Grilled Portobello Burgers with Basil Avocado Spread

Generally, "eating local" is ideal because it is economic, healthy, and usually abundantly available.  The growing region in which I live has so much to offer, it's hard to believe that we might need anything other than what we already have.  But it's not hard to believe that we might want them.  I like oranges and orange juice, but we can't grow them here very successfully.  I like olives and olive oil, but again, not from here because our weather isn't forgiving enough to nurture those plants and trees.  What about lemons, limes, figs, and avocados?  No, no, no, and no.

With the citrus, we do have them available in the grocery store, but the flavor pales in comparison to where they thrive; an orange eaten in California or Florida tastes drastically different than an orange eaten in Wisconsin.  I can't attest to the flavor of the lemons and limes as well, but I have to assume the situation is similar.  My kids like oranges, so I will buy the oranges, but even though they've never eaten the fruit in its home region, they notice the severe fluctuations in flavor and quality, too.

Could we live a healthy life without those things?  Sure.  But personally, I rely on olive oil and lemons, at the very least, and they are pretty much staples in my home.  And I'm not ready to ditch coffee or the occasional chocolate.  So, I do make exceptions.   For me, oils and olives are exceptions because they are prepared and preserved before they are sold, as opposed to whole fruits and vegetables, allowing the rest of us to enjoy them as well.  And I do make exceptions for lemons because we don't eat them whole (like we do with oranges); we use them to flavor or enhance a dish made with our own local offerings, the same as we do with any other seasonings.  With cocoa and coffee, I look for fair trade and organic versions.  There are several whole foods we like that are not locally grown, such as mangoes, pineapples and bananas, and we do buy them during their growing seasons, but they are not staples because they are not grown here.

One such food is the avocado.  I don't buy them often, but I like them with bean based Mexican style foods, instead of sour cream, which I also like (and find in abundance locally).  And I love them with this grilled mushroom sandwich, even though I could probably either use a homemade mayonnaise instead of the avocado or just skip the smear all together and just use basil leaves, because I like all of those things, too.

So, for the most part, I'm okay with occasionally enjoying the fruits and vegetables of another region, as long as they are purchased during their growing season and not relied upon as staples, unless they are minimally prepared and preserved (such as the oils and olives).  It is important that we understand the vast amount of food our individual growing regions have to offer so we can enjoy as much of it as possible, in as many different ways as possible.  In today's society, it's a gift to be able to enjoy olive oils and specialty vinegars from Greece or Italy, wines from California and France, various nuts and beans and so on, but only if it's used in conjunction with a dish made primarily from locally grown foods.

Anyway, now that I've rambled, here's the recipe for these delicious barbecue fare "burgers".  I do want to mention a bit about the ciabatta bread, though.  If you need to purchase a premade loaf, try to find one that is extremely fresh so the crust is still soft enough to bite into without squishing all the sandwich contents out the sides (I can't stand it when that happens).  Otherwise, you might consider making one yourself.  I use the recipe in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois, and it's so easy;  just mix the flour, salt, yeast and water, let it rise, shape it and bake it - no kneading at all.  I absolutely love their breads and method.

Grilled Portobello Burgers with Basil Avocado Spread
Serves 6.  Approx 10 min prep time.  Approx 8 min cook time.

For the spread:

• 2 avocados
• 2 Tbs basil leaves, chopped
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed (through a garlic press, or finely minced if you don't own a press)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mushrooms:

• 6 large portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Baby lettuce leaves
• 1 16oz loaf ciabatta bread, sliced lengthwise and cut into 6 equal bun size portions

Place the mushrooms in a 13x9 pan, gill side up (if they don't fit flat in the pan, use a gallon size resealable storage bag).  In a bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper (to taste).  Pour over the mushrooms, turning the mushrooms to coat, but ending with gill side up again (if you are using a bag, pour the marinade in with the mushrooms and gently shake to coat).  Set aside.

Cut the top and bottom off the red bell peppers (reserve for another use). Run your knife around the inside to remove the core and seeds.  Slice each pepper into three square chunks, like this:

Set the peppers on top of the mushrooms (or toss them into the bag) and set aside.

Cut the avocados in half, remove the seed, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.  Place the avocado into a small bowl along with the basil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper (to taste), and mash everything together with a fork.

Slather the basil avocado spread on the bottom half of each ciabatta "bun" and top with baby lettuce leaves.

