Monster Zucchini Lasagne

We've been pretty careful about checking the zucchini daily this summer, and so we haven't suffered from too many monster zucchini. Last week, though, we must have taken our eyes off the prize, because 3 of them rolled into the kitchen. This seems to be the time of year when you are most likely to see very large zucchini at the farmer's markets, so apparently we are not the only ones.

This is also the end of the zucchini. As usual, they are now robed from top to bottom in powdery mildew and we're done here. Hopefully there are still a few zucchini around from people who don't seem to be as hard-hit by the stuff as we are, but nevertheless, the end is nigh. Lots of butternut squash coming along though! 

6 to 8 servings
2 hours - 45  minutes prep time

Prepare the Vegetables:
900 grams (2 pounds) zucchini
1 medium-large carrot
1 medium-large onion
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

Wash the zucchini, trim the blossom end, and grate coarsely. Wash, peel and coarsely grate the carrot. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the zucchini, carrot, and onion. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until wilted and reduced by half in volume. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute or so more. Remove from the stove and let cool slightly.

Prepare the Filling & Finish:
1/4 cup finely minced fresh mint
1/4 cup finely minced fresh dill
1/2 cup finely minced fresh parsley
450 grams (1 pound) ricotta cheese
3 extra-large eggs
200 grams (1/2 pound) mozzarella
100 grams (1/4 pound) feta cheese
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
9 to 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
3 or 4 salad sized tomatoes to garnish

While the vegetables cook, wash and mince the herbs and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the ricotta cheese and break in the eggs. Mix until smoothly blended.

Grate or finely dice the mozzarella, and add it to the mixture. Crumble in the feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a large (9" x 13") lasagne pan.

Mix the vegetables into the cheese mixture.  Spread about 1/4 of the mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover this with 3 or 4 lasagna noodles in a single layer. Spread another 1/4 of the cheese and vegetable mixture over the noodles. Add another layer of noodles, 1/4 of the (original amount of) cheese and vegetable mixture over, add one final layer of noodles, and finish with the remainder of the cheese and vegetable mixture.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange them over the top of the lasagne. Bake for 1 hour at 350°F, until set and firm. Let cool for 10 or 15 minutes before serving.





Last year at this time I made Plum & Blackberry Pie. 

Thai Basil Chicken

Last year I had a hankering for some Thai Basil Chicken, and since I can't imagine where I might buy the Thai basil around here, I decided the easiest thing was to grow my own. So we ordered some seeds, planted it out, and now it is large enough to harvest. Conveniently, we are also growing a plant of Thai orange chile peppers, and while they have not yet turned orange they are ripe enough to use.

Now that I've had some, I want some more! Fortunately I won't have to wait so long this time, as there is still some Thai basil in the garden. The peppers too; although next time I think I won't put in 3 of them. Even green they pack quite a punch, and I suspect most people will be happier with 1 or 2.

Like most stir-fries this cooks very quickly, in under 10 minutes. Therefore it is important to have everything ready to go before the pan is heated. If you serve this with rice - and I rather think you must - start it even before you begin to round up the other ingredients. 

2 servings
30 minutes prep time

Make the Sauce:
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock, or water
1 teaspoon arrowroot, potato starch, or cornstarch

Be sure the honey is runny enough to mix easily with the other ingredients. If it is not, put it in a small bowl and microwave until liquid. If it is, put it in a small bowl anyway.

Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, and chicken stock and mix well. Add the starch and mix until completely dissolved and lump-free. Set aside until needed.

Finish the Thai Basil Chicken:
1 bunch Thai basil (2 cups lightly packed prepared leaves)
1 small orange Doe Hill pepper OR 1/4 orange bell pepper
4 to 6 shallots
1 to 3 small hot Thai peppers
4 to 6 cloves of garlic

300 grams (10 ounces) skinless, boneless chicken pieces
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

Wash the basil, and remove the leaves from the stems, discarding any tough stems (most of them) or damaged leaves. Drain well. 

Wash, core, and cut in thin slices the orange pepper. Peel and slice the shallots. Wash the small hot peppers and cut off the stem end. Chop very finely. Peel and mince the garlic, keeping it separate from the other ingredients.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the oil in a mid to large sized skillet with high sides, over high heat. As soon as it is hot enough to smoke, add the sweet and hot peppers, and the shallot slices. Cook for a minute or two until softened, stirring frequently.

