Thanks to my friend Diane, I went to see a movie and came home with a cornocopia of fresh, organic produce. Diane, a Master Gardener who specializes in edible gardens, had been to a garden swap and brought two huge baskets full of veggies, including some unique varieties of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc. with names I don’t remember, and encouraged us to take whatever we wanted. It was a veritable farmers market in the Regal Cinema’s parking lot!

Now, with a huge bowl of veggies from Diane and my garden on my kitchen counter, I set to thumbing through my cookbooks and the gorgeous two-page photo spread of the mise-en-place for Summer Vegetable Gratin in Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc At Home caught my eye. Here tomatoes, squash, and eggplant are layered on a cooked onions and baked with a cheese and bread crumb topping. I actually sliced  an eggplant but didn’t use it because my baking dish was smaller than the 9×13 suggested.

The recipe states that this is a good dish to assemble ahead and then bake before serving.  But I ended up hurrying to slice everything up and get it in the oven as soon as the Young Baker was finished making the cookies she was taking to a sleepover. I made fresh bread crumbs, but in my hurry forgot to sprinkle them on top! Not to worry, this didn’t stop us from devouring every bit of this gratin down to the delicious juices in the bottom of the baking dish.

Summer Vegetable Gratin

(adapted from Ad Hoc at Home)

1 medium yellow squash

1 medium zucchini

1 medium tomato

Canola oil

1 c. onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely grated with a Microplane

sea salt

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground pepper

½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Serves 4

Thinly slice (¼ inch) the yellow squash, zucchini, and tomato as close in size as possible.

Heat some canola oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Reduce to med-low, add the onions and garlic and cook without browning, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 15 minutes.  Remove from burner. Stir in the thyme.

Combine the yellow squash and zucchini in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, and season with salt. Drizzle the slices of tomato with olive oil and season with salt.

Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, and thyme.

Spread the onion mixture in the bottom of an 8½ inch round shallow baking dish. Layer the vegetables in the dish overlapping the slices in a circle beginning with the zucchini. Then a circle of yellow squash overlapping the zucchini and ending up with a center of overlapping tomato slices. Sprinkle with half the cheese mixture and continue making overlapping rows with the remaining vegetables, and sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the depth of your pan) until the vegetables are tender (can be pierced easily with a knife). Remove from the oven and allow the gratin to rest for 10 minutes. If desired, turn on the broiler and place the gratin under the broiler to brown the top just before serving.

Enjoy

Lately, I’ve been posting recipes highlighting green beans, peppers, eggplant, and lettuce from our garden.  But what I was craving was some greens, like swiss chard – specifically, red chard, because of its beautiful color – very visually appealing with its shiny green ribbed leaves in colorful contrast to the brilliant red stems, I remembered my mother including it in Japanese sukiyaki.

We grew swiss chard in our garden when I was growing up and it’s readily available in most markets here in California – some areas, not so much.  Swiss chard is similar to spinach and beet greens with a flavor that is bitter, pungent and slightly salty.  Swiss chard, along with kale, mustard greens and collard greens, is one of several leafy green vegetables often referred to as “greens”. It is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in white, red or yellow with wide fan-like green leaves. WHFoods pronounces it a vegetable valedictorian and one of the world’s most nutritional foods because it contains loads of Vitamin K, A, and C and other nutrients – plus, one cooked cup of chard has only 35 calories!

Here I’ve included it in a quick easy pasta dish that’s perfect for Meatless Monday or any day where you desire a light, healthy meal packed with fresh flavor. The chickpeas add a little crunch along with a dash of tart lemon and tangy feta cheese.

Pasta with Red Chard and Chickpeas

1 bunch of organic red chard

1 can organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

zest of one lemon

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use

red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 med. onion, chopped

3 green onions, sliced

6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

8 oz. Barilla Plus thin spaghetti *

salt and freshly ground pepper

Serves 4

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add a generous amount of salt.