Oil the grates and fire up the grill.  Place the peppers and mushrooms (gill side up) on the rack over direct heat, and grill about 4-5 minutes.  Turn the vegetables over and grill another 4-5 minutes, basting the tops of the mushrooms with any left over marinade.

Place one bell pepper square and one mushroom on top of each of the prepared ciabatta buns.  Place the top on the sandwich and serve.

Summer Vegetable Soup

It's Soup Day today at my house.  Or, more accurately, it's Clean Out the Fridge Day.

I woke up early enough to make it to the Farmer's Market shortly after it opened, so I had the greatest pick of some fantastic produce.  Even though I frequent the farmers markets for as long as they run (where I live it is until mid October), this 'early to the market' thing is such a rarity for me, I ended up making three trips back to my car today because I couldn't carry it all; baby romain and salad leaves, eggplant, corn on the cob, carrots, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, green and yellow beans, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, green and purple peppers (I have never seen a purple bell pepper before, and they were so pretty, so I bought some), kohlrabi, chard, and blueberries.  I think I bought something from every vendor there and spent just under $40 for everything.  Gosh, I love that place.

Anyway, when I came home, I realized I needed to clean out the refrigerator so I had a place to stash my haul.  A lot of the things I found in there were still good, but nearing the end of days, so I just set all the old contents on the counter and considered what kind of soup we'd be having for dinner.  Two giant tomatoes were very ripe, so I decided to make a quick tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic, onions, and basil, which would be the base of the soup.  To that I added about a cup of chopped carrots, a zucchini, about a cup of green beans, a couple stalks of celery, and some water (and of course, salt and pepper).  In simple, thin brothy vegetable soups like this one, I like to stir in some beans (in this case, Cannellini) and some greens (today I used the chard I just bought).  And, to off set the tomatoes, a little red wine vinegar.

My family always likes to eat soup with bread (who doesn't?), so I made focaccia dough in the breadmaker, topped it with garlic, olive oil, oregano, olives and parmesan, and baked it in the oven.  We had slices of cantelope for dessert.

Nice.  Simple.  Quick.  Delicious.

Before I give the recipe, would you like to see my purple bell pepper?  Seriously, the only time I've ever seen a purple pepper, the poor thing was about an hour from turning black and biting the dust.  But this one is not the same at all; it's crisp and tastes bright and fresh, like a green bell pepper, but a little more bland flavor, almost watery.  I was surprised to see it was green on the inside and the wall is firm and thicker than I had expected.  I think we'll use them in fresh salads, although I might saute some just to see what happens with the purple color.

Here is the Summer Vegetable Soup recipe.  All portions are approximate, so if you like carrots, add more, if you don't like green beans, add a cup of something you do like (peas are good), etc.  Serves 6-8.

Summer Vegetable Soup

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2-3 large tomatoes, diced, with all their juice (or a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes would suffice)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 med white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped basil (not necessarily minced, but not a large chop, either)
• 2 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 c sliced carrots
• 1 c zucchini, chopped
• 1 c green beans, cut into 1" pieces (or use frozen if you don't have any fresh)
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 6 c water
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 c cooked white beans such as Cannellini, Great Northern or Navy (or 1 15oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 4 cups chopped chard or spinach leaves
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil over medium/high heat in a dutch oven or soup kettle.  Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and 1 tsp salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, about 6-8 min until the tomatoes start to break down and onion is translucent.  Add carrots, zucchini, green beans, celery, water, remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until green beans are tender.  Stir in white beans and chard or spinach.  Simmer another 10 minutes, or until greens are wilted.  Remove from the heat and stir in red wine vinegar.  Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Herb Baked Chicken

For many years I didn't eat meat.  My reasons were a combination of several things; farming practices, prices, health reasons, the sound the chicken bones make when they are cracked, the smell of raw meat, and a strong feeling that nothing really needed to die so I could live.  Then I read The Fat Fallacy: The French Diet Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss by Will Clower.  He has a recipe listed in the meal plans and recipes section of his book for a simple baked chicken.

