Verdant. That’s what comes to mind with chimichurri sauce. Well, that and Rachel Ray because she says “verdant” all the time. Damn. Anyway, chimichurri is a sauce that is said to have originated in Argentina. It’s used on steak and chorizo, but would be great on chicken too. The greens in chimichurri lend an earthy note, while the acid gives sharp notes that enhance the flavor of the meat in a manner similar to a gremolata.

Did I mention garlic? Yes, you will want to be sure that you and your significant other both eat the sauce because you will have garlic coming out of your pores when you eat chimichurri! You’ll be a one-person vampire repellent, and on a brighter note, you’ll be reaping the many purported health benefits from these amazing stinky cloves.Chimichurri is very easy to make in mere minutes, but your best bet is to make it at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to mingle. Now, there are many variations on chimichurri sauce-some are made with parsley, some with cilantro. I think it depends on your taste and what you have on hand. For example, this version include cilantro, but you could omit it and just use parsley. You can add paprika, or fresh bay leaves too.

My method goes like this: into a food processor, throw in a bunch of parsley and a bunch of cilantro (go ahead and throw the stems in too), juice of one lemon, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, about a teaspoon of dried oregano, a pinch of red pepper flakes, 2 cloves garlic (if you want more, go for it!), 1/4 red onion,  salt and pepper. Turn the food processor on and slowly drizzle in about 1/3-1/2 cup of olive oil until you get a thick soup consistency. Adjust seasoning to taste. Cover tightly and refrigerate for an hour if you have the time.

Tags: herbs, Recipe, sauce, steak by Ramona
No Comments »

Before I post about my weekend farmers markets, I wanted to share this simple recipe for shell pea soup. The season for shell peas is nearly over, and I feel as though I’ve really missed it, having this purchase be my first this year. Hopefully, it won’t be my last-or your last! If you are able to get to any of our area markets this week, seek out shell peas-they are very easy to prep, and are a far cry from frozen. Not that I don’t like frozen. I have a package of frozen peas in my freezer at all times, just waiting to be plucked by the handful and thrown into dishes such as rices or pastas.At the Dupont Farmers Market, I purchased a box of peas for $6. Once shelled, I had a little more than one cup of peas. This was enough for 4 small, or 2 large servings of soup. Shell pea soup is a wonderful way to begin a summer meal. I served this soup just warm, and despite the summer heat, the yogurt and fresh chives made this soup quite refreshing. Enjoy!

Shell Pea Soup With Mint

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 leek, thoroughly washed and sliced
• 1 cup fresh shelled peas (you can substitute frozen)
• 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 5-6 mint leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• Greek or plain yogurt, thinned with milk or cream (or anything in between) and placed in a squeeze bottle (you can also just dollop the yogurt on top)
• Croutons-any kind you like
• Chives

DirectionsHeat a pan over medium heat. Add butter and allow to melt, not brown. Add leeks and sautee until leeks are softened, about 5-10 minutes. Add peas and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover pan and allow to cook until peas are softened, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and add mint. Blend soup with stick blender, or process in a blender until completely smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer soup into individual serving bowls. Squeeze yogurt mixture onto soup in concentric circles, starting from them middle. Using a toothpick, drag through the yogurt, from the center outwards to make pattern. Garnish soup with croutons and chives.

Tags: peas, Recipe, soup by Ramona
No Comments »

OK. Let me just start by saying that my blog has majorly sucked lately. Not that it’s any real excuse, but my laptop (on which I do the vast majority of my work) has some sort of virus, and its performance is just getting worse with each start up that takes so long, I can feel myself age a bit by the time I’ve logged into my email. I’ve tried to work with it, hobbled, for over a month now. My network administrator, which is to say, Frank (who gets paid in Wimpy burgers) has not been able to force the laptop into submission by dumping off everything that I do not need (must stop downloading mind-numbing games like ‘Ravenhurst”), running scans, checking for worms or flies or I don’t know…insects with exoskeletons that have invaded via a Trojan Horse (or got injected into the grid somehow). It hasn’t worked. And, I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay a couple hundred bucks to take the 3-year old thing to the Geek Squad. I mean, at that age, my laptop should have an AARP card and get a senior’s discount, but I know that won’t happen. And, if we don’t find our original software to re-install and start from scratch, then, it’s time to not only retire my most recent laptop, it’s time to say “good-bye” to PC’s, and say “hello lover” to a Mac-you know-like Carrie Bradshaw wistfully gazing at her next at her next pair of Jimmy Choos. More expensive? Oh yes, but I’m not holding back this time!

