Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti

This dish is my new weeknight best friend. It's quick, easy, crowd-pleasing, and best of all, it's versatile.



The possibilities for playing with types of protein, veggies, and even pasta shapes are limitless. Want rotini with ground turkey, broccoli, and alfredo sauce? Penne with veggie soy crumbles, artichoke hearts, and arrabiata sauce? Or maybe rigatoni with asparagus, ground sausage, and mushroom marinara. See what I mean? It's like a game. How many combos can you come up with?

Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti
Adapted from Real Simple
Serves 4
Hands-on time: 10 minutes, Total time: 40 minutes
Printable Recipe

12 ounces ziti or other short pasta (about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 pound lean ground beef
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 26-ounce jar marinara sauce
1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
1 cup grated mozzarella (4 ounces)

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beef, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon until it's no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Toss the pasta with the meat mixture, marinara sauce, spinach, ricotta, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, 2-quart souffle dish, or 4 large ramekins. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining ¼ cup of the Parmesan and bake until the cheese melts, 12 to 15 minutes.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Sage, and Green Apple

Do you know the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?



Me neither. I did some research, and despite my view of myself as a relatively intelligent person, I keep confusing myself more on this issue. If you'd like to attempt reading an explanation, I'll hand it over to the Library of Congress. Even better, if you know the difference and want to explain it to me in an idiot-proof way, I would be much obliged!

This dumpling recipe called for sweet potatoes, so after a small grocery store panic attack, I bought the ones with the sign that said "sweet potatoes". They were the really light ones with light brown skin and yellowish flesh, not the dark orangey kind. For the record.

This was my 3rd time making gnocchi from scratch-- I've made potato and ricotta before-- and the third time was (*cliche alert*) definitely the charm here. Although time-consuming (save it for a weekend or special occasion), the gnocchi was pure heaven in a bowl. The addition of the green apple was a genius idea, and although there were a lot of flavors to contend with, everything came together brilliantly.

For another point of view and some gorgeous photos, take a look at Anne's version of the same dish.

P.S. A big heartfelt thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on my last post about a recipe difficulty rating system. My decision for now is to hold off. It would be a lot of work, and there seemed to be quite a few mixed opinions. However! I am planning a big site overhaul (transferring to Wordpress) over the course of the next 6 months (I'm graduating and will have more time to play!), and will most definitely revisit the ratings, and a time gauge, at some point during that process.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Sage, and Green Apple
Serves 6
Gnocchi adapted from Marcella Hazan via the New York Times
Sauce adapted from Bon Appetit
Printable Recipe

For Gnocchi:
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted, plus up to 1/2 cup for kneading
2 tablespoons minced sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce the skin of the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool until comfortable to touch. Peel and pass through a ricer into a large bowl. Combine sweet potato puree, flour, sage, salt and pepper.

2. Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces. Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet.

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt and return to boil. Working in batches, drop the gnocchi into the boiling water. Cook 10 seconds after the dumplings rise to the surface, about 3 minutes total. Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet. Cool completely. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

4. Preheat oven to 300°F. To make the sauce, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.

5. Add chopped sage (mixture will bubble up). Turn off heat. Season sage butter generously with salt and pepper.

6. Transfer half of sage butter to large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add half of gnocchi. Sauté until gnocchi are heated through, about 6 minutes. Empty skillet into an ovenproof bowl; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining sage butter and gnocchi.

7. Divide gnocchi and sauce among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and grated apple and serve immediately.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Remember my new toy, the pasta extruder? I'm back to share another shape with you. This time, classic spaghetti. Not the most original choice given all the shapes at my fingertips, but it was the best match for the real star of the show here-- bolognese sauce.



I've wanted to make bolognese for a long time, but the long simmering time makes it an impossibility most days. The opportunity finally came on our trip to Port Townsend over the holidays. Nothing but time and a cozy day at our cabin in the woods to help the sauce along.



As I usually do with new techniques, I chose the Cook's Illustrated recipe, this time from my online subscription to their archives. I chose the all-beef version, and it was divine. While of course the sauce was excellent, it was the combination of the sauce from scratch and the fresh homemade pasta that made this one of my favorite recent meals.

Completely unrelated to spaghetti sauce: there's an entertaining website making the rounds of the blogosphere. It's called formspring.me, and you can use it to ask me an anonymous question-- about food, about me, about whatever-- ask here and I'll happily answer! Have fun!