Add the garlic, and stir it in for just a minute until fragrant. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring frequently, until they are well seared all over and no longer let off any pink juice; 3 to 5 minutes depending on size.

Stir up  the sauce well and pour it over the chicken, turning and stirring as it is added. As soon as it thickens - in under a minute - fold in the basil leaves until they are just wilted - again, in under a minute. Transfer to a serving dish and serve at once.




Last year at this time I made Sweet Corn Hash, Mexican Flavours.

Cheesy Corn & Poblano Chile Pudding

And here they are! The first of the Poblano chiles, along with corn, cheese, and eggs. The cheese, milk, and eggs make this a main dish; all it needs is a green salad or steamed green vegetable to keep it company and dinner is ready. Actually, a nice selection of sliced heirloom tomatoes sounds like a good plan too.

You could broil or grill the pepper the day before, and the corn could be prepared then too. (*cough* leftover *cough*). 

It's still pretty hot, but I am happy we are starting to get some days when turning on the oven isn't a completely crazy idea.

4 servings
2 hours - 1 hour prep time

Prepare the Poblanos and Corn:
4 Poblano (450 grams; 1 pound) chiles
4 cobs or corn

Wash the peppers and place them on a baking tray to fit under the broiler in the oven. Heat the broiler and broil them until the skins blisters and chars slightly. Turn the peppers so as to broil them as evenly as possible. When they are blistered and charred all over, cover them with a tea-towel and set them aside to cool.

Put a pot of water on to boil the corn. Husk the corn and remove the silks. Boil them until tender; 6 to 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water then drain and let them cool. 


Make the Pudding:
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
125 grams (1/4 pound) old Cheddar cheese

Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk them. Whisk in the milk, cornmeal, flour, and salt.

Pull the stems and seeds from the peppers. Peel off the skins. Cut them in half and rinse them in cool water to remove any lingering seeds or skin. Dice them finely; a little larger than the kernels of corn. Add them to the eggs, milk, etc.

Cut the corn from the cobs and scrape the cobs. Add the scrapings to the mixing bowl. Break up the kernels of corn so that they are not in big clumps. Add the to the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a shallow 2 quart baking (lasagne) pan. Swirl it around to cover the bottom and sides of the pan, and dump any extra into the batter.

Grate the cheese, and mix all but a handful into the batter. Scrape it into the prepared pan and spread it out. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top. Bake the casserole for about 1 hour at 350°F until firm and lightly browned. Let rest for 10 or 15 minutes before serving it.




Last year at this time I wrote about Pickled Sweet Spanish Onions.

Tender Pan-Fried Eggplant

This Turkish method for frying eggplant is a little picky compared to the usual slapping it in the pan, but I think it has some definite advantages. The par-boiling means that the eggplant will be very soft and tender, and it is also not quite the sponge for oil that it is when it goes into the pan raw. Overall I don't think the 2 cookings take longer than frying from raw either.

I did both cookings together, one after the other, and that was fine. Still, I want to try par-boiling the eggplant ahead of time, and just doing the dipping and frying part during the heat of the dinner battle.

I also think that I would like to try it with the slices dipped in breadcrumbs and finely grated Parmesan. I wonder how they would do laid on an oiled baking sheet and baked... lots to think about here.

The boiled eggplant became tender very quickly; about 5 minutes for me. Do watch it carefully, as if you boil it too long I am quite certain it will fall apart. It should just pierce nicely with a fork. I actually peeled the eggplant after I had boiled it, and while it worked quite well I could see that the eggplant could easily become too fragile for that to be a practical goal, so I suggest you peel it while it is raw.

2 servings
30 minutes prep time

1 medium (250 grams; 1/2 pound) eggplant
1 large egg
1/2 cup chick pea flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
seasoning to taste - black pepper, red pepper OR paprika;
             - rubbed oregano, basil, rosemary OR thyme
mild vegetable oil to fry

Put a large pot of water on to boil; you are going to boil the eggplant. As it comes to the boil, salt it generously, as you would for pasta. A tablespoon of salt is by no means too much.

