The Tomatoes Are Coming, The Tomatoes Are Coming!

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Photo by Lindaraxa

I am so proud of this picture that rather than post it in my country blog where it belongs, I am posting it front and center on my main recipe blog.  Look at those tomatoes, and look at that picture, I am so proud of myself and my daughter for having put up with those ugly blue pots during the Spring, after nurturing the seeds in late winter, so we could finally enjoy these beauties all summer.  I can tell you that they are better and sweeter than they look.  If you have forgotten what a real tomato tastes like, just bask in these.  I wonder how I will be able to go back to those tasteless pink things they sell at the grocery store.

If you only grow one thing in your garden, make it tomatoes!

Plenty to come!

All you need to put in these is good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and freshly crushed pepper...and of course, fresh basil! Oh my, what a treat!

I feel just like a proud mother!

All photos by Lindaraxa

Sformato di Melanzane...Eggplant Mold

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This recipe comes from a good friend who happens to eat well and entertain even better!  I recently posted on some of the small things that make an invitation from him a command performance and now I am going to share with you one of his recipes.  As it is with everything he does, it is simple and easy to make yet interesting and "fancy" enough to be part of a dinner or luncheon party.  The recipe comes from his mother and he has been serving it forever.  I recently had it at his home in Miami as part of an informal dinner buffet, in the heat of the summer, and served room temperature without a sauce.  Frankly, I can't remember what else he served I was so enchanted with this mousse.

If you want to serve it as a first course or for an elegant and simple lunch, the original recipe suggests you make extra bechamel sauce, pour it over it and top with a poached egg.  My type of lunch!

Printable Recipe
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs eggplant, peeled and cut in small pieces

2 medium onion finely chopped

5 eggs, separated

Salt & Pepper

1 Cup of bechamel sauce*

Parmaggiano Reggiano (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. 

Cut the eggplant in small pieces and finely chop the onion.  Separately, saute the onions and the eggplant.  When both are done, combine them and with a fork, add the salt and pepper and  mash the pulp until it looks like a puree.  Let cool.

Separate the eggs.  Beat the egg yolks and add to the cool puree and then beat the egg whites to stiff peaks (like a meringue) and fold in to the mix.  Add the bechamel and combine.

Grease a 4 cup mold with butter and add the eggplant.  Cook at 275degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it come to room temperature.

Run a sharp knife around the edges and invert mold unto a platter.  Serve in wedges.

If you are serving topped with bechamel sauce and poached eggs, spoon about a large tbs of bechamel sauce now on each slice and top with the eggs.  If you are forfeiting the eggs, I suggest you pour the extra bechamel after the mold is inverted into a platter.

 Although he didn't mention it, I would sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese over the bechamel sauce before serving!

*make 2 cups if you are serving it topped with sauce

Stuffed Crabs...A Delightful Summer Lunch

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 Don't confuse this recipe with crabmeat au gratin which has a white sauce and is slightly richer. This is the Southern version and one of my favorite ways to cook crab when you have the freshest or the very best.  If you don't want to fiddle around with cooking and cleaning crabs, purchase the meat from the fishmonger, but only if it is very fresh.  Costco also sells a tin of lump crabmeat that is outstanding.  I think the name is Red Star and comes in a large blue and white tin box. Be careful, they have two tins, one more expensive than the other.  For this recipe, definitely buy the former.  There is nothing, however, like fresh crabmeat so caveat emptor!

 To replace the crab shells that are traditionally used as cooking and serving vessels, use scallop shells, which can also be used for Coquilles St. Jacques, another favorite.

This makes for a delicious summer lunch, accompanied with a simple green salad and cantaloupe gelato for dessert!


Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For 4 servings

- 12 small crabs

- 1 clove of garlic, minced

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 1 shallot, finely chopped

- 2 tbsp. oil

- 2 tbsp. lemon juice

- 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce

- 4 tbsp. bread crumbs

- 2 tbsp. butter


Method

1.Clean the crabs; place them into a large pot and cover with cold water; boil for 30 minutes;

2.Cool the crabs in cold water; shell them and remove the meat; clean the shells to use for serving;

3.Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil; add the flaked crab; season with salt and pepper; cook for about 5 minutes;

4.Add the shallot, lemon juice, hot sauce, half the bread crumbs and 1 tbsp. butter;

5.Combine well; let cool for 10 minutes;

6.Fill the shells with this mixture; combine the remaining bread crumbs and butter and place on top of the crab mixture;

7.Place into a 350 °F  oven for 15-20 minutes;

8.Garnish the plate with strips of hot pepper and bunches of parsley.