(Oh, please…oh, please!, let one of the dogs have eaten the software!)

So, this has all been overall, a bit of an inconvenience, trying to download photos, fix ‘em up and make ‘em purdy, re-size them, post them and then get one whole blog entry finished. But, we also have a computer in our office, so that’s why my excuse works as bad as my PC. I promise-I’ll be better. And more tech-savvy.

Now how about food? First, a confession; I’ve never made my own pizza dough. Nope. I’ve been buying dough from The Italian Store-it’s very good and inexpensive. But on a recent visit there, I decided to pick up a package of “00″ (double zero) flour which is finely milled and very soft flour. However, not all “00″ flours are alike. The protein content can vary, from lower protein to yield a Neopolitan crust, to higher protien, to yield a more “NY-style” pizza. The brand that I bought is Molino Antimo Caputo, and the exact type is “00-Chef”, or “The Chef’s Flour”. It has, I believe, a protein content of 11.5%-12%. I say that because it’s hard to get exact information when there are so many flours out there, with Molino producing several suitable for pizza, among other things. Plus, as I am doing some research into the flours which home pizza-makers use, I am finding that it’s pretty serious out there folks. I mean, some people use like test tubes and beakers and stuff, and let their pizza dough “cold-rise” for days, and have cookers that can blast to 900 degrees!

Then there’s me. I just want to make a pizza and eat it, and really just want it not to suck. So where do I turn? A trusty Food Network veteran, Tyler Florence and his “Food 911″ show. I remember catching an episode a couple of years ago where he went to this guy’s house, and they made pizza, pizza and more pizza for his family and friends. Everone raved-especially about the crust. So, I thought I’d look up the recipe and put my “00″ flour to work for me.

Here is the recipe from the Food Network site. I added only 2 1/2 cups of flour, and had some ice water on hand to give the dough more moisture to get a ball to come together. I used probably about 2-3 tablespoons of ice water to achieve this. Once the dough came together in a ball, released from the dough hook, and “thwacked” around the edge, I knew it was ready to turn out.

Pizza Dough

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Serves:

3 pizza crusts

 Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups 00 flour, plus more for dusting

Directions

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water; stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Turn the mixer on low and add the salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing at the lowest speed until all the flour has been incorporated. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium; stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Get a feel for the dough by squeezing a small amount together: if it’s crumbly, add more water; if it’s sticky, add more flour – 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until the dough gathers into a ball, this should take about 5 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a few times; kneading until it’s smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a round and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn it over to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot (i.e. over a gas pilot light) until doubled in size, about 1 hour. This is a good time to stick a pizza stone in the oven and preheat them to 500 degrees F.

Once the dough is domed and spongy, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Roll and stretch the dough into a cylinder and divide into 3 equal pieces. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes so it will be easier to roll out.

Roll or pat out a piece of dough into a 12 inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Dust a pizza paddle with flour and slide it under the pizza dough. Brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil, and top with your favorite flavors. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp. Repeat with the remaining dough.

What I liked about making this dough is how relatively quick it is-you can have pizza on your table in about 90 minutes. This is perfect for allowing a pizza stone to heat up, especially if you are using your oven. I make my pizzas on my grill, and had the heat cranking to around 600-650 degrees. The crust came out thin, crispy and charred just-so.

I decided to top my pizzas with some fresh market ingredients. The first pie was made with beet greens and mushrooms sauted in butter, evoo, garlic, anchovy paste and hit with freshly grated nutmeg at the end. I used fresh Blue Ridge Dairy Ricotta and shredded mozzerella to top it off. The second pie was a classic Margherita, with canned Soprano tomatoes that had been “doctored up” with dried herbs, evoo and garlic. Then the pie was topped with fresh Blue Ridge Dairy mozzarella, shredded mozzarella and fresh basil.

