Friday July 23, 2010
Taking a road trip to the beach is the ideal concoction for this weekend. On the menu will be shopping with mom, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, fresh seafood and toes in the sand. We suggest whipping up a similar delight. It's summer, enjoy it!
Friday July 16, 2010
What's on the Menu:
Vodka and Limonata
Cheese, Fig and Salami Board
Cold Beet and Watermelon Soup
Yummy Marinated Steak Tips
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Indian Line Farm Salad Greens Tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Homemade Blueberry Sorbet
The Recipes:
Cold Watermelon and Beet Soup
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE gazpacho and anything with tomatoes but I wanted to work with some of the other amazing items available at the markets during the summer. And the combination of beets and watermelon are a match made in heaven for a cold soup on a warm day! Sweet, refreshing and full of nutrients.
1 bunch of farm fresh beets, greens removed, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 vidalia onion, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil +/-
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
2-3 cups watermelon, seeded and chopped. What you want is equal parts beets to watermelon.
Fresh mint (some chopped and soem not, for garnish and flavor) In may opiion, this makes the soup!!
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss onions and beets with oil and place on baking sheet. Roast until beets are soft - 30 minutes. While they are roasting, cut up watermelon. Put beets and vegetable broth in a stockpot and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Strain solids and put solids in food processor (keep the liquid to add back in) Add watermelon to food processor and puree until smooth. Mix the puree and reserved liquid. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve cold, garnished with mint and Enjoy!!
Yummy Steak Tips
Many moons ago when I lived in Boston I was friendly with a wonderful couple from Cambridge, Susan and Mac Rogers. Although we are not in touch, their memory lives on every time I make this recipe as it was one that I had at their home. Thank you Susan Rogers for your yummy steak tip marinade!!
Enough sirloin tips or hangar steak for 4-6 people. Ask your butcher, they’ll hook you up with the right amount!!
1 large bottle of kikoman soy sauce. I have replaced this with a large bottle of organic gluten-free, low sodium soy suace.
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar (I use about 2/3rds)
2 cups diced scallopns
2 cups toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup sesame oil
Toast sesame seeds in skillet over low heat until golden, stirring frequently. Combine all ingredients. Marinate for 8 hours or overnight. For a little extra spice add some minced ginger.
Grill meat on a gas or charcoal grill to desired doneness.
Blueberry Sorbet
Quart of blueberries, washed
Juice of 1 lime
Simple syrup - 1/2 cup water and 2/3 cup sugar
Make your syrup by combining sugar and water in saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool. Put syrup and blueberries in food processor and blend until smooth. Put mixture into ice cream maker and follow instructions of your machine. Mine processes for about 30 minutes and then it is ready to set up in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Friday July 09, 2010
What makes everything taste better but makes some things smell worse?
GARLIC!
No matter who has been a guest on Heirloom Meals Radio we are always being handed recipes that use garlic. Lucky for us, we happen to have garlic in all its forms around Boulderwood Farm and enjoy its delights in our meals at least once a day! We pulled up one garlic bulb today and it appears as though my crop needs at least two more weeks until they can be harvested.
Although garlic bulbs get most of the press, garlic scapes, which used to be considered compost - not an ingredient, are the staple of our homemade garlic scape pesto. You can also use them as a kind of exotic, sculptural floral arrangement!
To make garlic scape pesto you have to muster all of your concocting genius. As a start, put 15-20 garlic scapes (cut into pieces) into a Cuisinart and add olive oil until you have a desirable consistency. I like to add a handful or two of walnuts and grated parmesan cheese to taste. If you have fresh basil or some other herbs/nuts/spices etc. you want to experiment with - throw them in! Pesto is great on sandwiches, pasta, crackers, chips, cheese and a whole lot more so have no fear; whatever you come up with is bound to be good on something! Also, make lots of extras as this concoction freezes brilliantly.
One last thing about garlic...
If you would like to plant some garlic of your own stay away from supermarket bulbs since most of them have been genetically modified to the point of no return. Visit you local farm or farmstead and pick up the healthiest looking bulbs there and plant them in deep, rich, full sun soil around Columbus Day.
Friday July 02, 2010
As we meander into the 4th of July weekend I first wanted to reflect on what it is to be an American - and it just isn't all about the apple pie! We have the freedoms here in the USA to be and think freely; to embrace diversity and celebrate our independence through our diversity.
Ok, so what's cookin' in my kitchen this weekend? Right now I have some vegetable soup on the stove - a great way to use some of the greens I have amassed in my fridge from the CSA. And because it's been quite chilly it will be a welcome item on the menu!!
Friday June 25, 2010
On our way home from the CSA our bags were brimming with colorful, fresh produce including beets, zucchini, cherries, spinach and amazing salad greens. Using our best concocting skills, the idea is to include these foods in every meal you enjoy throughout the day and week. Creative simplicity is the name of the game here.
A favorite for the beets is to roast them with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and serve them over salad greens with goat cheese. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a light, summery dressing.
When thinking of zucchini, grandma knew it best. Sauteed with onions and whatever herbs are on hand, zucchini is the perfect side dish to the whatever you got going on the grill.
The perfect partner for the farm fresh morning eggs would undoubtedly be the spinach that scrambles in oh so nicely. If you happen to have a little provolone cheese- even better!
Last, but certainly not least, fresh, organic cherries are best left on their own in a little bowl on the counter. No fumbling through the fridge or digging through cabinets is necessary to find that perfect afternoon snack anymore.
Happy Friday!
Friday June 18, 2010
Ahhhhh...it's friday and thoughts of the weekend are beginning to seep into my psyche. Will there be enough hours to finally weed and plant my vegetable garden, get in some much needed exercise and plan a father's day celebration for Jim with his three kids. My Dad, however, will get all my love and well wishes delivered to him through the airwaves and, of course, the phone!! His gift from me was the trip to Shelburne Farms, VT for the cheesemaking extravaganza we attended last weekend.
So what will I be concocting? Well, it's garlic scape and strawberry season so it would be fitting have both items on the menu. As for the main course, I am thinking barbecue ribs....I'll be attempting something out of Jason Day and Aaron Chronister's book, BBQ Makes Everything Taste Better .
Here's a great recipe that I tore out of the New York Times a couple of years ago for
White Bean and Garlic Scape Dip:
