No Knead Bread - Fresh Out of My EZ Bake Oven

Ah memories! I remember being a kid and secretly coveting all my girl friends in school who had EZ Bake Ovens. As much as I wanted one I would never have dreamed of asking for one. The last time I did such a thing I paid dearly for it. When I asked my mother to teach me to knit I found myself the very next morning on the ice of our local hockey rink at 5:00 a.m. a newly signed up and reluctant member of the Dorchester Youth Hockey League. Many of you that know me would doubt it but I was decent on right wing defense -- for all of maybe one season or less.

Anyway, my dreams of baking were dashed for many years and it's only now that I've taken some steps towards baking bread. The results I get have always been lackluster at best until my good friend Donna (my blog partner Christine's lady) forwarded a recipe for no knead bread to me last week. The no knead recipe is a formula and process created by Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan St Bakery in NYC. And from what I can tell, everyone in the blogosphere has heard of this recipe and his bread, except me. Anyway, I'm now on my third round of making this bread and the results are just amazing. Primarily because they are so consistent and in my opinion it's so fool-proof you don't need to be a master baker to turn out a loaf that will have your friends oohing and aahing.

In this case, the EZ Bake Oven is a cast-iron pan and the loaf is baked inside the pan covered for 30 minutes. This does something magical to the bread. If you've never thought you could make bread I encourage you to give it a try. The only difficult part of the process is the handling of the dough as it is very watery (about 42% water I'm told). The recipe says to form it into a ball, which I don't seem to be able to do but still have gotten great results. I have read that any combination of flours will work (whole wheat, white, etc) but haven't tested that out. I will with my next loaf and let you know how it comes out. Here's the recipe....truly revolutionary!

Formula and process created by Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan St Bakery.

Formula 3 cups (430g) flour 1½ cups (345g or 12oz) water ¼ teaspoon (1g) yeast 1¼ teaspoon (8g) salt olive oil (for coating) extra flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal (for dusting)

Equipment Two medium mixing bowls 6 to 8 quart pot with lid (Pyrex glass, Le Creuset cast iron, or ceramic) Wooden Spoon or spatula (optional) Plastic wrap Two or three cotton dish towels (not terrycloth)

Process Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporate by hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 18 hours at room temperature (approx. 65-72°F). Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest 15 minutes in the bowl or on the work surface. next, shape the dough into ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size. Preheat oven to 450-500°F. Place the pot in the oven at least 30 minutes prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot seam side up. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes Then remove the lid and bake 15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.

Pasta with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, and Gorgonzola Sauce

Over the last couple of months I've been trying to eat healthier but have refused to give up my love of cooking, eating and great food. The added focus and exercise has paid off in my waistline and I feel like I've never eaten better. I discovered this dish in Cooking Light (September 2008) and have made it twice. It's delicious and goes so well with some fresh baked bread. I wouldn't eat it every night, but it's a healthy splurge meal for once in a while. It's also very easy and quick to make. The original recipe called for ziti. Any tube shaped pasta would work well. I didn't have any penne, rigatoni, or ziti so I used riccetti (which my better half tells me means "little curls" in Italian).


Ziti with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, and Gorgonzola Sauce
(From Cooking Light, September 2008)
2 Servings (serving size is 1 1/4 cups)

4 ounces uncooked ziti
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
6 tablespoons of half-and-half
3 tablespoons of gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup fresh spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes, salt, crushed red pepper, and minced garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Stir in half-and-half and Gorgonzola cheese; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in spinach and pasta; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing occasionally.

If you're following Weight Watchers one serving of this is 7 points. Calories are 335; fat is 10.4 grams; Protein is 12.3g; carb 49.9 g; fiber 3.6 g

Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl. Add the evaporated skim milk, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and dried thyme. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

Porkja-vu: Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin & Roasted Pork & Black Bean Chili

