Nourish Network » Summer

Melone e Limone

Lia Huber — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:15:57 +0000

I fell in love with this simple stunner at our friends’ wedding recently. The peeps behind the awesome SCOPA restaurant here in Healdsburg had cut fragrant, peak-of-season melons into tiny (perfect) cubes, tossed them with lemon juice and served them mini skewers with a sprinkle of sea salt as an hors d’oeuvre. I’ve made several more rustic versions since; this is my favorite. It also makes me smile because my daughter, Noemi, still mixes up the words ‘lemon’ and ‘melon’ … so this easy side dish spares her the riddle.

1 large melon (any variety as long as it’s super fresh and ripe–the one pictured here is Gaia), peeled and seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (should have 6-8 cups)
1 lemon, juiced
coarse sea salt (my choice is Maldon)
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Toss melon with lemon juice and spoon into bowls. Sprinkle sparingly with salt and cayenne.

Serves 4

Pasta with Summer Squash, Sausage and Pesto

Lia Huber — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 19:19:20 +0000

I pulled this pasta together one night when I had leftover sausage and squash in the fridge and a daughter eager to help out in the kitchen–the pesto came as much as an activity as an element of the dish. We went to the garden together to pick the basil and Noemi pounded the pesto together in our mortar and pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, use a blender and add warm water by the tablespoon as needed to blend.

12 ounces whole grain pasta
2 chicken sausages, cooked and thinly sliced
1 recipe Melted Squash
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
sea salt
¼ cup walnuts
1 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil and start pasta.

While pasta is cooking, heat sausage and squash in a large, covered saute pan over medium heat.

Pound garlic to a paste in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of sea salt. Add walnuts and continue to pound. Add a handful of basil leaves and pound to a paste. Add another handful and pound that to a paste. Whisk in olive oil and vinegar. (Alternatively, you could just blend all the pesto ingredients in a food processor … but it’s not as fun

Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water, and return pasta to pot. Toss squash and sausage with pasta. Whisk pasta water into pesto and add to pot. Toss for 2 minutes to thoroughly coat.

Serves 4

“Melted” Squash

Lia Huber — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 19:14:39 +0000

This is one of my favorite ways to serve summer squash. You can use any type of squash, but I prefer the denser, green-fleshed varieties. I also like to add a dash of Guatemalan smoked chile pepper a friend of mine gave to me; this is a great dish to be adventurous with anything special you want to play with too.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-½ pounds zucchini or other summer squash, Cut into 1-inch pieces
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Swirl olive oil into a large saute pan with steep sides and bring to medium heat. Add squash, garlic and onion to pan and toss to coat with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat again. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until squash begins to soften.

Remove lid and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan and turning the squash over on itself, until squash is almost completely broken down.

Serves 4

Smoky-Sweet Tri Tip

Alison Ashton — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 05:31:43 +0000

True barbecue involves indirect heat and smoke, and dedicated barbecue aficionados invest in a smoker. But you can set up a standard charcoal or gas grill for smoking, which works fine for tender cuts like tri tip, seafood or poultry. Tri tip (also called triangle roast) is a lean, quick-cooking cut of beef sirloin that’s an ideal introduction to smoking. It’s the cut used in Santa Maria-style barbecue in California’s Central Coast. I’ve added a touch of brown sugar to the spice rub for a little flavor of the Deep South. The result is smoky, spicy, subtly sweet, incredibly tender and, as my husband says, very “more-ish.” Serve this with our Santa Maria-Style Beans, corn or flour tortillas and your favorite salsa. Sometimes I’ll serve it with our Roasted Red Pepper Romesco Sauce (only I’ll put the veggies on the grill to smoke with the meat). Leftovers make divine sandwiches for lunch!

3 cups wood chips (applewood, hickory or oak)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (1-1/2 pound) tri tip steak, trimmed
Canola oil

Place the wood chips in a large bowl. Add water to cover, and let the chips soak for an hour. Drain.

While the chip soak, combine the salt, brown sugar, ancho chile powder, black pepper, garlic granules and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the meat. Let it stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Set up the grill for indirect heat. Preheat grill

For a charcoal grill, arrange the hot coals on one side of the grill. Add the drained wood chips directly to the coals.

