and fold into cheese mixture.  Pour onto a parchment (VERY IMPORTANT to line pan with parchment) smooth with a spatula and sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese.  Bake about 15 minutes if using 11X15 or 20 minutes if using 10X13 pan.  Bake until golden brown and puffed.

Make the filling while the Roulade bakes.  Add butter, flour and milk to a small saucepan over medium high heat and stir constantly until thickened. ( Will be a bit thicker than above was)  Add mustard and stir.

Crumble Roquefort and set aside.

To assemble:  Remove Roulade from oven and use a spatulas to loosen edges from parchment.  Let cool about 4 minutes then spread with filling and sprinkle on the Roquefort.  Starting at the short end, roll up, jelly roll style (It will end up being 11 inches long) and let cool about 10-15 minutes on parchment paper.

Slice on the bias a bit and serve!  It will be a bit oozy, which is correct! 

I served with a sundried tomato and bacon wilted spinach salad!

Salad tonight...

It was a long day. I had to cook. I grilled peaches and made my favorite salad for supper. It was e-a-s-y, just what I needed. Still warm peaches, cool zesty blue cheese and nutty, barely sweet-sorta-tart dressing.

GRILLED PEACH SALAD

1 Red Haven peach, cut in half
1 head Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1/4 pound Good quality blue cheese (I used Oregon River Blue from Rogue Creamery)
A few very thin slices of Red Onion

1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Hazelnut Oil
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Honey OR Maple Syrup (the real thing)
Salt & Pepper to taste

On a hot grill, place peaches cut side down on highest rack above burner. Grill for about 6 minutes until softened. Remove and slice.

I just placed lettuce in a large bowl, topped with sliced peaches and sprinkled with the blue cheese. Drizzle with dressing and ENJOY!

Tasting at The Boulevard Market July 24

Occasionally I get a bug to try out new recipes on my customers! I hope that they enjoy, I know I enjoy feeding them! This past Saturday was no exception. Michigan has been ridiculously hot this summer and I needed some dishes that required absolutely NO indoor cooking! Fun, local, seasonal fare that's FULL of flavor and interesting to eat. I hope you enjoy as much as I have!

WATERMELON SALAD

1 small watermelon, rind removed, seeded and sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. Bleu Affine cheese

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar (I used our Boulevard Market bottled one!)
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used Mas Portell brand from Spain)
Salt and pepper

Toss to combine watermelon, onion and bleu affine cheese. In a small bowl combine vinegar and lemon juice. With a whisk, add olive oil in a thin drizzle, constantly whisking until emulsified. Salt and pepper to taste.

I laid my fruit and cheese out on a large platter and drizzled with the dressing. Magnificent!


Halloumi & Sweet Corn Salad

3 large ears of sweet corn, blanched and cut from cob
4 ounces Piqullo peppers, sliced (These are Spanish peppers that have been roasted and peeled)
1 package Halloumi cheese, approx. 8 ounces

2 Tablespoons fresh chives
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Grill Halloumi over high heat until browned and crispy. Combine cheese, peppers and corn.

In food processor, pulse chives and oil until pureed.

Drizzle Chive Oil over vegetables and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.

I only used about 1/2 of the chive oil recipe on my dish and saved the rest to use on chicken!

Grilled Zucchini in Seasoned Butter and Fresh Chevre

2 Small Zucchini cut 1/3 inch thick on a bias

1/4 cup Four Corners Creamery Cultured Butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fresh, minced Chives
salt & pepper to taste

6 ounces Four Corners Creamery Fresh Goat Cheese, crumbled

In a small bowl, combine herbs and butter until well mixed.

Brush zucchini with olive oil and place on grill grates over high heat. Grill about 5 minutes per side until a bit softened and lightly browned. Toss with butter and sprinkle with goat cheese. Serve warm.


Grilled Camembert with Blueberry Compote

8 Ounce Le Chatelain Camembert
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Heat grill over high heat. Brush cheese rind with olive oil. Grill cheese for 5 minutes on one side, flip and grill additional 4 minutes. Grill any longer and you run the risk of the rind splitting and cheese leaking out! (Been there, done that!)

