Down on the Farm

This year, for the first time in my life, I've gotten a farm share.  If you don't know what that is, its where you pay a certain amount of money up front and, depending on how much you pay, you get a share of the crops from the farm.  My friend Lynn and I split the share and we get it every other week.  We got our first one this past Friday.

Isn't it gorgeous?  What we have here is spinach, kale, red leaf lettuce, cilantro, dill, scallions, spring mix, another red lettuce that I don't know the name of, pea shoots and garlic scapes.  Oh seriously, this stuff is gorgeous!  And I will be getting something every other week until November 8!  The possibilities are so exciting.

So what did I make first?  Well a salad of course, with the beautiful red lettuces.

I dress my salads simply... extra virgin olive oil (one half cup), balsamic vinegar (one quarter cup) and honey (2 Tablespoons).  I didn't use to add honey, but one day I decided to try it out and loved it so much I always do it now.

The second thing I made was Israeli couscous with sauteed pea shoots and garlic scapes.  I have come to really love Israeli couscous.  My go to small pasta had always been orzo.  And I do still love it, but there is something about the Israeli couscous I simply adore.  It may be the texture I love so much.  It has great texture.   The one I use is Bob's Red Mill Tricolor Pearl Couscous.  And if you live in Northeast Ohio, you can get this very product at Marc's for $2, which is much cheaper than you will find anywhere else.

I started out with the gorgeous garlic scapes and pea shoots, two products I have never used before in my life, but was so excited to try out.

Everything on the pea shoots are edible, the stems, the leaves, the little peapods and even the flowers so all I did with these was peel the leaves off the harder bottom stems then chop up the rest.  I then sauteed them for a short amount of time, it did not take long for them to wilt, and then added the chopped garlic scapes afterward because I didn't want them to cook too much.  Then added a little salt and pepper.

There is really not as much oil in the pan as it looks here, oh wait... I added a little chicken broth.  That's why the pan looks like it's drowning the veg!   I added the broth just to slow down the cooking process because the couscous wasn't quite done.

After it was done, I added it to the pan with the shoots and scapes.  And gave it a good toss (and a little more salt and pepper).

I served it with roasted chicken breasts with lime and ginger.  To make that I simple put two large chicken breasts in a baking dish, squeezed the juice of one lime over the top of the chicken, then sprinkled with salt and pepper and then grated some ginger over the top (probably about a little less than a teaspoon on each piece).  Bake uncovered for about 45-55 minutes depending on how thick the chicken is, at 350.  The meat was juicy and succulent while the skin was crispy perfection.   Simple, easy and tons of flavor!

Mangia!

Graeter's Ice Cream - O.M.G.

Graeter's Ice Cream has always been one of those elusive ice creams you hear about but never really buy.  Not because of any other reason than it wasn't readily available in the area.  You had to go to specialty stores or be in Cincinnati, where it's made.  But alas my Cucina loving pals, Graeter's Ice Cream is now available at Giant Eagle stores! 

The  five generation family-owned business since 1870, has pioneered the French Pot process of making only 2 gallons of ice cream at a time with all natural ingredients and it shows.  I have been lucky enough to taste the insanely delicious black raspberry chip as well as the super rich chocolate chocolate chip, vanilla chip and mint chip.  All are so dreamy and wonderful, but for me, being the chocoholic that I am, it's chocolate chocolate chip all the way (with a little bit of black raspberry chip mixed in for good measure).  The chocolate chips used are the best I have ever tasted.  They are more like shards in different sizes and shapes and quite frankly some of them are huge!   Good news for me!   The more chocolate the better. 

It's important to support smaller companies and Graeter's qualifies... and the fact that it's an Ohio based company is something that appeals to me too.  It doesn't hurt that it's freakin amazing ice cream.  Next time you're in Giant Eagle, check it out.  I know you will not be disappointed. 

Stuffed Peppers

**Listening to The Misfits**

When my friend Mike asked me to lend him a hand at the Cleveland's Finest Hors D'Oeuvre Contest, I have to admit, I was a little intimidated.  I'm just a little guy, doing my own thing and now I'm going to be playing with some big guns.  Mike and I discussed what he wanted to make, but was open to suggestions for something different so I set out to make something that fit into his concept of "Garage Cookin."  What is that concept?  Well if I had to describe it simply I'd say, guy food.  I have some experience in this area, I have a smoker after all! 

