There have been some requests for the recipes from the Farm to Table class I was asked to teach at Highfield Hall and Gardens*, the restored mansion and gardens that was once a summer retreat for the illustrious Beebe family. It's former gardens now thriving and original stunning home welcomes visitors to to view art, listen to music and taste delectable foods as well as many other forms of entertainment and education. Gail Blakely, Culinary Director and longtime food columnist for our local Falmouth paper, The Falmouth Enterprise, invited me to join in the fun for two classes featuring seasonal produce where I got to also answer lots of questions about growing up in Falmouth, specifically at 540 Old Meeting House road where I learned pretty much everything that shows up on this blog thanks to Val and Dick. You may know these two as my parents as they are featured prominently in all my stories.
Some of these recipes have been adapted from famous cooks and bloggers. Some are my own and some are from Val's recipe file. All of them are easy and delicious crowd pleasers. This is the perfect time to make them as the summer bounty of zucchini, green beans, cucumbers and fresh berries is upon us now in the middle of July and August here on Cape Cod.
Enjoy!
* http://highfieldhallandgardens.org/
Notes from Val’s Kitchen Recipes
Minty Peach Sangria
Makes about 10 cups
1 (750
milliliter) bottle rose wine
¾ cup vodka
¾ cup peach
nectar
3
tablespoons lemon juice
3 ripe
peaches
1 small
package fresh raspberries
2 cups club
soda or seltzer, chilled
1 pint peach
or raspberry sorbet
Fresh mint
leaves (about 2-3 full stems) for garnish
Combine
first 4 ingredients in a large pitcher.
Add peaches and raspberries.
Cover and chill for 3 hours.
To serve:
stir in club soda or seltzer. Add a
small scoop of sorbet to each glass.
Pour sangria over sorbet. Rub
mint leaves between your fingers to release oils. Add a few leaves to each glass for
garnish.
**Garden
Fresh Herb Sauce
Serves 6-8
1 large bunch fresh herbs such as parsley, basil or
cilantro or a combination
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 pinch red pepper flakes
pinch of salt and black pepper, to taste
For Serving:
Greek Yougurt (about 10 0z.)
Salt and Pepper Kettle Chips (or any sturdy chip)
Remove all stems from herbs and place leaves in a
Cuisinart with blade or small chopper. Add 2-3 tablespoons olive
oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and salt and
pepper. Puree mixture. If leaves are not moving around, add more
olive oil to loosen so that the mixture moves around in the chopper.
Once, leaves are pureed into fine pieces, adjust for taste. Mixture can
be saved in an airtight container in refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Spread Greek yougurt on a plate leaving 2” border. Create a well in the middle of the yogurt
leaving 1” border of yogurt. Dollop the
Herb Sauce into the well in the center of the yogurt. Scatter the chips around the edge of the
plate and serve.
Summer Vegetable and Herb Goat Cheese Tart
(Adapted from Ina Garten, “Zucchini and Goat Cheese
Tart” www.foodnetwork.com)
Makes 2 tarts
1 ¼ cups
all-purpose flour
Salt and
pepper
10
tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ teaspoon
cider vinegar
5
tablespoons ice cold water
1 ½ pounds
zucchini, sliced 1/8 inch thick (small zucchini are best for this)
2
tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces
plain, creamy goat cheese (room temperature)
1 teaspoon
thyme leaves (or other fresh herbs)
Zest from ½
lemon
Place the
flour, ½ teaspoon salt and the butter in a bowl of a food processor fitted with
the steel blade and pulse 12-14 times, until the butter is the size of
peas. With the processor running, pour
the vinegar and cold water through the feed tube and continue to process just
until the dough comes together. Dump
dough out on a floured board, form 2 disks and wrap in plastic,
individually. Refrigerate for 30
minutes.
Preheat oven
to 400 degrees.
Place the
sliced zucchini in a colander and set over a plate. Toss it with 2 teaspoons of salt and set
aside for 30 minutes. Spread the
zucchini out on a clean dish towel, roll it up and squeeze gently to remove
some of the liquid. Put the zucchini
slices in a bowl and toss with olive oil.