Wash the greens under running water. Stack them on a large cutting board as they are washed. Hold the stack of chard leaves, cut off the stems. Chop the stems into 1/2 inch lengths. Chop the leaves into 1 inch strips.

Drain the garbanzo beans, rinse, place in a bowl with the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and thyme so flavors can meld.

Insert a strainer into the boiling water. Add the stems and blanch for 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside in a bowl.  Replace the strainer in the boiling water and add the leaves. Blanch for 1-2 minutes, pull the strainer up, use a large spoon to press down on the leaves and squeeze out excess liquid, set aside. Use this water for the pasta.

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta in a colander. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss.

Return the pot to the burner. Heat on medium to burn off liquid, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, stir and cook for another minute. Add the garbanzo bean mixture, stir to combine, then add the chard stems and leaves. Continue stirring, add the pasta and the feta cheese, stir to combine ingredients. Serve immediately.

Enjoy

* Barilla Plus is a multigrain pasta that has 4 grams of fiber per 56g gram serving and is a good source of protein and Omega -3 from ground flaxseed. It’s appearance is similar to regular pasta, so may be more readily accepted by kids (and others) who may not find whole wheat or heartier brown pastas to their liking.

Today, we have a Guest Blogger – actually bloggers – from southwest Florida – that got my attention because they are a Mother/Daughter team and their  beautiful farm-to-table tart, recently featured in the  Foodbuzz Top 9,  caught my eye. I’m a huge fan of rustic tarts that highlight seasonal veggies (Zucchini and Sundried Tomato Tart and Mushroom and Spinach Tart ) and recently judged the special Culinary Arts competition, The Art of the Tart,  at the Orange County Fair – so I’ve had tarts on the brain.  Gorgeous in its simplicity; direct from CC Recipes:

Rustic Cherry Tomato Ricotta Tart

This is one eye-catching tomato tart, that is truly super simple and looks like you spent hours making it. Made with a super easy tart dough, cherry tomatoes, ricotta and cream cheese, and a sprinkling of fresh basil leaves.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt

7 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut in cubes

1/2 cup heavy cream

For the Tart:

1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced
2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes, washed and drained

1-2 Tbsp basil leaves

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Place the butter cubes around the flour and pulse until a crumbly mixture is formed.

2. Slowly add the cream while still pulsing the flour mixture, Keep adding the cream until the dough comes together into a bit of a ball.

3. Remove the dough from the food processor and move to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough a few times until it is smooth.

4. Wrap up the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (can stay in the refrigerator overnight).

5. Preheat the oven to 375F.

6. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and the garlic together; set aside. In a separate bowl, add the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon of the garlic olive oil (that you previously whisked together), salt and pepper, mix well. Toss the tomatoes with the remaining garlic olive oil.

7. Remove dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round.
Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (if you line the baking sheet with parchment paper, it will be easier to transfer to a plate later).

8. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the dough, leaving a 1 inch border. Top the ricotta mixture with the cherry tomatoes and basil leaves (I keep the basil leaves whole, but you could cut them if desired), spreading the tomatoes and basil out evenly still leaving a 1 inch border. Fold the edges/border over the filling, pleating the edges to make it fit, The center will be open. Brush the top of the pastry crust with the egg.

9. Bake for about an 30 – 45 minutes or until the shell is evenly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy

Thank you CC Recipes! From their About page: This is a blog created by mother Christine and daughter Camala (C and C) to share our favorite recipes, talk about food and baking, share pictures of the food we make and dish about anything we feel like.

New readers (thank you!) may not know what a big fan of eggplant I am.  In fact, one of my signature recipes is a lower-calorie version of eggplant parmesan, which I have aptly named Eggplant Parmesan “My Way”.  The Western (Globe) eggplant is your common grocery store variety – they are typically large with glossy dark skin and the kind most often used in eggplant parmesan. Because they’re so large they are also an excellent choice for frying or grilling. Another variety is the Japanese or Asian eggplant which is smaller with a more elongated shape; we planted a few of these in our garden this year.