And I began to think chicken might not be so bad because that recipe, in all it's simplicity, looked delicious.  I could imagine exactly how it would taste and I thought about it for days.  I woke up in the middle of the night and thought some more about that chicken recipe.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I justified my "cheating" by explaining to myself that my diet is pretty much the same as many of the Mediterranean diets; lots of fruits and vegetables, good fats, beans and grains.  In fact, my diet nearly reflected the diet Dr. Clower discusses in his book; taking time to enjoy smaller portions of real food and getting some exercise. The only major difference, other than the amount of white sugar, was that they ate some sort of meat or fish at least once a week.  I also decided that if my family was self sustaining in our food practices, we might have chicken once or twice a month.  Right?

So, I drove 20 miles north to a local organic farm and purchased a 5lb cut up chicken.  I drove the 20 miles  back home and recruited my son to clean the bird (I hadn't touched a dead animal in over five years, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it).  He patted it dry and placed it in a 13x9 pan for me.  My son and I followed Dr. Clower's directions exactly, adding the garlic and herbs, salt and pepper.  I reluctantly covered it with foil (it was so colorful and pretty, believe it or not) and put it in the 350F oven.

See?  Isn't that pretty?

An hour and a half later, my whole house smelled so wonderful, so inviting, just like Dr. Clower promised it would.

It looked beautiful and tasted even more amazing than it smelled. It was moist, flavorful, and I couldn't believe how very much I absolutely loved it.  I may have even got a little teary-eyed (but we won't talk about that).

So, thank you, Dr. Clower, for forever corrupting this (now mildly former) vegetarian.  I'd like you to know we eat this chicken at least once a month because it is one of my family's most requested dinners.

Last night we made this chicken with steamed fresh green beans and roasted baby red potatoes (clean the potatoes and poke them with a fork. Place them in a 13x9 pan along with a little olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, and toss them a bit with your hands to coat.  Put the uncovered pan of potatoes in the oven at the same time that the chicken goes in.  They will be ready when the chicken is ready.  Toss some of the roasted garlic from the chicken dish with the potatoes and fork mash them on the plate.)

Herb Baked Chicken

• 1 4-5lb chicken, cut into parts, washed and patted dry
• 1 bulb garlic, cloves separated
• about 1 Tbs kosher salt
• about 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4-6 sprigs of each: rosemary, sage, bay leaves (I like to add thyme, too)
• 1/2 c. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Place the chicken in a 13x9 pan.  Toss the garlic into the pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Lay  your herbs over the chicken.  Pour oil over all.  Cover with foil and bake for about 1 1/2 hrs.  Remove the foil  and bake another 10-15 minutes.
Be sure to smear those beautiful roasted garlic cloves either on bread, potatoes, or right back on the chicken. Yum.

Asiago Pasta Salad

A couple of years ago, the deli at one the grocery stores I frequent had a colorful pasta salad displayed in the case that caught my eye.  It consisted of penne pasta, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, peppers, large chunks of asiago cheese and some sort of vinaigrette.  I tried a sample and was sold.  I immediately purchased 1/2 lb and rushed home to figure out what was in it.  It turned out to be pretty straight forward, with a basic red wine vinaigrette, and the simplicity of the whole thing  made it taste even better to me.

We are heading to a family reunion tomorrow, so I made a batch of this to bring along.  The first time I brought this salad to a family function, several people made me promise to bring it every year.  So I will.

A few suggestions for this salad: if you don't have any yellow peppers lying around, don't let it stop you from making it - just use whichever ones  you do have.  The same goes for the tomatoes - chunk some other tomato you already have on hand (the juices will just add more flavor to the salad).  It'll taste mildly different, but it's a pretty fool proof salad.  The only things I wouldn't mess with are the olives and the Asiago (because then it wouldn't be Asiago Pasta Salad, now would it?).  Use olives from an olive bar (many grocery store delis have these) or find a good quality jar of olives and brine.  Please do not substitute those flavorless black things in a can.  For the cheese, try to find an Asiago that has been aged 3-8 months (Asiago Mezzano); the cheese is semi-hard at this age so it's easy to cut and it holds its shape well in a dressing sort of setting, and it still tastes a little sweet which is nice because it's such a spunky cheese.

Asiago Pasta Salad

• 1 13-14 oz box whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes (halved, if you like)
• 8 oz pitted kalamata olives  (halved, if you like)
• 6 oz  Asiago cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1/3 c red wine vinegar
• 2/3 c extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Boil the pasta according to package directions.  Drain, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta, peppers, tomatoes, kalamatas and Asiago cheese.

In a small jar (not smaller than a pint) with a tightly fitting lid, combine the vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.  Screw the top on tightly and shake like crazy until everything is well mixed.Pour over the pasta mixture and mix well.

