Chicken, Chorizo and Chickpea Stew

Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
Shopping is not what it used to be. The mandatory mask makes my glasses fog up and I now know I have bad breath, or maybe I need to wash my camouflage mask. So why not make something new that doesn't require too many difficult-to-find ingredients (like flour)? This can be made spicy if you like by your choice of Chorizo, which seems in good supply at our local Lidl market. A bit of chopping, open a couple of cans, and let the simmer do its thing. This recipe serves 2 but doubles easily. Don't know about you, but I can't stop eating!

Ingredients
6 ounces Spanish chorizo
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, any color, diced large
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 glass white wine or dry sherry
1/2 bunch parsley or cilantro (or both!), chopped
1/4 cup chopped olives

Procedure
Cut the chorizo into slices and cook gently in a medium-size pan until it renders its oil, in which you now cook the chicken cubes till they get nicely brown. Then add the onion and pepper and cook until soft. Add the garlic and paprika and stir for a minute or two, followed by the tomatoes, tomato paste, chickpeas, and wine or sherry. Simmer for 20-30 minutes then season well with salt and pepper and garnish with the parsley and/or cilantro. Serve over whatever grain you prefer/can find — we had ours over saffron rice!

Spanish Scallop Salad

Every year for my lovely sister-in-law's birthday I cook a feast for her and her family at their home on Long Beach Island. This summer I decided to make it a themed buffet of Spanish tapas! It gave me the opportunity to use authentic Spanish ingredients I bought at Despaña in Soho, as well as local island seafood, and produce from my garden. (I made about 12 different tapas for the party and plan to feature all of them in the coming months here on the blog. It was a huge success and we have already agreed on a middle eastern buffet for next summer.) I had planned to do some kind of marinated seafood salad, originally thinking of using Calamari, but when I got to our favorite local fish market and the sign said: "local scallops" I could not resist. Enjoy, and know you can use any kind of seafood you want for this dish.



Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs scallops, calamari(rinse, dry and cut into rings), or shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small red onion, cut in half, then into very thin slices
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 ribs of celery, finely sliced
1 cup loose packed flat leaf parsley, leaves only
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional)

Procedure
Clean the scallops and cut them in half if large and dry them (you cannot sauté them if they are wet). Sauté scallops in a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until the surface shows some small cracks, then remove from pan. If using shrimp or calamari, lightly poach them in some water, white wine, lemon juice, and herbs of your choice and then quickly cool them.

Whisk together the lime, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in onions and let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cooled seafood, olives, tomato, celery and parsley. Toss with dressing and refrigerate 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to combine. If you want extra heat, add some Aleppo pepper to the mix.

A nature moment with Ask Rula!

Hello, my people! It seems I have been AWOL for a while, so sorry! I have moved to the country! Long Island counts as rural, right? Along with fixing up the new (old) Chez Rula, I have been gardening! Or well, rather, watching the gardeners. Those guys need someone to bring them spiked lemonade, and hold their shirts for them when they get all hot and sweaty! But no matter where I am, people always seem to have questions. And I have answers! So let's get to a few of them right now, shall we?

Our first question is from Green and Blue, and she says:
Dear Rula,
This year has been both good and bad for my tomatoes. My plants have set a LOT of tomatoes, but it's already getting too cool at night for them to ripen. I enjoyed the few ripe ones I got, but what can I do with all these green tomatoes — besides frying them?
I'm so sad.
Signed,
Green and Blue

Dear Green and Blue,
Pickle them! I slice and pickle green tomatoes all the time. They're great on sandwiches! I usually just wing it — a little dill, bay leaf, mustard seed, sugar, vinegar and a pinch of salt — but here's a simple refrigerator pickle recipe for you:

Basic Refrigerator Pickles

Ingredients - for every pound of vegetable
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
Extras: fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, mustard seed, cumin seed, peppercorns, cloves of garlic, or any other pickling spices

Procedure
First, clean and prepare all your vegetables. If it's a veggie you normally eat raw, leave them alone. If not, you can blanch them in boiling water, steam them, or roast them. You want them edible but still a little crunchy — like me!

