Ratatouille

This vegetable stew is one of my favorite things to eat in late summer when I have an abundance of vegetables in my garden. But it can be cooked any time if you choose to use canned tomatoes.

The author of this recipe utilizes a method that keeps all the flavors fresh tasting by keeping the parts separated a bit while cooking so it doesn't turn into a mushy mess.

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Ratatouille

Source:  The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook by Kim O'Donnel
Serves: 6

1 large globe eggplant (about a pound) or 3 thinner Asian eggplants
salt for leaching eggplant
5 T olive oil, divided
2 medium onions sliced thinly (about 2 cups)
3 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and julienned (about 2 1/2 c)
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 large yellow or green zucchini, cut into half moons (about 2 1/2 c)
ground black pepper
6 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 3 c) or 1 (28-oz) can plum tomatoes
1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teas dried
1 teas dried oregano
chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Dice the eggplant into half-inch cubes (about 5-6 c). Sprinkle with salt and place on a rack or in a colander to drain for about 30 minutes. (This leaching step is not required but it will reduce liquid.)

With a towel pat the eggplant dry. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 T of the olive oil. Toss and spread into a single layer. Put the eggplant in the hot oven and roast for 15 minutes until the eggplant browns and shrinks substantially. Take it out of the oven and set aside.

You'll need a large skillet as well as a large lidded saucepan or Dutch oven which you can keep on a burner on the lowest warm setting.

Heat another 2 T oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions until tender and stir in the peppers with a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the peppers are soft.

Add half the garlic and stir for a minute and transfer all from the skillet to the Dutch oven (or saucepan).

In the skillet heat 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat and add the zucchini and some salt and pepper. Cook until the zucchini is tender but still retains its color. Add the remaining garlic; cook for a minute and then add the mixture to the Dutch oven. Stir the vegetables together.

Chop or mash the tomatoes with a potato masher so they are broken up. Add them to the vegetables along with the thyme and oregano. Stir in the eggplant. This mixture will be thick but as the tomatoes release liquid it will loosen up. If it remains thicker than you like add a few tablespoons of water. Raise the temperature to medium-low and mix the ingredients well. Cover and allow to cook for 12-15 minutes until heated through. Taste for seasonings and remove herb sprigs. Serve.

This can be served with couscous, quinoa, or orzo. Crusty bread would be great, too.

Note:

If you can't entertain the idea of heating your late summer kitchen with a 450F oven, you can pan-roast the eggplant before you start cooking everything else. Heat the olive oil in your large skillet (can be nonstick if you prefer) over medium high heat and cook the eggplant after leaching and patting dry. Stir from time to time so it doesn't scorch and cook until browned and tender. Set aside in a bowl. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and begin cooking the onions as instructed above.

If I'm in a rush, I'll employ more than one skillet and cook onions and zucchini at the same time but in separate pans and you'll be able to control how "done" each vegetable becomes. This will speed preparation somewhat but will make for more pans to wash, of course.

Second Best Pesto Method

Most of the experts I read indicate they think the best way to make pesto is in a mortar and pestle. 

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Second Best Pesto Method 

The source is an article written by Ella Quittner in Food52.com in which she reports on testing she undertook to find the best method to make pesto. She based her recipe on one found in a book published last fall Pasta Grannies by Vicky Bennison. (I just love the title of that book!)

Yields about 1/3 c or enough for 3/4 pound of pasta depending on your preference.


1 clove garlic
1/2 teas salt (rock salt can provide grinding traction, but coarse kosher is fine, as is table salt but use less table salt)
3-ish cups basil leaves (tender, young leaves if possible unless you grow your own)
3-ish T Italian pine nuts, untoasted, or chopped walnuts since true Italian pine nuts are expensive and you may not have them in your pantry
1/3 c mildly flavored extra-virgin olive oil

a heaping 1/3 c grated cheese (can be a mix of parmigiano reggiano and pecorino romano)

Put all ingredients minus the cheese and olive oil, into a wide jar (a quart-size container or quart mason jar or a pickle jar; anything slightly wider than the immersion blender). With the immersion blender, blend as finely as possible. Stop and scrape the sides and the inside of the blender occasionally. You'll end up with a paste (I guess that's where it gets its name). 