I decided I wanted to make a stuffed pepper and I had a plan.  My first thought was to use sausage in the stuffing.  But I ended up deciding against that.  Why?  Because I wanted to wrap the pepper in bacon and it seemed like it would be just too much fat.  So I switched gears and decided to use just ground pork instead of sausage.  Did I cut back on the fat by much?  Probably not.   But that's besides the point.  I bought two different kinds of peppers to try... Poblano's and Hungarian.  I wanted something with a mild spice to it, but not something that would send you into hot pepper orbit.  I know Hungarian peppers are hit or miss, but I liked out with the ones I got.  They were a hit, just the right amount of heat.

I rubbed the peppers with a little olive oil and then put them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  This is just long enough to soften them, but not really cook them too much.  While they cooked/cooled, I started on my filling.  I apologize in advance for not having a lot of photos.   I apparently got so involved with what I was doing that I forgot to take them.  I started with leeks.  I cannot extol the virtue of the leek enough. I love them and I believe they enhance whatever they are in.  So that is where this recipe starts.   Leeks, cleaned well and sliced thinly.

Take the cleaned, sliced leeks and saute them in about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil until just softened.  Don't let them brown too much.  Remove them from the pan and add the ground pork.

This is one package, which is about a pound... give or take.  Brown and crumble the pork.  Once it's completely cooked, add the leeks back in and saute together.  Are you remembering to salt and pepper as you go?

Now, what else should I put in this stuffing mixture?  I decided on quinoa.  Quinoa is a grain that also happens to be a good source of protein.  It's small and almost looks translucent when cooked.  It has a nice nutty taste and I thought it would be a nice accompaniment to the leeks and pork.  I was right.  It worked out perfectly.  So once the quinoa was cooked, I added it and the leeks to the pork mixture and cooked them together for just a few minutes to marry the flavors and that was it.

While the stuffing mix cooled, I cut the tops of the peppers off and scooped out the seeds, being very careful not to tear the peppers.  When the stuffing had cooled, I chopped some smoked white cheddar into bite sized or a little smaller pieces and mixed it with the stuffing.  I was once very skeptical about smoked cheeses and really not at all interested.  But the more I have them, the more I like them!   Smoked cheddar is really quite delicious on a burger.  Anyway, very carefully take some of the stuffing mix and put it in the pepper.   You want to fill them, but you want to do it carefully.  Don't tear the pepper!  Just take your time, use the back of a wooden spoon if you are having trouble getting the filling all the way down to the tip of the pepper.

Once they are all filled, very delicately wrap the whole pepper in bacon.  It doesn't stay on very well, but you can adhere the bacon with toothpicks.  Use as many as you need to keep the bacon wrapped neatly around the pepper.   Place on a baking sheet and bake the peppers at 375 until the bacon is completely cooked (about 30-35 minutes).  After about 15 minutes, if you dare, gently turn the peppers so the bacon cooks evenly.  If you don't, you may end up having to put the peppers under the broiler for a minute or so to completely cook the tops.

Once the peppers are out of the oven, let cool for a few minutes then remove all the toothpicks.  Some will probably still fall off, but some will look nice and perty, like this one...

These peppers were a hit with all who tried them... that being the resident taster in the house, and my mom.  Oh and me too.  The smoked cheese plays off very well with the bacon.  The pepper was nice not too hot.  The quinoa and pork were hearty.

Alas, we didn't use them for the contest, but it was nice to be challenged and come up with something pretty damn delicious!

Mangia!

Edamame Risotto

This time of year, as asparagus comes into season I love to make asparagus risotto.  But I'd already made it twice in the past month, so I was looking for something else to put in my risotto.  Then the light bulb went off, I had some edamame in the freezer!  It was actually the first time I had bought edamame frozen but decided to give it a go. 

The edamame I bought was still in the pod, but you can buy it already out of the pod too.  I cooked the edamame according to the package instructions which is pretty much standard for most frozen veg. 

Once it's cooked, let cool for a few minutes until you can handle it and then pop those beans right out of the pods.  I thought this was going to be a long and tedious process but it was very quick.  They slip out pretty easily.

They look like lima beans don't they?  Well as a bona fide lima bean hater, I can tell you they do not taste like them!  Once they're all shucked, set aside and start making the risotto.