Beef Bolognese
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons minced carrot
2 tablespoons minced celery
3/4 pound ground beef chuck
table salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1. Heat butter in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, carrot, and celery and sautè until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add ground meat and 1/2 teaspoon salt; crumble meat with edge of wooden spoon to break apart into tiny pieces. Cook, continuing to crumble meat, just until it loses its raw color but has not yet browned, about 3 minutes.

2. Add milk and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, 10 to 15 minutes. Add wine and bring to simmer; continue to simmer until wine evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low so that sauce continues to simmer just barely, with an occasional bubble or two at the surface, until liquid has evaporated, about 3 hours. Adjust seasonings with extra salt to taste and serve. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several days or frozen for several months. Warm over low heat before serving.)

Potato Tomato Focaccia

This bread is brilliant because it looks so fancy, but it's so simple. All it takes is time and a little patience. If you've never made yeast bread before, this is a wonderful recipe to start with. I don't need to tell you how delicious it was, its beauty and flavor speaks for itself.



I used leftover potato guts, but there are directions in the recipe for starting with an uncooked potato.

One helpful hint: use an instant-read thermometer if you have one to make sure your warm water is the right temperature before you pour it over the yeast. If it's too hot or too cold, the yeast won't do its thing. The warm water should be between 110-115 degrees F.

Potato Tomato Focaccia
Adapted from The Wednesday Chef
Printable Recipe

1 medium baking potato
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon fresh or instant yeast
A pinch of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup warm water (see note above)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse sea salt

1. Wash the potato and place in a small saucepan along with enough water to cover the potato by an inch. Place the pot over high heat, covered, and bring to a boil. Add a handful of kosher salt to the water. Simmer until the potato is tender when pierced with a knife, around 20 minutes. Drain the potato and let it cool. Peel the potato and mash finely with a fork. Set aside.

2. Put the yeast in a large mixing bowl along with a pinch of sugar. Add the warm water in a thin stream over the yeast, using a fork to help dissolve the yeast entirely. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes.

3. Pour the flour into the yeast water and stir with a fork, then add the mashed potato and the salt. The dough will be relatively thick and shaggy. Use the fork to incorporate the potato into the flour. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and begin to knead the dough by hand. It will come together quite quickly. Knead against the bowl for a minute or so, until it is relatively smooth. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle. Form the dough into a ball and let it rest, covered with a kitchen towel, in the bowl for an hour.

4. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan. Using your fingertips, gently release the puffy and risen dough from the bowl and place it in the cake pan. Gently tug and pat it out so that it fits the pan. Cover the top of the focaccia with the tomato halves, distributing them evenly. Sprinkle the oregano and a large pinch of coarse salt over the tomatoes, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and let it rest for another hour.

5. While the focaccia is resting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake for 40 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes before removing the focaccia from the pan.

Ricey Tomatoes with Breadcrumbs

These tomatoes. Ohhh, these tomatoes. I've had them bookmarked since long before I really knew who Molly was. Now, she's one of the food writers I admire most. If you don't know her, head over to Orangette. You'll feel like you've made a new friend right away, I promise.



I keep kicking myself for waiting so long to try this recipe. I've had the best of intentions, with ingredients stocked and everything, to make this at least 3 other times. But for some reason, it's never quite happened until now. They were just as flavorful and comforting as Molly promised. I served them for company, but next time (probably not til next summer's first tomatoes) I'll make it for just us, so we can each have 2.

Ricey Tomatoes with Breadcrumbs
Adapted from Molly of Orangette, originally from Luisa Weiss
Printable Recipe

4 large, good-tasting tomatoes
1 small yellow onion, diced
Olive oil
1/3 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup water
5 fresh basil leaves
Salt
Breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Holding them over a bowl, scoop out their insides – flesh, seeds, and juice – and let it all fall into the bowl. Set the tomatoes in a lightly oiled 9”x13” baking dish. Then fish the flesh out of the bowl, and chop it. Return it to the bowl with the juice and seeds.

3. In a medium saucepan, warm a glug of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent. Add the rice, and continue to cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Add the tomato flesh, juice, and seeds – it may look like a lot, but add it all – as well as the water. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces, and add them too. Add a generous pinch or two of salt. Reduce the heat slightly, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste, and if needed, add more salt.

4. Spoon the par-cooked rice mixture into the tomatoes. Top them with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Give everything a good drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The tomatoes should shrivel a bit and release some of their juices.