This weekend, I grilled several along with the green peppers for the “not your mama’s” stuffed peppers dish I prepared.  Interesting factoid of the day:  the eggplant is a member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family and  is akin to the potato, tomato as well as the tomatillo and chayote. And, although it is generally treated as a vegetable,  the eggplant is really a fruit.

Even though my favorite eggplant dish is Eggplant Parmesan, summer calls for something lighter – like a dip or spread to savor with a cool glass of Pinot Grigio. Baba ghanoush immediately came to mind…. but I wanted to add a little twist since Baba ghanoush isn’t very original, plus I didn’t have any tahini, which is an essential ingredient.

Greek- style Eggplant Spread – Melitzanosalata

In Greek: μελιτζανοσαλάτα, pronounced meh-leed-zah-no-sah-LAH-tah

4 Japanese eggplants or 1 Globe eggplant

1 tablespoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

dash of cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

Heat gas grill to med-high or, if using a charcoal grill, prepare it for direct heat over hot coals.

Brush eggplants with olive oil and prick with a fork in several places. Grill, turning every 5 minutes until charred all over and very soft, about 10-15 minutes for small Japanese eggplants and 20-25 minutes for larger sized globe eggplant. Remove from grill and allow to cool. Make a slit in the skin along the length of the eggplant and scrape the pulp from the skin.

Coarsely chop and transfer to a colander and allow to drain over a bowl for 15 minutes and discard any liquid in the bowl.

Combine the rest of the ingredients. Blend in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with toasted pita bread. You may also want to jazz it up with a few other accompaniments such as: chopped red onion, chopped kalamata olives, and/or chopped tomatoes.

Enjoy

Greeted by a bounty of green beans upon our return from vacation, I’ve been busily creating summertime salads that defy the term “salad”  as it is commonly thought of, i.e. dressed salad greens with traditional salad toppings. The first was the classic Niçoise Salad, inspired by images of my daughter  gleefully absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells of  Italy and France – last week traveling from Venice, to Avignon, the French Riviera via Monaco, to Nice (where salade Niçoise originated).

Today’s salad also hails from the french countryside and was inspired by the beautiful Bon Appétit 1994 Special Edition entitled The French Countryside.

I treasure my archive of these informative and gorgeously photographed Bon Appétit special editions, a gift from my mother when I was married  My recipe was inspired by the Potato Salad with Haricots Verts, Roquefort and Walnuts from the article The Art of the Picnic.

Grilled Potatoes with Green Beans, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

adapted from Bon Appétit

10 small red-skinned potatoes, halved

1/2 pound young green beans,trimmed

2/3 cup Blue cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main

Heat grill to med- high.  Toss the potatoes with a 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette before placing on grill. (I used the remainder of the vinaigrette from the Nicoise Salad). Sear with grill marks on cut side and then lower heat and transfer to a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil to continue cooking. About 20 minutes total.

Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well and transfer to a medium bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the  vinaigrette, add walnuts and half of the  blue cheese and gently combine.

Arrange beans on a platter. Surround beans with the grilled potatoes or mound them in the center atop the green beans.

We enjoyed this as a main dish, or you could do as the French do and include it as a side dish to a succulent roast chicken as in the article. Either way -

Enjoy

Today, she comes home, exhausted from a transformative journey encompassing four European countries – the grand finalé,  two racous nights in Paris celebrating  Bastille Day , the French national holiday known as La Fête Nationale, as the French do. I’m so excited – can’t wait to hear about her trip!

Tender baby romaine from the garden.

What would highlight the vibrant greens?  I was thinking a simple presentation with a bold flavor …

My taste memory responded with an instant craving for real, blue cheese dressing – rich and creamy with big chunks of  tangy blue cheese. The kind that flows and hasn’t been thickened with xanthum gum or modified food starch.

It just so happens that I splurged on Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home cookbook and was waiting for the perfect opportunity to leisurely leaf through thiswonderful collection of family meals and everyday staples, “delicious approachable food” that Keller promises are “doable at home, no immersion circulator required…” .