For a gas grill, place the drained wood chips in a smoker box, in a disposable foil pan (poke a few holes in the bottom) or wrap the wood in heavy-duty aluminum foil (also poking a few holes in the foil). Whichever arrangement you use, set the container of wood directly over a heat source while the grill preheats.

Brush the meat with oil. When the wood starts to smoke, place the meat on the heated side of the grill. Cook 5 minutes on each side. Move the meat to the unheated side of the grill. Cover, and cook 25-30 minutes or until meat is 130 degrees F (or until desired degree of doneness). Remove meat from the grill and let it stand 10 minutes before slicing it across the grain.

Serves 4-6

Nigel Slater’s Parmesan Tomatoes

Alison Ashton — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:19:44 +0000

English cookbook author Nigel Slater reminds me a bit of Marcella Hazan. Like Hazan, Slater is adamant that he’s a cook, not a chef, and he’s a champion of simple, straightforward home cooking. The American edition of his book, Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch (Ten Speed Press) came out recently, and it deserves a place in your cookbook collection. His signature unfussy approach lets the flavor of seasonal produce really shine. Roasting summer-fresh tomatoes heightens their sweetness and deepens their flavor. Slater recommends serving these as a side dish with fresh mozzarella or basmati rice. They’re equally delightful served over sliced baguette as an appetizer or light lunch.

1 pound tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 chiffonade fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut tomatoes in half. Place them, cut side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold them a single snug layer. Drizzle oil over tomatoes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and the cheese is slightly crisp. Garnish with basil.

Serves 4-6

(Adapted from Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater.)

Cherry Apricot Almond Tart

Lia Huber — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:13:52 +0000

This tart has the trifecta effect of cherries+almonds+apricots. And its gorgeous. I love how this tart gives off both a casual, rustic feeling and a sense of refinement at the same time. Get ready for it to be the talk of the barbecue.

1 disc of Buttery, Crumbly Tart Crust, chilled
¼ cup blanched almonds
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 large egg
½ cup creme fraiche
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 pound cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 pound apricots, halved and pitted

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Roll out the pastry dough on a silicone mat or floured surface to a 13-inch circle. Spray a 10- or 11-inch tart pan with cooking spray and carefully lay the dough on top. Tuck it in to fit to the pan and trim the top, leaving a ¼ inch above the pan. Crimp edges along the ridges of the pan.

Spray a sheet of parchment paper with cooking spray and lay, spray side down, on the pastry shell. Fill with dried beans or pie weights and bake for 10 minutes. Remove beans or weights and paper, and let crust cool on a rack.

Pulse together almonds and ¼ cup sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add egg, creme fraiche and almond extract, and and run the processor until the mixture is smooth. Scoop mixture onto tart shell and spread evenly.

Arrange the halved cherries and apricots on top of the tart, cut side up. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and bake 30-40 minutes, until filling is set.

Let cool and serve.

Serves 12

Homemade Gravlax with Wild Alaskan Salmon

Alison Ashton — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:31:31 +0000

‘Tis the season for fresh, sustainable wild Alaskan salmon, and there’s none better than the rich, buttery fish from the Copper River. Gravlax is a Swedish specialty that cures the salmon with a mixture of salt, sugar and spices. It’s a simple, no-cook technique requiring nothing more than a little prep work and time. There many of variations of gravlax. Our version uses a basic combination of granulated and brown sugars, coarse sea salt and black pepper that lets the luscious flavor and texture of the fish really shine. You could customize this in any number of ways – swap black pepper for earthy white pepper, add lemon or orange rind, etc. Serve thinly sliced on multigrain crackers, garnished with chopped fresh dill and grated lemon zest. Or you could go old school and serve it with fresh bagels, cream cheese, capers and thinly sliced red onion.

1/4 cup coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 (1- to 1-1/4-pound) center-cut fresh wild salmon fillet, skin on

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

Place a large piece of plastic wrap in 10-inch (or other 2-quart) baking dish with enough extending over the sides of the dish to bring up and wrap over the salmon.

Cut a 4-foot piece of cheesecloth. Fold it into quarters to make a piece about 2 square feet. Lay the cheesecloth on a work surface.