5. Cool for 15 minutes or so before eating, so that the tomato juices have time to settle.

Daring Bakers: Cannoli

Welcome to the November edition of the Daring Bakers! This month's challenge was hosted by the hilarious and talented Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts, and Line Drives.



Lisa Michele took us outside the box (or should I say the oven?!) this month by asking the Daring Bakers not to bake! Instead, she had us face our deep-frying fears to make cannoli, a technique that was certainly new to me.

Since I had some technical difficulties with the cannoli forms (pretty sure my dough wasn't rolled quite thin enough, it unfolded off the forms in the oil), I made a few different versions: some traditionally-shaped cannoli, plus a few open faced ones (below), and a bunch of "canapes": cannoli chips with a dollop of filling on top.



I thought long and hard about a fun twist or flavor inspiration in the true Daring Baker spirit, but wound up choosing to do the simplest, plainest preparation possible. I even omitted the chocolate chunks and pistachios that the filling recipe called for. In the end, I'm really happy with that choice. The filling was melt-in-your-mouth flavorful on its own, and I brightened the pastries up with some fun colored sprinkles and a dusting of powdered sugar.

I loved these (as did all the friends and family who happily taste-tested them for me). I had a lot of fun making them and conquering my fear of hot oil, but I don't know if I see a lot of deep frying in my future. It's one of those techniques that, on the rare occasion I want to treat myself with something fried, I think I'll leave to the pros.



Thanks to Lisa Michele for introducing us to something totally new and different this month, and being a patient and generous hostess. For the cannoli recipe, tips, and to see what my fellow Daring Bakers came up with this month, please pop over to The Daring Kitchen!

Blog-checking fine print: The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

Chicken Piccata

Have you ever had one of those weeks where everything big and important in your life, both fun and stressful, comes to a head all at once? And you feel like your head might explode from the chaos? For me, that was last week.



Luckily, most of it was fun: a concert, a wedding, a visiting uncle, lots of great restaurants, trips to Portland and Seattle. But there was definite sleep deprivation involved. One of my favorite feelings in life is the calm after the storm; reflecting back on everything that just happened, and entering a relative vegetative state for a day or 2. Those days are often when greatness happens in my kitchen, and that's how this Chicken Piccata was born.

It felt like such a luxury to take a whole afternoon and evening earlier this week to pore through cookbooks, plan a meal (this chicken, served on a bed of sauteed spinach, and pasta with my go-to marinara sauce from scratch). Before I got into cooking last year, I used to consider playing in the kitchen a chore, something that took time and energy that I didn't want to "waste." I love that now, I feel the complete opposite. At the end of a long day, all I want to do is get into the kitchen and create something.

Oh, maybe I should say something about the chicken, eh? Rave reviews all around. It's supposed to serve 4, but the 2 of us took it down easily, it was that good. My first time serving anything on a "bed" of spinach. Watch out world, I'm getting all fancy-pants!

Chicken Piccata
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 boneless chicken breast cutlets (4 ounces each), pounded thin with a meat tenderizer
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 large lemon, sliced into thin half-moons and end discarded
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 1/2 lemons)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces and chilled
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200F. Spread the flour in a shallow dish.

2. Pat the cutlets dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Dredge through the flour to coat and shake off any excess.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the cutlets and cook until light golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to an oven-safe plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining oil and cutlets.

4. Add the shallot and garlic to the oil still left in the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and lemon slices, scraping up any brown bits, and simmer until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 8 minutes.

5. Stir in the lemon juice and capers if using. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving.

CEiMB: Linguine with Shrimp and Vegetables

It's Thursday, which means it's time for Craving Ellie in My Belly! This week's Ellie Krieger dish is Linguine with Shrimp and Vegetables, chosen by Farah at Confessions of a Novice Baker.



I'm a big fan of anything with pasta, veggies, and a lemon/white wine/garlic sauce. The addition of shrimp was a nice way to tie the dish together. I made a few slight changes to the recipe, including using only half the shrimp called for, using canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh cherry tomatoes (tomato season, come back soon please!), and omitting the parsley.

