Fried Green Tomatoes, Burrata, Reduced Balsamic & Fresh Basil, with Arrabbiata Sauce

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Prep Time:  30 min    Cook Time:  20 min    Serves:  2

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As we approach the end to another summer, there are still a few treats left in the season.  This pairing of the southern classic, fried green tomatoes, and a spicy arrabiata sauce is a perfect way to burn through the abundance of fruit showing up on the vines right now.   Add in some fresh basil and some reduced balsamic vinegar and you have a late summer recipe to send the season out in style.

Arrabbiata means angry in Italian, denoting the spiciness in this tomato based sauce.  Simmer the red pepper flakes and garlic together in olive oil before adding in your tomatoes.  This will allow the heat and favor to diffuse into the oil and into your finished sauce.  

Simmer the vinegar slowly over low heat to reduce. This will ensure you don’t over reduce or scorch the syrup.  Reducing the vinegar not only makes it more sauce like, it concentrates the flavor.  The sweetness in the vinegar is important as it counters the heat in the arrabbiata, and makes the dish more balanced as a whole.    

Ingredients:

• 2 large green tomatoes (either roma or beefsteak); sliced
• 8 oz burrata cheese
• ½ cup fresh basil; chopped
• ½ cup arugula; chopped
• 2 large eggs; whisked
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Arrabbiata Sauce

• 4 large san marzano or roma tomatoes; chopped
• 2 cloves garlic; minced
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp fresh basil; finely chopped
• 2tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Add olive oil, chopped garlic, and red pepper flakes to saute pan and simmer over medium/low heat.  Simmer for two-three minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in your chopped tomatoes and raise the heat to medium, continuing to simmer for another 10 minutes.  Stir and break down the tomatoes using a wooden spoon before transferring to a food processor.  Pulse the sauce until it achieves a light chunky consistency.  Add in the fresh chopped basil then set aside.

Add the vinegar to a small sauce pot and bring to a simmer.  Drop the heat to low and reduce the vinegar to the consistency of a light syrup.  Remove vinegar from the heat, add to a small bowl and set to the side.   

In three separate bowls add your eggs, flour, and cornmeal.  Take the sliced green tomatoes and dredge them first in the flour, then in the eggs, and finally in cornmeal, before setting aside on a wire rack.  

In a high sided pot add the cup of vegetable oil and set over medium/high heat. The oil should reach approximately 300 degrees.  If you don’t have a thermometer to measure this, a good way to test the oil is to just have a spare piece or two to test fry.  When the oil is at the proper temperature, the tomatoes should turn a golden brown after about a minute on each side.  Remove the tomatoes from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel before seasoning with salt and pepper.  

Toss the remaining chopped basil, arugula, and olive oil together with some salt and pepper.  Plate a small amount of the arrabbiata sauce before placing your fried tomatoes on top.  Top the tomatoes with the salad of basil and arugula, then add the burrata on top and drizzle the balsamic syrup.

Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms, Sweet Corn Pudding, with Cherry Tomatoes & Basil Pesto

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Prep time:  30 mins.    Cook time:  10 mins.    Serves:  2

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Late August brings with it the rewards of a whole summer’s worth of work in the garden.  The greatest of those rewards for me being squash blossoms.  While squash blossoms great fresh and tossed in a salad or in a pasta dish, I wanted to make the blossoms the star in this recipe.  By stuffing them with a ricotta and herb mixture and then lightly batter frying, these blossoms become a  fresh and satisfying appetizer or light entree.  

Squash blossoms are very delicate and have to be handled with care when stuffing with the ricotta.  Slice the blossom open vertically, from the base to the top of the flower.  It’s better to slightly under fill the blossoms so that you have enough room to fold over and close the incision.  I would also suggest letting the  blossoms set up in the fridge for 20 to 30 mins after filling before battering and frying so that the filling does not run out once they hit the oil.  

While you could deep fry the blossoms in a more neutral flavored oil like vegetable, shallow frying in a pan with olive oil works great here.  Leaving a small bit of stem at the base of the blossom allows you to dip them in the batter and gently lower into the oil.  Fry the blossoms for one to two minutes on each side until a light golden brown then flip before allowing them to drain on paper towels.  

Ingredients:

• 8 cherry tomatoes; halved
• basil leaves for garnish
• ½ cup olive oil

Squash Blossoms-

• 8 squash blossoms
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano; chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh basil; chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Batter-

• ¾ cup seltzer
• ¼ cup yellow cornmeal
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• salt & pepper to taste

Corn Pudding-

• 1½ cup yellow sweet corn
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¾ cup light cream
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1-2 tbsp yellow cornmeal
• salt & pepper to taste

Basil Pesto-

• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

In a mixing bowl combine the ricotta, egg yolk, chopped oregano, chopped basil, salt, and pepper.  Cut open the squash blossoms and gently fill the flowers with the ricotta mixture, then set aside in the fridge to set.

