My cousin Kathy was up this weekend from Texas to celebrate her son's Acceptance to West Point. VERY exciting!! Congratulations again Nick!!
We spent the day with him on Saturday for the parade and then she had a little one on one time with him on Sunday. To celebrate when she got back, this is the cocktail I had waiting for her.
It's kind of a mash up between a Mojito and a Martini. If Mr. Mojito and Mrs. Martini had a baby, this is what it would be.
If you are like my husband and you need a name for everything - you could call it a Mar-jito (marheeto). Hey, that's kind of cute!
Here is what you need:
2 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Triple Sec
Juice of 1/2 lime
Fresh Mint - about a small palmful or as much as you like- torn into pieces
1/2 Tsp. Sugar
Seltzer - approximately 3 oz
Ice
Here is what you do:
In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, triple sec, lime juice, mint, sugar and ice. (Normally I would tell you to muddle the mint but as long as you shake the heck out of it, it's all good.) Shake vigorously to combine ingredients and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with seltzer and garnish with mint leaf or slice of lime. Or just drink up without a garnish. Your choice.
If you want to get fancy, you could also create a sugar rim by rubbing the lip of the glass with a lime wedge and then dip it into a mixture of lime zest and sugar. Yum!
Now, you know how I always encourage you to "wing it" or "make it your own?" This drink can easily be substituted with any number of ingredients. If you don't have vodka on hand - use rum. No triple sec - no problem - leave it out - or substitute some orange liqueur or even a little OJ. No lime juice on hand - use lemon or even orange juice for that matter. No mint - use basil - or rosemary. There are so many great fresh herbs this time of year - experiment with them!
Don't be afraid to try something new - with your food or with your drink. Especially with drinks. There's alcohol in there. What's the worst that could happen - it doesn't taste great so you kick it back. Come on - we've all had a shot or two in our day that gave us the skeeve chills but we still managed to consume several of them with friends on a Friday night!
Oh, and in case you are wondering, yes, I did make it to the farmers market on Sunday morning - in the torrential rain. I got very wet but still went out to support my farmers! Here's what I got............
I used the peaches for a cobbler, the potatoes and some of the rosemary, garlic and onion for a smashed potato pie, the radishes and tomatoes in a salad with the wild arugala, the corn we just relished right on the cob. When you have good produce, the possibilities are endless! The strawberries could also be used in that Mar-jito as well. They would add a natural sweetness to the drink so you wouldn't even need the sugar.
If you would like to see the recipes I just mentioned, leave me a comment and I'll be sure to post them.
Until then, Cheers!
It was another Sunday morning at the Farmers Market.
Here is what I brought home this week.........................
There's wild arugala, garlic, onion, garlic scapes, potatoes, carrots, golden beets, 2 different types of squash, mushrooms and crusty bread. There is also some rainbow chard and fresh & smoked mozzarella - which brings us to our dish for today.
Grilled Rainbow Chard Pizza. So yum!
For those of you who may not be familiar with Rainbow Chard (also known as Swiss Chard) is a leafy slightly bitter green vegetable that is a descendant of the beet family. The stems can range in color from green to white to yellow to red. Not exactly all the colors of the rainbow but you get the idea. Chard is very popular in Mediterranean cooking and the first varieties can be traced back to Sicily.
Chard can be used in so many different ways - it can be sauteed with garlic and olive oil as a side dish, steamed, in pasta dishes, egg dishes, quiches, fritattas, stews, soups, you name it. Think of using it like you would spinach.
So here is what you need to make the pizza..................
1 store bought pizza dough (or be adventurous and make your own - or pick one up from your favorite pizza place)
4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1/2 thinly sliced onion
1 large clove of garlic, thinly sliced
Bunch of rainbow chard, rough chopped (mine was about 8 cups worth before cooking)
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
Sliced smoked mozzarella cheese (approximately 1 small ball)
Salt & Pepper
Shaved Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Red Pepper (optional)
Here is what you do................
Go outside and get your grill nice and heated on a medium heat.
Go back to your kitchen and in a large skillet over medium high heat, saute bacon pieces until nice and crispy. Leave oil in pan but remove bacon to a small bowl and hold until you are ready to assemble your pizza.
To the bacon grease add your sliced onion and saute approximately a minute, add your garlic and cook another minute. Throw in your chopped chard and cook just until the leaves start to get wilted. Season with salt & pepper and red pepper if you like. Remove from heat.