Peel the eggplant. Cut the eggplant into quarters lengthwise if it is thin enough; otherwise cut it into slices. The pieces should ideally be a slightly generous half-inch thick.

When the water boils, put the pieces in and boil until tender. This should be about 5 minutes. They will want to float, so occasionally turn them about to make sure they cook evenly.

Drain them well.

Break the egg into a shallow bowl and beat well with 1 tablespoon of water.

Sift the chick pea flour into another shallow bowl and mix with the salt and whatever other seasonings you like - about a teaspoon of most dried herbs, although I would use a fair bit less if it was rosemary.

Cover the bottom of a large skillet with about 1/4" of oil, and heat over medium-high heat. While it heats, dip the eggplant pieces thoroughly in the egg, then roll them through the chick pea flour. Lay them in the hot pan to cook. They will cook quite quickly; 4 or 5 minutes per side should be enough.

Lift out and serve at once.




Last year at this time I made Melon, Cucumber, & Feta Salad.

Poblano Chiles

I have been able to find Poblano chiles occasionally even in my very stodgy local grocery for the last few years, and I've posted a couple of recipes calling for them. This year we are growing them ourselves, as the supply is unreliable, but their intermittent presence reminded me that I like them very much.

Poblano means "from Puebla", which is the state in Mexico from whence, presumably, these peppers originate. Puebla is in south-central Mexico (not too far from Mexico City) but they have spread far and wide enough to be very popular well into the southern United States. Speaking of wide, if these peppers are dried they are called "anchos" (meaning "wide") and they are very popular in this way as well as fresh. Looking at the map, I note that Puebla is not too far from Jalapa, the source of another very popular Mexican chile.

They are not the ideal chile for growing in our climate; they did very well this summer but if we had tried them in last year's cool, rainy summer I suspect they would have been much less happy. Still, in a hot year they should do well here. Like pretty much all peppers they need to be started indoors 2 months before planting them out after all danger of frost. That means we start ours from around March 24th to April 1st. Bottom heat is useful. After that, keep them warm and keep them reasonably well watered, and by the end of August you should be picking plenty of peppers; let's call that 75 to 80 days to maturity. We support our plants with a tomato cage; I think that's a good idea. Plants loaded with ripening peppers can get so top-heavy they topple over.

The peppers themselves are unusual, being very dark green, almost black, ripening to very dark red, almost black. They have a unique sweet and smoky quality. Their heat level varies considerably, although I would describe these a hot eating chile rather than a hot seasoning chile. You may find only a few flickers of heat more than your average bell pepper, or they may be very spicy indeed. You may find both conditions on chiles from the same plant, and in fact within a single pepper. Be prepared to be surprised, although they do get hotter as they ripen, and I suspect that like other chiles, they are often hotter when grown in hotter, drier weather. The flesh is fairly thick and substantial, and the peppers are large, so these are commonly stuffed with cheese and fried in an egg batter (I baked mine) although there are lots of other tasty options.

Their skins can be rather tough and papery, and the chiles are usually roasted to allow the skins to be peeled from them before they are incorporated into whatever dish they are destined for. Since I anticipate having lots of peppers I plan to roast and peel many of them, then vacuum-pack and freeze them for use in the winter. I hope you are able to find some because I expect to have a few recipes to post for them!

"Chaat" Corn Salad with Tomatoes

This is a very simplified version of a popular Indian recipe, but as usual I can't really get half the typical ingredients. For some reason I did have the amchur powder and the black salt, which with the cumin are probably the most distinctive flavours for this dish, and I decided it would have to do. I don't know that this would be recognizable to any person of Indian extraction, but it was eaten quite enthusiastically here.

The presentation in a hollowed-out tomato is nice, but not required. If you don't want to fuss with that, you can replace the whole lot of tomatoes with one medium one, peeled and chopped fine, and everything mixed as a straightforward salad. 

4 servings
45 minutes prep time

Make the Spice Blend:
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon black salt
1 1/2 teaspoons amchur powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot red chile powder (to taste)

Start the water for the corn before making the spice blend.

Toast the cumin and fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Transfer them to a plate to cool at once, then grind them very fine with the black salt. Mix with the amchur and chile powders.

