steamed broccoli and pea soup
September 3, 2013 § 44 Comments
Broccoli (and peas for that matter) can be quite insipid as a side dish. We do like steam broccoli as long as there is a good dipping sauce made up of yogurt and sweet chili sauce or a garlic rosemary aioli. Every week I toss a few different green vegetables in the shopping basket and sort out the cooking later, which most likely is a steamed side. This particular evening was perfect soup weather. Deciding to keep it light (no cheese or cream), fresh and of course easy, I set out to make broccoli soup.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 1 large head of broccoli, approximately 4 cups
- 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
- 3-4 cups of stock, chicken or vegetable
- 4 slices of good quality bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1/3 cup pecans or pistachios, toasted and chopped
- small handful of chives, finely chopped
- a splash of cream or half and half (very optional)
Steam the broccoli and peas in a large pot until tender. Drain and place in a blender…if you are using a hand blender return the broccoli and peas to the pot. Puree until nicely mixed and mashed. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy, then chop into little bits. Place the nuts of choice in a non-stick skillet and toast them while occasionally giving the pan a good shake. Once your green puree is back into the pot pour enough stock in until desired consistency. Cook for 5 or 10 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of cream (or not), chopped bacon, nuts and chives.
Serves 4.
cherry yogurt cake
August 28, 2013 § 68 Comments
Here is a lovely breakfast cake which could be made with just about any fruit. I happen to have a nice bunch of cherries in the refrigerator and thought of making either a bread or cake for breakfast. When it comes to sweets I tend to keep it very simple. And in my usual “less ingredients is best” here’s what I came up with.
c h e r r y y o g u r t c a k e
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup vanilla yoghurt
- 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
M e t h o d
Preheat oven to 350°F Prepare a cake pan.
Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mix well. Mix in flour and yogurt. Spread mixture into your greased cake pan. Sprinkle cherries on the top and then pat them down gently with your hand. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
whole roasted cauliflower with whipped goat cheese
August 26, 2013 § 69 Comments
Several months ago while skimming through an issue of Bon Appétit I came across this impressive whole roasted cauliflower recipe. I knew I had to cook it and two days later while visiting our family in Idaho, we had a whole cauliflower roasting in the oven as well as goat cheese, cream cheese and feta whirling in the food processor. I have made this wonderful roasted cauliflower twice since then and my family loves it. It is so tender and somewhat “nutty” in flavor.
Precooking the cauliflower in seasoned broth infuses it with flavor and roasting it creates a nice crispy edge. This roasted cauliflower is so fork-tender and the whipped goat cheese was astounding. Astoundingly so that I have prepared it as a dip (adding caramelized onions) for our chips, vegetables or anything else you can find to scoop it up!
You may want to trim your cauliflower of it’s bottom leaves in order for it to sit flat in your roasting pan. I keep them on because we enjoy eating them as well. The recipe may seem a bit elaborate for roasting a vegetable, but it is well worth the effort and time.
EDIT: (After doing a search on the web for this recipe I have found every site “featuring” this recipe, as well as Bon Appétit Magazine, calling for 1/4 cup salt in the cooking liquid. You may want to adjust the salt to your discretion, however, we did not find the cauliflower to be too salty using the recipe as it is listed below) I found the cooking liquid is quite pungent and cabbage like after the cauliflower has cooked therefore, in my opinion, it may not be suitable to save as a broth for future cooking.
Recipe exactly how it appears in Bon Appétit Magazine…
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 2 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup salt
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed
Whipped goat cheese
- 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 3 ounces feta
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for serving
- Coarse sea salt (for serving)
M e t h o d
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Bring wine, oil, kosher salt, juice, butter, red pepper flakes, sugar, bay leaf, and 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add cauliflower, reduce heat, and simmer, turning occasionally, until a knife easily inserts into center, 15-20 minutes.
Using tongs transfer cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet, draining well. Roast, rotating sheet halfway through, until brown all over, about 40 minutes. Check at 30 minutes and continue to check every 5 minutes until brown as you like.
While cauliflower is roasting, blend goat cheese, cream cheese, feta, cream and 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor until smooth, season with sea salt. Transfer whipped goat cheese to a serving bowl and drizzle with oil.
Transfer cauliflower to a plate. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with whipped goat cheese.
Whipped goat cheese can be made 1 day ahead and covered and chilled.
Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit.
