Smokefest ’11

Three summers ago our friends started what has become a July tradition.  “Big Mike” as my kids call him, has been brewing beer and  smoking meat for years, and his girlfriend is a fabulous cook, gardener, and all-around party planner.  When these New York City mice decided to buy a New York country house, they put their talents together and Smokefest was born.

Of course the highlight of the party is the meat.  Mike gets up at 7am  to start the smokers and prepare the 16 racks of  pork ribs and 15 lbs of brisket.  The brisket and half the ribs are prepped simply with salt and pepper, and the other half of the ribs get a dry rub the night before.  He may be a barbeque weekend warrior, but he’s no hack.  In fact, while smoking ribs for a charity event in Connecticut, Jacques Pepin stopped by for a taste and proclaimed “THOSE are some great ribs!”

Daniela makes a wide variety of side dishes—fresh from the garden.  This year she had a 6 foot grill loaded up with summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, onions, and 4 dozen ears of corn.  If that wasn’t delicious enough, she and Mike make a Cilantro-Lime Butter sauce (see recipe below) to brush on the corn which is De. Licious.  There are also salads galore—from potato, to tomato-peach, to cucumber, and more.  This year one neighbor brought some killer mac-and-cheese which you just couldn’t stop eating.

My favorite thing is the “Tavern”, a quaint little outbuilding (which Mike says is a character itself for this party), where little lights are strung along the ceiling, and coolers are filled with homebrewed beer (I loved the “6″ a blonde beer), chilled whites and roses, water and soda.  Out back is a fire pit—where my kids spent most of the day filling s’more orders (you could choose from ‘burned’, ‘golden brown’ or ‘plain’ marshmallows, and could have your chocolate ‘very melty’ or just ‘kind of melty’).

It is so much fun to go to a party that’s all about the food.  It’s not anyone’s birthday and no one is being feted.  It’s just a gathering of people who love food, hosted by people who REALLY love food.  I can’t think of a better reason for a celebration!  Go Meat!

Smokefest Cilantro-Lime Butter

Courtesy of Mike and Daniela

3 limes, juiced

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

salt

In a small saucepan, reduce the lime juice until it is syrupy. Add butter, and melt.  Season to taste with salt and add cilantro at the end.  Brush on grilled corn or any veggies (also makes a great topping for clams!)

Hint:  Mike says you can spice it up by adding 1/2 tsp of chipotle!

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

In Season: Roasted Butternut Squash

 Winter squash is one of my favorite parts of fall.  The orange, yellow, tan and green squash all piled up at the farmers markets  just sing autumn.  As the air gets crisper, I’m also happy to turn on my oven, whereas in summer you won’t catch me heating it up for almost any reason!  What perfect timing since winter squash is the ultimate veggie for roasting. 

Unlike summer squash (which include zucchini), winter squash are heavy in weight,  have hard skins and a lot of seeds.  They are also much denser than their summer sisters and require longer cooking times.  The most common varieties of winter squash are acorn, butternut, spaghetti, and turban.  Winter squash do not need to be refrigerated before being cut and can be stored in your pantry for up to a few weeks.  In addition to being delicious, they are also quite healthy and are high in vitamins A and C, plus are a good source of iron and riboflavin. 

Butternut squash is one of my favorites, and needs little embellishment.  Just peel, seed, chop and toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  You can also add fresh or dried herbs;  thyme and sage go particularly well with this variety.  Pop into your oven for about 30 minutes (longer for large pieces) and you have a gorgeous, delicious, healthy dish, perfect for the fall season.  It also makes a super-simple side for your Thanksgiving table!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Thyme

Serves 4

 1 large butternut squash, peeled and seeded (approximately 2.5 lbs)

5-6 sprigs fresh thyme ( or 1 tablespoon dried)

olive oil

salt + pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Dice the peeled squash into 1 inch cubes and toss with   1-2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.

Using your fingers to hold the top end of the thyme sprigs, pull your thumb and forefinger of your other hand backwards down the stem to release the leaves.   Toss with the squash and spread out onto a baking sheet lined with tin foil (for easy clean-up).

Roast in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender.  Serve hot.

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

In Season: Heirloom Tomatoes

Growing up in rural upstate New York, roadside farm stands were a common sight.  Anyone who had a sizable garden would put a table in front of their house with a box for money, the exchange completely on the honor system.  Living in suburban Connecticut, the sight isn’t as frequent an occurance.  Today, when I passed a roadside stand in front of a house which boasts one of the few working farms within the town limits, I screeched to a stop to see what was on offer.