Pat the salmon fillet dry with paper towels (so the salt mixture adheres to it). Rub about 1/3rd of the salt mixture over the skin side of the fillet. Lay fillet in the center of the cheesecloth. Rub the remaining salt mixture on the top and around the sides of the fillet. Wrap the cheesecloth over the fillet to cover the fish. Place it, skin side down, in the prepared dish. Bring the sides of the plastic wrap up to cover the fish.

Place a pie plate on top of the fish. Weigh it down with cans. Refrigerate 24 hours.

Remove fish from refrigerator. Unwrap the plastic and turn the cheesecloth-wrapped fish over. Replace plastic and pie dish with cans. Refrigerate 24 hours.

Remove from refrigerator. Unwrap the salmon and rinse it thoroughly under cold running water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Use a razor-sharp knife (a boning knife is good for this) to thinly slice the salmon.

Serves 6-8

Old-Fashioned Raspberry Buckle

Alison Ashton — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:33:43 +0000

A buckle is a homey, old-school American dessert that’s a single-layer cake studded with fruit. As the cake cools, it settles and “buckles.” I used raspberries here, but blueberries or blackberries would work just as well. If you happen to have our DIY Ghee on hand, use it to add deep flavor to this recipe. The cake a great addition to a brunch spread or as an afternoon snack with tea.
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) butter OR DIY Ghee, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 cups fresh raspberries
Nonstick cooking spray
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. Place the granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Gently fold in the raspberries. Scrape the batter into a 9-inch cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the edge of the cake. Invert cake onto a wire rack and cool completely. Turn cake right-side-up. Sift powdered sugar over top of the cake.

Serves 8

Greek Chicken Salad Pita with Lemon Vinaigrette

Alison Ashton — Mon, 09 May 2011 17:00:36 +0000

When chicken salad comes to mind, I always think of a mayonnaise-bound concoction (not that I don’t enjoy that). But this version, from Alison Lewis’s new book 400 Best Sandwich Recipes (Robert Rose) updates an old favorite with a fresh, bright-flavored, colorful spin. There’s no added salt in this recipe, because the feta and Kalamata olives add plenty of salty kick. If you don’t want to buy a whole jar of olives, look for Kalamatas that you can purchase by the pound at the supermarket salad bar, olive bar or deli case. Lewis recommends using leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken. Or, to change it up, sub chopped, cooked shrimp for the poultry. Use whole wheat pita bread, if you can find it.

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoons sliced pitted Kalamata olives
3 tablespoons diced red onion
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
4 (6- to 8-inch) pitas with pockets
4 lettuce leaves
8 thin slices tomato (optional)

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

Combine chicken, bell peppers, olives and onion in a large bowl. Add feta and parsley, and toss gently. Add dressing, and toss to coat.

Place pitas on a work surface. Tuck 1 lettuce leaf into each pita. Spoon chicken salad equally into pita pockets. Add tomatoes, if using.

Serves 4

Adapted from 400 Best Sandwich Recipes (Robert Rose).

Speedy Chickpea Couscous with Pesto

Alison Ashton — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:00:05 +0000

If weeknight dinners are hectic and you need fast-cooking whole grains, stock your pantry with whole wheat couscous. As Maria Speck notes in her wonderful book, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals (Ten Speed Press), couscous is an anomaly. “It is neither a grain nor a pasta,” she notes, but it is eaten like a grain. You can vary the flavor of this recipe by using different types of pesto. We used our Basil-Mint Pesto here, but you also could use our Asian Pesto or Spicy Sage and Parsley Pesto, or even some from a jar. Whether it’s homemade or store-bought, use a bold pesto you really love since it adds most of the flavor to this dish. Serve with fish or chicken. “Garnish with 1/4 cup chopped toasted pistachios,” Speck suggests. “Or make it a light meal with crumbled ricotta salata, goat cheese or feta cheese and a few olives.”
1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock OR vegetable broth
1 cup whole wheat couscous
3/4 cup cooked chickpeas (homemade or canned, rinsed and drained)
3 tablespoons pesto
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in the couscous, chickpeas, pesto, 2 tablespoons basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Adjust seasonings. Fluff with 2 forks, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons basil.

Serves 4-6

Adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals (Ten Speed Press).