Serves 3 as a side dish.
grilled radicchio treviso and zucchini ribbon salad
August 23, 2013 § 33 Comments
We are seeing signs of Fall here in Seattle and here are two wonderful “late” summer vegetable recipes for you to try. On my last visit to the farmer’s market I picked up a nice large head of Radicchio Treviso and an even larger sized Italian Striped Zucchini.
Radicchio Treviso is a leaf chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable and has long delicate green and magenta leaves, creamy white veins and a crinkled texture. The flavor is bitter which mellows a bit when grilled, braised or baked.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 1 head of Radicchio Treviso
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sea salt
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- small wedge of grana padano or parmesan cheese, shredded
Preheat the grill or grill pan. Cut radicchio in half lengthwise and rub or brush both entire halves with oil. Set radicchio cut-side down on the grill. Cook until edges are well browned, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, turn and cook until radicchio is nicely browned and wilted, about 4 more minutes.
Alyssa and Carla’s Fresh Zucchini Pasta
Fresh Zucchini “Pasta”
serves one as a light lunch or two as a side dish
Dressing:
1 tablespoon really good extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of salt
a few cracks of freshly ground pepper
1 medium zucchini
8 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Combine all of the dressing ingredients into a jar, such as a mason jar, and shake to combine thoroughly. Adjust to taste.
Julienne the zucchini. I used this mandoline, which I adore (and use for many different dishes). You can try to do it by hand, but a mandoline creates perfect strands. I used the mandoline on each side of the zucchini until I got near the center, where the seeds made the strands too weak and they started to fall apart.
Toss the zucchini strands with the dressing. Plate the zucchini. Scatter the tomatoes, pine nuts and basil over the zucchini. Garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan.
dutch baby!
August 21, 2013 § 76 Comments
Several months ago a friend of mine introduced me to the idea of dutch babies and by her description I knew I had to seek out a recipe and make one. Dutch baby also known as a German pancake, a Bismarck, or a Dutch puff is a pillowy crispy edged baked custard delight. The first time I made one I gasped in sheer delight when I opened the oven and found a wonderfully brown puffy cake so beautiful and aromatic. After reading this post from Sarah’s blog holdsworthandwalter I was inspired to not only make her triple berry oven pancakes (using peaches) that morning, but to make my dutch baby the following morning.
In my wiki search I discovered “Dutch babies were introduced in the first half of the 1900s at Manca’s Cafe, a family-run restaurant that was located in Seattle, Washington and that was owned by Victor Manca. While these pancakes are derived from the German pancake dish, it is said that the name Dutch baby was coined by one of Victor Manca’s daughters. In 1942, Manca’s Cafe owned the trademark for Dutch babies, although the cafe later closed in the 1950s”. A nice bit of “local” Seattle food history.
Served with fresh fruit and a dusting of confectioners sugar. Also delightful with warm maple syrup or a drizzle of fresh lemon juice and dusting of confectioners sugar.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon is for the baking dish)
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
- warm pure maple syrup
- sprinkling of confectioners sugar
- fresh fruit, if desired
M e t h o d
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place 1 tablespoon butter in your baking dish and set aside. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and using a hand mixer beat on medium speed until mixed. Add the milk and combine. Slowly add the flour, vanilla, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and the salt and mix just until smooth.
Place your baking dish in the oven for a couple of minutes, until the butter is hot and bubbly. Make sure the butter covers the bottom of each dish. Pour in your batter and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned.
Serves 2.
greek green bean stew (fasolákia fréska)
August 19, 2013 § 66 Comments
I’ll never forget this wonderful green bean and tomato stew I enjoyed on a number of occasions while visiting beautiful Greece. These green beans served at room temperature alongside a nice brick of creamy feta fast became my favorite Greek comfort food. After several attempts to recreate these succulent tender beans I have finally captured all the flavors, tender consistency and comfort I remember in this stew.
My esteemed possession from my visit to the island of Siphnos is a tiny paperback cookbook titled The Best Greek Dishes authored by Mdm. Margaret Phoca. I have referred to this little gem of a cookbook over and over again and have turned out a flawless (in my opinion) spanakópita, braised lamb and stewed potatoes, to name a few. Finally after many failed attempts to cook the perfect green bean stew at home I referred to this tiny cookbook and after making a few minor adjustments I have perfected a delicious bowl of fasolákia fréska.
