vegetarian | COTTAGE GROVE HOUSE

polenta

June 26, 2013 § 57 Comments

Polenta is one of my best loved dinners and I enjoy it served creamy and cheesy, delicate and sweet, as well as complex and hearty. This polenta recipe is a bit hearty and crowned with a fresh parsley pesto and cherry tomato sauté. I particularly enjoy Bramata polenta. It is a rustic stone-milled corn which is moderately coarse for a thicker consistency.

My first polenta dinner was quite an experience. I had a friend over who wanted to prepare a classic dish he had as a child growing up in Italy. In my friend’s opinion the only way polenta should be eaten is with a rich meat sauce. His plan was to prepare Polenta with Chicken Livers. Once the polenta was cooked it was poured directly onto my dining table and topped with the chicken liver sauce. Although I was very impressed by the presentation, I do not have the palate for chicken livers so I kept trying to scrape the edges where the sauce didn’t touch. Even without the sauce, I was captivated by the creamy texture and tiny bits of corn meal similar to the grits my mom would prepare.

Throughout the years I have formed my own opinions about preparing and serving polenta. When cooking polenta, for added flavor I like using broth rather than water. Sometimes I add a few tablespoons of rosemary. I always include butter and when I am preparing a savory polenta a nice grated parmesan. To top it off…tomato sauce, pesto, honey and butter, or simply a handful of parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

polenta with cherry tomatoes and parsley pesto

p o l e n t a

1 cup good quality polenta
6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

p e s t o

large handful of parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated grana padano or parmesan cheese
salt to taste

t o m a t o s a u t e’

1 pint of cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt to taste

In a large pot heat 6 cups of broth. When the broth is about to boil, sprinkle in the polenta. Stir continuously over a low heat until it is a thick smooth mass. Continue cooking on low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring slowly and evenly. If polenta starts to spatter turn your heat lower and stir continuously until it settles. I usually stir once every 3-5 minutes until done.

While polenta is cooking prepare pesto. Place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and whizz until well combined. Set aside.

Place a non stick skillet on the stove with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Saute’ tomatoes for 2 minutes until soft. Season with a pinch of salt.

Once polenta is cooked add butter and parmesan, mix well and pour onto a large serving platter (or directly onto your table!). Top with pesto, tomatoes, grated cheese of choice and serve right away.

Serves 4

buon appetite.

walla walla sweet onion soup and herb farmers five cheddar biscuits

June 24, 2013 § 42 Comments

I am always delighted when mid June rolls around and I stumble upon the first harvest of Walla Walla Sweet Onions. Walla Walla is a county in southeastern Washington and is known for it’s sweet onions. These are a very pleasant mild onion which easily can be eaten raw on salads and sandwiches.

A cool rainy day always triggers my soup craving so I set out to make a light soup. I was toying with the idea of french onion soup when I spotted the Walla Walla Sweet Onions. I purchased four sweet onions, the most ripe juicy strawberries I have ever tasted and headed home.

I have a little cook book titled “Fresh” by John Bishop which features wonderful seasonal recipes made with local foods (Pacific Northwest). I found today’s soup recipe along with an herbed cheddar cheese biscuits. I struggle as a baker. I can usually bake a good simple quick bread, but if I have to knead or rise the dough, I fail. The recipe specifically said to “turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times”. I figured, “how can I fail?”.

biscuits served with butter and sun dried tomato pesto

The biscuits would have made my mom proud. The soup was naturally sweet, creamy and keeping the spices at a minimum allowed the flavor of the onions to come through. While the soup is simmering, prepare the biscuits.

h e r b e d c h e d d a r c h e e s e b i s c u i t s

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter and work into the flour mixture with your fingers until the dough has the consistency of cornmeal. Stir in thyme and rosemary. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Place cheese, yogurt and milk in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the well and combine lightly until the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1 inch. Using a 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 biscuits. Arrange biscuits 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake in the top third of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer to a cooling rack.

s w e e t o n i o n s o u p

3 tablespoons butter
6 cups sweet onions, thinly sliced and quartered
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups stock, vegetable or chicken
salt and pepper
1/2 cup whipping cream (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh spring onions, sliced

Melt butter in a stockpot on medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in flour and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze the pot with wine.

Add stock, salt, pepper and increase heat to medium high. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Ladle soup into warm bowls and sprinkle with freshly sliced spring onions.