I have a pretty standard recipe that I use for all my risotto's, and this time was no different.  Start by heating up five cups of chicken broth in a pan.  Don't boil it, just heat it.  And in another pot, put in three tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter.  To that added 2 chopped shallots (or you can use a medium onion or a leek, whichever you like and have on hand) and a little salt and pepper. 

Once the shallots are soft and translucent, add one and one half cups of Arborio rice.  Stir to coat the rice and cook for about a minute or so.  Add half a cup of white wine and stir until the wine has been absorbed. 

Now it's time to get down to business.  Add stock to the rice a ladlefull at a time.  Stirring until all the stock is absorbed.  Use your judgment on adding more salt as you go.  It really depends on whether you're using bought stock or homemade.

After about half the stock has been absorbed, add the edamame to the pot and continue with the stir stir stir of it all.

I know all the stirring and stirring is kind of a pain in the ass.  But it's so worth it.  I've tried the Ina Garten baked risotto, which is much less hands on, but honestly, I didn't really like it as much as I like it the traditional way.  But that's just me.  I always say I prefer to do things the hard way.  And trust me, if you will be rewarded!

Once all the stock has been absorbed and your risotto is looking yummalicious, stir in half a cup of Parmesan cheese.  Right before your eyes the risotto becomes even more creamy and delicious looking.  All that's left is to enjoy!

Buon Cibo mia Amici

Broccoli Rabe Calzone

I've been grooving on the calzone's lately.  They are so easy and so yummy.   Generally speaking I would make my own dough from my Grandma's tried and true, never fail recipe.  But since Marc's started carrying Corbo's pizza dough, and I can get a ball of dough for a buck, I can't resist it!  And when I pick up that buck ball of dough, my mind starts to wander and I think of all the goodies I can fill it with.  This time, as I continued my shopping I saw some gorgeous, extremely fresh broccoli rabe (or rapini if you prefer).  I knew that rabe was going to be the star of my calzone. 

 

Take the rabe and wash it, then chop it coursely, getting rid of the really thick stems.  Then blanch it in boiling water for a couple minutes.  Not too long, you just want to start the cooking process.  While you're doing that, in another pan brown about a half to a quarter of a pound of Italian sausage.  I've mentioned before that my preference is for Lou's which is a local Cleveland brand and delish.  But you can use whatever kind you want and in fact, when I'm feeling like I should be more health conscious, I use DiRusso's turkey sausage... also regional.  Anyway, you want to take it out of the casing and crumble and brown it.

On this particular occasion, I had leeks in the house so I decided to use them too.   Make sure you clean leeks well and then chop thinly and saute with the sausage, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.  When both the sausage and the leeks are done (leeks should be soft and maybe just starting to brown a little, sausage will no longer be pink and starting to brown), add the blanched rabe to the pan and mix it all together.

If there is as much moisture in your pan as I have here, keep cooking it until all of it gone or carefully dump out the liquid.  You don't want all that in your calzone or it will be soggy.

Now take your ball o' dough and flatten it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The dough may stick a  little but it's no biggie.  Once you have it flattened, put your rabe mixture over the dough.

Make sure you leave room all around the edges so that you will be able to close the dough and not have the filling leak out.  Then top with about a cup of shredded mozzarella or provolone.  I'm using provolone.

Carefully pull up one side of the dough and connect it to the other, then tuck in the ends.  With a sharp knife, cut a few vents in the top of the calzone to allow the steam to escape.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Check on it at 15 to make sure it's not browning too fast.  But it should be a nice golden brown color when you pull it out.  Depending on your oven, it could be less than 15 minutes, it could be more.

Just know you want it to look like this...

And then to look like this...

Dough done all the way through, cheese melty and delicious.   Mangia!

Best Gadget Ever

My Grandma loved gadgets.  If I took her to Bed, Bath and Beyond, she would stand at the gadget wall looking for anything she didn't already have.  Truth be told, she pretty much had them all.  So it is in that spirit that I purchased the Vacu Vin Pineapple Slicer.  I can't remember where I first saw it, but it might have been on America's Test Kitchen.  With apologies to Alton Brown, it really is a uni-tasker.  At least I haven't found another use for it.  But it doesn't matter to me.  And oh, by the way, this is not a paid advertisement or a promo.  I just love this thing is all!

It work on the same principle as a corkscrew for wine.  You have the handle and then three different size slicer/corers for your pineapple.