A simple one pot meal.
Normally we eat green beans steamed just enough for them to turn a stunning green and yet still a little crisp. After a quick steam bath we toss them in olive oil and salt and savor every single one of them. However, green beans are delightful after stewing in a flavorful tomato sauce for an hour or so. They become meltingly tender, sweet, silky and stew like. Although my tiny recipe book recommends serving these cold, these beans are best if left in the pot overnight in the refrigerator and brought to room temperature before serving.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 1 pound green beans, washed and tails removed
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or one 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
- salt
- 1/2 cup basil, torn
- 1/2 cup dill, torn
- 4 ounces of good quality feta, in brine, crumbled
M e t h o d
Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot and sauté the onion with a pinch of salt until it is soft and transparent. Add the beans to the pot and stir well until each bean is coated well with the onion and oil. Continue cooking and tossing for a few minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, stir well and cover for a few minutes to allow them to steam a little. After a couple of minutes uncover the pan and stir, the tomatoes should be thickening at this point. Cover and steam a few more minutes while the tomatoes reduce a little.
Once the tomatoes are nice and thick (stew consistency) uncover the pan and simmer, uncovered for one hour stirring occasionally. Taste for salt and season to your liking.
Allow to sit for a couple of hours and brought to room temperature before serving.
Top each serving with basil, dill and crumbled feta.
Serves 4.
purslane and ground cherries
August 16, 2013 § 49 Comments
Seems like every time I visit a farmer’s market I become acquainted with something new. Todays post is not so much a recipe but rather a display or an exhibit of two very interesting finds. I brought these two items home more out of curiosity and I must say they are surprisingly good. Although not something you would find in your regular market, one of these two oddities grow rampant all over the world as a ordinary weed. Purslane. If you are really curious read this wiki article. You may have it growing in your yard!
Purslane is one of the most nutritious greens on the planet. Evidently, purslane has more beta-carotene than spinach, as well as high levels of magnesium and potassium. Historically it has been used as a remedy for arthritis and inflammation by European cultures.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 1 bunch of purslane, washed and patted dry
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion of your choice, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- small wedge of feta, crumbled
- salt and pepper
A quick sauté of all ingredients in a large skillet.
G r o u n d c h e r r i e s # @ ! ?
These originated in South America. They grow in a husk just like tomatillos but are sweet and tart at the same time — the crunchiness of a tomato with the sweetness of a cherry. We ate these raw and are delicious added to a salad.
Ground cherries taste like a combination of pineapple and vanilla. They are excellent for pies, jams and preserves.
penne regate with garden fresh parsley pesto and tomato sauce
August 13, 2013 § 56 Comments
We all have a “go to” dish we have perfected to our liking over time and repetition. Perhaps if you have been checking in with this blog you would guess mine would involve pasta. Cottage Grove House is still very new and there is already sixteen pasta recipes posted. Today’s recipe is my “go to” pasta sauce. When it seems as though there is nothing to eat or prepare in the kitchen I always find some parsley in the crisper (or in this occasion the garden) and a large can of tomatoes in the pantry, perfect to make both pesto and tomato sauce pasta.
Our parsley plant needed a trim so I decided to make a pesto for lunch. I discovered cutting parsley off the plant and promptly using it certainly intensifies the flavor of the pesto. The freshly cut parsley really gave a distinctive flavor to the sauce, as though the herb was still very much alive. For no particular reason I chose to leave out any type of nut for this pesto. And using penne regate pasta was a very good idea seeing that the sauce found it way deep into the hollow center, as well as holding to the exterior ridges.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 1 pound of good quality penne regate
tomato sauce
- 2 cups whole, peeled, canned San Marzano (if possible) plum tomatoes, with their juices (one 28-oz. can)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
pesto
- handful fresh parsley (about 1 cup once it is finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
m e t h o d
Put a large pot of water on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. In the meantime, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook until aromatic. Carefully add the tomatoes, and break them up with the back of a wooden spoon. Bring to a gentle boil, turn heat to lowest setting and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Put the parsley, parmesan, garlic, and salt in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then pulse again. Drizzle in the olive oil while the machine is running just long enough to incorporate the oil. Set aside while waiting for the pasta to cook.
Once your water is at a roaring boil add a tablespoon of coarse grain salt and drop your pasta in. Cook until al dente, penne regate cooking time is approximately 9 minutes. Drain the penne and return to the pot. Toss with the pesto sauce until well coated, then pour in the tomato sauce and continue to gently toss until well combined.