OK, I know, I've been a little obsessed with pork lately. But, it's so easy to make (especially the boneless tenderloin) and it's quick (only about 45 minutes at a high temperature roast). I made a Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin this week and had a lot leftover. Instead of eating the pork the same way for the whole week I found a great recipe for Roasted Pork and Black Bean Chili from Rachael Ray's Just in Time. The concept was hers, she has a recipe for a Roasted Pork Loin with gravy and roasted potatoes and veggies in her book. She then gives recipes for the leftovers for the 2nd night and third night. I didn't make the roast pork from her book, but rather did a balsamic glaze from a Google search. I came up with the following recipe, courtesy of Carla's Kitchen and adapted from a FoodTV recipe. It was fantastic. I ended up marinating it for 48 hours because I didn't have time to cook it when I thought I would. I threw in some fingerling potatoes for the last 20 or 25 minutes of roasting. I also cooked it at 500 degrees for about 45 minutes or to 140 on a meat thermometer. Here's the way I made it:

Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

(adapted from foodtv.com and Carla's Kitchen)

3-4 lb whole pork loin

For marinade:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium soy)

3 sprigs of rosemary

5 garlic cloves, halved

• Whisk together balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic.
• Put pork loin in a gallon sized freezer bag and pour marinade into the bag.
• Seal the bag with as little air as possible.
• Marinate for 2 hours (or 2 days in my case - LOL).
• Remove roast from marinade, do not discard the marinade.
• Roast in a 500 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until roast reaches 140 degrees.
• Pour marinade into a small saucepan.
• Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria).
• Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.
• In the last 10 or 15 minutes of roasting, brush reduced marinade onto pork loin.
• When you remove it from the oven, brush on one last coat of the glaze.

Here's what we did with the leftovers. I have to say this was AMAZING -- I've loved every recipe that I've made from this book. It was amazingly flavorful. I was a bit worried about the way that I cooked the pork blending with the flavors below but it was incredible. I'll definitely be making this again! The picture is lousy and doesn't do it justice, it looks like a bowl of tortilla chips!



Roasted Pork & Black Bean Chili
(from Rachael Ray's Just in Time)

2 TBSP of EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), twice around the pan
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 bottle of beer, about 1 cup
3 cups of leftover gravy (see below for instructions to make the gravy)
2 (15-ounce) cans of black beans, drained
5-6 cups of cooked pork chopped into bite-size pieces
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 cups crushed yellow or white corn tortilla chips
Sour cream, for garnish (optional)

For the gravy, place 3 TBSP of butter into a medium-sized saucepot over medium-high heat and melt it. Once it is melted add 2 garlic cloves grating them into the pot, and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 TBSP of flour and whisk together cooking for 1 minute. Whisk in a quart (4 cups) of chicken or vegetable stock, bring up to a bubble, and cook until thickened, 7-8 minutes. Reserve covered until ready to add to the chili.

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the onions, garlic, and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper, the chili powder, cumin, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the veggies start to get tender, then add the beer and cook for a minute more. Stir in the leftover gravy and the black beans and bring it up to a simmer. Add the cooked pork and cook to heat it through, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the lime zest and juice and stir to combine. Discard the bay leaf. Serve up the chili and top with some of the crushed tortillas and a dollop of sour cream.

Asparagus Lemon Pasta And Radish and Pine Nut Salad

Yes, I'm still on the asparagus kick. While my lady was on line buying ingredients, two locals passed on their email to her asking for the recipe.
I made this dish on Saturday and the book club folks thoroughly enjoyed both the Asparagus and Lemon Pasta from Gourmet and the Radish and Pine Nut Salad. They also enjoyed the book: You Must Remember This by Joyce Carol Oates.

Asparagus Lemon Pasta

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally in 1/2 inch pieces (preferably thin asparagus
1 lb. angel hair pasta
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup finely chopped freshly chopped parsley
Accompaniment: freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Steam asparagus until crisp tender (approximately 3 minutes). Transfer asparagus to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain asparagus well.

In a deep 6 quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to boil for pasta

In a deep 12-inch skillet heat butter and cream over moderately low heat until butter is melted and stir in zest, lemon juice and salt. Remove skillet from heat and keep sauce warm, covered

Add pasta to boiling water and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Ladle 1/2 cup past water into the sauce and drain the pasta in a colander.

Immediately add pasta and asparagus to sauce and cook over moderate heat, tossing, 1 minute, or until heated through. Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste and toss well.

Sprinkle pasta with a little Parmesan and serve more Parmesan on the side.