Cut the top off the pineapple and chose the size slicer/corer you need.  Attach the handle.

Then line up the bottom hole of the slicer/corer over the core and press down hard so the slicer goes right into the pineapple.

Once it's in securely, all you have to is start turning it.  Hold it firmly in one hand and push down and turn. 

You may get some juice bubbling up while you're turning, just tip the pineapple over and dump it into the bowl you're going to put the cut pineapple into.  You don't want to lose that juice!  

Turn it until you get to the bottom of the pineapple.

Now comes the tricky part.  Turn the pineapple sideways and while holding it still, firmly grasp the handle of the slicer/corer and start pulling it out of the pineapple.  There is suction at work here, so it's not as simple as just pulling it right out.  It takes a little effort and at times, the handle will come off.  Just put it back and on resume.   With a little finesse, you'll be able to pull the whole pineapple right out of it's skin.

Take off the handle, flip it over and you have perfect slices of pineapple.

 

It then slides right off the corer part and you can either make slices (they are already sliced but all attached to each other) or chunk it, or whatever else you want to do with it!   It's the greatest gadget ever!

Sugo Italian Bistro

On the occasion of the 18th wedding anniversary.... wait, 18 years?  Seriously?  I'm just going to gloss over that fact and pretend I'm not that old.  So anyway, on the occasion of the anniversary, we decided to give Sugo Italian Bistro in Cuyahoga Falls a try.  Having been to, and loving Chowder House, Chef Louis Prpich's other restaurant, we've been wanting to try Sugo.  This one is in the very able hands of Chef Michael Ferris.   And well, I'm just in love with the name.  Sugo, meaning sauce in Italian, is what my Grandma and my mom always call it when we're having a pasta dinner.  So the name has a special meaning for me.

We arrived at 7:00 pm.  I was surprised to find how small it was on the inside, but so beautiful.  It's all red and black and dim lights.  I loved the interior!

 

After putting in our appetizer order, we were brought a basket of delicious warm bread and a dipping oil.  The oil had some herbs and pepper in it.  Very nice.  Not too spicy.  Just right.

We started out with the calamari appetizer.  This was not like any calamari I'd had before.  It was so elegant.  A whole calamari stuffed with a sausage/mascarpone mixture.  It is then breaded and fried and served with an arugula salad and a marinara sauce.

It was so incredibly crispy on the outside and juicy and tender inside.   The arugula was a perfect compliment.

The crispy coating did fall off a bit when you cut into it, but who cares!  It was yummy.

Next came our salads.  We both got the house salad, which was a lovely blend of mixed greens, tomatoes, roasted red peppers and Gorgonzola (and I think) Parmesan cheeses in a house Italian dressing.  Very nice!

I was having a hard time deciding between the Chicken Roulade (a chicken breast stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and Boursin cheese, served with roasted fingerling potatoes and a Parmesan cream sauce) or the Roasted Crispy Half Duck (juicy half duck roasted crispy with a honey/thyme glaze and served with roasted vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes).  Something caught my attention on the menu though that steered me more towards the duck, it was the addition of "nom, nom, nom" under it's description!   Seriously, if you add a bunch of "nom's" to your menu, that is probably the favorite item.  And our waitress confirmed it for me when I told her I was hedging between the two.  The "nom's" and the waitresses gushing clinched it, Crispy Duck it is!

And nom nom it was!   Everything was perfect.  The duck was succulent and moist, with a delicious crispy skin.  It was both sweet and a little spicy.  The veggies were flavorful and the garlic mashed potatoes were silky and yummy.

Nick opted for the Veal Medallions.  Called the "Chef's Favorite" on the menu, the veal was tender and juicy and served with roasted vegetables and a pancetta/sage pepper cream sauce.  I don't generally eat veal, but I did have to have a taste and it was out of this world!  And really, I just love a purple spud!

I ended up boxing up half of my duck and didn't think I'd be able to have a dessert myself, but Nick was up for one.  I just had a few bites of his and after having them I wished I had ordered my own!   He ordered the pear, honey and ginger cheese cake.

That is a whole lot of yum!   Not too big, not too small.  Just yummy and perfect.   I think the crust was made of crushed ginger snaps, giving it a really nice ginger bite but otherwise the ginger was mild and not overpowering.  Very good stuff!

Sugo is moderately priced.  Not crazy expensive and very casual.  I'd definitely recommend it and I'd definitely go back!