Linguine with Shrimp and Vegetables
Adapted from Ellie Krieger
Printable Recipe

3/4 pound (12 oz.) linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)
1 bunch asparagus stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15-oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to the directions on the box. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus and saute for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, and asparagus is tender and firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp mixture from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the lemon juice, white wine, and the reserved pasta water to the skillet, maintaining medium-high heat. Let simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. Return the shrimp and asparagus to the pan and stir in the parsley, if using. Add the drained linguine to the shrimp mixture, tossing to combine. Add tomatoes and toss. Sprinkle with cheese, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic

Broccoli is one of my favorite veggies, and I love its delicate baby sibling broccolini just as much, if not more.



This recipe is my new go-to veggie side dish. I've made it a few times in the last couple of weeks with a wide variety of main courses. I've been making an effort lately to choose recipes honoring the recently departed Gourmet magazine. This one proves that their recipes aren't all complicated or time-consuming like you might think. It's simple, with only a few ingredients, and really brings out the flavor of the fresh produce. It's especially appealing if you're a garlic fan like me.



Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic
Adapted from Gourmet
Printable Recipe
Serves 2

1/2 lb broccolini (1 bunch), ends trimmed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper

1. Cook broccolini in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until stems are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes, plunge quickly into ice water to stop the cooking, then drain in a colander.

2. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic, stirring, until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add broccolini, salt, and pepper and cook, tossing, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Orecchiette with Roasted Peppers and Vegetarian Crumbles

When school started this year, I decided to try my hand at menu planning. It felt important for me to keep cooking and baking on the priority list, and planning ahead was the only way to make that happen with my schedule. On October 1st, I sat down with my all of my cookbooks and my online foodie to-do list and put together 10 meals that I wanted to make throughout the month.



10 meals might not seem like a lot for a whole month, but when I get busy, I shut down and revert to my old take-out habits, so I needed to set a do-able pace. Each weekend, we picked 2-3 meals from the list to make that week and took care of all the grocery shopping at once. The planning was a success, and I'm excited to do it again in November.

The first main course I picked was Orecchiette (my favorite pasta shape!) with Peppers and Sausage from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast. We had some Quorn (a soy-free vegetarian meat substitute made from mushroom protein) crumbles in the freezer, so I tried them out in this dish. I'm pretty new to vegetarian meat substitutes, but I enjoyed this. It had no flavor (could be a pro or a con, depending on your tastes), so I added my favorite condiment, garlic salt, liberally to the finished product, which balanced the dish out well. I'll try this next time with chicken sausage for a bit more flavor.

p.s. Please give a warm welcome to my brand new Recipe Index! You can find a permanent link to its home over there ------> on the right sidebar, and it will be continually updated as I publish new recipes. Feedback on how to make it more user-friendly is always welcome!

Orecchiette with Roasted Peppers and Vegetarian Crumbles
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast
Printable Recipe

2 medium red bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
2 medium yellow bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
Coarse salt or garlic salt and fresh ground pepper
1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta
2 tsp olive oil
12 oz. Quorn crumbles (or for the meat-eaters, 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings)
1 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more to taste

1. Heat the broiler. Place the peppers, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 4 inches from the heat until charred, 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, steam 2-3 minutes. Rub off the pepper skins and discard, reserving any juices in the bowl. Thinly slice the peppers crosswise into 1/4 inch strips, return to bowl and set aside.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place frozen crumbles (or sausage) into pan and cook, breaking up large pieces with a spoon, until heated through (or sausage is browned), 7-10 minutes. Add the roasted peppers, cook until heated through.

4. Transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Add pasta, butter, reserved pasta water, and parmesan. Season with salt or garlic salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes (or) Farewell Gourmet, I Never Knew You

As you've probably heard by now, Condé Nast announced last week that it was shutting down Gourmet magazine, along with several of its other publications. Like many other food lovers, the news hit me hard. But I'm not in mourning for a dear old friend; rather, I'm disappointed about a lost opportunity for the future.



You see, unlike most other people who were devastated by this news, I didn't have a subscription to the magazine. I had just begun to immerse myself in its world, devouring editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl's books, buying the Gourmet Cookbook and Gourmet Today, and making recipes from Gourmet via Epicurious. I was dipping my toes in to see if I was ready to leap, and I was. I had a grand plan to request a subscription for my birthday, which is coming up soon-ish (YAY!).



I had been treating the act of subscribing to the magazine as a big step towards being a "legitimate" cook, not just one who names her blog "Playing House" because everything's a game or experiment. I was taking this transition very seriously and very slowly, savoring it as I progressed. When I first heard the news, I felt like one of my main motivators had been yanked out from under me. It's hard to be too upset, though, thinking about the decades of magazine archives that remain, the amazing resource that is Epicurious, and the 2 cookbooks I'm proud to own. These recipes should keep me busy for at least a lifetime of learning how to cook.



