2003 Recipe List

** 2003 individual recipe links in progress! **

In the meantime, recipes can be located using the year tabs above.

STARTERS and SALADS

Beets, Apples and Cress with Walnuts and Curry Vinaigrette

Divine Cheese Balls

Goat Cheese in Grape Leaves with Tomato, Olive and Arugula Salad

Zucchini, Taleggio and Mascarpone Timbales with Red Pepper Coulis

SOUPS

Soup of Bitter Greens with Cheese Dumpling

Smoked Tomato Soup

Fabio’s Yellow Pepper Soup (Zuppa di Peperoni Gialli)

SAUCES and DRESSINGS

Caramelized Onion Pizza Topping

Red Mole Sauce

Red Pepper Coulis

Wild Mushroom Pizza Topping

PASTAS, POTATOES and OTHER STARCHES

Bulgur Wheat Pilaf

Cabbage and Potato Gratin

Farfalle with Bacon and Endives

Rigatoni with White Bolognese Sauce

Simple Scalloped Potatoes

SIDE DISHES

Cheddar-Jalapeño Corn Sticks

Wells’ Garden Medley

MAIN DISHES

Alfonso’s Fish in “Crazy Water”

Broiled Lamb Chops with Herb Crust

Grilled Flattened Quail or Game Hens with Olive Sauce

Hoppin’ John

Pickle Family Chicken

Pollo de Crema Tomatillo

Pork Roast Stuffed with Figs

Pozole

Stew for Dogs

DESSERTS

Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Lemon Mousse

Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

Sautéed Pumpkin Crisp

Plum Torte

BRUNCHES

Cheese-Egg Casserole

Eggs Piperade

Timbale of Eggplant and Peppers with Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar

Beets, Apples, and Cress with Walnuts and Curry Vinaigrette

from The Greens Cookbook

adapted by Judy O'Shea

serves 4 to 6

For the curry vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, pressed

½ teaspoon coarse salt

2 teaspoons good curry powder

½ teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons olive oil

For the beet mixture:

1 pound mixed colored beets

6 scallions, thinly sliced

Lemon juice to taste

½ cup currants,

2 bunches watercress, washed and stems removed

2 firm apples

1 celery heart sliced into quarters

¾ cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the curry vinaigrette: Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.

For the beet mixture: Leaving tails and an inch of the stem, put the clean beets on a baking pan with  ¼ inch of water, cover with foil and bake until tender, 25 to 40 minutes (don't overcook!). 

While beets bake, cover the currants with hot water and let them soften for 15 minutes. 

Remove beets from oven when tender, peel and cut into wedges and toss with 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette and half the scallions. Add lemon juice to make them a bit tart. Set aside.

Squeeze out liquid from currents and add to beets. Quarter apples and slice them into thin pieces. 

Dress beets, apples, celery heart and scallions, tossing with more of the dressing. Dress the watercress separately, place on plate, top with beet mixture and sprinkle walnuts on top.

Divine Cheese Balls

from my great aunt Mary Seaton Clegg of Mexico City

via Maud Hallin

serves 20 at a drink party

2 sticks (1 cup) soft butter (225 grams)

2 cups wheat flour (500 ml.)

½ pound grated cheddar cheese (1/4 kilo)

2 cups of Rice Krispies (500 ml.) - (yes, the breakfast cereal!)

½ teaspoon Coleman's dry mustard

½ teaspoon red chili powder

Mix all ingredients together. Hands work just fine. Roll out into tubes 1 to 1½ inches thick (4 to 5 cm.). Wrap in plastic wrap and put into refrigerator or freezer until hardened. Cut into slices ½ to ¾ inch thick (1 to 2 cm.), or roll into balls, and put your thumb into the center of each ball to level it out. Put onto baking sheet (Silpat is fantastic for this) and cook at 360 degrees F (soufflé heat oven) for about 15 minutes.

Excellent to have prepared in the freezer. Very lovely hot, but also good cold. I prefer a medium hard, medium strong cheddar cheese that grates easily.