Brandied Peaches

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You may have noticed, particularly if you are an old subscriber, that the recipes are getting simpler by the minute.  It is no coincidence, it is summer and it is hot, hot, hot,  here at the lake.  With this heat, who wants to cook and look at food! I just want to have light lunches, and possibly something grilled for dinner.  Last night I baked a zucchini casserole and thought I was going to faint in that kitchen.  By the time it was finished, I had no desire to eat anything hot.

I am a big believer in cooking with the seasons, and for the rest of the summer I will be posting recipes for the grill together with salads and simple side dishes.  When all this wonderful produce is in season you don't need to get complicated to eat well.

One of the things I am doing, though, is canning some of the fruits and vegetables before they go bad.  This wonderful recipe for candied peaches can be done in a jiffy, in the early part of the day, and canned for a later use, although  I don't go through all that.  It goes well with roasts, particularly pork, as well as grilled chicken.

Printable Recipe

Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients

3 Cups sugar
3 cups water
4 whole cloves
4 whole allspice berries
1 4- inch cinnamon stick
3 pounds unblemished peaches, dipped in hot water and peeled
4 TB brandy

Method

Put the sugar and water in a large kettle and bring to a boil.  Add the cloves, allspice and cinnamon.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Carefully add the peaches.  Simmer for 5 minutes until tender.  Remove the peaches to a large sterile jar with a snap lid.  Pour in cooking syrup and top with the brandy.  When cool, snap shut and store in refrigerator.

Let it mature a few days before serving.

Amethyst Glass... Living Life And Entertaining the Way it Should Be

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My friend Reggie Darling and I share a love for amethyst glass, particularly some discontinued water goblets once made and sold by designer William Yeoward.  I, unfortunately,  do not own any, but my friend Reggie owns quite a few pieces, from casual and inexpensive to elegant and very, well, dear.  If you haven't checked out his blog, or his collection of amethyst glass, I strongly suggest you do.  You will have a lot of fun and will be entertained and educated to no end in all aspects of the good life.

Reggie and his partner spend their weekends in a wonderful place called Darlington Hall in upstate New York with their beloved pug, Pompey (pronounced Pompi with an accent on the POM).  He is named after the Roman general, not the volcano. Make sure you remember this before you greet him or he will be most insulted and you might not get past the front door!  I think if I died and went to heaven, I would definitely opt to spend it with these three.  They go shopping all the time for beautiful things, all of which I covet, and when in the city, frequent the most fabulous restaurants, galleries and fun spots New York has to offer.  It's fun to "go on vacation" with them and they seem to read every book I have read or would ever want to read.  What more could you ask for.  Oh yes, they wear Belgian shoes!

The morning after at Darlington Hall

Their main competition for my company in the afterlife is that of my bestest friends in the whole wide world, my dearest friends Andrew and Juan and their pug Tosca.  These three live in a magnificient apartment in the Left Bank in Paris, spend their winters in their home in Miami Beach and have the most interesting collection of  friends any one could ever imagine.   I have never been seated at their dinner table next to anyone you would classify as a bore. They are not only hosts par excellence,  they have impeccable taste as well.  Oh yes, and they travel to fabulous places, wear Belgian shoes and read all the books Reggie and I like to read!

A casual dinner in Miami Beach

Their parties from casual and intimate to grand and opulent  are always the stuff of dreams.  Great fun, great food, beautiful tables, great conversation and terrific hosts. When Juan turned 60,  he celebrated his birthday in a beautiful private palazzo in the Grand Canal in Venice.   Friends from all over the world arrived by gondola in masks and formal dress to be greeted by the sounds of a popular Latin orchestra  flown in from Miami,  a gift from the host to himself.  Nothing was left to chance, everything was planned a year in advance from the Fortuny tablecloths to the color of the jackets worn by the service staff to the delightful Venetian menu.  The palazzo was bathed in candlelight and the party went well into the wee hours of the morning. I think it's the only time in my life I've gone to bed as the sun was rising.  It was what dreams are made of and definitely the event of any lifetime.