To celebrate the cultural institution that was Gourmet, Julie at A Mingling of Tastes has organized a blogging event to round up some favorite recipes from the magazine. Special thanks to my blogging friend Maggie for posting about it (and I owe her an extra big thanks for turning me on to Ruth Reichl's books too). Julie asked anyone who wants to participate to make their favorite recipe from Gourmet and share it with her. In a few days, she'll post a round up of everyone's beloved recipes, so be sure to check back there on October 19th or 20th.



Since I didn't have a favorite (yet), I chose something that I had been wanting to try: Slow-Roasted Tomatoes. We were recently gifted with a big bag of fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes by our friends Cathy and Rodney (they're the folks who introduced us to Oliver at the Humane Society), so the timing was quite serendipitous.



These tomatoes are drizzled with an olive oil-garlic mixture before roasting. Forget scented candles, reed diffusers, and incense. If you want your house to smell heavenly, just pop some of these in the oven and enjoy the aroma throughout the day as they cook down. I tossed ours with some fresh pasta, but they're so versatile, I'll be making them often throughout the winter. I've read that slow-roasting brings out the best in even crummy store-bought winter tomatoes.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
From Gourmet Magazine, August 2009
Printable Recipe
Makes 4-6 servings

4 pounds tomatoes, cherry or grape tomatoes halved lengthwise, larger tomatoes cut in quarters or eighths
6 garlic cloves, minced
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1.Preheat oven to 200°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.

2. Put tomatoes, cut side up, in 2 large 4-sided sheet pans. Combine garlic and oil and spoon over tomatoes. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper.

3. Roast in oven 6 to 8 hours (tomatoes will be greatly reduced in size but still moist). Cool.

Note: Roasted tomatoes keep in an airtight container, chilled, 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.

Zucchini Parmesan

As I mentioned recently, we've had quite the zucchini bounty this year. When we got back from some time out of town and I went to check the garden, I found a real-life zucchini version of James and the Giant Peach. Seriously, a kid and some bugs could live inside that monstrosity of a vegetable.



So, of course, I had to find a way to use up all that zucchini. This was especially challenging since it's at the top of Andy's "Forbidden Vegetable" list, right behind mushrooms. This task was made infinitely easier when he suggested out of the blue that he might give it a chance it if it was slathered in breading, cheese, and sauce, and so Zucchini Parmesan was born.

I had a hard time finding a recipe I liked online, so I wound up adapting a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan from Gourmet magazine. This was a huge deal for me, because even very recently I would have been either ordering takeout or finding the easiest Rachael Ray/Sandra Lee version to make. Actively choosing to make something from Gourmet was a huge milestone for me.



Despite the milestone, though, I wasn't thrilled with the results for a couple of reasons. First, zucchini are not supposed to grow that big. The seeds and skin were incredibly tough to the point of inedibility (it's not a word, but you know what I mean), so that was irritating. Second, maybe I was a little too deliberate and methodical in my preparations (read: I like to space out sometimes when I'm cooking so it takes a bit longer), but the hours of work did not produce a stellar end result like I had hoped. I can't fault the recipe, though; it's for eggplant, not zucchini, and I had to make some guesses about how to adapt.

I'd recommend this recipe for use with eggplant, and just might revisit it when our backyard eggplants are ripe (almost there!). Otherwise, I'd say there's a good reason it's hard to find a zucchini parmesan recipe out there. The best thing to come out of this experience was that Andy actually enjoyed the zucchini, seemingly much more than I did. A step in the right direction!

For Gourmet's Eggplant Parmesan recipe, click here.

Homemade Pasta

When Wendy came to visit, we had planned a ridiculously long list of recipes we wanted to make together. In the end, we only wound up making one meal together, but it was the meal to end all meals. You shoulda been there.



On the menu:
* Homegrown Heirloom Caprese salad
* Homemade Pasta with Marinara sauce, both from scratch
* Lemon Tart (post coming up next week!)

We don't have a pasta machine, so this was genuinely made completely by hand. We used a recipe from The Pioneer Woman's friend Pastor Ryan. Click on over to Ree's site for lots of pictures and a printable recipe. The texture wasn't quite like anything I've ever had, even the fresh egg pasta in the refrigerator section of the grocery store, which I love. It was thick, a bit chewy, and quite unwieldy... and all 4 of us at the table devoured it. It's incredible how 2 simple ingredients, flour and eggs, can come together into something so tasty. We could taste the love and effort that went into it.