Next, pack all your vegetables tightly into jars — slice them up to fit. You can use old canning jars or any other heat-proof container with an airtight lid. You can also combine more than one type of veg in the same jar — but make sure the combination will taste good together because all the flavors mix it up in there.

In a small saucepan, bring all the brine ingredients to a boil, then remove from heat and pour the brine over the vegetables. Put the lids on the containers, cool them to room temp, and then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating, if you can wait. They'll keep for about a month in the fridge, assuming they last that long!



This next question is from Probiotic Patty, and she asks:
Dear Rula,
As a middle-aged, smart-and-savvy woman trying to compete with thousands of millennials for low-paying jobs in the big city, I need all the help I can get. One thing I have started to do is try to take better care of myself, which means I am paying more attention to what I eat. There are those who say food can empower you, so I figured what the hell! I am now really into probiotic foods. Wondering about making sauerkraut, I looked it up and it seems to have only one ingredient. I know nothing about cooking and have seldom used my kitchen, so I was thinking this would be my speed. Any thoughts?
Signed,
Probiotic Patty

Dear Probiotic Patty,
You know what they say, "A woman with guts needs a healthy gut," so you go girl! Yes sauerkraut is indeed simple to make and really good for you and delicious on a kosher dog. But let's talk about what probiotics are first, ok? Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your digestive system. We usually think of bacteria as something that causes diseases. But your body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are often called "good" or "helpful" bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy. Here is a short list of best probiotic choices: yogurt; sauerkraut; miso soup; soft cheeses; kefir; sourdough bread; milk with probiotics; and sour pickles. But honestly honey, most of this is above your pay grade so let's start at the very beginning — how to turn cabbage into sauerkraut. This recipe makes 1 to 1 1/2 quarts and is very detailed, so pay attention!

Sauerkraut

Ingredients
1 medium-sized head of green cabbage (about 3 pounds)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional, for flavor)
1 big mason jar (like 2-quart size)
1 smaller jelly jar
rocks or marbles to use as weights

Procedure
Clean everything. When fermenting anything, it's best to give the good, beneficial bacteria every chance of succeeding by starting off with as clean an environment as possible. Make sure your mason jar and jelly jar are washed and rinsed of all soap residue. You'll be using your hands to massage the salt into the cabbage, so wash your hands as well.

Slice or shred the cabbage into thin threads. Combine the cabbage and salt and start massaging and squeezing the cabbage with your hands. At first it might not seem like enough salt, but gradually the cabbage will become watery and limp — more like coleslaw than raw cabbage. This will take 5 to 10 minutes. If you'd like to flavor your sauerkraut with caraway seeds, mix them in now. Then stop for a cocktail, darling.

Pack the cabbage into the jar with your hands, as tightly as possible. Place one of the larger outer leaves of the cabbage over the surface of the sliced cabbage. This will help keep the cabbage submerged in its liquid. Weigh the cabbage down — once all the cabbage is packed into the mason jar, slip the smaller jelly jar into the mouth of the jar and weigh it down with clean stones or marbles. This will help keep the cabbage weighed down, and eventually, submerged beneath its liquid.

Cover the mouth of the mason jar with a cloth and secure it with a rubber band or twine. This allows air to flow in and out of the jar, but prevents dust or insects from getting in. Press the cabbage every few hours — over the next 24 hours, press down on the cabbage every so often with the jelly jar. As the cabbage releases its liquid, it will become more limp and compact and the liquid will rise over the top of the cabbage. If extra liquid is needed, you can dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water and add enough to submerge the cabbage. Ferment the cabbage for 3 to 10 days — as it's fermenting, keep the sauerkraut away from direct sunlight and at a cool room temperature — ideally 65°F to 75°F. Check it daily and press it down if the cabbage is floating above the liquid. Taste it and when it seems sour enough refrigerate and eat. I love sauerkraut with rice, it's like Jewish kimchi.

If you have any questions for me, feel free to send me an email or leave a comment here on this post!