Pack up your mise en place (fancy French term for all the stuff you need - in other words, all your ingredients) onto a tray and head back outside.
Stretch out your pizza dough onto a large platter or cutting board, like so:
Spritz or brush the dough with olive oil so it doesn't stick to the grill grates. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to oil the grill grates a little also. This can be easily done with a paper towel with some olive oil on it and a pair of tongs.
Place your dough on the grill and close the lid. Be very careful to keep an eye on it. The dough cooks quick. I check it a minute at a time. When the dough gets nice grill marks on the bottom, carefully brush with a little more oil and flip your dough over. Once again, cook a minute at a time.
Remove dough to cutting board again and top with ricotta, cooked chard mixture, crispy bacon bits then then finally the sliced smoked mozzarella.
Carefully slide back onto the grill and cook for just a minute until the cheese starts to get melty.
Oh, heaven on a plate!
Add some grated or shaved pecorino romano or parmesan cheese, a little more fresh ground pepper and you are good to go!
Here is what she looks like sliced and ready to serve. This is probably going to need a fork and a knife!
Now, if you are an apartment dweller and/or do not have access to an outdoor grill, feel free to make this on a stove top grill pan or even do it in the oven. If you do decide to bake it, remember to prebake the crust before you put your toppings on.
There are so many different variations you can make with this pizza, if you don't like bacon, leave it off. If you have leftover roasted chicken or steak, chop it up and throw that on instead. If you don't like or don't have access to fresh chard, feel free to substitute spinach. Remember, like I always say, "Make it your own".
Happy Cooking!!
Here is the recipe for the Quesadillas that I promised in my previous blog. In case you missed it, I talked about all the wonderful produce from my visit to the Farmers Market on Sunday.
First a little tutorial on the 3 ingredients.
Let's start with the squash blossoms.
When I have mentioned squash blossoms in conversation, I typically get one of two reactions:
1-Ooooh, I LOVE squash blossoms, where did you find them?
or
2-Huh, what's a squash blossom?
For those of you who can relate to answer #1, read on for the recipe and for those who can relate to answer #2:
Squash blossoms are these beautiful flowers that are very versatile and can be used in so many different ways. You can eat them raw, stuff them with a simple cheese filling and bread and fry them, use them in a frittata, in a soup, with pasta, the possibilities are endless.
Do not let them initimidate you - you are much bigger than they are.
Be forewarned, however, they will spoil very quickly. My suggestion is to make and eat them the day you purchase them. If not, within 24 hours at latest.
Next up - tomatillos (pronounced tah-MAH-tee-oh).
Same scenario:
1-I LOVE tomatillos!
or
2-What the heck is a tomatillo?
Well, I'll tell you - or better yet show you. Here they are:
Tomatillos have also been referred to as a Mexican tomato. Again, another versatile ingredient. These can be used in salsas, quesadillas, with roasts, stews, sauces, eaten raw, roasted, grilled, etc. They have a slightly tart taste to them.
Before using a tomatillo, you will want to peel off their papery husks and give them a quick rinse since they can be slightly sticky.
Last but certainly not least - garlic scapes.
1-Garlic scape - what's a garlic scape?
That's about it. The only reaction I usually get.
Garlic scapes are the flowering tops that grow up and out of hardneck garlic. They taste just like garlic but are a little sweeter and milder than say, a clove of garlic. I know I am repeating myself, but again, this is another ingredient that can be used in so many ways. They can be eated raw, sauteed, on top of pizza, in a vinaigrette for a salad dressing, in omelets, chopped into salads, in pasta, risotto, should I go on?
Store these after purchase or after harvesting in the produce drawer of your refrigerator and use within a few days.
So, there's my mini lesson on some of my farm market finds. Here is a recipe for one of the meals I made when I brought them home. Remember - feel free to make it your own. If there is an ingredient you really don't like or would like to substitute - go for it. I promise, the food police will not come knocking down your door.