Wendy cutting the pasta:


Making pasta by hand made me want to run out and buy the pasta roller/cutter attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. Does anyone have it? Thoughts?

Homegrown Heirloom Caprese

Besides berries and sunshine, heirloom tomatoes are my favorite thing about summer. I'm so thrilled that, after 3 years of trying, we finally grew some successfully in our backyard.


Brandywines (my all-time favorite variety, the flavor is heavenly), and giant Striped Germans

I'm a firm believer that, when you have such beautiful, flavorful produce, the best way to serve it is simply. Other than bruschetta and eating them plain like apples, a good caprese salad is my favorite way to prepare summer tomatoes.



I was excited to try making a balsamic reduction to drizzle over the caprese, but the recipe I used didn't achieve the desired effect. It certainly reduced in quantity, but it didn't produce the syrupy texture I was hoping for. Will definitely keep trying, though. Anyone have tips for a successful reduction? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Caprese Salad
Printable Recipe

Arrange sliced tomatoes, basil leaves, and fresh buffalo mozzarella on salad plates. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (I skip the pepper, I'm not a fan. Heresy, I know). Enjoy while you can still get these beautiful summer tomatoes (unless you're in the Southern hemisphere... happy end of winter to you!).

Lemony Pasta with Broccoli, Walnuts, and Toasted Breadcrumbs

I've had Pasta with Lemon, Broccoli, Walnuts, and Toasted Breadcrumbs from Susan at Food Blogga on my Foodie To-Do list (over there on the right sidebar) forever. In fact, it may have been one of the recipes that inspired me to start the list in the first place, that's how long I've wanted to make this dish. Many of my favorite flavors rolled into one meal. Now that's efficiency!



I'm happy to say that I finally got around to crossing it off the list. With a few changes (i.e. adding in a LOT more lemon than the recipe called for), I hit the sweet spot where everything came together quite nicely.

This was my first time making fresh breadcrumbs (I've always used the canned variety, which I have been informed is the ultimate foodie faux pas), so that was empowering. Yeah. I made a batch of Ina Garten's Garlic and Herb Tomatoes (recipe coming soon) on the side, and wound up tossing a bunch in with the pasta as well. It added a lot more flavor and color, which is never (ok, rarely...) a bad thing.

Lemony Pasta with Walnuts, Broccoli, and Toasted Breadcrumbs
Adapted from Food Blogga
Printable Recipe

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 small shallots or 1 large, thinly sliced
4 cups broccoli florets
About 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more as desired
1 tsp lemon zest
8 oz pasta (your favorite shape... the ridgy or spiral-y kinds are especially good with this)
½ cup walnuts, toasted (see directions below)
½ cup breadcrumbs, toasted (see directions below)
A few shakes of crushed red pepper
A few shakes of salt
Freshly grated Grana Padano
Some good olive oil to drizzle on top

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Layer walnuts on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, until slightly golden and aromatic.

2. To toast the breadcrumbs, place in a skillet on the stovetop; slightly shake until golden and evenly toasty, just a couple of minutes. Remove from pan, so that the heat won’t continue to toast them.

3. Cook pasta in salted water according to directions.

4. Add olive oil to a skillet. Over medium heat, sauté garlic and shallots until slightly caramelized. Add the broccoli, lemon juice and zest, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the broccoli turns a brilliant green and remains firm to the touch. Add your cooked pasta to the skillet with the broccoli mixture, and toss in the toasted walnuts and breadcrumbs. Taste and squeeze more lemon juice in to reach desired flavor.

5. Sprinkle with a healthy dose of grated Grana Padano cheese and some fresh parsley. Finish with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 4.

Panzanella

Panzanella. Sounds like a Disney princess name, right? This is something I've wanted to make for a long time, and finally had the opportunity last week. I am SO excited to tell you about this crusty bread and veggie salad, because... are you ready for this? We grew ALL the veggies in it! That's a bunch of cherry tomatoes, a lemon cucumber, and a few heaping handfuls of basil leaves.



I know everyone's bragging about their veggie garden bounties this time of year, but I am just in awe of the fact that we grew this stuff, so please indulge me while I say YAY! This recipe is a massive improvisation on a recipe from the always fabulous Ina Garten, based on what I had in the kitchen and the garden. She also includes bell pepper, red onion, and capers, and uses champagne vinegar instead of balsamic. Yum.