Serves 4

buon appetite.

spinach with garlic, olive oil and hot pepper (spinaci con aglio, olio, e peperoncino)

June 21, 2013 § 35 Comments

A very nice uncomplicated classic Italian side dish. Just a quick sauté of spinach, garlic, hot pepper flakes and olive oil. An effortless side and profoundly delicious. Ambitious as I am about serving greens at dinner sometimes I get stuck in a rut of humdrum salads. I like to serve this as an alternative. In my opinion, leafy greens never require much attention. Steamed or sautéed and simply dressed in olive oil and a little salt is perfect. However, sautéed and given a little spice is a fine improvement. Any leafy green may be substituted and many times I have used chard, kale, mustard greens or beet greens in place of the spinach. Keeping an eye on the greens as they cook is necessary. Some greens such as chard and kale require a little more time in the sauté pan than spinach, beet greens or mustard.

A huge towering bowl of fresh spinach reduced to a small bowl of sautéed spinach.

I n g r e d i e n t s

2 pounds spinach, washed and dried (a little damp is ok)
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch of dried hot pepper flakes (to taste)
salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Once the spinach is clean, shake it to remove any excess liquid. A little damp is good for cooking. Warm the oil in a large, wide pot over medium low heat. Add the garlic and hot pepper flakes. Sauté until the garlic begins turning golden. Add the spinach and a pinch or two of salt. Turn up the heat, sauté until the spinach has turned a nice green hue. Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

buon appetite.

pink coleslaw

June 19, 2013 § 31 Comments

I made cole slaw twice this week. I love the creamy dressing and the crispiness of the cabbage. So fresh and raw. The first time I made it I followed a recipe from WILL DO THE DISHES blog. It was a fantastic recipe and if you haven’t yet, you must go visit this wonderful blog.

Today I am posting the second cole slaw I made. WILL DO THE DISHES cole slaw was to “write home about” so I decided to make a second batch. I remembered we had a little leftover shredded beetroot salad in the refrigerator. I tossed it in and was so pleased with the resulting pink hue! The beetroot salad was already lightly dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette and contained sunflower seeds. A nice fresh slaw to place on the side with your barbecue chicken and potato salad.

I n g r e d i e n t s

1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 head purple cabbage, shredded
1 large beet root, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
1 large carrot, julienned
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dijon
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

M e t h o d

Shred, chop and julienne your vegetables and place in a large bowl and mix well with your hands. In a medium size bowl mix together parsley, mayonnaise, dijon, black pepper, sugar and vinegar and set aside. Place sunflower seeds in a non stick skillet over medium high heat, shake the pan occasionally to toast both sides. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Combine the dressing with the vegetables and mix well. Add the sunflower seed and continue to toss until well combined. Chill before serving.

Serves 4-6 as a grilling side dish

buon appetite.

baked zucchini and caramelized onion dip

June 14, 2013 § 38 Comments

Recently I saw a post on Reclaiming your Castle for baked zucchini. Her post struck a cord with me because when I was 18 years old living in my first apartment and not knowing much about cooking, I would go to the market and bring home random vegetables not knowing what in the world I was going to do with them. I knew I couldn’t go wrong with zucchini. As a little girl I loved zucchini. I remember walking through my dad’s garden and selecting one zucchini and asking my mom to cook it for me. Kindly and patiently she sliced it into rounds, boiled and put a pat of butter on it. I sat at the dining room table all alone enjoying my little bowl of comfort. There was a time when boiling vegetables (a little too much) was the default recipe for getting them on the table for a houseful of hungry folks. Therefore, at 18 years old when I discovered a breaded and baked zucchini recipe I was intrigued and knew it was going to be the first vegetable I wanted to learn to cook, rather than boil. And I remember cooking it over and over again. I used an egg dip, seasoned italian bread crumbs and dotted each one of them with butter before baking in a preheated 425° oven for approximately 25 minutes until nice and crispy. Revisiting this recipe after two decades (or so!) was like walking back into that little apartment kitchen.

This is a great side dish for the little ones around your table. Please visit Sara’s site for a more detailed recipe!

What really made these delicious was the caramelized onion dip. I followed Sara’s recipe with one minor change. I used greek yogurt rather than mayonnaise. Don’t get me wrong, I love mayonnaise. I didn’t have enough in house and I happened to have a full tub of yogurt. Honestly, this is the same recipe I make for our potato chips while we are watching games during football season.

c a r a m e l i z e d o n i o n d i p

1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 cup greek yogurt

Melt the butter in a non stick pan over moderate heat. Add the sweet onion slices and cook stirring occasionally until the onion softens and caramelizes. This should take between 20 and 25 minutes, on medium-low heat. When the onions are a nice brown hue and caramelized remove from heat and cool.

Place the onions, vinegar, honey and mustard in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Place in a serving bowl and stir in the yogurt.