Well, that's all for now, my little sprouts — all that sod isn't going to lay itself! Ciao!

Ask Rula! NYC Edition

Even the city folks rely on Rula!
Hello my people! New and old, cowboys, cowgirls, healers, dreamers, subway riders, road-raged cabbies, overworked mothers, and confused Millennials, Rula is here to help. Wherever I go, I meet people with questions about food. How to make it, how to buy it, how to shop for it, how long to store it, and what do they do when they screw it up. Fear not, my culinary challenged sweeties. I — as always — have some answers for you. Here is a brief assortment of some questions I received this week.

The first question is from Pass the Party Platter Peggy, and she writes:
Dearest Rula,
One of my co-workers is retiring and I volunteered to do some sort of hors d'oeuvres for 40(!) people at his retirement party. D'oh! What was I thinking? Any suggestions for interesting, easy-to-assemble, snack-a-licious-ness? Also, how many pieces of food do I make for 40 people? There will be other foods (cake, salsa and chips, etc.) I want it to be nice, but I do not have time to spend hours in the kitchen making cute little canapés.
Signed,
Pass the Party Platter Peggy

Dear Pass the Party Platter Peggy,
That will teach you to volunteer your services! But fret not my dear, you have options. Instead of making tons of labor-intensive little bits, I would suggest platters. You can go with anything from the classic and not terribly exciting hummus-and-flatbread to an impressive pan-Asian tasting platter with home-rolled sushi, pot stickers, kimchee, and chicken satay with peanut sauce. The most important thing to remember is don't try to be too smart for the room — know your audience. And don't forget to use what's available, even just as a jumping off point. Trader Joe's has some great items in their freezer section as well as pre-cooked rice and grains which are real time savers.

In terms of amount, I would figure 2 pieces per person, so if you do platters with, let's say stuffed grape leaves, (the commercial ones are great in a pinch) 2 per person should be enough, along with other items you say are being served. Bulk up on the crackers, croustades, bagel chips, pita triangles if you are worried they might be big eaters. Carbs like that are easy and cheap and you can take home any leftovers. Might I also suggest one of the best and easiest things to make and impress? Chocolate dipped strawberries or chocolate dipped dried fruit (mango, apricots, pears, etc). I have never met a guest who didn't go crazy over that!



The next question is from Tommy Tomato and he writes:
Dear Rula,
The other night, I was out at a great new little local Italian joint having some pasta, because — hey — I'm not going to order anything else but pasta at an Italian restaurant, right? My Pasta Primavera came out garnished with these beautiful, little, slightly-dried, multi-colored plum tomatoes which were sweet and lovely. How did they do this and can I make them at home?
Signed,
Tommy Tomato

Dear Tommy Tomato,
Oh please, this is so easy you will be making them all the time. You can do this with grape tomatoes, pear tomatoes, and Roma tomatoes. This is my technique. Cut the tomatoes in half, throw them in a bowl and drizzle them with good olive oil, salt and pepper, a little fresh chopped garlic and fresh thyme, and the secret ingredient: a little maple syrup! Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and place the tomatoes cut-side-up on a rack sprayed with oil. Bake for 15 minutes then check them, turn the pan and bake them 15 minutes more. Keep checking them every 15 minutes until they reach the level of dryness you are looking for. Roma tomatoes will obviously take a bit longer. They are great tossed with roast fennel in a salad along with some shaved Asiago cheese. So as you can see, my short sighted friend, pasta is not the only Italian food!

If you have any questions for me, send me an email or leave a comment! Well, that's all for now — I have to get my torch tuned up. Ciao!

Guest Monica Meehan: Tomato Pasta Salad

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This is one you should only make with great, ripe tomatoes. If you're not growing your own, get some at the Farmer's Market! The amounts in the ingredients list are super vague — just adjust to your taste.