Drizzle the olive oil in as best you can while still running the blender (or simply pour it in and then run the blender). Add the cheese and continue blending. I ended up with a nearly smooth product. 

Notes:

I found it simpler to blend when I coarsely chopped the basil leaves and used something wider than a quart mason jar. Even a saved quart yogurt container works here and it's much easier to scrape out the finished pesto. When I tripled the recipe, I did it in a medium sized bowl.

I once saw a suggestion for using pecans. I haven't tried that yet but I liked walnuts more than I thought I would. 

I wanted the pesto to stay a bit greener so I added a half cup of parsley to the basil. I didn't notice much change in flavor.

I have enough basil I will need to freeze some of this for the winter. When researching, I found both pros and cons for freezing it with the cheese already mixed in. I ended up freezing mine without cheese and will just stir it into the pasta when I mix in the pesto. I find it easy to freeze in a quart-size freezer bag and then I can break off what I need.

White Grape Jelly

In the Ball canning book this recipe calls for scuppernong grapes. I don't grow those, nor do I know where to get them. I use a variety of white seeded grapes that was planted by a previous owner of my home. 

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White Grape Jelly

Source: The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving
Yields about 6 half pint jars (I get 7 consistently)

3 2/3 c white grape juice obtained by your favorite method, see below
5 1/2 c sugar
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 (3-oz) pouch liquid pectin

Prepare jars for canning by washing and heating in very boiling water in your canner. Also wash and prepare lids and bands. Place the lids in a bowl of boiling hot water and let sit until you top the jars.

Combine grape juice, sugar, and lemon juice in a Dutch oven or very large saucepan or pasta pot. The jelly will boil up and a large pot will help contain it. Over high heat, bring the ingredients to a full rolling boil that can't be stirred down. Stir frequently, especially as the bubbles rise.

Stir in the pectin, all at once, squeezing the packet to get all of it out of the pouch. Keep the jelly boiling hard while stirring constantly for one minute. Turn off the heat. Skim foam, if necessary.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle the hot jelly into the jars leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Clean the  jar rims with a clean wet paper towel and set lids on top of each jar. Put the bands on and tighten with your fingertips. Place jars in the canner and ensure they are covered with water to an inch above the tops of the jars.

Process 10 minutes (sea level) and adjust for altitude:

1,001-3,000 ft--5 additional minutes

3,001-6,000 ft--10 additional minutes

6,001-8,000 ft--15 additional minutes

8,001-10,000 ft--20 additional minutes

When finished, turn off heat and allow jars to sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. Remove the jars and set where they won't be disturbed for 24 hours.

Check seals; lids should be indented and you shouldn't be able to move them.

Wash jars, label, and store in a cool dry place for up to a year,



Notes:

I use a steam juicer. If you don't have one use this method for removing juice from grapes:

Wash 5 1/4 pounds grapes, remove and discard stems. Bring grapes and 1 c water to a boil in a pasta pot or Dutch oven, stirring often. Boil for 20 minutes, stirring frequently or until most of the seeds have been released from the pulp. Mash the grapes with a potato masher to slip seeds from pulp

Line a large wire-mesh strainer with 3 layers of damp cheesecloth. Place over a large bowl and pour grapes into the strainer. Let drain at least an hour to get required 3 2/3 c juice. Discard solids.

Sheet Pan Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage

Early in the stay at home orders caused by the pandemic of 2020, Betsy and I chatted and learned that we had both made this recipe within the same week without having told one another of our interest in it. It's a very yummy dish.