Serves 4.
fresh corn soup topped with roasted corn guacamole
August 9, 2013 § 64 Comments
The other day I stopped off at Whole Foods on my way home from work to gather something quick for dinner. It was already pushing 6pm and I am usually home and have most of the dinner prep work completed by this time in the evening. Perhaps a caesar salad and something else from the deli would suffice. I walked through the door and the fresh yellow and white corn display brought me to a sudden halt. I could just pick up a few ears to add to the salad idea, but no, my first thought was corn soup! I considered bringing the corn home, look into a soup recipe and make it for dinner tomorrow. Well, knowing corn needs to be prepared the same day you bring it home I decided to step aside and search for a corn soup recipe, right then and there, in Whole Foods. (thank goodness for smart phones) After glancing through the ingredient list from several recipes I found this fresh, spicy, naturally creamy corn soup recipe on Epicurious. I gathered the few ingredients I needed and headed home. Simple enough.
This is similar to a corn chowder, yet lighter and texturally alive with the roasted corn guacamole on top. We loved using fresh corn right off the cob for this soup and we upped the heat a little by leaving the seeds in the jalapeño. It was one of those special soups you’ll never forget. And I always love to hear, “can we have it again…tomorrow?” If you are considering to prepare this soup…which I urge you to do, please be aware I am posting the method exactly the way I prepared it, however, see my note at the bottom of the recipe “Next time I prepare this soup….”
Adapted from Epicurious (reprinted with permission from Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro).
i n g r e d i e n t s
roasted corn guacamole
- kernels from 3 ears fresh corn
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 lime, finely grated zest and juice
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed, 1/2 seeded, finely chopped
- 1 avocado, pitted and diced
soup
- kernels from 5 ears fresh corn
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped
- salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
- cilantro sprigs, to garnish
m e t h o d
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Ask someone to “shuck” the corn for you while you start to clean, peel, chop, dice and grate all of the ingredients.
Put the corn on the cob on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes until corn turns a golden brown. Remove the corn for the oven and allow to cool. Slice the corn kernels off of the cob and set aside.
soup
Combine the oil and garlic in a soup pot over medium heat. Once the garlic is aromatic add the onion and jalapeño. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn to the pot and using a hand blender puree until it has a smooth texture.
Turn up the heat to medium high and slowly add the stock to the pot while stirring. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
roasted corn guacamole
Combine the roasted corn, red onion, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and jalapeño in a bowl and mix well. Gently stir in the avocado. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Place a generous spoonful of the guacamole in the center of each bowl and a sprig or two of cilantro. Serve right away!
Serves 4.
Next time I prepare this soup…
After preparing this soup I learned it is better to remove the kernels from the cob before roasting them. Not only is this quicker because you do not have to wait for the corn to cool off before slicing the kernels, but it also helps caramelized the corn during roasting which intensifies the flavor of the soup. After cutting the uncooked kernel off of the cob toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and scatter onto a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes in a 450°F oven.
peaches and strawberry shortcake
August 7, 2013 § 52 Comments
Juicy tree ripen peaches are showing up at the markets right now! I just purchased my first bunch and every one of them were ripe, sweet, juicy and ready to eat. We have a market here in Seattle featuring the most delicious organic peaches from both Washington and California State. They put together a website with valuable peach information as well as some nice recipes too. If you love peaches as much as I do take a look here. It is very uplifting to walk through the door of this market and not only see…but smell the peaches during Peach-O-Rama!
Peaches and cream or strawberry shortcake? Here I combined both for a fresh summer treat. These rustic cakes are very moist and not too sweet. And I added honey to sweeten up the fruit just a little. For us this is a bit heavy following a sit down dinner. Occasionally we have had this as a mid day treat, instead of lunch.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 pint strawberries, cleaned and halved
- 3 plump juicy peaches, diced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
s h o r t c a k e
Heat oven to 400° F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingers blend until crumbly. Add the milk and stir until just combined (do not over mix)
Drop 6 large mounds of the dough 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
f r u i t
Combine strawberries, peaches and honey in a bowl and mix well breaking up slightly to create a little juice.
w h i p p e d c r e a m
In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form.
Assemble cakes as desired making sure to give each a generous amount of whipped cream.
Serves 6.
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