Ingredients
1 pound cut pasta (like ziti or penne)
2 or 3 ripe tomatoes
olive oil, to taste
basil, minced
mozzarella, diced (smoked mozzarella is a nice twist)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Put salted water for pasta on to boil. While water heats up, cut up tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Put the tomatoes into your serving bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Stir to combine, and let sit until some tomato juice renders. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until it's al dente. While the pasta's cooking, add olive oil, basil and mozzarella to tomatoes. Drain pasta, and add to serving bowl. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. The mozzarella will melt a little from the heat of the pasta. Serve warm or at room temp, if you can wait that long. Yum!

Frank Sinatra's mothers Meatballs and Spaghetti Recipe

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Frank Sinatra  is a complex man. I learned this when I recently read an essay written in the 1960s for Esquire magazine by writer Gay Talese. It was called "Frank Sinatra has a cold." Seems kind of like a stupid subject for an essay but it was a very amusing and observant piece about an icon of our culture. Super cool, tied to the Rat Pack, the mafia, the church, and lots of dames, a fascinating and intense man who never forgot his roots, partly because his mother Dolly, would not let him. So let's look at how Mrs. Sinatra made him happy.

Ingredients for meatballs
1 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground veal (or pork)
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs
4 ounces freshly grated Romano cheese
1 Tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

3 ounces stale Italian bread, crumbled
4 ounces lukewarm water
olive oil

Procedure
Combine the minced beef and veal(or pork) in a large bowl. Add the crushed garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water. The mixture should be moist but firm enough to make meatballs. Shape into meatballs. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry 5-6 meatballs at a time until browned and cooked. Place on a paper towel to drain off excess oil.
Makes approx 18-20 meatballs, depending on size. Serve with spaghetti and Dolly Sinatra’s Marinara sauce
.

Ingredients marinara
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 can tomatoes (chopped or crushed with a crusher)

1 Tb tomato concentrated purée

1 tsp oregano
Handful chopped basil
Half a glass of red wine
Salt and pepper

Procedure
Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion until tender. Add the garlic for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, herbs and purée. Simmer for 30 minutes.Next add the wine. Cover the saucepan with a sheet of parchment paper – I find this trick makes the sauce perfect in texture — and simmer till thick and yummy.

Guest Bram Meehan: Ropa Vieja

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I first had ropa vieja ("old clothes" or "old rags," because of how it looks) at the Little Havana Café in Clarendon. There we discovered that Cuban food isn't hot and spicy, but slow-cooked and savory.

This kind of became the day-after-Thanksgiving tradition when we used spend the holiday in a cabin in West Virginia with friends. It's easy to adapt the recipe for varying quantities, it doesn't require a lot of ingredients, travels well, and it's easy for people, based on how well they're recovering from Thanksgiving, to eat as much as they want. Plus, it's really easy to make.

Ropa Vieja

from Good Old Food by Irena Chalmers
Ingredients
2 pounds beef flank steak
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons peanut oil or olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper or more
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups tomato sauce
1 cup chopped tomatoes or more; I generally used canned

Procedure
Put the beef in a large pot (I use a dutch oven for the whole process) and add enough cold water to cover. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until meat is tender. Lift meat from the pot, reserving liquid. When the beef is cool, shred with a fork.

Combine vinegar, lemon juice, and crushed garlic. Add shredded beef and stir to coat; add salt and pepper and marinate at least 45 minutes. I generally increase the quantities of marinade ingredients by a fair amount, maintaining the proportions; that marinade barely coats the meat even then. Usually, I do this all the night before, and refrigerate the meat.

Heat oil the dutch oven; add onion and green pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for about five minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for 2–3 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, and 1 cup of reserved liquid (saving the rest for later and/or for cooking the black beans). Cook over moderate heat for at about 20 minutes. Add beef to add the sauce. Simmer at least long enough to heat the beef through … or just let it cook for hours, adding more reserved liquid as needed.

Serve over rice with black beans.

Serves 6 to 8.

Two Cuban Recipes - Ropa Vieja and Papas Rellenas

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
So just because it's fun, let's take a little trip to Cuba for today’s recipe inspiration. It was Bram's idea, and he usually has good ideas. Here's my version, which you make in a slow cooker.