As the renowned chef and owner of legendary Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry in Yountville, CA, Thomas Keller is not a name normally associated with “accessible” or “home cooking”.  Ad Hoc at Home is touted as the long awaited book for home cooks where the revered chef has turned his imagination to the American comfort foods that we all know and love. Here is the first of many recipes I’ll share with you from this gorgeous cookbook.

Blue Cheese Dressing

Adapted from Ad Hoc at Home

1 cup Aioli

¼ to ½ cup buttermilk

½ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon minced shallots

1 teaspoon minced flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon minced mint

8 oz. crumbled blue cheese

Kosher salt

For the Aioli:

Ingredients: 1 whole garlic head, 1 cup canola oil, 1 t. fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Chop end off whole garlic head, peel individual cloves. In a heavy saucepan add the cloves to 1 cup of canola oil. Heat over very low heat (not even a simmer – you should see only very small bubbles in the oil) for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool. Remove cloves from oil and reserve for another use. Put two egg yolks into a mini food processor*, very slowly add 1 cup of the garlic oil through the tube on top while processing, blending until emulsified (oil and liquid are thoroughly combined) and thickened. Add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

*Alternately, you can place the egg yolks in a glass mixing bowl and use an immersion blender.

For the Dressing:

Transfer aioli to a glass mixing bowl, whisk in ¼ cup buttermilk, sour cream, shallots, parsley and mint. Add 8 oz. of crumbled blue cheese. The dressing can be used now or refrigerated. Before serving, take a spoonful of the dressing and pour it back into the bowl – it should run freely. If it is too thick, add additional buttermilk as necessary.

Makes about 2 cups. Dressing may be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 week.

Enjoy Shown served with all natural Seneca Crisp Onions for a delightful crunch and added texture.

Blue Cheese

With fresh spinach from our garden, some chopped yellow peppers, and smoked paprika for an aromatic smoky flavor, extra containers of steamed rice from the previous night’s Chinese takeout is transformed into a delicious vegetarian meal. Grilled peaches add a touch of summer sweetness and a lovely contrast to the spicy warmth of the paprika.

Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over med-high heat, add one chopped yellow pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened, stir in 2-3 cloves chopped garlic, cook for another minute.  Add 4 cups of fresh spinach (or two 8 ounce packages), continue stirring until spinach is wilted. Remove the peppers, spinach, and garlic from the pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of peanut oil, add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the oil, stir in two containers of chilled steamed rice* and fry until golden brown, tossing or stirring frequently so the beautiful crimson color of the paprika is evenly distributed. Stir in the peppers, spinach, and garlic.

Enjoy

*Note: Refrigerated leftover rice produces the best fried rice because it’s drier, if you cook your own rice, be sure to chill it (uncovered) before frying so it doesn’t clump up.

From Michelle Obama’s popular garden at the White House and ‘Let’s Move’ initiative to fight childhood obesity, to Jamie Oliver’s TV show “Food Revolution“,  to Guy Fieri’s proposed legislation to recognize the 2nd Saturday of May as “Cook With Your Kids Day” in California, there seems to be a rising wave of genuine interest in teaching our children about where food comes from, eating healthier, and cooking at home.

With summer vacation fast approaching, Moms everywhere are busily reading up on summer camps and activities, juggling dates to plan summer vacations, and trying to figure out how to keep their children busy and engaged during summer vacation. With celebrity endorsements like those above, I feel in excellent company when I suggest that you look no further than your own kitchen – for at least a few hours a week!

Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore! For kids, preparing dinner can be fun and rewarding  – and seeing your “Mini-me” beaming as they present their winning dish, I just bet you’ll feel a tinge of pride. And if you don’t cook, this could be your chance to learn along with your kids – what could be more precious?

When my daughter was younger – she’s now 18 years old and is the official “chief baker” in our family, I subscribed to Family Fun magazine which was packed with fun food ideas and kid-friendly recipes. One of the recipes I saved from 2001  is their Crunchy Cornflake Chicken.  It is simple, finger-lickin’ delicious, and has the necessary fun factor of smashing cornflakes for the coating Give it a shot and let me know if cooking with your kids could become habit forming!