Add the butter and corn to a small pot and lightly saute.  When the corn has begun to cook, add in the cream, sugar, salt and pepper and cook down until the cream has reduced by roughly half.  Add the corn mix into a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Add the corn mix back to the pot and return to heat, adding in the cornmeal.  Stir the corn pudding, adding in more cream or cornmeal in necessary until you achieve a thick, smooth texture.  Set aside.

Add the basil, walnuts, lemon juice, cheese, garlic to a food processor.  With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper then set aside.  

In a bowl combine the seltzer, flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper with a whisk until well mixed.  Add the olive oil to a saute pan and place over medium heat.  Once the oil is heated, dip the blossoms one by one in the batter and then add to the pan.  Work in small batches, frying the blossoms for 1-2 minutes on each side.  

Plate the corn pudding before staggering your squash blossoms out.  Garnish with the cherry tomatoes, basil leaves,  and pesto.  

Charred Cucumber Salad with Roasted Carrots, Pepitas, Herbed Feta, & Turmeric Crema

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Prep Time:  20 mins    Cook Time:  10 mins    Serves:  2

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While charring in a hot pan may not be the first treatment that comes to mind for cucumber, I promise you will be happy with the results.  Cucumbers are in the squash family, so cooking them this way really isn’t too far outside the norm.  Due to their especially high water content, cucumbers must be seared in a screaming hot pan or they will steam instead of char.  Cut the cucumber in half vertically and salt the exposed flesh before cooking to draw out excess water and pat dry before adding to the pan.  

Ingredients:

• 1 persian hothouse cucumber; halved lengthwise

• 4 carrots; halved lengthwise

• 6-8 bibb lettuce leaves

• ⅓ cup pepitas

• ⅓ cup feta cheese

• ½ cup sour cream

• 2 tsp turmeric

• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 tsp marjoram

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a mixing bowl whisk together sour cream, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and marjoram.  Cover the crema and refrigerate until needed.  

Add a tablespoon of the olive oil to a large saute pan and place over high heat.  When the pan has become very hot and the oil begins to smoke, very carefully add the cucumbers cut side down.  Sear the cucumbers for approximately one minute then flip and lower the heat.  Continue to saute the cucumbers for another two minutes then remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Toss the carrots with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil then season with salt and pepper.  Cook the carrots in a saute pan over medium heat until fork tender, then set aside and drain on paper towels until ready to use.  

Plate the lettuce leaves then fan out the carrots and cucumbers on top.  Liberally add the crema  then garnish with the pepitas and feta.

Raspberry Sorbet, with Mango Cheesecake, Chambord Coulis, & Brûléed Mango

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Prep Time:  1 hour    Cook Time:  45 mins    Serves 2

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After an all too brief summer vacation it’s nice to come back to something sweet.  The creamy texture in this mango cheesecake and the vibrancy of the raspberry sorbet create a perfect summer dessert  and look beautiful on a plate together.  It is important to use fresh fruit for these recipes.  While frozen or canned substitutes would work, there is no replacing the intensity and depth of flavor you get when using fresh product.  And since it’s summer and both fresh mangoes and raspberries are readily available, you really have no excuse not to use fresh ingredients.  

There are a few different parts to this recipe.  However, since all the components require time to set in the fridge, you have the ability to focus on one task at a time.  Although  you could start early enough to get everything ready for dinner, I would suggest letting both the sorbet and cheesecake set over night in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS:

Sorbet

• 4 6-ounce containers fresh raspberries
• ½ cup honey
• 4 cups water; divided
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ½ cup light corn syrup

Mango Cheesecake 

• Filling-
  • 3 large ripe mangoes; peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
  • 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese; room temperature
  • 1¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
• Crust-
  • 1¼ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup slivered blanched almonds
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter; cut into pieces
  • ¾ tsp almond extract
  • 2 tbsp ice water
• Mango Topping-
  • 1 cup mango puree
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp gelatin
  • 2 tbsp warm water

Chambord Coulis

• 1 cup Chambord
• ½ cup fresh raspberries

Mango Brûlée

• ½ ripe mango; cut into thin slices
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup ground cinnamon

METHOD:

Place raspberries in a food processor and process until smooth. Press the raspberry  puree through a fine sieve to remove any seeds. Next, whisk together pureed raspberries and honey in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine three cups of water, sugar, and corn syrup in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the sugar is fully dissolved, approximately two minutes; do not stir. Stir the sugar mixture and the remaining one cup of water into the reserved raspberry puree.