The stand was mostly tomatoes of every shape and size.  The owner came outside to tell me that he does not use any chemicals in his farming, and started pointing out some of the heirloom varieties he thought I’d enjoy.  The smallish, light green zebra tomatoes, he insisted were sweet as sugar and a must-try.  As he picked the choice tomatoes from the cart to put into my bag and rattled off half a dozen different varieties, I was wishing I’d had a piece of paper.  All I knew was that I was going to have a delicious, colorful, beautiful salad tonight.  (note:  don’t forget to store your tomatoes at room temperature on your countertop–never in the fridge which kills the flavor!)

I’d just been at Trader Joe’s and purchased their (relatively) new Fresh Mozzarella sticks, which are perfect when you only need a small amount of cheese, perhaps for an individual-sized tomato and mozzarella salad.  Fresh mozzarella doesn’t keep for very long once opened, so this is a perfect solution for longer storage.  Besides, for those watching calorie intake, it is a great way to manage portion size.  These are not the rubbery mozzarella sticks you put in your kids’ lunchboxes—these are soft, buttery fresh mozzarella, definitely for a grown-up palate! 

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Serves 2 (easily doubled)

6 heirloom tomatoes, a variety of colors, cut into wedges

2 fresh mozzarella sticks, or  2 oz fresh mozzarella, diced

extra virgin olive oil

red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Place the tomato wedges and cheese in a bowl and toss gently.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with about 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil and an equal amount of vinegar.

Toss again and serve.

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

In Season: Turnips

“Do you want any turnips?”

This isn’t a question I’ve been asked before, particularly as I sat poolside watching my kids, niece and nephew swim.  “Turnips?”  I listened while my sister-in-law explained:  in one of the open fields at the summer campground she and my brother own in upstate New York, a former hunter had planted turnips to attract deer to the area.  No longer used for hunting, the aptly named Deer Haven Campground and Cabins now had a bumper-crop of turnips. 

Turnips are not something I grew up eating, but I was intrigued by the ugly, misshapen, purplish-whitish root vegetable.  After a bit of research I learned that larger-sized turnips like the ones found in the field tend to be a bit woody and can sometimes be bitter.  The ones normally found at farmers markets or grocery stores are smaller, more tender, and sweeter.  Baby turnips can even be eaten raw in salads, and need no embellishment.

Always up for a food-challenge, I decided to see what i could do with my big turnip.  After peeling and dicing it (I ended up only using the outer, less fibrous part of it), I simply roasted it in the oven with some other veggies, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper.  The result was really yummy and made for a nice assortment of veggies to serve alongside my turkey meatloaf (it was so chilly and rainy today I was in the mood for some real comfort food!).  The turnip was a nice contrast to the sweetness of the roasted carrots and the starchiness of the potatoes.  If you’ve never tried one, pick up a turnip the next time you’re at the farmers market.  I’m glad I gave it a go!

Roasted Turnips and Veggies

Serves 4 as a side dish

1 – 2 cups peeled, diced turnips (cut into 1″ cubes)

2 medium-sized potatoes (I prefer Yukon Gold), diced (1″ cubes)

2 large carrots, chopped (3/4″ lengths)

2 tablespoons diced shallots (optional)

olive oil

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place all the veggies in a large roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to coat.

Season with rosemary, salt, and pepper.  Toss again.

Roast for approximately 30 minutes, or until veggies are fork-tender.  Serve hot.

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

In Season: Eggplant Lasagna

I found the most gorgeous eggplant at last week’s farmers market.  Really gorgeous.  The skin was deep purple and flawless and the tops were bright green–they looked almost fake.  Well, that was until I put them into my refrigerator and completely forgot about them.  Today I opened up the produce drawer and saw them peeking out at me from the back, but they weren’t looking so pretty anymore!!  They’d gotten a little battered up in there, being shoved further and further back all these days in a row.  A bunch of dents, a few brownish spots, and their tops had gone brownish as well.  They wouldn’t have gotten a second glance from even an ugly zucchini.  I felt terrible for neglecting them, so I decided to give them a veggie makeover and make them beautiful again.

Eggplant lasagna it would be.  I don’t have the time or inclination to bother with either breading or frying eggplant, as is traditional in many Eggplant Parmesan recipes.  Instead, I peeled and thinly slice the eggplant, brush with some olive oil and season with salt, and under the broiler they go.  This method is fast, easy and no mess.  Then I layer the pre-cooked eggplant, lasagna style, with tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and top the entire thing with shredded mozzarella.  Ugly eggplant turned beautiful.  Done.

Eggplant Lasagna

Serves 4-6

2 medium eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced (less than 1/4″ thick)

olive oil spray

salt

1 jar prepared tomato sauce (your favorite brand)

1-  8 oz container ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat the broiler to low, and make sure the rack is on the top level of your oven.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil spray.  Place eggplant slices in a single layer and spray tops with more olive oil spray.  Season lightly with salt.  Place under broiler for about 2-3 minutes per side.  You may need to do this in two batches if your baking pan isn’t big enough.