Crockpot Ropa Vieja

Ingrdients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef flank steak
1/2 green pepper sliced into strips

1/2 Spanish onion, sliced into strips

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. coarse Black Pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup red wine

Procedure
Put all these ingredients into the crockpot in order. Add water to just cover the steak. Set it on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours. When the meat is very tender (comes apart with a fork), remove from the crockpot and finely shred it into a separate dish. Then make the sauce.

Ingredients for sauce
the pepper, garlic,and onion from the crockpot

3 tbsp. Olive oil
2 cups beef broth

1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste

1 tsp. oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
With a slotted spoon, remove the onion, garlic and peppers from the crockpot and sauté in a large frying pan. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and beef broth. 
Add the shredded beef to the tomato mixture and cook together for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with black beans and rice.

And now for something completely different. How about Cuban Papas Rellenas? (AKA meat-stuffed, deep-fried, Potato balls!)

Cuban Papas Rellenas

Ingredients
2 lbs large potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)

1 lb picadillo (seasoned ground beef, see below)
Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup dry bread crumbs

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

Procedure
Add salt to a pot of cold water, and boil the potatoes until they are soft. Drain the potatoes, and then mash them, then set aside to allow them to cool. Separate the egg yolks from the whites in two bowls. Mix the egg yolks into the mashed potato mixture, whisk the egg whites for a minute. 
Take a 1/4 of a cup of the mashed potatoes, and form it into a ball. Make a dent in the ball, to give it more of a bowl shape. Fill the indentation with a tablespoon of picadillo, and then reseal it. Reshape the potato as a ball again. Dip the ball in the egg whites, then roll the ball around in bread crumbs until it is coated. For a better coating, or for a crunchier texture, you may dip the ball into the egg whites again and coat it with another layer of bread crumbs. Refrigerate the potato balls for at least four hours before frying. To fry, pour enough oil into a skillet or frying pan to cover half of the balls, the oil should be at least 350°. Place several balls into the frying pan and cook on each side until golden brown, usually 2-3 minutes, taking care not to overcook. Drain the stuffed potatoes on paper towels, do not stack them.The other cooking method is to deep fry the papas rellenas at 375° until golden brown, they cook best deep-fried when they are frozen.

Ingredients for Picadillo
1 lb ground meat
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small can tomato sauce

1/4 cup dry white wine
Pimiento stuffed olives

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, onions and garlic. If meat is not too lean, pour out whatever fat you render.Turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato sauce and wine. While it simmers, chop up the pimiento stuffed olives and add to meat mixture, it is a great idea to add a little bit of the brine to the mixture. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Make them small and serve as hors d’oeuvres! Invite me.

Tomato Basil Gratinée

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This recipe is mostly tomatoes, warmed up and sharpened with a little garlic and basil, with just enough bread tossed in to sop up the juices. And some cheese on top — because, why not — oh yes, and some bacon fat!

Ingredients
3 tablespoons bacon fat
2 cups (1/2-inch diced) French bread, preferably a crusty baguette
16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice, about 2 1/2 pounds (use the best tomatoes you can find, beefsteak will be juicier)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons sugar (optional )
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the bacon fat in a large 12 inch saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned. Add the tomatoes, garlic and sugar to then pan and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the basil and remove from the heat.

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.

Bloody Mary Salad

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I love when a drink turns into a salad — what fun!

Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar, divided
2 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup brined green olives, plus 2 tablespoons extra brine from the jar
2 tablespoons prepared white horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Mix onion with 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes. Next add tomatoes, celery and olives. In separate bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons vinegar, olive brine, horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and celery seeds. Now slowly drizzle in olive oil mixing hard as you go. Toss with tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. May be made up to 4 hours before serving. Can also be served in a cucumber cup as a hors d'oeuvre!

Fattoush

Sexy Salad of the Week
Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad with bread in it. The Italians make Panzanella salad which is similar, but they use baguette and this uses pita. Basically this technique is a great way to use up old bread, and a great way for salad dressing to soak in and make a salad more filling. It's a full meal if you want it to be. There are millions of variations on this concept, so feel free to make it your own. I like this version which I tweaked from Bon Appetit magazine because it uses pomegranate molasses which is really pungent and delicious.