2 cups fresh Blueberries
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon corn starch

Put all ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook over medium low heat until fruit has softened and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve hot or cold over warm Camembert or serve with hot or cold meats.

I am the first to admit I can be the queen of substitutions. You can always use what you have or like, however, because of the simplicity of these salads, exceptional ingredients are a must! I made the corn salad with fresh roasted red peppers and it was good....but the smoky, rich, piquillo peppers made it great! Enjoy!

Rainy day projects...

I'm not on a quest for "House Beautiful", I would be happy with "House Nice"! So the rainy days have gotten me busy. This week's mission is to repaint the living room and trim. For the record, I hate painting trim. It's a thankless, ugly job that takes so much time, just to be scuffed and dusty in 2 weeks or less! But I'm doing it...ugh!

John created supper last night (I was exhausted, see above) and it was delicious! The salad was the star of the show; Greens, smoked cheddar, sliced apples and walnuts with the best dressing of:

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup Sherry Vinegar
2-3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (the real stuff, we have local at The Market)

Put all ingredients in a glass jar and shake until emulsified!

Next on the agenda is decor...are cookbooks considered decor? The household says "NO!" So today I may try my hand at oil painting all these rainy day colors into a masterpiece.

By the way, the photo is not representative of the living room...I went with a green color. Feel free to leave comments on the plum, it's for the dining room! The tile is the new kitchen backsplash!

Spring!

This week I have been changing gears and getting Spring projects done. Closet cleaning, touching up paint (sort of- I bought the paint and brush!) putting out the patio furniture, washing curtains, etc. (We won't discuss that the cats are furious or my Lysol induced migraine!) We leave for Paris next week and I thought it would be nice to come home to a clean (er) place!

I love the what the whole putzing around the house does for my soul. I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I open up tidy linen closets or see the sun shining through clean windows! I am trying to eliminate some STUFF in my house, so this feeling happens more frequently. I'm not on "hoarder" status, but that show scares the heck out of me and I've started making regular trips to Goodwill!


I got the most pleasure out of 2 projects, planting purple pansies in my window boxes and making a potato green bean salad. I guess it's always the little things!

This salad combines my most favorite foods and I ate the first batch standing up at the counter! I shared the 2nd batch with the family and the 3rd with my spring cooking class. All in the same week! (We are having it on Easter Sunday too!) Soft creamy potatoes, just crisp, bright green beans and a hint of licorice in the tangy vinaigrette! The salad would pair up great with any grilled meats or ham, some fresh bread and cheese! I drank it with Santa Guistina's Malvasia, a lovely white wine from Italy that has a bit of floral essesence and the perfectly balanced acidity you need for a salad course!


POTATO AND GREEN BEAN SALAD

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Sambuca
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup Extra virgin Olive Oil (best quality)

1 ½ lbs. red potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks
¾ pound Haricot Verts (tiny, skinny green beans) blanched (3-4 minutes in boiling water)
½ Red Onion, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
Optional:
½ cup Parsley, finely chopped
½ cup tiny black olives
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a glass jar, or shaker and shake vigorously to combine. This can be made several days in advance.
Boil potatoes until tender about 20 minutes and blanch green beans. You want the beans to be bright green and retain a bit of snap. Drain.

Combine potatoes, onion, green beans and herbs, coat with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Do about an hour in advance for the best flavor! This salad is best served slightly warm or at room temperature.

Sicilian Potato Salad

John and I visited Sicily last April and fell in love with this salad! The key is to use best quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil that you can afford! Not being of Italian descent, EVOO has always been something for salads and cooking...NOT TRUE! The Italians taught me EVOO is a condiment! I now have several brands I love, each with a different taste profile. Sample some at The Boulevard Market to see what you love! This recipe is easy to adapt for the number of people to be served and is just as great the next day!

Boil red potato wedges about 12 minutes until just fork tender. Drain well

Minced garlic
Fresh tomatoes in wedges or halved cherry tomatoes
Roasted red, yellow or orange sweet peppers, sliced
Capers
Green Olives, halved
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Toss all ingredients in a serving bowl and drizzle with EVOO, let sit 15 minutes before serving. You may want to add more EVOO as vegetables will absorb some of the oil. Can be served warm or cold.