Serves 4.

buon appetite.

roasted garlic scapes

June 10, 2013 § 47 Comments

flower tops from elephant garlic

When cooked, garlic scapes have a very mild garlic flavor with a texture and taste somewhere between asparagus and artichoke. The whole spear may be eaten, as is. The previous statement was copied from the little piece of paper stuck in the rubber band of the bunch of scapes I acquired at Whole Foods. I brought them home because I loved how they looked. Even if I didn’t cook them I could put them in a vase! The little paper from the rubber band said to steam, sauté or puree’ into a wonderfully mild garlic soup. Or chopped raw they are very hot and will spice up your baked potatoes, salads or dips. I decided to roast them. A few years ago I had planted garlic and amateur as I am as a gardener when the tops popped up looking somewhat similar to these…they were very curly actually…I didn’t do anything with them other than be amused when I visited the garden bed. The buds did open up, flower and go to seed.

A drizzle of olive oil, coarse sea salt and ground pepper. Roast in a 425° oven for roughly 25-30 minutes. These were so unique and delicious. I roasted them until the tops were crispy. We especially enjoyed the crunchy tops.

roasted garlic scapes

buon appetite.

simple blueberry crostata

June 6, 2013 § 63 Comments

I can not express how much I enjoy reading all of the amazing food blogs I am conversant with! I started my little blog a few months ago and the myriad of information I have acquired in this short time is genuinely treasured. I realized right away I was overwhelmed because I want to cook so many of the delicious dishes and desserts I delight in everyday. My bookmark bar is out of control! I sincerely appreciate the inspiration and enlightenment from all of my new found internet friends.

Last week I saw this sweet post from The Suburban Soapbox. I loved reading this because while celebrating her 100th post, she fired up her oven when it was 95° to make this crostata! Bookmarking the page I decided right then I was going to make the crostata too. The next day when I stopped by Whole Foods I noticed they were having a one day sale on blueberries. Instantly I thought “Crostata”! $1.99 a tub for organic blueberries from California. I bought three tubs and over the course of the weekend I made two crostata’s! They were sensational! I think I ate 1/2 of the second one all by myself!

Here’s the recipe exactly as Kellie posted it. However, I know you would enjoy a visit to her blog.

I n g r e d i e n t s

3 1/2 cups blueberries, washed and drained throughly
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
zest and juice from one large lemon
1 ready-made pie crust rolled out into a circle

Crumb Topping

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter

M e t h o d

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, flour, sugar, lemon zest and juice thoroughly. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll out the dough. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar and butter together for the topping using a pastry blender or fork until large clumps form. Pour the blueberry mixture into the center of the dough making a mound and leaving a one inch border around the edge of the crust. Crumble the topping mixture over the blueberries evenly. Fold the crust up over the edge of the blueberries pinching to create pleats. Repeat the process until all the edges have been folded up over the blueberries.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Can be served warm or at room temperature.

vegetable risotto (risotto di verdure)

May 24, 2013 § 48 Comments

In a previous post I mentioned my admiration for Tessa Kiros and her fine cookbook Apples for Jam. I adore this cookbook and in my opinion it is written for me. My particular copy is far from being gently used. The dust cover is tattered and torn and many of its pages are a bit warped and spattered with the ingredients the recipe is calling for. I thought about picking up a nice new crisp copy, but then realized I couldn’t possibly replace my characterized volume. On a visit to the library the other day I acquired another one of Tessa’s cookbooks, Venezia. Looking through the recipes I stumbled upon this vegetable risotto. With all ingredients in season I decided we would have this for dinner. Being a borrowed book from the library I just better keep the pages clean!

This risotto recipe was terrific. It had all the substantial textures and flavor you want from a spring vegetable risotto. The crispy artichoke was a impressive way to top it off. When you prepare the artichokes I found it is very important to make sure you completely cut the tough parts of the leaves off. Next time I prepare this I will use baby artichokes if they are in season. I treasure baby artichokes because the whole globe is tender therefore no need to cut so much away and the hairy choke is nonexistent.

Ingredients

1 bunch of asparagus (about 12)
5 cups of hot vegetable broth
1 large artichoke (6 baby artichokes)
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
3 or 4 young zucchinis, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
all-purpose flour, for coating
light olive oil
handful of mint sprigs

Method

To prepare the artichoke, trim away the tough outer leaves and slice off the top. Halve the artichoke and remove the hairy choke. Cut into thin slices. Place in a bowl with cold water and lemon juice to prevent them from darkening.

To simplify the process, have all your ingredients prepared and measured before you start cooking the risotto.

Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet and sauté the onion until softened. Add the asparagus, zucchini and peas and sauté on high heat for a few minutes. Add the rice, mix through the vegetables to coat well. Season with salt and pepper, add the wine and allow it to bubble away. Add 2 cups of hot broth, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the broth has been absorbed. Add another cup of hot broth, stirring gently. Do not allow the risotto to get too dry. Continue to add a cup of hot broth when necessary as it is absorbed, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and gently add butter, parmesan and parsley.