Ingredients for Dressing
4 teaspoons ground sumac, soaked in 4 teaspoons warm water for 15 minutes
3 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (or more) pomegranate molasses
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons (or more) rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh mint
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Ingredients for Salad
2 8-inch-diameter whole wheat pita breads, halved, toasted until golden brown, broken into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
3 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped, or 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound Persian cucumbers, or one 1-pound English hothouse cucumber, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium head romaine lettuce, trimmed, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch strips
2 cups (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves
Ground sumac (optional)

Procedure for Dressing
Combine sumac with soaking liquid, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses, garlic, 2 tsp. vinegar, and mint in a small bowl. Gradually add oil, whisking constantly, until well blended. Season with salt; add more lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and vinegar to taste, if desired. Then set aside.

Procedure for Salad
Place pita pieces in a medium bowl; pour oil over and toss to coat. Season pita to taste with salt.
Mix tomatoes and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add 3/4 of dressing; toss to coat, adding more dressing by tablespoonfuls as needed. Season with salt. Add pita; toss once. Sprinkle sumac over, if desired. Enjoy!

Ratatouille

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This is such a useful recipe, you can do so many things with it! Great as a side dish but equally as wonderful with pasta, in an omlete, or on a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients
4 cups fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 cup good olive oil
Splash of Sherry (optional)
1 pound eggplant, cubed
1 large onion diced
2 red peppers, diced
2 green peppers, diced
2 zucchini, cubed
2 yellow squash, cubed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
10 basil leaves chopped
1 bunch chopped parsley

Procedure
Sauté onions and garlic in a sauce pan in good olive oil until onions are tender. Add diced tomato and fresh rosemary and let simmer on low until sauce thickens. Add a splash of Sherry if you would like. Sauté the peppers and set aside. Toss the eggplant in olive oil salt and pepper and roast in oven until tender. Use the same procedure to cook zucchini and yellow squash. Once everything is roasted and tender, combine with the tomato sauce and simmer all together for at least 30 minutes. Top with chopped parsley and fresh basil.

Tomato and Goat cheese Pie

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Yesterday we harvested all our huge green heirloom tomatoes because the temperature plummeted and I got scared they would freeze. So now my whole kitchen is full of tomatoes, I am so proud! They ripen pretty fast indoors, hopefully soon I will have more than I know what to do with. This is why this savory pie recipe appeals to me at the moment. It started out as a recipe from Bon Appetit magazine, but I worked on it a bit. It had cheddar cheese in it which is not one of my favorites so I changed it to goat cheese — which I adore — and then threw in some tarragon from the garden and now I love it. Feel free to customize it to your taste.

Ingredients for crust
2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk

Ingredients for filling
2 lbs of the most delicious tomatoes you can find, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 cups of crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1 chopped scallion
1/2 cup mayo or horseradish aioli
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal

Procedure to make crust
Whisk together flour, powder, soda and salt or throw into the food processor and pulse. Throw in the butter and pulse til a coarse meal is formed and you still see some lumps of butter. Now dump into a bowl and add the buttermilk and knead gently together til dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
We are going to make this in a 9 inch Pyrex pie pan.

Procedure to make filling
Line a baking sheet with two layers of paper towels and then place tomato slices on them and cover with 2 more layers. This is to absorb the extra juice from the tomato slices. Let stand for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425 — yes I said 425! Roll out your dough between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap to an 11 inch round and remove top plastic and invert in waiting pie pan. Now carefully peel off other piece of plastic. Sprinkle corn meal in the bottom of crust (this is to absorb extra tomato liquid). Combine goat cheese and Asiago cheese and sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the cornmeal. Then arrange 1/3 of the tomato slices overlapping in the crust. Now combine the mayo, scallion, tarragon, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Spread 1/2 this mixture over the tomatoes. Repeat with more cheese, more tomato and then more mayo mixture til everything is all used up. Now fold pie crust over the edges of the tomato. Bake until crust is golden brown about 35-40 minutes. You might have to tent top if it gets too brown. Let cool at least 1 hour before slicing.