In a 9×9 inch baking dish (glass or ceramic), spoon a few tablespoons of sauce into the bottom.  Start layering your ingredients….eggplant, then ricotta, then Parmesan, then sauce, and repeat.  The last layer of eggplant should be covered with sauce and topped with shredded mozzarella and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Place in a preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake about 20 minutes, until it is heated through and cheeses are bubbly.

NOTE:  Can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator covered with foil.

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

In Season: Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

A big basket of fingerling potatoes was at the farmers market over the weekend, and I thought my kids would love eating “fingers” as part of our Halloween celebration.  Fingerling potatoes, which we decided look like the crooked yellowy  fingers of a witch, make the perfect side dish for any meal. I served them alongside babyback ribs and we had a utensil-free, finger-licking dinner any kid would love.

To prepare them, I simply scrubbed them and sliced lengthwise.  Into a baking dish they went with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  I used the garlic-flavored I also used on my Grilled Garlic Potatoes, and considered adding some freshly chopped rosemary until I realized the bunch I had was looking a little haggard.  It’s just as well, because green flecks of any sort on food is typically a bit of a turn off for the kids, and this was supposed to be a fun meal for them.

I roasted them in the oven, right next to the ribs (I cheated and bought a pre-cooked, pre-sauced rack that only needed heating).  They were a big hit with the kids (and the grown-ups!) alike.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes (about 10), scrubbed and halved lengthwise

1 -2 tablespoons olive oil (flavored if desired)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place all ingredients in a roasting pan and toss to combine.

Roast for approximately 30 minutes, or until fork tender and golden brown.

Serve hot.

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

In Season: Butternut Squash Risotto

The summer bounty is behind us, but fall brings some of my favorite things to the farmers market.  Butternut squash is one of those things.  One of my very favorite ways to use butternut squash is in this recipe by my fellow food blogger, Heidi Swanson over at 101 Cookbooks.  I’ve made this recipe many times and the flavors amaze me every time.

However, it is pouring out and I do not feel like going out to the store to get a few of the ingredients I’m lacking for Heidi’s fantastic dish.  So I decided instead to make Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage.  Since butternut squash is very hard and takes a long time to cook on the stove top, I decided to roast it in the oven since I had my oven on for something else anyway.  I simply halved the squash, brushed with some oil and seasoned with salt and roasted on a baking sheet for close to an hour.  Once out of the oven I cut away the skin (easier to do once cooked) and cut it into chunks.  Then I use a very basic risotto recipe, add sage, and toss with the pre-roasted squash toward the end of the cooking time.  A perfect fall rainy-day dish.

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage

Serves 4

1 medium butternut squash, halved and seeded

olive oil

1 tablespoon plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, cut into a small dice

2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice (special short-grain Italian rice available at most grocery stores)

1/2 cup dry white wine

6 cups chicken broth, heated (use vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian dish)

2 tablespoons minced sage

Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place the halved squash on top.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Roast for 50-60 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting away the tough skin and roughly chopping the flesh (this can be done ahead of time).

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add onion and saute until transluscent.  Add rice and continue cooking for about a minute or two.

Add wine, and stir until fully absorbed.  Add about 1/2 cup of hot broth at a time, stirring all the while.  Once absorbed, repeat with more broth until rice is tender.  Add remaining butter and parmesan and stir until incorporated.

Toss in diced butternut squash and sage, and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.

 

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

In Season: Grilled Sweet Potatoes

As a kid, you had to pay me to eat a sweet potato.  I mean that literally.  One night my mother actually paid my brother and me for each piece of sweet potato that we ate.  Despite our distaste for the things, we stuffed in as many potatoes as we could until my mother begged us to stop, fearing we’d make oursevles sick.  Today, I can’t get enough sweet potatoes, but unfortunately, no one is paying anymore.

I had a few big, orange potatoes from the farmers market and decided to cook them in a similar fashion to my Grilled Garlic Potatoes, but with a different flavor profile.  I sliced them up, microwaved them to get the rawness off, skewered them, and then brushed them with flavor.  Instead of the garlicky olive oil, I opted for cinnamon butter.  Granted you need to be a little more careful with butter on the grill (it burns more readily), but if you are patient, it is worth it.  I served these with regular old burgers, but they would go equally well with any other grilled entree.

Grilled Cinnamon Sweets

Serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1″ rounds

2 T butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6″ wooden skewers, soaked for about 20 minutes

salt

Preheat your grill to medium heat.