Serve right away or store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

This recipe makes about 8 heaping 1 cup servings so adjust the recipe for as many servings as you'd like to have on hand.

Vegetarian Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those dishes that doesn't adhere to seasons.  It's also very forgiving when it comes to ingredients as long as the cheeses and the sauce are right.  My absolute favorite lasagna is a mushroom, roasted red pepper and spinach concoction with layers of provolone, mozzarella, cottage and parmesan; it's great in the summer, fabulous in the winter and it rocks the next day.  With this lasagna, fresh, frozen, dried, or jarred works every single time, regardless of what you have on hand.  Except the cheese.  The mozzarella must be fresh.  But doesn't mozzarella always need to be fresh?  If you are still buying the sort-of-soft-but-mostly-hard block of mozzarella, please stop.  If you are still buying it already shredded, you may actually kill me.

Choose a good, hearty, flavorful sauce for this lasagna.  It's the primary source of the herb flavors here, and I have found that when I need to rely on a commercial sauce, the flavors just aren't as bold as I'd like them to be for this dish.  Just to be safe, you might consider jazzing up a jarred marinara with some dried basil or oregano.

Vegetarian Lasagna

• 9 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1 24-28oz meatless marinara (either homemade or a good, organic basil and tomato is great)
• 2 large portobello mushroom caps (about 6-8oz), chopped
• 1 12oz jar roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry, and chopped (or your own roasted, in which case you would use 2 peppers)
• 1 10oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 3/4 c grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 c shredded provolone cheese
• 1 c shredded fresh mozzarella
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or 1Tbs freshly chopped)

Preheat oven to 350F.

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• In a bowl, combine mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and spinach. In another bowl, combine cottage cheese, 1/2 c paremesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine the provolone and mozzarella cheeses.

In a 13x9 pan, spread 1/4 of the marinara sauce. Layer 3 uncooked noodles, 1/3 vegetable mixture, 1/3 cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 provolone/mozzarella mixture, 1/4 marinara. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 1/4 c parmesan and oregano.

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• Cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before slicing.  
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• Serve with a simple salad, crusty bread smeared with roasted garlic, and a lovely bottle of wine.
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Impromptu Dinner - Vegetable Quesadillas

Today I had planned to make lasagna for dinner.  I had been busy all day cleaning and doing laundry (and other, similarly glamorous things) and running the kids to racquetball, running back to pick them up, and by the time I looked at the clock, it was already after 3pm. I realized I had to get started if we wanted to eat by 5p so I could somehow magically get both my daughter to her volunteer job at the library and my son to football practice by 6pm.  I started hauling out the ingredients only to find I had no cottage cheese.  None.  And I just love cottage cheese in my lasagna.  I tore the whole refrigerator apart looking for it because I know I put it on the grocery list when I made the week's menu.  I finally had to come to terms with the fact that someone ate the cottage cheese, so I had to put all the other ingredients away.  That took a while, and before I knew it, it was 3:45, and I had just over an hour to get dinner for 6 on the table.

I know some people work well under pressure.  And I know lots of people love surprises.  I don't do either well.

But that night, I did.

When I was tearing apart the fridge, I found some homemade refried beans and about 1/4 jar of salsa from a few days ago I had forgotten about.  I also found an avocado that was on its last days for sure.  I had tortillas in the freezer.  We always have cheese (just not cottage, apparently).  Quesadillas!

I feel badly that we were in such a hurry I didn't get to take a picture to show you.  But, since these were so yummy, we will definitely be making them again, and I will get a picture then.   Unless...you want to make them and send me a picture of your Vegetable Quesadillas using this recipe to post here!  That would be super cool, especially since my pictures kind of stink (I'm so not a photographer).  If you're game, leave a comment for me.

*Edited to add the pictures!

Vegetable Quesadillas

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 onion, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 15-16 oz can refried beans
• 1/4 c salsa
• 6-8 oz shredded cheese (I used PepperJack, but Cheddar or Monterey Jack would be great)
• 10 8" whole wheat tortillas

Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium/high heat.  Saute peppers, onion, and garlic until crisp, but a little golden, about 5-6 min.  Turn the heat to low, stir in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, cover and let cook another   8-10 min, or until tender, but not mushy.

Meanwhile, combine the beans and salsa.  Divide the mixture evenly between the tortillas, spreading it only on half of each tortilla (we will be folding them).