Lindaraxa and friend arriving at the party in Venice*

These four have to meet someday for they have much in common and a gift for entertaining that not many  seem to grasp.  Granted, in their case, they have the means to do so, but you would be surprised at how many people have the means and no idea where to start.  When they throw a dinner party, no matter how casual or informal, a lot of thought goes into everything, from the guests list to the table setting, to the wine and the food.  That is what makes a party special. 

But I digress.  A few weeks ago,  I saw this video by Colin Cowie, author of Chic, Living Life the Way It Should Be, and immediately thought of these four friends and the way they entertain. I also thought of Reggie D and all his amethyst glass!  Watch the video and you will see how a table setting is created and modified with only a few inexpensive pieces.  The pieces or the color might not be your cup of tea (it isnt mine) but you will see that  you don't need to spend a lot of money to create a beautiful table.  I am sure that there are plenty of things around your home that can be pulled together to make an interesting center piece. It doesn't always have to be flowers... beautiful porcelain is always a nice alternative.

Both of the tables above were created on the spur of the moment with things the hosts pulled together at the last minute.  Reggie wrote a nice post on this awhile back and I suggest you check it out.

 I couldn't embed the video so you will just have to click on the link.

 http://www.colincowie.com/video?v=keep-your-dinner-table-simple

*this photo reminds me of The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone! My young escort is the son of dear friends...promise!

Endive Stuffed With Goat Cheese & Walnuts

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I came upon this recipe while looking for something else. Since I had just come back from Costco with a huge bag of walnuts guess what we had last night. Although this is really a late autumn/winter recipe when endive is at its peak, I couldnt help posting it lest I forget. Tuck it in your recipe box until then and remember to try out

This appetizer has a lot going for it: The sweetness of the honeyed walnuts and orange sections complements the endive's natural bitterness, while goat cheese provides a smooth contrast to the crunch of the greens and nuts.  It is truly delightful with cocktails so give it a try and don't omit anything! It would be delightful and very elegant if served with champagne.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed leaves)

Ingredients

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons honey, divided

Cooking spray

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons orange juice

16 Belgian endive leaves (about 2 heads)

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese

16 small orange sections (about 2 navel oranges)

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine walnuts and 1 tablespoon honey; spread on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.

Combine 1 tablespoon honey, vinegar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

Fill each endive leaf with 1 orange section. Top each section with 1 teaspoon cheese and 1 teaspoon walnuts; arrange on a plate. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over leaves, and sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper.


My recipes, Cooking Light

Fourth of July Weekend... Charred Corn Salad

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Chances are you will have some leftover corn on the cob from one of the meals you serve your guests this weekend.   Don't throw it out...make this the next night.  This salad is wonderful with anything you throw on the grill, including hamburgers on the 4th; or bring it along next time you go on a picnic.  If you can't find jicama, skip it.

One thing you don't want to skip is chipotle chiles in adobo.  These are normally packed in cans with a sauce made of spices, vinegar, tomato sauce and sometimes other chilies. You can use the chiles, the sauce, or both in recipes. Don't worry, when I first made this salad, I had to look it up too!  You will find them in small cans in the Mexican section of the supermarket.  Have you noticed how this area is getting larger by the minute? My supermarket now has two sections!  People in this country have really fallen in love with all this hot and spicy food.  As for me, I have to look up most peppers every time they are included in a recipe.  It is soo confusing, all these peppers.  I have learned one thing though...habaneros are the hotest!

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

1 Tbs. fresh orange juice

1 tsp. diced chipotle chili in adobo, plus 1 Tbs. adobo sauce

2 tsp. salt

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. honey

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil

6 ears of corn, husks and silks removed

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro, plus cilantro leaves for garnish*

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup diced jicama

1/4 cup diced red onion

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, orange juice, chipotle chili and adobo sauce, 1 tsp. of the salt, the garlic, honey and the 1/4 cup olive oil until smooth. Set the vinaigrette aside.

Prepare a hot fire in a grill or preheat a grill pan over high heat.

Rub the ears of corn with the 2 Tbs. olive oil and the remaining 1 tsp. salt. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until charred in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the kernels from the cobs and place the kernels in a large bowl. Add the black beans, chopped cilantro, tomatoes, jicama, onion and vinaigrette and stir until well combined. Garnish with the cilantro leaves. Serve the salad at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

*I added 3 TBs

Recipe Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.