Panzanella
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small baguette or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large lemon cucumber, cut into cubes
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.

2. For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

3. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, and basil. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

How to Cook Something: Mixed Basil Pesto

Welcome to How to Cook Something, my feature where I share a recipe from my favorite beginner's cookbook, Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, in an effort to learn my way around the kitchen. Today's recipe is pesto.



We have an abundance of basil at the moment, thanks to our Aerogarden (a hydroponic indoor growing system that we got as a wedding gift). We're growing the "international basil" seed set, which includes 6 different varieties. I decided to throw a bit of each into the pesto and see what happened.

I wound up not being able to tell that there were 6 varieties of basil in the mixture. I used walnuts and I loved how there was a hint of nuttiness along with the other flavors. I'm glad to be able to check this classic basic dish off my list!





This is also my entry for this month's Grow Your Own challenge that I'm proudly hosting!



Mixed Basil Pesto
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Printable Recipe

2 loosely packed cups fresh basil leaves (a variety of types or all one type), big stems discarded, rinsed, and dried
Salt to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. walnuts or pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine basil, salt, garlic, nuts, and about half the oil in a food processor or blender.

2. Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container occasionally, and adding the rest of the oil gradually (Amy's note: I didn't use the entire amount. Add until you get a texture you like). Store in the refrigerator for a week or two, or in the freezer for several months.

Bruschetta

Bruschetta is one of those foods that I can eat inappropriately large quantities of in one sitting. It was one of the first dishes I ever made as a kid, and it always impresses. Making it in the summer, when tomatoes are in season, is one of my very favorite pleasures in life.



It’s also impossible to mess up (unless you use crappy tomatoes, in which case it will be “meh” but not horrible), so it’s pretty ideal in every way. I’m not sure how authentic my method is, but I like to keep it simple to highlight the fresh, summery flavors.





Bruschetta
Printable Recipe

4 beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, diced
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
Splash of olive oil
Several pinches of kosher salt
Baguette

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss to combine, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

2. Slice the baguette, brush lightly with olive oil, and toast in the oven (or toaster oven) until lightly brown and crispy. Serve with tomato mixture. Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

On our vacation last week, I offered to be the official cook and baker for our friends at the lake cabin, and no one seemed to mind. Since we were so far from civilization, the grocery list was a one-shot deal, so I had to think ahead and be prepared!



One thing I knew I definitely wanted to make was Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables. This recipe was recommended to me by an old high school friend with whom I’ve recently reconnected (Hi Susan!). It was incredibly light, summery, and all-around tasty. Even my husband, who hates squash and zucchini, devoured it. This dish had the perfect balance of textures, and the lemon gave it a zing that tied all the flavors together.



I used store-bough gnocchi (I’ve made them from scratch a few times and prefer the ease of the pre-prepared variety), but you could certainly make your own. You could also vary the types of vegetables, cheese, and herbs, but I recommend sticking with the recipe. Why mess with perfection? I also doubled it to feed our crowd, which worked well.



Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 zucchini or summer squash, or one of each (about 2 pounds total), quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 package (15 to 16 ounces) frozen store-bought gnocchi (Amy’s note: we found ours in the pasta aisle)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet. Toss gnocchi, adding enough cooking liquid to create a sauce. Remove from heat and stir in basil, cheese, butter, and lemon juice.

Pizza Dough Breadsticks

After picking up a bag of premade pizza dough at Trader Joe's today, I was inspired to not make pizza. I know, such a rebel! I made up this recipe for breadsticks to go along with a big salad for dinner tonight. I think I like making up recipes, maybe I'll try it more often. I smell danger ahead!



I brushed the dough with olive oil and sprinkled it with garlic salt and crushed red pepper. These would be delish with some freshly grated parmesan and oregano too.



Pizza Dough Breadsticks
Printable Recipe
Makes about 8

1 bag store-bought pizza dough
Olive oil
All-purpose flour
Garlic salt
Crushed red pepper
Marinara sauce for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Take dough out of bag and let rest on a lightly floured surface for 20 minutes. After rest, use a rolling pin to roll dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. If the dough's too sticky, sprinkle it with flour until it's rollable.

3. Brush dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and crushed red pepper. Use a pizza cutter (or knife) to slice the dough into strips about an inch wide. Transfer to a baking sheet.

4. Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.