Radish and Pine Nut Salad

5 tsp red-wine vinegar
6 tlb olive oil
8 cups lettuce (this called for red leaf-I used water cress and red leaf)
1 cup julienne strips of radish
1/3 cup pine nuts lightly toasted

-In large bowl whisk vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, add oil whisking, whisk until emulsified
-add shredded lettuce, radish, pine nuts and toss well
-line each plate with whole lettuce leaves and divide up salad

I Need a New Butcher!

Last night's dinner was a success! But my pork loin roast was impossible to cut due to that pesky bone along the base of it (see my previous entry for the saga). I was unable to cut through the bone to cut the whole chop off so I had to carve the meat off the rack and leave the bones intact. Rats! Anyway, other than that small catastrophe, the pork tasted great.

Roasted Rack of Pork Loin

• Rack of pork loin
• Chopped fresh rosemary
• Fresh Sage
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic

1. Place a rack on the second level from the bottom of oven and preheat to 500 degrees
2. Place the pork in a roasting pan, curved bones facing down.
3. Cover the roast in chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. Make small incisions all over the pork and slip in slivers of garlic. Do the same with sage leaves.
4. Put the pork in the oven to roast for approximately 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees. When done let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

I'll be posting a couple more recipes from what I made last night. More to come later....

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!

Lele's boss Cristian & his wife Hannah came to dinner last night. I sat down in the morning on the sofa and piled my cookbooks around me trying to decide what to make. Lele suggested that I make the baked pasta that I made a few days ago and posted here. It seemed too ordinary so I was looking for something in my books. I turned the TV on and my DVR had a recent episode from Tyler Florence's show Tyler's Ultimate on Food Network. Tyler was making a Summer Minestrone and a Potato Gnocchi with Peas, Prosciutto and Ricotta. It sounded perfect and Tyler made it look oh so simple. I had made Gnocchi once before a few years ago and vaguely remembered it coming out like balls of flour. But I also remembered my fondest memory of gnocchi; the first time I ate it actually, at my friend Rita's house in Queens, New York my freshman year in college. Her beautiful Italian nonna served us gnocchi and it was heaven. Tyler's recipe promised light as a feather gnocchi! My Italian guests would love it. Fantastico! I made my shopping list and hit the stores.

I'm not sure what possessed me yesterday but I really took my time - I stopped by the homeless pet adoption at Petco and looked longingly at the homeless puppies - a call home to Lele who was cleaning the house snapped me back to reality -- "but they're so cute," I said --"get the hell out of there now Stephen, get into the car now and drive. You better not come home here with a puppy or you're going to have to return it!" he said. A couple of hours later I made it home with all the makings of a feast, minus the cute retriever mix in the cage that wanted to come home with me. After getting home I decided to go out again and buy some wine, that killed another hour or so and I finally made it home at about 5:00 p.m. The guests were due at 8:30 p.m. Plenty of time!

Well....the summer minestrone came together fairly quickly, other than the fact that I sliced the side of my fingernail off cutting vegetables. I whipped up the basil/mint pesto for the garnish. The potatoes were baking (yes baking, not boiling) in the oven. By the time they were cool enough to be peeled the panic set in. It was 7:30, the guests were due at 8:30 and I hadn't even started the dough for the gnocchi. Oh my God! Before I knew it there was flour everywhere, all over our new wood flours and me. Lele was yelling in the background but I had to tune him out if I was going to make this gnocchi. I vaguely heard him say something to the effect of we're never having guests over again. This feeling of dread hearkened me back to my theater days when opening night would come upon you and you weren't close to being ready.

I had horrible visions in my head of not being able to make the main course and calling for a pizza. The recipe was on my laptop and I was frantically running back and forth from the island in the middle of the kitchen to the counter where my laptop was. The screen saver kept turning on and I had to tap the keys or swipe the mouse pad to see the recipe. The keys and mouse pad now had a gummy, sticky potato and flour coating on them. I screamed to Lele who had retreated upstairs and asked him to call Cristian and Hannah and tell them to come at 9:00 p.m. There was no way I would be ready. Thankfully, they hadn't left. I calmed slightly. By this time I was rolling out the gnocchi and cutting them into "little pillows" as Tyler called them. I don't think I did a very good job ridging them with the tines of a fork so that they would hold the sauce but I did my best. After they were cut and ridged I layed them out on baking sheets and put them in the fridge. There wasn't much left for me to do until the guests arrived. It was now close to 9. Lele came into the kitchen to tell me there were fresh towels and clothes in the bedroom upstairs.