Goat Cheese in Grape Leaveswith Tomato, Olive, and Arugula Salad

Photo by Mark Thomas

from Gourmet, July 2003

adapted by Sisi Damner

serves 6

½ cup olive oil

4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

¾ teaspoon ground pepper

12 large grape leaves from jar, rinsed, patted dry and stemmed

2 5-ounce logs of soft fresh goat cheese, cut into 12 rounds

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 large Heirloom tomatoes (different colors are attractive), sliced

½ cup pitted oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped

Arugula (enough to make beds for the grape leaves and tomatoes)

Whisk olive oil, thyme, and pepper in a small bowl to blend. Arrange grape leaves, vein side up, on a work surface. Dip each cheese round into thyme oil and place in center of leaf. Fold sides of the leaves over the cheese making little packages. Arrange the leaves on a platter and brush with more of the thyme oil. Cover and chill at least an hour. These can be made a day ahead.

Cover the remaining thyme oil and store at room temperature for future use. Prepare the barbecue (medium high heat). Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and mustard together. Season with salt and pepper. Dress the arugula with the vinaigrette, saving some to drizzle over the sliced tomatoes and olives.

Prepare the salad plates by arranging the greens and tomatoes in a decorative fashion.

Place the grape leaves on oiled foil on the grill. Grill about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Then place on top of each salad and serve.

This is very pretty and a bit unusual I added the arugula salad. Gourmet served their grape leaves with the tomatoes on top of grilled toast rounds.

Eggs Piperade

 

adapted from a Sunset Magazine recipe
by Mary Lonergan and Ernita O’Brien
serves 12

Piperade

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced

2 green bell peppers, cut in ½ by 3-inch strips

2 red bell peppers, cut in ½ by 3-inch strips

2 yellow bell peppers, cut in ½ by 3-inch strips

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 pound baked ham, cut into ½ by 3-inch strips

 

In a large skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers and cook until tender but still brightly colored, about 8 minutes. (This can be done ahead and kept at room temperature.) Add the tomatoes and ham to the skillet and cook over moderately low heat until just warm.

 

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

4 tablespoons butter, divided in to two equal portions

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup sour cream

2 dozen eggs

¾ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon white pepper

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Stir in flour and cook until bubbly. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream. Return to heat and cook until bubbly and smooth; set aside. Beat together eggs, salt, and pepper. In a wide frying pan over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter; pour in eggs and cook, gently lifting cooked portion to allow uncooked portion to flow underneath, until eggs are softly set. Remove from heat and gently stir in sour cream mixture. Turn eggs into a serving dish and surround on two side with Piperade.

 

These are the fluffiest, most scrumptious scrambled eggs and an oft-requested recipe!

2002 Recipe List

** Individual recipe links coming soon! **

In the meantime, recipes can be located using the year tabs above.

STARTERS and SALADS

Chicken Liver and Fig Crostini

Maud’s Dolmas

Smoked Salmon and Apple Quesadillas

Pappa al Pomodoro

Fig Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula

Maud’s Potato Salad

SAUCES and DRESSINGS

Horseradish Crema

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

Yogurt Sauce with Toasted Spices, Lime Zest and Basil

Linda’s Vinaigrette

Tarragon Cream Dressing

SIDE DISHES

Sunchoke and Tomato Gratin

Asian-Style Green Beans

French Beans with Tarragon Cream Dressing and Hazelnuts

Couscous

Spaghetti with Lime and Arugula

Pasta with Fresh Fava Beans

Risotto with Lemon and Crème Fraiche

Coconut Jasmine Rice

Mushroom-Golden Raisin Empanadas

Cumin-Scented Barley

MAIN DISHES

Pan-Smoked Salmon

Swordfish di Siracusa

Korean Beef

Pan-Roasted Chicken

Rack of Baby Lamb with Herb Crust

Lamb in Mustard Mascarpone Sauce

Pork Tenderloin with Figs and Prosciutto

Normandy Style Pork

Potatoes with Green Sauce

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

DESSERTS

Chocolate-Walnut Biscotti

Pear Tart with Poire Williams

Quick Lemon Meringue Pie

BRUNCH

Poached Eggs with Smoked Fish and Potato Hash

Baked Pear Frittata

German Pancake

Gayla’s Orange-Raisin Muffins

California Breakfast Muffins

Ramos Gin Fizz

Cucumber Relish

 

from John Ash

2 pounds English cucumbers
2 teaspoons sea or Kosher salt for sprinkling over cucumbers
⅔ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
⅔ cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
salt and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper, to taste

Peel and cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the cucumber into paper-thin slices, sprinkle with salt and toss. Let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse, drain, and gently squeeze out the excess water.

Whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, salt, and cayenne and mix into cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Pairs with Miso-Grilled Salmon.