Where did the summer go? I have been puttering in the garden, travelling, which also means eating at fun restaurants in Paris, Chicago, Indiana and locally . . . and also cooking! Currently my granite countertop is loaded down with eggplant and two five pound baskets of tomatoes from the garden. I have heirloom tomatoes, plum, cherry tomatoes in two colors and plenty of swiss chard that is still growing in the lovely cooler weather. Time to make and freeze lots of tomato sauce! Here are a few of the latest recipes:
Due to a bumper crop of yellow summer squash and a taste of an amazing soup on our recent trip to Estes Park, here is my interpretation of Summer Squash Soup.
3-4 summer squash, halved & chopped coarsely
2 leeks, chopped then cleaned by soaking in a bowl of cool water
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T butter, softened
1 1/2 T flour
1-14 oz can chicken broth
1 C fat free half-n-half
1/4 C white cheddar cheese, shredded
salt & white pepper to taste
basil chiffonade (stack leaves, roll into cigars, then slice into thin slices)
For the soup: combine the olive oil and leeks, then raise heat to medium-high, cooking covered for about 6 minutes. Meanwhile chop the squash and then add to the pot with the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook another 6 minutes.
In the blender, combine the butter and flour; add in 1 C broth. Add in a third of the cooked squash mixture, pureeing thoroughly. As you work, place the puree in a separate bowl until all is pureed. Pour all of the puree back into the now empty pot. Stir in the half-n-half and the cheese. (Add more half-n-half if the soup is too thick). Taste and season with salt & pepper. Garnish with basil chiffonade.
On a lazy afternoon, I was shopping at a local market and picked up a few interesting things for lunch. One of them was a Curry Chicken Salad. Here is my interpretation:
1 C cooked rotisserie chicken, cubed
2/3 C mayo
1 t vinegar
1/2 C raisins
1/4 C mango chutney or apricot jam
2 T C green onion, chopped (or chives)
1 t curry powder
Combine and serve. Tastes even better the second day!
Now that it is cooler, it is time to get used to using my new range. It definitely bakes more efficiently than the old one. I tried the following recipe in it. I found the beef short ribs at Costco at a very reasonable price.
Braised Short Ribs
Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell
Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 3 hr 30 min Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)
- Kosher salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 1/2 cups tomato paste (my note: may want less or substitute half with crushed tomatoes)
- 2 to 3 cups hearty red wine
- 2 cups water
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
- 2 bay leaves
Directions
Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.
Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.
Printed from FoodNetwork.com