Make the Salad:
2 cobs of corn
4 to 8 small salad tomatoes
1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
2 to 3 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
the juice of 1/2 lime

Put a pot of water on to boil for the corn. Husk it, and boil for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Rinse under cold water until cool enough that it can be handled, then cut the corn from the cobs. Set it aside for the moment.

Wash the tomatoes and cut off the top one-third of each. Use a grapefruit spoon or other small, sharp-edged spoon to remove the flesh, leaving the shells intact, from the bottom two-thirds of each. Salt the interiors and set them aside. Discard the stem scars and green cores (if any) and chop the remaining flesh and tomato tops to a size with the corn kernels. Put them in a mixing bowl.

Peel and finely dice the sweet onion, and add it to the chopped tomato. Wash, dry, and mince the cilantro. Wash, core, and finely dice the green pepper. Add those to the tomatoes and onions.

Peel and grate the ginger, and add it to the bowl of vegetables, along with the juice of 1/2 lime. Mix in the spice blend.

Lightly oil a large skillet - only enough to prevent the corn from sticking - and cook the corn kernels over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until fairly crisp and browned in spots. When it looks done to your liking, add it to the salad.

Rinse and drain the tomato shells well. Arrange them on a serving plate. Fill them with as much of the salad as they will hold, then spoon the rest of it around them.




Last year at this time I made Three Variations on Blackberry Jam (or Syrup).

Peach Flan with Caramelized Peach Sauce

I was sure this was going to be a faaaaabulous success, until I unmolded it, at which point I was sure it was a complete failure. As usual, reality fell somewhere in-between.

The flavour of this was really, really good, and I was quite satisfied with the texture. However, there is no getting around the fact that it is rather tender - that comes of replacing much of the milk in the original recipe with puréed peaches - and it will be tricky to unmold. Butter your baking pan well. Consider baking it in individual dishes and not unmolding it at all, if that's a thing you can do. But do go ahead and make it, because it is delicious.

If you have not caramelized sugar before, this recipe is a good place to start. It's aggravating enough to get that sugar to turn colour; you then normally have about 10 seconds to get it into the bottom of the baking pan and swirled to cover it. This avoids that last-moment terror, but gives you that rich caramel flavour.

You also don't even need to make the flan; you could use this recipe to make a caramelized peach sauce for ice-cream or cake. When you add the peaches to the sugar have a couple tablespoons of butter standing by, and add it too. Carefully, carefully! Caramel burns are nasty. Simmer it until slightly thickened, and voilà, you have your sauce.

6 to 8 servings
30 minutes prep time for caramel and peaches
15 minutes prep time for flan
1 hour to bake, plus time to cool

Prepare the Peaches & Caramel:
6 medium-large ripe peaches
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Put a large pot of water on to boil; sufficient to cover the peaches. When it boils, drop them in for 1 minute. Transfer them to a bowl of cold water and peel them. Cut them from the pits, then chop them into dice. Set them aside in another bowl, with any accumulated juices.

Mix the water, sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot, until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture up to a boil and boil, without stirring, until the mixture caramelizes by turning a medium-light brown. Watch it constantly and do not let it get too dark. It will happen very suddenly which is why you must watch. As soon as the mixture is a definite brown, add the peaches and all their juices - carefully! Don't let it splatter. Mix well and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly now, until the peaches are quite soft. Let the mixture cool.

This can be done up to a day ahead.

Finish the Flan:
6 extra-large eggs
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons sherry
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Measure out 1 cup of the caramelized peaches and their liquid (close to half of them) and keep it aside to serve over the finished flan as a sauce.

Put the remaining caramelized peaches and their liquid into a blender or food processor (blender preferred). Break in the eggs, and process on fairly low speed until well blended but not frothy. Add the almond extract, sherry, and milk. Process again.

Use the butter to grease the bottom and sides of a 10" ring pan. Pour in the liquid flan mixture. Place the pan in a shallow tray of water and place it in the heated oven. Bake for 1 hour, until firm. Let cool completely before attempting to unmold.

Serve with the remaining caramelized peaches as a sauce. 




Last year at this time I made Broiled Tomatoes au gratin.

