Roasted Carrot, Heirloom Bean, And Farro Salad

Roasted Carrot, Heirloom Bean, And Farro Salad

 Ingredients:
1 cup pearled farro
5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
2 pounds slender carrots, scrubed and sliced halfway
6 to 10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked RG Royal Corona, Ayocote Blanco or
Cassoulet Beans
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, cover the farro with plenty of salted water.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low.  Simmer the grains until they are al denté, 20 to 25 minutes for pearled farro and about 1 hr. for emmer.

Drain the farro and return to the pan.  While the farro is still warm, toss it with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon oregano, set aside. 

In a large bowl, toss the carrots with garlic nad 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and the tyme sprigs.  Arrange the seasoned carrots on a baking pan in a single layer.  If you have a gas oven, place the baking sheet on the floor of the oven.  I you have and electric oven, place the carrots on the bottom rack, preferably with a pizza stone.  Cook for 6 minutes.  Rotate and shake the pan; cook until the carrots cut easily with a fork, another6-8 minutes.  Remove from the oven; cool.

Discard the thyme.  Toss the carrots, garlic, parsley, and red pepper (if using) with the farro.  Very gently fold the beans.  Check the seasonings, add salt, if desired.  Arrange the salad on a serving platter and drizzle with a little more olive oil.  Top generously with fresh ground black pepper.  Serves 6 to 8

Zucchini-Cucumber Soup

Zucchini Cucumber Soup

Ingredients:
1 large zucchini 
1/3 cup water 
1 large cucumber (the watery/juicy kind with big seeds) 
4 heaping table spoons of sour cream 
Salt to taste 
Herbs (I used basil and thyme) 
Olive oil 

Directions:
Slice zucchini into quarters.  I don’t peel mine but if prefer, you can. 

Sauté in a skillet, covered with a lid, on medium heat with a little olive oil, salt, and about a 1/3 cup water until the zucchini start becoming transparent and soft. Add herbs for the last few minutes. 

Dice cucumber (I kept all the seeds) 

Combine the zucchini, cucumber, and sour cream in the blender pitcher and blend until puréed. 

I like it cold in the summer, so I let it cool off and then put in the fridge. It’s great if you make it in the afternoon and have it for dinner or even the next day!  

TIP:  Don’t skimp on the herbs!

Garlic Confit

Garlic Confit

Ingredients:

1 head or bulb of Garlic

3 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Few sprigs thyme

Bay Leaf

:

Directions

Peel all cloves and slice very thin. 

 Heat butter over low flame, when melted add extra virgin olive oil.  Keep on low flame.  Add sliced garlic, thyme, and bay leaf.

Cook about 15 minutes or until it becomes jelly-like.

Cool and store refrigerated for about 1 week.

Can be used or added to sauces, over rice,  compound butter, soup, stew, and steak.

Cobb Salad

Cobb Salad 

Named for Bob Cobb who made it for his original Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles Restaurant where the chain began. 

Ingredients:

6 oz bacon (6 slices) chopped and browned
1 medium head romaine lettuce 5 cups chopped, rinsed and dried
2 cooked chicken breasts from a cooked chicken
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 large avocado sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbled (or feta cheese)
2 Tbsp parsley finely chopped

Cobb Salad Dressing:
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove pressed and minced
1/3 cup extra-vrigin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Sautee chopped bacon on a skillet until browned and crisp (5 min), then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool. Cook 2 hard-boiled eggs then peel and quarter.

Chop, rinse and spin dry romaine lettuce and arrange on a platter. Arrange remaining salad ingredients (chicken, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, onion, blue cheese, and bacon) in rows over salad then sprinkle the finely chopped parsley over the salad.

Transfer dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake like crazy. Drizzle over salad just before serving or let guests add their own dressing to taste.

Steamed Clams In Foil Pouches

One of my favorites is steamed clams cooked in white wine, garlic, and oil topped with some fresh herbs. This is something I love ordering when I go out to eat but making this at home is easier than you think and with more control of how much butter is added. Serve this as a light lunch or appetizer with a piece of whole wheat crusty bread to soak up the juice and enjoy.

There is a little bit of prep work involved before you can cook them. Clams should always be cooked alive and you should cook them the same day you buy them. Discard any clams with broken shells before you clean them. To clean them, place them in a medium bowl of clean, fresh water to soak for an hour. Because clams filter water through their systems, putting them in freshwater helps clear out the salt and sand that they store inside. Adding a few tablespoons of cornmeal to the water will help clean the clams more thoroughly. After they soak, rinse the clams with freshwater and scrub the outside shell. Now they are ready for cooking.

• If they aren’t open when cooked, add a few more minutes to the cook time.
• Once cooked, discard any clams that don’t open.
• Garlic, oil and white wine is the best liquid for steaming clams, in my opinion. If you prefer not to use wine, you can omit, there will still be plenty of liquid from the vegetables.
• You can easily double or triple this recipe.

Ingredients:

Reynolds Wrap Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil

10 ounce 1 medium zucchini, cut 1-inch pieces

5 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 clove garlic, sliced

3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

20 littleneck or cherrystone clams

1 tablespoon dry white wine

crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Tear off an 18” sheet of Heavy Duty foil.

• Center the food on the foil sheet.
• Bring up the long sides of the foil, so the ends meet over the food.
• Double fold the ends, leaving room for heat to circulate inside.
• Double fold the two short ends to seal the packet.
• Grill covered directly on the flame according to directions.
• To bake in the oven, preheat oven to 425F and cook until the shells open, 8 to 10 minutes.