"I'm not taking a shower," I said.

"You're not?" he said incredulously?

"No, I'm fine."

"No you're not, Stephen," he said. "Take a shower."

I figured at this point I better take his advice, a glance in the mirror proved the fact I looked like hell. A closer look revealed a starchy film on my face and in my hair from the fight with the dough. I felt like I had been through a storm. The shower did me good. Hannah and Cristian had arrived by the time I came downstairs. We had wine, olives, cheese and crackers in the living room. The wine did me better than the shower. I slipped away to plate up the soup. When it was plated and garnished I called everyone to the table. They loved the soup! I was relieved. If the gnocchi didn't work out and I had to call for a pizza at least I had one success.

Timing was perfect. Lele brought them for a quick tour of the house while I boiled up the gnocchi. This was the moment of truth - Tyler's recipe said...if the gnocchi break apart in the water you didn't use enough flour, if they don't float after 2 minutes and are heavy, you used too much. What good would the knowledge do me at this point? I prayed for a good outcome. Miraculously, they floated after about 2 minutes. I was thrilled. I finished making the sauce stirred the gnocchi into it and topped it off with some Parmeggiano-Reggiano. The next step was to dollop the lemon ricotta on the plates and top it off with the gnocchi. I had everything plated and on the table when they came back from the tour. The final moment of truth was the tasting and they loved it! I was very happy with the results. Thanks Tyler!

Summer Minestrone

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2008
Show: Tyler's Ultimate
Episode: Ultimate Gnocchi

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh marjoram
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 celery ribs, peeled and chopped
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups young green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups shelled English peas (or substitute frozen)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken stock, enough to cover
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Basil and Mint Pesto, recipe follows
• 1 bunch watercress or parsley

In a large, heavy pot add a 3-count of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic, onion, bay leaf, marjoram and basil. Saute gently until fragrant. Add the vegetables and cook a little of the moisture out, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Dump in the chicken stock and heavy cream bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 so the flavours can come together - do not let it boil hard. Remove half of the vegetables from the pot and puree and add back to the pot to thicken. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Serve each bowl with a spoonful of basil and mint pesto on top, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with watercress or parsley.

Basil and Mint Pesto:

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until just combined and the pesto still has a lot of texture.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Potato Gnocchi with Peas, Prosciutto and Ricotta
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2008
Show: Tyler's Ultimate
Episode: Ultimate Gnocchi

Potato Gnocchi:

• 2 pounds (about 4) russet potatoes, or similar starchy/white variety
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 egg white
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 pound prosciutto
• 1 large shallot, finely diced
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Grated Parmesan
• 2 cups Lemon Ricotta, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Scrub potatoes, pierce the skin with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and salt and place on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until they are easily pierced with a pairing knife. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly then peel the potatoes while they are still hot and press them through a potato ricer. Put the potatoes in a large bowl with salt, nutmeg, baking powder, grated cheese and egg white. Add the flour a little at a time and mix with your hands until the mixture forms a rough dough. Do not over-work the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough for 1 or 2 minutes until smooth, adding a little bit more flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking.

Break off a piece of the dough and roll it back and forth into a rope, about the thickness of your index finger. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces. Gently roll each piece down the prongs of a fork while pressing a small dimple with your finger in the back. The gnocchi should be slightly curved and marked with ridges. This will allow the pillows to hold sauce when served. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

Boil the gnocchi in batches in plenty of salted water. The gnocchi are done about 2 minutes after they float to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon. Reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water. If not cooking immediately, place the gnocchi in a single layer on a baking pan dusted with flour.

Note: If the gnocchi start to feather and fall apart in boiling water, you need more flour. If the gnocchi don't float after 2 minutes and are hard, you used too much flour.

Blanch peas in hot water and set aside.