A Fundraising Dinner for EFAO and a Visit to The New Farm

Last Thursday a couple of events coincided. The Ecological Farmers of Ontario (EFAO) held their first-ever fund-raising dinner at the The New Farm, which is just 45 minutes away from us. It was also my birthday, so I strong-armed Mr. Ferdzy into going as a birthday treat. Since we were in a wild and reckless mood, we took my Mom too. At $150 each, that was a bit wild and reckless. Still, I think this is about the second time in 30 years together that I have made Mr. Ferdzy take me out for my birthday so on a pro-rated basis he has not done badly.

We arrived in the late afternoon and enjoyed some drinks and nibbles before dinner, which was to be served in the barn - you can see one of the tables at the far right of the photo. We didn't know too many people so we milled around for a while. People seemed to be pretty friendly, and being the world's dorkiest conversationalist, I tried to break the ice by asking, "So, are you a farmer?" There were some, but mostly people weren't, is my impression. 

Guillermo, one of the chefs from Richmond Station restaurant, passes out appetizers and chats with some of the guests. Guillermo - gosh I hope I have that name right, somebody please correct me if I don't - actually works at the farm, growing vegetables in the large (laaarge) kitchen garden, which then go to the restaurant in Toronto. Except for the ones that are eaten on the spot, of course. The New Farm has a very efficient and attractive cooking and dining set-up and meals and events happen there regularly.

I can tell you who two of these people are; Mr Ferdzy and the famous Mom, both on the right. The man in the violet shirt is Thorsten Arnold, who told me that "his wife is the farmer, he just helps some" and not that he is the Strategic Initiatives and Fundraising Coordinator for EFAO. But I guess it serves me right; I asked him if he was a farmer.

 A couple of the chefs haul vegetable scraps out to the poultry pen. The chickens are plainly prepared for this routine, and mobbed the scraps as soon as they were dumped.

Gillian Flies (left) and Brent Preston (centre) are the farmers behind The New Farm. They introduced themselves and the event, and then we heard a few words from Ali English (right) who is the executive director of EFAO.

Next Gillian and Brent gave a tour of the farm. They talked about their conversion to a no-till system, newly implemented, and the changes they are already seeing. Behind them is one of their fields, recently mown, in which a "cocktail" cover crop had been grown. Sunflowers, radishes, and an assortment of other plants were grown to pull up nutrients from the depths of the soil and provide organic matter. They will compost over the winter then provide improved soil for spring planting.

The New Farm started as a mixed vegetable farm, but has evolved to supply mostly salad greens to mostly restaurants (about 70 of them, between Toronto and Collingwood) and a few markets; about 20 of those. That white streak in the background is another field of greens, being kept under row covers to keep the pests out.

 One of the new features of the no-till system is the use of tarps to prepare planting areas, by killing the weeds, and possibly warming the soil. Although as Brent said, that has not exactly been an issue this year. The photo above makes it clear that there are surprising differences between the covered spots and the uncovered spots. Ignore the lettuce on the right and focus on the spinach seedlings in the centre. The ones on the right were planted in the area that had been covered by a tarp. The ones on the left were planted in the area which was not covered. There was a very distinct line between the two!

The tarps they are using are made of a plastic film, actually for use with silage on dairy farms, as it is readily available and affordable. 

 Next we all trooped over to the "kitchen garden" The woman in the front there is Fran McQuail, one of the founders of the EFAO, of Meeting Place Organic Farm. She is looking at the beds of carrots, which are being grown as part of a trial of carrot seeds. EFAO does a lot of farmer-led research, which it turns out is a lot more complex, expensive and generally not done, than you would have thought. Because ecological farmers don't tend to be big consumers of industrial farm products, they don't tend to have much research done on their behalf. This is one of the real benefits of belonging to EFAO.

 Guillermo and Katrina McQuail in the garden.

And then, it was time for dinner. I took a picture of this first plate that was brought out, a delicious sign of things to come, with hummus, quinoa tabbouleh, roasted tomatoes, arugula and amazing little homemade pita breads  - the extra touch that let us know that dinner, by chef Carl Heinrich of Richmond Station, was going to something out of the ordinary.

