Recipes this week include:
Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes
Baked Green Tomatoes
Zucchini and Squash “Pasta” with Mint Pesto
Zucchini with Roasted Red Peppers and Chives
Fresh Pea Soup
Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes
by Susie Middleton
Serves four as a side dish.
2 to 15 baby red potatoes (about 1-1/2 oz. each; 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter)
2-3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least an inch of water. Add 2 tsp. kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until they are completely tender and can be easily pierced. The total cooking time will be 30 to 35 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean dishtowels on your countertop. As the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water and let them drain.
Fold another dishtowel into quarters, and using it as a cover, gently press down on one potato with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Repeat with all the potatoes. Don’t worry if some break apart a bit; you can still use them.
Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of parchment on top of the foil. Transfer the flattened potatoes carefully to the baking sheet and let them cool completely at room temperature.
Remove the pan of potatoes from the refrigerator, if prepared ahead. Heat the oven to 450°F. Sprinkle the potatoes with about 3/4 tsp. salt and pour the olive oil over them. Lift the potatoes gently to make sure some of the oil goes underneath them and that they are well coated on both sides. Roast the potatoes until they’re crispy and deep brown around the edges 30 to 40 minutes, turning over once gently with a spatula or tongs halfway through cooking. Serve hot.
make ahead tips
Do the busy work—boiling and flattening the potatoes—up to 8 hours ahead. Let potatoes cool completely, and store them on the pan, lightly covered, in the fridge. Then all you have to do at the last minute is coat with oil and salt and roast.
Baked Green Tomatoes
By Diana Rattray, About.com Guide
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
4 large firm green tomatoes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup coarse buttery cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons butter
Cut green tomatoes in 1/2 inch slices; arrange green tomato slices in a greased baking dish. Season sliced green tomatoes with salt and pepper and spread each with about 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar. Cover sliced green tomatoes with crumbs and dot with butter. Bake at 350° until green tomatoes are tender but still firm, or about 25 to 35 minutes.
Recipe for baked green tomatoes serves 6.
Zucchini and Squash “Pasta” with Mint Pesto
For a dish with more dramatic contrasts of color, use only the squash flesh that includes some of the colored skin. In this case, you will need about 8 green and 8 yellow squashes.
Ingredients:
1 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup vegetable stock or canned broth
3 Tbs. grated asiago cheese, plus extra for garnish (optional)
2 large garlic cloves, cut up
2 tsp. olive oil
3 yellow summer squashes, about 3/4 lb. total
3 zucchini, about 3/4 lb. total
1/4 cup chopped shallot
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a blender or food processor, combine the mint, stock, 2 Tbs. of the cheese, the garlic and olive oil. Process until smooth. Set the pesto aside.
Using a mandoline or a vegetable peeler, cut the yellow squashes and zucchini into long, narrow ribbons.
Heat a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat. Coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the yellow squashes, zucchini and thyme and season generously with salt and pepper. Sauté until the squashes are just tender, about 8 minutes more.
Stir in the mint pesto and heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. cheese.
Transfer to a warmed serving dish and toss with extra cheese. Serve hot.
Serves 4 to 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Fresh & Light, by Lane Crowther
Zucchini with Roasted Red Peppers and Chives
2 red bell peppers
2 garlic cloves, chopped (optional)
3 to 4 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
5 to 8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of sugar (if boiling zucchini)
4 young, tender zucchini, about 1 lb. total, diced or cut into bite-size pieces
Preheat a broiler.
Put the bell peppers on a baking sheet and broil, turning as needed, until blistered and charred on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, using tongs or a large fork, hold the peppers, one at a time, over the flame of a gas burner and turn as needed until evenly blistered and charred. Transfer the blackened peppers to a brown paper bag and seal loosely, or place in a bowl and cover. Let cool to the touch. Remove the peppers and peel away the charred skin. Slit lengthwise and remove and discard the stems and seeds.
Finely chop the peppers and put in a serving bowl. Add the garlic, chives and basil to taste, and the olive oil. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Add pinches of salt and sugar and the zucchini and boil rapidly until the zucchini is tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain the zucchini well. Alternatively, bring water to a boil in a steamer pan, put the zucchini in a steamer rack over the water, cover and steam until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the zucchini from the rack.
Add the zucchini to the bell pepper mixture and toss well. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Vegetable, by Marlena Spieler (Simon & Schuster, 2002).
Fresh Pea Soup
2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
5 cups freshly shelled peas or 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas
2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup freshly chopped chives
Garlic croutons, for serving
Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper.
Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with garlic croutons.
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