Place 4 strips of prosciutto on a sheet pan and place in a preheated 350 degree F oven. Cook until the bacon is crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add chopped shallots to a pan over medium high heat with 2 counts of olive oil pan of and gently saute until fragrant and translucent. Dump in the peas and toss gently to coat. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add boiled gnocchi to the pan and gently toss. Add a ladle of gnocchi water to the pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter, sprinkle with Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with crispy prosciutto and a scoop of fresh lemon ricotta. (Optional: finish with a drizzle of white truffle oil)

Lemon Ricotta:

• 2 cups good quality ricotta cheese
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Salt

Place the ricotta cheese in a mixing bowl and add the lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and serve with the gnocchi.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Pesto Porkchops With Basmati Rice and Asparagus

Last night we prepared one of our favorite new standards, Pesto Pork Chops. This recipe is quick, inexpensive, easy and really tasty. We served the pork chops with basmati rice and asparagus spears, dressed in lemon and pepper.

Pesto Pork Chops

3/4 pounds pork chops (bone in, 3/4 inch thick
3 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. pesto (we made a homemade Thai Basil pesto, but regular basil pesto will be just fine)
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Put flour, slat and pepper on a plate and combine.
2. Dredge both sides of pork chops in flour, and shake off any excess.
3. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and preheat on medium-high.
4. Add the chops and brown on each side for two minutes. (you will be tempted to cook it a little longer, since you will still see some red in the meat. Don't be tempted, and it will turn out moist and juicy)
5. After they are browned, spread the pesto sauce over the chops and put lid on the skillet.
6. Continue cooking for an additional two minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Blue, got a new camera. We took pictures, but the software hasn't been downloaded. We will have a pic soon.

Tonight=more asparagus experimentation

Baked Pasta with Roasted Eggplant & Grape Tomatoes

I opened the refrigerator tonight to find a container of ricotta cheese, just about to expire, some grape tomatoes and an eggplant. I thought about roasting the tomatoes and putting them over pasta (I also had some fresh basil). A Google search for "roasted grape tomatoes over pasta" brought me to a recipe for Castellane with Mascarpone and Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Almost perfect...I modified the recipe with what I had and created this Baked Pasta with Roasted Eggplant & Grape Tomatoes. It was delicious (if I do say so myself)!

• 1 pint of grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• crushed pepper flakes
• 2 TBSP or more of chopped fresh basil
• 1lb of short or shell pasta (I used whole grain cavatappi - or corkscrews - with flax)
• 1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup of finely grated Parmigianno-Reggiano (or more)
• 1 medium sized eggplant

1. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch disks and slice the tomatoes lengthwise.

2. Line a shallow baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it with olive oil

3. Arrange the tomatoes, cut sides up, and the eggplant in the pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and the chopped basil. (I actually roasted the tomatoes with the basil in one batch and the eggplant with olive oil in a second batch. The eggplant needs to be turned half way through cooking). Roast in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are plump.

4. Take the tomatoes and eggplant out of the oven and allow to cool.

5. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta well and transfer to a bowl with the eggplant and tomatoes. Mix the reserved water in a small bowl or measuring cup with the ricotta cheese. When smooth pour into the bowl with the pasta, tomatoes, and eggplant. Stir well. Add 1/2 of the parmesan cheese.

6. Lightly oil a 13x9 (3 quart) baking dish. Toss the pasta mixture again and then spoon into the dish. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top. Bake pasta in a 400 degree oven until golden and bubbly, 18-20 minutes.

YUMMY!

Roasted Baby Beet & Spinach Salad

I didn't quite have all the ingredients needed for this salad. I think the salad would have been spectacular with them -- but I trudged on and used what I had. A quick search on the internet for baby beet recipes brought me to the website for Whole Foods Market and a recipe for Roasted Baby Beet & Spinach Salad. I didn't have any shallots and I didn't have Roquefort. But, the beets were just fantastic and the dressing was delicious. I had some Parmegianno-Reggiano and shaved some over the salad in place of the Roquefort. Not a perfect substitute but it was delicious. Here's the original recipe from the Whole Foods website.