After that the dishes came fast and furious, and I was too busy eating and talking to our neighbours to take any pictures. There were some really delicious beets with yogurt and mint (yes, there was a definite middle-eastern vibe going on); there was charred eggplant with yogurt and corn; stuffed pattypan squash; and a fairly simply cooked pastured chicken with grilled scallions. It was all so good!

At the very end I remembered to take one more picture of the very impressive peach shortcake which finished the meal, as we listened to a short speech from Tony McQuail. It wasn't quite as dark as the photo makes it out to be; but I did need to use the flash. After that we headed out, as we still had a bit of a drive to get home. It was a very enjoyable evening and I was sorry to see it end.

Deconstructed Pesto Chicken Salad

I admit I am not at all a fan of the fad - now receding, she said hopefully - for deconstructed dishes. They were constructed in the first place for a reason. Are these dishes the work of chefs who were once those annoying little kids who insist that nothing on their plate touch anything else on their plate, and who pick things apart so as to eat the components separately?

Having said that... here it is.

Mind you, it isn't the salad I've deconstructed here, just the pesto. I've made Pesto Chicken Salad before, and very good too. However, if you don't have any pesto made up on hand, this goes together much more quickly and to very similar effect.

We eat a lot of poached chicken in the summer. You can use a little salted water to poach it, but I keep a jar of broth in the fridge for it. It just keeps getting stronger and stronger until you start to think you had better use it for something else (within 10 days, I would think) and then you start again. I believe the current batch started life as the juices drained off a batch of baked chicken thighs. I haven't added any other salt to the salad; I've come to think the Parmesan adds plenty.

2 servings
15 minutes to poach chicken and a later 15 minutes to finish

300 grams (10 ounces) boneless poached chicken
a good handful (1/2 cup loosely packed) basil leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts OR almonds
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic
1/3 cup mayonnaise
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 to 6 lettuce leaves

Poach the chicken in a small amount of broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the poaching liquid (which can be reserved for another use) and let it cool completely. Keep refrigerated  until wanted.

Chop the cold chicken and put it in a mixing bowl.

Wash and dry the basil. Strip the leaves from the stems (discard) and chop them quite coarsely. Add them to the chicken.

Grate the Parmesan, as coarsely or finely as you like. Add to the chicken.

Peel and mince the garlic, and sprinkle it over. Add the mayonnaise and pepper, and toss until well blended.

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and arrange them in a serving dish. Pile the salad on top and garnish with a reserved leaf or two of basil.




Last year at this time I made Argentinian Chicken (hah!) and Corn.

Beans & Cherry Tomatoes in Mint Vinaigrette

Beans marinated in a mint vinaigrette is a classic Italian dish; I've added cherry tomatoes because they go so well, and also we have an awful lot of cherry tomatoes at the moment. 

Blue Lake beans seem to need about 6 minutes of cooking to be perfect (by my definition) but some of the more modern bean varieties have less heft to them, and cook faster.

4 to 6 servings
30 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

300 grams (10 ounces) green beans
1/4 cup finely minced fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh oregano
OR 1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
300 grams (10 ounces) cherry tomatoes

Put a pot of water on to boil for the beans. Wash and trim them, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. When the water boils, cook them for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on variety of bean and desired tenderness.

Meanwhile, wash and mince the mint and oregano, discarding any tough stems. Put them in a salad bowl with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Wash and de-stem the tomatoes, and cut them in halves or quarters. Keep them separate from the rest of the salad until just before serving.

When the beans are cooked, drain them very well and mix them into the dressing in the salad bowl while they are still hot. Once they have cooled to room temperature, mix in the tomatoes and serve. 

Melon, Parsley, & Sweet Onion Salad

This is a simple little salad, very pleasant and easy, and inspired by the classic starter of melon and prosciutto. I used both orange and green melon, as one of the melons planted in the "orange melon patch" turned out to be green. Such are the hazards of open pollination and home-saved seeds. Both were very tasty though, so no problem. It's nice to use both if you can, just for the subtle difference in flavour and texture, but just one will certainly do.

Mint is a notorious weed, so it is frustrating that we have had a hard time growing it. I had some growing by the tap for the garden hose for a while, but it seems to have been crowded out. However, a bit we planted in a low spot in the garden and which sat and did nothing for at least 5 years finally seems to have taken off. I am enjoying using it. I can see using basil instead, though, if mint is hard to get.