My last third of the dough is frozen. I think I might make a dessert pizza with the remaining ricotta, some fresh blueberries and mint. I’m still thinking on that one…

Tags: pizza, Recipe by Ramona
3 Comments »

Frittatas, basically Italian omlettes, are extremely versatile. Cooked on the stove-top and finished under the broiler, frittatas meld their various ingredients into a somewhat dense, delicious, and versatile pie that can be served any time of day, from scratch dinners, to mimosa-filled brunches.

Making a frittata takes following a recipe only once, as preparation is more of a method, rather than a series of precise measurements, techniques and temperatures.

At home, I use a 10-inch non-stick skillet with straight sides to saute aromatics such as onions and garlic, along with whatever I have on hand for the filling. Filling, aside from whisked eggs (generally 4-8, depending on the size of your skillet) can be just about anything you’d like-vegetables, pasta, potatoes, cheese and meats in any combination will work.

For this frittata, I sauteed chopped asparagus, cooked and cubed red potato, shredded country ham, and ramps. Next, I poured over 6 whisked eggs to which I added a splash of cream and a handful of shredded fontina (which is among the most fabulous melting cheeses). The mixture cooked over medium heat as my oven’s broiler came up to temperature. Occasionally, I used a rubber spatula to run around the edge of the frittata as it set about half-way.

In the broiler, the frittata continued to cook 4 inches from the heating element until it set (with just a little wiggle when shaken) and became golden brown. After letting the frittata rest for a couple minutes, I flipped it onto a serving plate and it released instantly.

If you are bringing the frittata to the table for presentation before cutting, I suggest placing another plate on top, and giving the frittata another flip to show off the golden top.

As for the taste of this frittata-delicious! However, after eating ramps for 3 days in a row now, I have to say, I’m beginning to reek a bit. They’re starting to repeat on me, and it’s not pretty. To wit-this is my bichon frise before I burped up Appalachian weed breath on him:

This if after:

Yeah, not pretty*.

*note to self-give Cole a bath tomorrow.

Tags: asparagus, breakfast, brunch, cheese, eggs, potatoes, Recipe by Ramona
5 Comments »

OK. I think that I’m over oatmealpalooza for now, and in the spirit of the venerable Cherry Blossoms soon to bloom here in Washington D.C., I am reaching into my freezer to use a large bunch of sour cherries which I lovingly saved from last season.

Sour and sweet cherries are carried by several farmers markets in D.C., nearby Maryland, and Fairfax County, Virginia. I have had wonderful experiences buying stone fruits of all kinds (including these sour pie cherries) from Allenberg Orchards. They sell at the Kingstowne Market on Fridays, in season. Buying the cherries in bulk saves money, and allows me to store the cherries to enjoy later (Until I learn to can them, I simply store them in a zip-loc baggie in the freezer). The taste of the sour cherries is still very good-tart with a hint of sweetness and intense cherry flavor. The defrosted cherries work particularly well in sauces, compotes and even frozen treats such as gelato.

My first Cherrypalooza entry is adapted from this recipe in Health Magazine, so as you can infer, it’s a good-for-you-no-guilt-dessert that is a wonderful play on ending a meal with fruit and cheese. You can use frozen cherries for this recipe without problem. Or, file this recipe in a tickler to remind you what you can make with fresh cherries this year!

Cherry Compote over Chevre (Goat) Cheese

serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups pitted cherries with juice (sour pie cherries or Bing cherries, fresh or frozen)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4-5 ounce fresh chevre (goat cheese)

Directions

Add cherries and sugar to a heavy-bottom pot. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Add vinegar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Serve warm or cooled compote over 1 oz portion of goat cheese.*

*Serve with a dessert wine such as a Sancerre or Riesling.

Tags: cheese, cherries, dessert, Recipe by Ramona
4 Comments »