Divide the vegetable mixture between the bean covered tortillas, and then do the same with the shredded cheese.  Fold in half.

In a small amount of olive oil (I used a pastry brush to spread it around), fry each quesadilla until golden, flipping to do the other side.  If you use the same skillet,  you should be able to fit two in at a time.  I used a griddle, and was able to fit 5 on at a time, which was nice.

Cut each tortilla into 3 wedges and serve with salsa for dipping and sour cream or guacamole for smearing.

Cucumber Salad with Dilled Yogurt

Cucumbers fresh from the garden are one of life's little pleasures.  The harvesting season is entirely too short, if you ask me; I wish it was all year long.  Of course, there are cucumbers available at the grocery store all year long, but just because they look like cucumbers, doesn't make them cucumbers.  Fresh summer cucumbers not only smell like cucumbers, they taste like them too (which isn't true for the winter cucumbers in the grocery store).

Because it is so crazy hot here right now (90 degrees Fahrenheit and oppressively humid at 10am) , I don't feel like fighting the air conditioning in the kitchen with the heat from my oven.  So, it's going to be a salad sort of day.  I've got some of those luscious cucumbers and some big, beautiful tomatoes resting on my counter, and I can almost hear them calling to me to dress them in yogurt and dill.  They like that.

This version of this salad is simply utilizing what I had on hand.  A squeeze of lemon in the yogurt sauce is nice, too, but I didn't have any.  If you've got a lemon, go ahead and give it a little squeeze.

Cucumber Salad with Dilled Yogurt
(serves about 4)

• 1/2 c plain yogurt (full fat)
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill
• 1-2 big tomatoes, sliced about 1/3" thick    
• 1-2 cucumbers, sliced on the diagonal 1/3" thick
• very thinly sliced red onion, (about 1/4 of the onion, maybe less)
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix the dill, yogurt, and a little salt together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 15 minutes to give the dill time to flavor the yogurt.*

Layer 2 tomato slices on each plate, topped with 3 cucumbers and a few strands of onion.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Drizzle yogurt sauce over and top with a little more chopped dill, if desired.

Eat with a fork and knife.

* Note - the longer you allow the dill and yogurt to do its thing, the stronger the dill flavor will be.

Banana Walnut Muffins

Quick breads and muffins aren't really that difficult to build.  We need some heft (flour), some flavor (fruit/vegetable/spices), a riser (usually baking powder) and some glue (an egg).  Easy, right?  Well, a lot of muffin recipes call for sugar.  White sugar.  Processed sugar.  And I don't understand.

It's been a long time since I've used white sugar as anything other than a decoration, if I even care to use it for that much.  As far as sweeteners go, if the fruit itself isn't enough to spread around, I tend to rely on the most natural of all sweeteners; honey.

For as much as I love and use honey, I have to say I have a soft spot for maple syrup.

My grandfather tapped the trees on his land, harvested the sap, and cooked it down to that sweet, delicate, thin liquid we poured on our pancakes and waffles.  I even dipped my bacon or sausage it, and it was good.  Darn good.

But guess what.  Maple syrup isn't just for breakfast anymore.

When my children were born, I started playing around with different natural sweeteners so I could avoid giving those new and perfect little bodies straight up processed white sugar.  Local raw honey and local maple syrup worked as a great substitute in nearly every recipe I tried them.

In your search for real maple syrup (please don't waste your money on "pancake syrup" or amost-but-not-quite maple syrup - read your labels!), look locally.  If you absolutely can't find any within a decent drive-able radius, get online and buy from as close to home as possible.  If you do have to drive far, it's a good idea to stock up.

Here is a favorite muffin recipe using maple syrup from a local source.  They are super moist and just sweet enough to let the flavor of the banana be the star. I hope you like them.

Banana Walnut Muffins

• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c rolled oats (not quick cooking)   
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts
• 1/4 c canola, olive, or coconut oil
• 1/2 c pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 3 large, ripe bananas
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• Preheat oven to 375F. Grease or line 12 muffin tins.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nuts. Make a well in the middle.
• In another bowl, combine oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and egg. Using your hands or the back of a fork, gently squash the bananas (don't "mash" them, keep some chunks), and add to the wet ingredients. Stir well.
• Pour the banana mixture into the flour and oat mixture. Stir until just combined.
• Divide batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin tins. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.