Home Grown Tomatoes

Excellent Ingredient of the Week
Home grown tomatoes are ripening on the vine as we speak — and they are totally worth waiting for. And there is nothing more delicious then eating them as is, but you can also incorporate them into other recipes so here are some great ideas for your beautiful home-grown gems. Some nutritional info about tomatoes:

• Eating tomatoes, ketchup, tomato sauce and tomato paste-topped pizza more than two times a week can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 21 to 43 percent according to Dr. Edward Giovannucci of the Harvard University School of Public Health.
• "Cooking tomatoes in oil encourages intestinal absorption and results in a two-to-threefold rise in plasma lycopene concentrations," says Dr. Giovannucci.
• Tomato products are beneficial in aggressive cancers that have also spread to other parts of the body.
• Lycopene is a powerful inhibitor of the growth of breast, endometrium (inner lining of the uterus) and lung cancer cells.
• Tomatoes are good for the eyes. Lycopene, the most abundant carotenoid in the blood serum, was found to be the key antioxidant that guards against ARMD ( Age-Related Macular Degeneration), a condition that may cause blindness.
• Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Potassium
• Lycopene is an inhibitor to heart disease.

And here are some recipe ideas:

• Make sandwiches Slice fresh tomatoes, layer on whole-grain bread (I like to toast mine first), throw in some fresh bail leaves sprinkle with salt and pepper and eat. Or do grilled cheese tomato sandwiches. Or how about a fantastic BLT?
• Make soup Chilled Gazpacho, cream of tomato soup, tomato basil soup
• Salsa Pico de Gallo, Picante sauce, Salsa Roja
• Salads Panzanella (Tuscan tomato-bread salad—recipe to follow at the end), Nectarine-Tomato Salad, Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad, Cucumber-Tomato Salad
• Oven-Dried Tomatoes Cut into slices, then dry them for 4 hours at 200 degrees in your oven so they last a little longer.
• Can them So they last a lot longer! Try a Spicy Tomato Jam. It’s delicious over grilled chicken or swordfish, or as an accompaniment to cheese and crackers.
• Put them on pizza Swap fresh tomatoes for the sauce on pizza. Fresh tomatoes are so flavorful, you won’t need to be heavy-handed with the cheese, making it a sensible way to have your pizza.
• Bruschetta diced tomato fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of balsamic on a piece of grilled baguette yum!

Panzenella Salad

Ingredients for the salad
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained

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

Procedure
Heat the 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. Add more oil as needed. For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. 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.

Fresh Tomato Juice Cocktail

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Today I thought I would talk about making fresh tomato juice and what to do with it. It's pretty much fresh tomato time, so how about a drink using stuff from your garden?

Ingredients
3 lb beefsteak tomatoes, quartered
1 small fennel bulb (sometimes called anise; 1/2 lb), stalks cut off and discarded, reserving fronds, and bulb chopped
2 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, chopped or some fresh basil
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, or to taste
3 (20-inch) squares of cheesecloth

Procedure
Finely chop all ingredients in batches in a food processor, transferring to a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature, loosely covered, 1 1/2 hours. Line a large sieve with layered cheesecloth squares and set over a large nonreactive pot( not aluminum). Carefully pour tomato mixture into center of cheesecloth, then gather up edges of cheesecloth to form a large sack and, working over sieve, squeeze solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard solids.

Chill juice until cold, about 1 hour, and stir before serving. (Juice will be pale in color but flavorful.) You do have the option of adding some alcohol at this point, what about a shot of Aquavit, Pernod, or vodka?

Jalapeno Blended Frozen Bloody Mary

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
I love a good Bloody Mary, and it is the best Weight Watchers choice for a mixed drink — yes it counts as a vegetable! It is also spicy and refreshing and not full of sugar. And it goes great with brunch!