Squash Blossom and Garlic Scape Quesadillas
1 garlic scape sliced thin
1/2 thinly sliced red or white onion
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 ears of fresh corn, corn removed from cob (approximately 1-1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 bag of squash blossoms (there were about 20 in my bag, varying in size), cleaned and stemmed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
tortillas - honey wheat, flour, whatever your choice is
cheese - again, your choice depending on your taste - cheddar, monterey jack, queso blanco
sour cream (optional)
diced tomato (optional)
tomatillo salsa (recipe follows)
Heat saute pan and swirl in about 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add garlic scapes, onion, jalapeno and corn. Saute until onion begins to slightly wilt. Add chicken broth and squash blossoms and heat for a minute or two until blossoms begin to soften. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
In another skillet, heat tortilla on one side. Turn it over and add a handful of cheese and a scoop or two to cover 1/2 of the quesadilla. Add a little more cheese and fold the tortilla over. Cook for a minute, then flip over to melt the cheese on the other side. Remove quesadilla from pan and repeat as necessary.
Serve with tomatillo salso and sour cream. I also like to add some chopped fresh tomato but that's up to you.
Here is what she looks like - so pretty!
And now, the Tomatillo Salsa..............
1 basket of tomatillos - mine had a lucky 13 - husked and rinsed
1 red onion, cut into quarters
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 jalapeno pepper, optional
1/2 cup cilantro
salt and pepper
Preheat broiler. On a broiler safe baking sheet, place tomatillos, onion and garlic and if using, the jalapeno pepper. Like this:
Broil for approximately 8 minutes, periodically checking and turning over as necessary.
Let sit until cool enough to handle.
In a blender or food processor, add veggies and pulse until everything is nice and chopped. Throw in cilantro and pulse one more time to combine. Adjust your seasoning with salt and pepper and that's it! You're done! Yay!!
This is a great substitute for a regular salsa with chips or can be used as a condiment, sauce, etc.
Hope you enjoyed these recipes and it will inspire you to get out there and try one of these fabulous ingredients. Don't be intimidated - what's the worst thing that could happen - maybe you'll learn something or have a new favorite ingredient. Even if it does not go your way, lesson learned. To me, a successful day is when I learn something new - whether it be good or bad.
Happy cooking!
It was another Sunday morning at the Ramsey Farmers Market. Here is what I got:
After my produce and I had this little photo shoot, we had lots of fun slicing, dicing, blending, chopping, baking - you name it. I spent the better part of the day concocting all sorts of yumminess from these beautiful ingredients.
Check out the flowers - ain't they gorgeous? And how about those beautiful squash blossoms and purple basil? I also bought garlic ramps, tomatillos, tomatoes, potatoes, Italian hot and cherry peppers, a nice crusty Semolina bread, fresh mozzarella and look at the color on these purple scallions........
They would be beautiful in a salad, stir fry, vinaigrette, just about anything. Not sure what I am going to do with them yet but I couldn't pass them up. I'll keep you posted on that one.
The first recipe I will share with you from my bounty is Red and Blue Oatmeal Bars. Most of the ingredients you will probably have on hand and don't need to head to the Farmers Market for but I like to use the jam from The Jam Man! Otherwise, any type you may have in the fridge would be just fine.
These bars have the perfect mix of sweet, salty and crunchy from the butter and oatmeal and smooth and silky from the jam.
Here is what you need:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (if using salted butter, cut the salt down to 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup red & blue jam (this is the jam I purchased from the market which is raspberry & blueberry mixed. You can substitute any type of jam you have on hand or whichever is your favorite.)
Here is what you do:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 inch spare baking pan with cooking spray or butter and flour the pan.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a standing mixer or another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in 1 3/4 cup oats.
Spread 2/3 of the batter into prepared pan. Spoon jam over batter.
Mix remaining 1/4 cup of oats into reserved 1/3 cup of batter. With fingers crumble batter over top of jam.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden brown. (mine took precisely 32 minutes)
Let cool in pan and then cut into bars.
You can leave the bars in the pan and cover with saran wrap to store them. I prefer to take them out so the easiest way to do that was to cut into 4 sections and transfer onto a dish with a spatula like so........
Doing it this way makes it easier to cut the bars into smaller servings. But, again, that's your choice.
Sorry if this picture is a little blurry - I was shaking at the anticipation of eating it! Pure decadence!
These bars would also be great served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top. They also pack and travel well so they are a terrific dessert to take along on a picnic, to the beach, on vacation, wherever.
Next recipe that will follow - later today or tomorrow - Squash Blossom Quesadillas with a Tomatillo Salsa!