Make an ice bath by filling a very large bowl with water and ice. Set the bowl of raspberry puree in the ice bath and whisk until cool. Pour the cooled puree into a 9”x 13” baking dish and cover by pressing a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the puree.  Freeze overnight until solid.

For the cheesecake; Blend flour, almonds, sugar and salt in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add in butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in almond extract and enough water to form moist clumps. Knead dough briefly on work surface to combine before flattening into a disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm before rolling; at least two hours.

Once the dough has cooled and set, preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter 9” diameter spring form pan with high sides. Press almond dough firmly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake until the crust is set, about 12 minutes. Cool completely while maintaining the oven temperature.

Puree mangoes in a food processor until smooth, yielding approximately three cups. Set aside two cups mango puree (reserve remaining puree for the topping). Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add two cups mango puree and beat until well blended. Pour filling over crust in pan.

Bake cake and setting the spring form pan into a larger baking dish filled with water.  It’s important the water level in the larger pan is filled to the same level as the cheesecake filling to ensure proper baking.  Bake until  set and the cake is puffed and golden around the edges (center may move very slightly when pan is gently shaken), about an hour and 25 minutes. Cool cake one hour.

Mix together together the tablespoon of gelatin and two tablespoons of warm water and stir to combine.  Whisk gelatin mixture into your reserved cup of mango puree along with a tablespoon of granulated sugar.  Place mango topping in fridge to cool and set at least one hour before pouring onto cheesecake and refrigerate uncovered overnight.

With the coulis simply combine the Chambord liqueur and fresh raspberries in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Ignite the Chambord to burn off the alcohol and allow to simmer until reduced by at least half.  You are looking for a thin syrup-like consistency that should easily coat a spoon.  Remove the mixture from the heat and puree in a food processor until smooth.  Pass the puree through a mesh sieve to remove any seeds and cool.  

Finally, the for the brûléed mango topping, sprinkle the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon heavily over the reserved mango slices.  Using a food torch, caramelize the sugar and cinnamon mixture on the mango slices.  Allow the slices to cool completely before slicing into strips and using to top cheesecake slices.

Ranier Cherries, Endive, Hazelnut Butter, with Goat Cheese, Black Pepper Bacon, and Cherry Vinaigrette

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Prep Time:  30 mins.    Cook Time:  10 mins.    Serves:  2

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Summer makes cooking very easy as it supplies us with a glut of beautiful and delicious ingredients to use.  At the top of both those categories are Ranier cherries.  Super sweet, with golden flesh and a bright red blush, you could do very well with just placing them in a bowl and letting your guests go at it.  For those interested in a slightly more elaborate treatment though, this salad balances the Ranier’s sweet flavor with the bitterness of endive,  smoky black pepper bacon, and creamy hazelnut butter.

For this recipe, it is recommended to use thick cut bacon.  Thinner cuts won’t break down properly and you’ll end up with bacon bits instead of the nice crispy lardons the recipe calls for.  Using a thick cut, and cutting the bacon into a small dice before rendering slowly will get you the best results.  Cook the bacon over low heat very slowly to cook all the fat out, then drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Reserve 3 tbsp of the bacon fat for your vinaigrette.

Toss the hazelnuts in olive oil and salt before roasting the oven, then cool. To remove any skins from the hazelnuts, simply dampen a towel and clean the skins off after roasting.  It's important to let them cool after roasting them in the oven.  Placing them directly in the food processor while still hot will cause the hazelnuts and oil to separate and prevent the “butter” from coming together.  If this happens, or if you accidentally add too much oil, add in a tbsp or 2 of cold water to bring everything back together and smooth out the texture.   You want to shoot for a very creamy and easily spreadable consistency.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups Ranier cherries; pitted and halved
• 3 strips thick cut bacon; diced
• 1 large endive spear; cleaned  and halved with leaves separated
• 1 cup mache greens
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Hazelnut Butter

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 5+1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cold water (optional)

Cherry Vinaigrette

• 1 cup Rainier cherries; pitted and halved
• 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
• 3 tbsp reserved bacon fat
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 375°.  Toss the hazelnuts in a tbsp of olive oil with salt to season before transferring to a lined sheet tray and placing in your preheated oven.  Roast the hazelnuts for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  Transfer the nuts to a paper towel lined plate and place in the fridge to cool.  Once cool, place the nuts, honey, salt, and vanilla extract into a food processor.  With the motor running, slowly start to drizzle in the remaining 5 tbsp of olive oil and process until very smooth and creamy.  