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Sheet Pan Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage

Source:  Washington Post, January 16, 2020
Serves:  4-6

I haven't done it, but I believe green cabbage may be substituted for the red if that is what you have. If you do use green I suggest you substitute a yellow onion for the red. However, a red cabbage results in an extraordinarily attractive dish.

2 1/2 T grainy mustard
3 T maple syrup, divided
1/2 teas freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 pds skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
8 c thinly sliced red cabbage, about 1/2 a medium head
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly into half moons
5 T apple cider vinegar, divided
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 teas caraway seeds
1/2 teas kosher salt; add more to taste

Note: the more thinly the cabbage is sliced, the more quickly it will cook.

Place the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 450F.

Mix the mustard, 1 T of the maple syrup, and 1/4 teas of the pepper into a small bowl.

Put the chicken thighs on a lightly oiled large rimmed baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Pour the mustard mixture over the thighs and rub it all over the skin. Arrange the thighs skin side up and place in the oven; roast for 20 minutes or so, until the skin has started to crisp up.

Remove the baking sheet and reduce the heat to 375F.  Remove the chicken from the sheet to a plate and discard accumulated fat.

Toss the cabbage, onion, 4 T of the vinegar, onion, oil, and remaining 2 T of the maple syrup as well as caraway seeds and salt plus the remaining 1/4 teas of black pepper. Dump the cabbage mix onto the baking sheet, spreading it evenly. Nestle the chicken with the skin side up into the cabbage and return the baking sheet to the oven.

Roast for 20-25 minutes until the cabbage has softened somewhat and the thighs are measuring 170F on a meat thermometer. If the chicken is done before the cabbage, pull the thighs off the pan and keep warm on a platter, covering with foil. Return the cabbage to the oven covered with foil until it has reached the tenderness you desire. Remove from the oven.

Use the remaining tablespoons of vinegar to drizzle over chicken and serve with cabbage.

Buttercup Cookies

A year ago this month, we joined family members in Iceland for the burial of our little grand daughter Sóley. Recently I've comforted myself when marking anniversaries of the loss of loved ones by cooking something they enjoyed eating. I'm unable to do that so I found a recipe that represents a buttercup bloom to me, for that is what her name means in Icelandic.  

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Buttercup Cookies

Cook's Country (Hazelnut-Lemon Curd Kisses)
20-24 cookies

altitude changes for around 5000 feet:

add 1 T flour
decrease the sugar by 1 teaspoon

(Once I baked these and forgot to make altitude changes. They were still good, although slightly more fragile.)


1 c AP flour
3/4 c hazelnuts or pecans, toasted
pinch salt
8 T unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teas vanilla extract
approximately 1/2 c lemon curd (purchased or homemade)
1/4 c confectioner's sugar, optional

Make the dough:

Set oven racks to upper- and low-middle. Preheat oven to 350F. Place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets. Place flour, nuts, salt in a food processor and grind until finely ground.

Place butter and granulated sugar in a bowl (either stand mixer or otherwise) and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating until completely mixed in. On a lower speed, mix in the flour mixture just until incorporated.

Roll  dough into a 1-inch balls and setting each on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Grease a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon and use it to make an indentation in the center of each ball. You'll probably have to grease the spoon repeatedly. Bake about 10 minutes until just set.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and gently press the measuring spoon into the existing holes to reinforce the existing indentations. Return to oven and continue baking, rotating and switching, until the cookies begin to brown around the edges (around 10 minutes, depending on altitude). On cooling racks, cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then move each cookie the the rack until they have cooled completely. The cookies can be stored for 2 days at room temperature; they can be frozen, too, if you keep them in a single layer.

Once you have determined how many cookies you are serving, fill the imprint in each cookie with a teaspoon of lemon curd. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.
Remaining cookies can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days until you are ready to fill and eat them. If you prefer, you may store them in the freezer but they tend to survive better if frozen in a single layer.