Place the sliced sweet potatoes in one layer on a large microwave-safe plate.  Microwave for 5 minutes on high.  Flip over, microwave another 5 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.

Meanwhile, stir cinnamon into melted butter and set aside.

Allow to slightly cool and then thread about 3-4 slices onto each wooden skewer (through the skin part–so the round, flat side is facing out). 

Brush butter mixture onto skewered potatoes and sprinkle with salt.  Place on hot grill.  Turn the heat down to medium-low.  Grill for about 3 minutes on each side, or until grill marks appear and outside of potatoes have become a little crispy. 

Serve hot.

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.

In Season: Broccoli

I was thrilled to find a big basket of gorgeous heads of broccoli at the farmers market recently.  I was in luck since a Curried Cream of Broccoli soup was on the menu of my last Connecticut cooking class, but I bought extras so I could make this next recipe as well.  The inspiration for this dish comes from two very different places.  My neighbor’s sister-in-law always brings a delicious cold pasta salad to every party which includes gemelli pasta, broccoli, and spicy turkey sausage.  It is excellent.  Then, the other night while at my favorite local restaurant (you know you eat somewhere too often when the hostess hugs your children and all the waitresses know you by name), I noticed a new dish on the menu…”Orecchiette Castellina” which incorporated spicy chicken sausage, broccoli, caramelized onions & parmesan.  I decided to take what I liked from each of these dishes and make my own version.

I opted for farfalle pasta (bowties, or “butterflies” as is the direct translation), broccoli, chicken sausage with garlic (I prefer it spicy, but my kids do not), and lots of parmesan.  By cooking the broccoli right in the same pot with the pasta I saved on clean-up time, and all I needed to do was brown my sausage, toss everything together, and top with cheese.  I worried about the amount of “greenness” in the dish (what is it about green that kids hate so much?)…but my kids gobbled it up, asked for seconds, and even asked if I could put the leftovers in a thermos so they could take it to school the next day.  I guess that qualifies as a winner!

Farfalle with Broccoli and Sausage

Serves 4

1/2 lb farfalle pasta (or other short pasta)

12 oz broccoli florets, cut into small pieces

12 oz turkey or chicken sausage (spicy, mild, or flavored like garlic)–casing removed and broken into pieces

olive oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup (or more to taste) parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente.  During the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time, add the broccoli right into the pot and cook together until pasta and broccoli are both tender.  Drain, place in a serving bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and add sausage .  Cook until browned.  Add tomato paste and stir to evenly incorporate.  Add to the serving bowl with the pasta, top with lots of parmesan cheese and stir to combine.  Serve hot.

Farmers Market Pot Pie

Tonight was one of those nights when I hadn’t planned anything for dinner.  So, I gazed into my refrigerator looking at what I could make from the rag-tag assortment of food lying within.  Two chicken breasts, tons of corn on the cob, half of a bag of carrots, and in my freezer was one frozen sheet of pie crust (the kind they sell at Trader Joe’s is fabulous).  It would have been easy enough to just broil the chicken, boil the corn, and throw a few carrot sticks on the table, and on another night I probably would have done just that.  But tonight it was rainy and chilly and I felt like pot pie.

Pot pie is pretty simple to make, using a few short cuts.  To make life easy, I broiled the chicken breasts in my toaster oven while shearing the corn from the cob and chopping the carrots and a bunch of fresh herbs I had leftover in the fridge.  I threw together a little white sauce (which is MUCH simpler than people realize–I make just enough to coat the filling), diced the chicken, and tossed it all into a baking dish topped with the prepared pie crust.  Into the oven, and you’re done. 

This is WAY yummier than the kind out of the freezer….fresh, delicious, and simple.

Farmers Market Pot Pie

Serves 4

2 large breasts of boneless chicken (about 1 lb)

3 medium carrots, chopped

2 ears of corn, kernels cut off

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup of fresh herbs, chopped  (parsley, basil, tarragon, or a combo)

1 plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup milk

1 frozen pie crust dough, thawed

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place under preheated  broiler for approximately 6 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the center.  Dice into bite sized pieces and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, saute the carrots and corn in one tablespoon of butter until just softened.  Remove to a bowl and return pan to heat.

Add 2 remaining tablespoons of butter, melt, and add flour.  Whisk constantly until incorporated, and continue to cook for an additional minute or so to get out the “rawness” of the flour.  Add milk and continue to whisk until slightly thickened.  Return veggies to the pan along with the diced cooked chicken and fresh herbs.  Mix to incorporate.

Pour the filling into an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish.  Cover with pie crust.  Place in the center of the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until crust is golden and baked through.

Click here for more information about Tracy’s Connecticut cooking classes, or to read her The Secret Ingredient Blog.