Meanwhile, place a saute pan over medium-low heat and add in your bacon.  Render the bacon slowly until very crisp then transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

In a food processor add the cup of pitted cherries along with the champagne vinegar and chopped thyme.  With the motor running, add the reserved bacon fat a tbsp at a time.  Transfer the vinaigrette to a small bowl and chill.  

To assemble, run a long streak of the hazelnut butter across the plate before adding you endive leaves, mache, and cherries.  Fill the endive leaves like cups with the cherries, goat cheese, and bacon, before liberally adding dollops of the dressing around the plate.  

Red Pepper Marinated Marinated Shrimp, Charred Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Radish, Red Onion, & Avocado Cream

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Prep Time: 20 mins.    Cook Time:  30 mins.    Serves:  2

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This recipe is a great light appetizer for your next outdoor get together.  The light heat from the crushed red pepper on the shrimp is balanced out by the refreshing flavors in the avocado cream.  The char on the tomatoes also gives them a nice smoky flavor that lends some depth.

When purchasing your shrimp at the store for this recipe remember; size matters.  Shrimp are sold by the pound, and are labeled by an approximation of how many shrimp (shell included) are in that pound.  16/20 shrimp for example (the kind called for in this recipe) contain between 16-20 shrimp per pound.  You can of course get larger shrimp should you desire, but smaller wouldn’t lend themselves well to this application.

Marinate the shrimp in garlic, crushed red pepper, basil, and olive oil for at least 30 minutes before sauteing, this will ensure they have absorbed enough flavor.  For the avocado cream, make sure to select ripe avocados that are still a nice bright green.  Under ripe avocados can be placed in a paper bag on the counter to speed the ripening a little.  

Ingredients:

Shrimp

• 8 raw 16/20 shrimp; shelled and cleaned
• ½ cup heirloom cherry tomatoes; halved
• 2 radish; shaved
• ⅓ cup red onion; shaved
• 2 tbsp crushed red pepper
• 2 clove garlic; finely chopped
• 2 tbsp basil; finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Avocado Cream

• 2 ripe avocados; pitted, peeled
• ½  cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp basil; finely chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Place a large saute pan over medium heat and add marinated shrimp.  Cook the shrimp, tossing occasionally, until the shrimp are bright red and cooked through (approx. 10 mins).  Place shrimp on a paper towel lined plate and reserve.

Process avocados, sour cream, vinegar, oil, 2 tablespoons basil in a food processor until mixture is very smooth, light, and thick. Season with salt.

For the tomatoes; place the halved tomatoes cut side down on a sheet tray.  Using a butane food torch, char the skins of the tomatoes.  If you don’t have a torch, you can also use a heavy skillet.  Heat the skillet over high heat until smoking, then add the tomatoes skin side down until they become charred.  

Plate your avocado cream before stacking your shrimp and garnishing with the charred tomatoes, radish, and shaved onion.

Watermelon Crab Salad with Jalapeño, Cherry Tomatoes, Mache, Mint, and Lime Vinaigrette

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Prep Time:  20 mins    Cook Time:  0 mins    Serves:  2

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Summer has come on strong, making the idea of turning on the oven and making the kitchen even hotter very unappealing.  This crab salad will keep you and the kitchen cool on a warm evening.  Use lump crab meat here, or anytime you use crab really.  Claw meat isn’t as tender and has a much stronger flavor that most find unpleasant.  

Jalapeño is low on the list of the world’s hottest peppers, but it can still be too spicy for some.  To help with this, wear gloves and then remove the seeds and veins.  Capsaicin, the active ingredient in peppers that gives them their heat, is mostly contained in the seeds and veins.  Make sure you wear gloves for this though, as capsaicin can remain on your hands even after a thorough washing and any contact with your face will burn quite a bit.  

Mache greens are a small tender green available at most farm markets.  They are soft in texture with a nutty flavor and beautiful dark green color.  They usually come with the root bundle still attached and a lot comes in a package. If you have a few extra plant pots hanging around, plant whatever you don’t use to come back to later.  They do well in mixed sun and loose rich soil.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lump crab meat
• 2 cups watermelon; cut into 1” cubes
• ½ cucumber; sliced into wide strips on a mandolin
• 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes; halved
• 1 jalapeño; veined, seeded, and sliced on a mandolin
• 1 cup mache greens
• ⅓ cup mint leaves
• ⅓ cup basil leaves
• ¼ cup lime zest
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Add lime juice to a blender and slowly drizzle in olive oil with the motor running. Season with salt and pepper to taste then set aside.

Toss mache greens, basil, and mint lightly in lime dressing.  Plate your watermelon, tomatoes, and cucumber before adding your dressed greens.  Lightly dress the crab meat and plate amongst the rest of your salad.  Garnish with shaved jalapeño and lime zest then season lightly with salt and pepper.