Crunchy Cornflake Chicken

Coated with a homemade “shake and bake” mix made from cornflakes and seasonings, this oven-baked chicken tastes as good as fried chicken – without all the fat! Kids love crushing the cornflakes and shaking the chicken pieces to coat them with topping.

Ingredients

3 cups cornflakes

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken breasts, wings, drumsticks, thighs

1. Heat the oven to 375º. To make the coating, pour the cornflakes into a sealable gallon-size plastic bag and use a rolling pin (or your palms) to crush the cereal. Open the bag and add the flour, paprika, onion powder, and sage. Shake salt and pepper (about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of each, depending on your family’s taste) into the bag, reseal, and shake until well combined.

2. Pour the milk into a shallow bowl. Rinse the chicken pieces. Dip one piece in the milk, drop it in the bag of cornflake mix, and shake until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Place on a rimmed cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil (easier cleanup) lightly sprayed with canola oil. Repeat until all the pieces are coated. Discard any leftover coating, and wash your hands thoroughly after handling the raw chicken.

3. Bake for 50 minutes or until done. ♦

Serves 4 to 6.

♦ Kid’s Cooking Skills:  An opportunity to teach kids how to season and bread chicken and how to test chicken for doneness.

TIP To test chicken for doneness, slice into the center of the thickest part of the piece down to the bone. It’s done if the meat juice is clear and the meat is no longer pink.

Shown served with our family favorite: Annie’s Cornbread and shiny, slightly sweet Glazed Carrots.  Family Fun’s  ”Carrot Coins” recipe can be found on their website, but really, you don’t need a recipe, its so easy to make: peel and cut a pound of carrots, steam in a microwave safe container for 3 minutes, transfer to a skillet heated over med-high heat, sauté with one tablespoon butter and sprinkle a tablespoon of  brown sugar. ♦

♦ Cooking Skills: an opportunity to teach your child how to peel and slice carrots, use a microwave, and make a glaze.

Whatever the name: brochettes, kebabs, kabobs, skewers –  mixed with colorful peppers and onion they are a delicious alternative to steak, chicken, or ribs for spring or summer grilling.

Grilled Lamb Kebabs

Marinade:
Juice from two lemons
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence or Italian Seasoning

1½ pounds trimmed leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

Prepare grill (medium-high heat.

Place lamb in a glass baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk together the lemon juice, grated lemon peel, olive oil, Herb de Provence seasoning. Pour over lamb, toss to coat. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend.

Using slotted spoon, remove lamb from marinade. Add vegetables to marinade and toss to coat. Thread lamb, with onion, and bell pepper pieces alternately on six metal skewers.

Grill until onion and peppers are slightly charred and lamb is cooked to desired doneness, turning and brushing once with marinade, about 12 minutes for medium.

Serves 4.

Enjoy Shown here with a salsa of halved grape tomatoes mixed with sliced green onions and green chilies in olive oil mixed with orzo.

After a day of indulging in chocolate and a rich and delicious Easter dinner at Spencer’s in Palm Springs  I tried to keep it light and healthy the next day. A Roasted Red Pepper Dip served with vegetable crudites and Oroweat toasted 100-calorie multi-grain sandwich thins was perfect.

Ingredients:

3 red bell peppers, roasted

1- 15 oz. can of organic cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice and zest from 1 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoons pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees F. Core and slice red peppers in half, place on foil-lined tray and roast until skin is blackened. Allow to cool, remove skin.

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until fairly smooth.  Add more olive oil for desired consistency and salt and pepper to your taste.

I used two of my must-have kitchen accessories (pictured below) for this recipe: this Cusinart mini-food processor that I bought at Sur La Table and I don’t know how I ever survived without a microplane for grating lemon and orange rind! (Its great for ginger – so much easier than mincing and the stringy part is left on the microplane). Both of these essential items can be purchased at my Amazon store.