Just before your risotto is ready, drain the artichokes, pat dry with paper towels and lightly dip each side in flour. Using a non stick skillet cover the bottom with olive oil and fry artichokes until golden and crisp on both sides. Transfer onto paper towels to s0ak off excessive oil.

Serve the risotto with a heap of fried artichokes, fresh mint and extra parmesan.

Serves 4.

buon appetite!

spinach pie (spanakópita)

May 20, 2013 § 40 Comments

While traveling abroad I had the opportunity to learn a bit about Greek culture and become acquainted with traditional Greek cooking. During this time I spent several weeks with family and friends in Athens as well as on a small island called Siphnos. I learned Greek cooking to be simple, wholesome and solely based on fresh seasonal ingredients. There is no place for canned or packaged foods in a Greek kitchen. My fondest memories are gatherings around tables in a quaint taverna savoring slow braised lamb, a freshly shredded cabbage salad, tzaziki, dolmades, and one of my favorite comfort foods gigandes plaki…giant white beans. Potatoes were sliced and fried in olive oil right then and there if your ordered french fries. I still have a clear image of a taverna owner walking out to the seashore, pulling in a net, collecting a fish and returning to his kitchen to cook it for me after I requested it from his menu. Fresh, simple and organic. Spanakopita was one of many dishes I learned to prepare from a very dear acquaintance while staying in her family’s home in Athens. Not long after she rose out of bed she would begin cooking the meal of the day. The aromas coming from her kitchen kept your appetite stimulated throughout the day. Spanakópita is such a delightful side dish and quite easy once you get the hang of working with the fillo. It is important to keep the fillo humid by lying it flat in between a clean, damp kitchen cloth, preventing it from drying out. Purchase a good quality feta cheese. If possible find a bright white sheep feta packed in brine. Most spanakópita recipes call for cooking the spinach filling prior to “filling” the pie. I think the cooking time in the oven is sufficient. Ingredients

2 large bunches of spinach, washed, dried and chopped
bunch of spring onions, chopped
handful of dill, chopped
small handful parsley, finely chopped
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 package of fillo sheets
1/2 cup butter melted (1 cube)

Method Preheat oven to 350°. If you are not using pre-washed packaged spinach, wash spinach very well and dry. Cut off stems and chop. Place in a large bowl and add chopped spring onion, chopped dill, feta and eggs. Using your hands mix well until all ingredients are fully combined. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter and brush a little onto a 9 x 12 baking dish. Open your fill0 package and lay them flat in between a clean damp cloth folded in half. Place two fill0 sheets on the bottom of your baking dish and brush with butter. Make sure to keep your fillo sheets covered at all times to keep them from drying out. Continue placing two sheets at a time and brushing with melted butter until you have a good bottom base, approximately 10-12 sheets. Put your spinach filling in and continue layering fillo two sheets at a time and brushing with butter for another 12 sheets. I create a little more dramatic top by folding the fillo as you would a fan and placing them on top to fully cover. Drizzle the remaining butter on top and place in over for approximately 30 minutes until the top is well browned. Serves 4-6 as a side dish buon appetite.

linguine pesto and roasted tomatoes (linguine e pomodori arrostiti)

May 18, 2013 § 26 Comments

I wish I had more time to spend in the kitchen in the middle of the week. I am so content when I am able to chop by hand instead of using a food processor. Normally midweek I return home just before 6pm. I am usually very hungry and you can only imagine how ravenous my 15 year old athletic son feels. I do not like to purchase convenient pre-made packaged foods, and for this reason I keep my Tuesday to Thursday dinners simple. Two or three ingredients, nothing too fancy, wholesome and satisfying. With all that said, this dinner fits well into a midweek menu. I understand the best pesto is hand made, not using a food processor. If you have the time it is well worth chopping this by hand. Otherwise, it is a very nice mid week “whirled in the food processor” dinner!

For an extra creamy texture I added 4 ounces of soft goat’s cheese to this pesto.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Put a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Prepare tomatoes for roasting and make the pesto while you are waiting for the water to boil.

r o a s t e d c h e r r y t o m a t o e s

24 cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Toss tomatoes with olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for approximately 20 minutes, depending on what size you are using. Once the skins are wrinkly and they look roasted remove from oven and set aside.

p e s t o

1 large bunch of basil, leaves only
3 cloves of garlic
small handful of raw pine nuts
4 ounces soft goat’s milk cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated good quality parmesan
approximately 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until blended.

Once your water is at a roaring boil add a tablespoon of coarse grain salt and drop your pasta in. I used one pound of linguine. Cook until al dente, linguine cooking time is approximately 9 minutes.

Drain pasta, return it to the pan (off the heat) and toss with pesto.

Divide into serving bowls and serve with roasted tomatoes and freshly grated parmesan on top.

Serves 4

buon appetite!

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