Place the lemon curd in the fridge until you serve the remaining cookies.

Cook's Country's instructions vary considerably from my own. The curd is baked in their version. Here are instructions for the process:

When the cookies have been baked the first 10 minutes. remove from the oven and deepen the imprints. While the cookie is still hot, fill each dimple with half a teaspoon of lemon curd. Return the sheets to the oven and bake for around 10 minutes until they have browned at the edges. Follow the advise above for rotating, removing, and cooling. Allow to cool before serving and sprinkle with  confectioner's sugar, if you like. This version can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. I've cooked this version so rarely that I cannot advise about freezing.

Dark Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Mix-ins

These cookies deserve a better name, I know. But here's the story, so you'll know where the name comes from. Lately at the grocery store I've been browsing a bit more, grabbing things that I might want when they're on the shelves, instead of counting on the store being fully stocked all the time. Once, when I couldn't find the mini chocolate chips I was looking for, I grabbed a bag of peanut butter chips, thinking they would be good in a chocolate cookie. After researching my options, and waiting for a price-gouged bag of dark Reese's peanut butter cups to be delivered, I tried and enjoyed the inspiration recipe. But I wanted something with a bit more dark chocolate flavor, so I used a tried-and-true chocolate cookie recipe and added some of the peanut butter mix-ins. In a side-by-side taste test, I found the cookies from the inspiration recipe a bit crumbly, and their chocolate flavor paled in comparison. So while these cookies have both dark chocolate and peanut butter flavors, there isn't any peanut butter in the cookie so I can't call them chocolate and peanut butter cookies, because I didn't like the cookies that actually had chocolate and peanut butter both! Semantics? Probably. Delicious anyway? You bet. 

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Dark Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Mix-ins

Adapted from https://www.lovefromtheoven.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-cookies/ and http://www.piecrustcookies.com/2015/12/chocolate-peppermint-cookies.html

Yields about 3 dozen

To bake at altitudes around 5000 feet, make these changes:

add 2 T flour

remove 2 T granulated sugar

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

3/4 teas baking soda

1/2 teas salt

3/4 c Dutch-processed cocoa

1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c granulated sugar

1 c light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teas vanilla 

1 c dark chocolate chips

1 c peanut butter chips

10 Reese's dark chocolate peanut butter cups, frozen and roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream the butter and sugars in a mixer until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything. Add the eggs and the vanilla, and mix until combined. Then add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa and mix briefly until almost combined. Finally, add the both types of chips and the candy. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are set but still soft in the center. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy with a glass of milk! 

Turkish Flatbread

The only thing to say about this recipe is that it is the main reason I recently bought an overpriced block of yeast from a specialty store online. 

After reading about conserving yeast here, I tried halving the yeast and the dough still doubled in an hour. That might be a high altitude issue, but next time I'm going to reduce the yeast even more and see what happens. Can't burn through that overpriced brick too fast! 

Note that this stack is a portion of a doubled recipe

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Turkish Flatbread

Yields 6 flatbreads

Adapted slightly from https://gfycat.com/circularlegalindigowingedparrot-turkish-bread-bazlama-pita

250 g all purpose flour

250 g white whole wheat flour (or just another 250 g or all purpose, if you prefer)

5 fl. oz. warm milk

5 fl. oz. warm water

1 teas salt

2 T dry yeast

3 T olive oil, plus more for brushing on 

In a mixer bowl  fitted with a dough hook, mix together the flour, salt, and yeast for 10 seconds or so, until combined. Then add the warm milk and water and process just until the liquids are incorporated. Add the olive oil and run the mixer for 5 minutes or so. 

Form the dough into a ball, and place in a large bowl. Spread a light layer of vegetable oil over the top of the dough, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 1 hour or until doubled in size. 

Place a cast iron pan over medium heat. Cut the dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Roll out each dough ball with a rolling pin, then cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Brush each hot flatbread with more olive oil, and enjoy.