4 servings
30 minutes prep time

1 small (1 cup chopped) sweet onion
1 cup finely chopped parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 to 3 cups diced, peeled orange or green melon
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
the juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
125 grams very thinly sliced prosciutto or similar dry ham (optional)

Peel the onion and chop, a little coarsely. Sprinkle it with salt, and leave it in a strainer to drain for 15 or 20 minutes. Rinse them and drain them well.

Wash and dry the parsley and mint, and chop them finely, discarding any tough stems.

Peel, de-seed, and dice the melon. Toss the melon, herbs, well-drained onion together. Season with Aleppo pepper, pepper, and salt. Drizzle over the lemon juice and olive oil. Toss gently.

If you like, serve garnished with the prosciutto or ham.




Last year at this time I made Green Bean Greek Salad.

Meatball Pilaf with Green Beans & Peppers

This certainly isn't a dish for a weeknight, given the times involved. I could also only consider it because we are finally getting a few cooler days interspersed with the really hot ones. However as usual with me, the actual work was neither difficult nor time consuming, making this a fine thing to make on a weekend. Also good for entertaining; you just have to pull it out of the oven and serve it with no last minute fussing required. A good crisp salad would finish the menu nicely, this one seems appropriate.

While this was lovely with fresh vegetables from the garden, it would actually do very well made in the winter, with frozen beans, greenhouse or dried peppers, and canned tomatoes. About 3 cups of diced or crushed tomato in that case, I would think. If I had had any celery I would have put in a stalk or two with the onion. Garlic is a bit betwixt and between at the moment. The old stuff is, well, old; and the new stuff is pulled from the garden,but hanging in the garage to cure for a couple of weeks. Still, I made a Turkish garlic sauce for the leftovers (you know the routine; a fat clove of garlic and a pinch of salt to about a cup of thick yogurt) and it went very well. This isn't a traditional Turkish dish, but it's definitely Turkish inspired.

6 servings  
2 hours and 30 minutes - 45 minutes prep time
not including resting time for meatballs (up to 2 hours)

Make the Meatballs:
1 medium fresh onion, with green top
500 grams (1 pound) lean ground beef
400 grams (1 pound) lean ground lamb
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons rubbed savory or thyme
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil, if needed

Trim the onion; set the green top aside to go into the rice. Peel and chop the bulb of the onion finely. Put it in a mixing bowl with the 2 meats.

Add the seasonings to the meat, including the parsley and mint once they have been washed, dried, and finely chopped. Mix very thoroughly. Form the mixture into 18 to 24 patties, keeping them about 3/4" thick. If possible, cover and let them rest (refrigerated) for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat a large skillet over high heat, and cook the patties in batches until browned; just a minute or two on each side. Put them into a large shallow roasting pan (such as a 9" x 13" lasagne pan) as they are cooked. Use the oil if it is required to prevent sticking. Don't wash the pan once you are done - you will want to sauté some veggies still.

Finish the Pilaf:
300 grams (10 ounces) green beans
3 or 4 medium-large (450 grams; 1 pound) tomatoes
1 or 2 medium sweet banana peppers or similar
the green top from 1 fresh onion
2 cups medium grain white rice
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt

Meanwhile, put a pot of water on to boil. Wash and trim the beans, and cut them into thirds or quarters. When the water boils, blanch them for 1 minute then remove them and drain them well. In the same water, blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute, then remove them and rinse them in cold water. Remove the skins.

Wash, trim, and de-seed the pepper(s). Chop them, not too finely. Wash, trim and chop the green onion top.

Using the pan the meatball patties were browned in, cook the pepper pieces until soft and slightly browned in spots. Add the green onions and beans, and cook for another minute or two, until the onion greens are wilted. Sprinkle the vegetables over the meatballs. Sprinkle the rice over the meatballs, and finish with the chopped tomatoes. Stir gently until evenly combined, trying not to break the meatballs.

Heat the water to boiling with the salt. (Or if your blanching water is clean, you can use some of that.) Pour it gently over the pilaf. Make sure all the rice is below the water line. Cover the pan, with foil if it does not have its own lid. Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked. It is a good idea to stir gently once or twice as it cooks. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.