Ingredients
2 cup tomato juice, or V8
2 oz peppered vodka
2 oz vodka
1 chopped jalapeno pepper
1/2 tsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp chopped horseradish
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ice

Procedure
Place everything in the blender and whip up. Get creative with your vegetable stirrer. Try olive or pepperoncini on a carrot or celery stick or a piece of Jicama dipped in chipotle red chile powder. And make one for me!

Sun-Dried Tomato Bread

The Altitude Adjustment Section
This is a great and unusual recipe from my archives for a sun-dried tomato bread with all kinds of great ingredients. Delicious as an hors d’ourve with a little goat cheese or toasted with some — dare I say — butter? Also great as a special sandwich bread. This is a big recipe and makes three loaves, which keep very well and can be frozen.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
2 tablespoon oil reserved from the tomatoes
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
2 cloves garlic (boiled 15 minutes then drained and mashed)
2 large beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 3 small 5x3x2 loaf pans. Combine flour, powder, salt, soda, Parmesan cheese, rosemary, and black pepper in mixing bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine canola oil, oil from sun-dried tomatoes, sugar, and add pesto and garlic, mix to blend. Beat in eggs and buttermilk. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and stir until blended. Now throw in the diced sun-dried tomatoes and the pine nuts and lightly stir. Pour batter into three small greased loaf pans and bake for 35-45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Refrigerate when cool. Will keep for one week in fridge.

Middle Eastern Lamb Stew

Low-Cal But Still Lovely
I found this delicious Middle Eastern Lamb Stew on the Weight Watchers website. They specify a crock-pot, but I don’t have or want a slow cooker. So I've adapted the recipe to make on the stovetop. I chose this recipe because lots of folks who watch their weight eat so much chicken they get crazy and think that's their only option, but everything in moderation works. And lamb is a great choice. If you can afford it, try the local organic lamb available at the farmers' market and high-end stores in town, it is just delicious. This recipe is 7 points a 1 1/2 cup serving for those who care.

Ingredients
1 pound lean leg of lamb, stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
15 oz canned chickpeas
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup canned beef broth
2 medium onions, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ginger root, freshly grated
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Procedure
Spray a thick-bottomed, heavy casserole with olive oil and sauté the onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Now add lamb cubes and brown an all sides. Add tomato juice, beef broth, spices, and ginger and simmer covered on low for 2 hours, until the lamb is tender. Add the chickpeas and simmer 10 minutes more. Add the lemon juice. Adjust seasonings and serve. You could also add carrots, peppers, and some heat if you would like. Serve over spaghetti squash or pasta or rice, if you have the points. Like most stews, this is best made the day before and reheated.

Curry-Spiced Bloody Mary Mix

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Cocktail, healthfood drink, who can tell the difference? I love tomato juice and it is good for you so I was very excited to try this savory treat — which you can make a alcoholic as you want. This recipe from the April 2010 Bon Appétit is by Gayle Pirie and John Clark and makes a pitcher's worth.

Ingredients
10 cups tomato juice
1 2/3 cups vodka
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Procedure
Combine everything in large pitcher. Whisk in 2 teaspoons sea salt and pepper. Season with more salt, if desired. Cover; chill. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled. Whisk before serving. Fill tall glasses with ice. Pour in Bloody Mary mixture. Garnish with celery sticks.

Olive Oil Roasted Tomatoes and Fennel with White Beans

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Olive oil roasted tomatoes and fennel with white beans sounds awfully good together. This can be used as a side fish or you can grill up some shrimp and toss it in to make a main dish.

Ingredients
2 large fennel bulbs with fronds attached
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
2 pints grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
4 large fresh oregano sprigs
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), drained

Procedure
Preheat oven to 425°F. Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1/2 cup. Trim fennel bulbs and cut in half vertically. Cut each bulb half into 1/2-inch-wide wedges, leaving some core attached to each wedge.

Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add fennel wedges in single layer; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Cook until fennel begins to brown and soften, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and crushed red pepper; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Fold together gently.

Transfer skillet to oven. Bake fennel and tomatoes until soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mix in beans and 6 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds. Bake 5 minutes longer to heat through. Transfer mixture to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining chopped fronds. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yum!