• 1 pound baby beets, stems trimmed to 1-inch
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt, to taste
• ground pepper, to taste
• 3–4 cups washed and dried spinach leaves
• 1/4 pound crumbled Roquefort cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash beets then wrap in parchment-lined aluminum foil and roast in center of oven until tender, 45-60 minutes. Cool. Peel beets and cut in half. Whisk together shallot, lemon juice and mustard. Whisk in oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper. Toss beets in a little dressing. Place spinach on a large platter, top with beets then cheese. Drizzle lightly with dressing. Serve remaining dressing on side.

I saved the beet greens to use with dinner tomorrow night.

Love is Love Lettuce

Lele and I went to the Peachtree Road Farmer's Market today. Of course, we didn't get there early enough, but picked up some things for a delicious lunch this afternoon. Sometimes I wish there were farmer's markets for people who like to sleep in on a Saturday!

We bought a huge bag of beautiful mixed lettuce from Love is Love Farm. They are from Douglasville, Georgia. We also bought two different types of cheeses from another vendor. Both were cow's cheese one with truffles in it. There was no bread to be had so we picked up a crusty sourdough baguette on our way home. We had a delicious salad with the lettuce from the market and some grape tomatoes. I've been addicted to a vinaigrette that I found in Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka (with some variation). Here's my modified recipe for the vinaigrette.

Everyday Vinaigrette

• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup (or a little less) of olive oil

Barbara's recipe also calls for 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. I don't know, I can't bring myself to even tasting it that way. I'm not sure why? Am I crazy? Anyway, this was a delicious spring (feeling like summer in Atlanta) lunch. We also bought 2 bunches of baby beets and a bag of mustard greens which I'll do something with tonight!

Mafalde Alla Gorgonzola with Asparagus

On Sunday, we found a use for the chunk of gorgonzola. The recipe of choice was Penne Alla Gorgonzola from Gourmet magazine with some twists. It involved a bit of Asparagudrama. We started at Serio's on State Street in NOHO, looking for a bunch of local asparagus. They didn't receive a delivery, so we went with their suggestion and stopped at Fido's veggie and flower stand. Alas, Mr. Fido said he was all out-with the rain, the asparagus didn't grow enough and he wasn't able to pick any new asparagus the night before. His stand is at Mom's and his farm is in Hadley. Blue knows all of the suspect asparagus farm stands in Hadley, so I picked her up for our Hadley jaunt. Fortunately, we found the asparagus at our first stop, what I will call Blue Umbrella Farm due to the blue umbrella shading the cooler on which the asparagus perched.

The recipe was a success, so here you go with my adjustments: mafalde substituting for the penne and the addition of asparagus spears.

Mafalde Alla Gorgonzola and Asparagus

12 oz-1 lb. Mafalde (looks like a skinny lasagna)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp dried sage, crumbled or thinly sliced fresh sage
1 cup whole milk
1/2 lb. gorgonzola cut into pieces 1.5-2 cups
1/4 c. black pepper
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 oz. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)

Cook pasta in 6-8 quart pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente
While pasta boils, heat butter in a 12 inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook sage, stirring 1 minute. Add gorgonzola and cook, stirring and breaking up cheese, until sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes (sauce will be thin). I found that it took a little longer than the two minutes for the sauce to become smooth. Reduce heat to low and stir in pepper, nutmeg, and salt to taste.
You (or a cooking partner) should start steaming the asparagus as you begin preparing the sauce. Once the asparagus is a bit tender, remove and cut into four pieces at the diagonal. Set aside.
Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain pasta. Add pasta and parmesan cheese, stirring to coat. Add in the asparagus in at the last moment. Serve.

Enjoy!

Orecchiette (Basic Recipe)

from The Silver Spoon (2005 Phaidon Press Limited)
Serves 4

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, preferably Italian type 00
• generous 1/2 cup of semolina
• salt

Combine the flour, semolina and a pinch of salt and heap into a mound on the counter. Make a well in the center, add a little warm water and mix to a firm, elastic dough. Knead well, then shape into long rolls 1 inch in diameter. Cut into sections and drag them, one at a time, slowly over the counter using the tip of a knife to form small shells. Put each shell upside down on the tip of your thumb and press it down on the counter to accentuate its curvature.