Using a fork, mash together the goat cheese, herbs, lemon zest, ¼
teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Set aside.
Roll out the
dough on a floured board to an 11-12 inch circle. Place each rolled out piece of dough on a
separate sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Spread the dough with the goat cheese mixture leaving ½ inch
border. Lay the zucchini slices in
tightly overlapping circles, starting over the edge of the goat cheese (the
zucchini will shrink as it bakes).
Continue overlapping circles of zucchini until the whole tart is
covered. Sprinkle with pepper. Turn up
edges of tart to slightly overlap outer edge of zucchini and goat cheese. Bake
for 35-45 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at
room temperature.
Variations:
Substitute
full fat ricotta cheese for goat cheese, mix in 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
oregano along with lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Top with 12 oz roasted red pepper (jarred) cut into ribbons.
Spread tart
dough with 6 oz. spreadable herb cheese such as Allouette. Top cheese with 1 cup ricotta cheese mixed
with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs and zest from ½ lemon, salt and
pepper.
**Crisp
Streusel
(Adapted
from “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, by Jeni Britton Bauer)
Makes about 3 cups
2 sticks butter, cubed and chilled
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put all ingredients except oats into a bowl and
blend by rubbing the dry ingredients into the butter with your
fingertips. Work quickly so that the butter does not melt. When the
mixture looks like coarse sand, add the oats and mix well. Spread on an
ungreased baking sheet. Break up any large chunks into crumbs, about 1/4
to 1/2 inch size.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toasted and browned,
stirring occasionally to prevent burning, especially in the corners and to turn
over the unbaked portions. Let cool completely, use right away or freeze
until ready to use. The streusel can be frozen up to one month.
(Serve with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries)
Cucmber
Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing
Serves 8
4 medium to large cucumbers
1 small red onion
Dressing:
¾ cup Hellman’s Manyonaise
¼ cup buttermilk
1 large garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Slice cucumbers into
quarters then, into ½” size pieces.
Cut red onion in quarters and slice each quarter thinly. Add both to a large serving bowl. In a small bowl, mix mayonaise and
buttermilk. Grate garlic into
mixture. Add salt and pepper. Mix well.
Pour over cucumbers and onion.
Chill and serve cold.
Quick
Pickled Cucumber and Red Onion
Makes about 2 cups
1-2 pickling cucumbers, sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon pickling spice
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 dried bay leaf
1 cup cider or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Place cucumbers and red onion in a heat proof bowl
(plastic or glass). Place pickling spice
through salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Heat until sugar and salt dissolve. Strain mixture over cucumbers and onion. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before
serving. Refrigerate in liquid for up to
2 weeks.
**Warm
Chicken Salad with Green Beans
Makes 4-6 servings
2 large boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 pound fresh green beans
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon dried onion
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons light vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use spray
oil to grease a small baking dish.
Place chicken in dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper
and lemon juice. Cove dish with foil. Bake 25-35 minutes until
chicken is cooked but still very moist. Cool chicken enough to slice.
Meanwhile, wash and pick green beans by
removing the stems. If they are long, snap them in half. Prepare an ice
bath in a large bowl. Blanch beans in boiling water for 1-2 minutes until
they turn bright green. Drain immediately and plunge beans into the ice
water bath to stop the cooking process. Let rest for 5 minutes and drain
thoroughly.
Mix the dressing: combine celery seed through
vinegar. Add honey and whisk to combine. Slowly add oil while
whisking. Add sesame seeds and mix thoroughly. Place sliced chicken
and green beans in a large shallow bowl or baking dish. Pour dressing
over ingredients and toss to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
**Basil
Rouille
Makes one bowl of dip
2
garlic cloves
1/2
cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
3
tablespoons olive oil
1/4
cup mayonnaise (Hellman’s)
1
1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
Zest
from 1/2 lemon
Juice
from 1/2 lemon
Mince
garlic cloves and transfer to blender. Add basil and olive oil.
Puree, stopping to scrape down sides, if needed. Add mayonnaise, anchovy
paste, lemon zest and lemon juice. Puree until combined. Store in
refrigerator for up to one week.
(Serve
with assorted fresh vegetables for dipping.)
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