Sunday Pot Roast

Who doesn't like a simple pot roast ? I ask you.

Provençal Swiss Chard and Zucchini Tart

I have so enjoyed this segue into summertime! Our weather has been pretty perfect for the past couple weeks ... cool nights, sunny days in the mid 70's to low 80's, a bit of rain now and then to get the gardens growing well, and some cloud cover to keep things from heating up to quickly! Consequently, the vegetable gardens are really beginning to come on and Swiss chard, salad greens, and herbs are plentiful!

Beer Braised Shrimp and Sausage with Louisiana Salsa and Rice

... Cajun 'holy trinity' is the base for a chilly fresh salsa ...

Starting with a chop of celery, green pepper, and red onion, one can put together a nice little shrimp and sausage slurry that sure makes for a nice spicy supper ... meal made in thirty minutes while listening to pre-game chatter, ball game on at first pitch,  and feet up with bowls of Beer Braised Shrimp with Louisiana Salsa and Rice sitting in our laps ...  go Red Sox !!!

Saturday ...Projects and Pasta

... Penne with Roasted Purple Onions and Buttermilk Blue Cheese ...

Sweet and Sour Cucumber with Fresh Dill and a Kugel ....

This evening, SB and I are headed to the regional Ahavas Achim Temple to celebrate at a potluck and interfaith discussion of Spring festivals - specifically Easter and Passover. The potluck is a vegetarian affair, so I'm playing by the rules and trying a couple recipes from my Jewish cookbook ... the cucumber pickle is completely tasty and I've paired it with Russian Pumpernickel slices for an appetizer/salad offering.

... simple fresh green crunchy ingredients ... perfect for waking up the taste buds ...

The Kugel Yerushalayim is a complete stretch for me. My niece, Beth is always raving about a kugel that she makes for her family celebrations, so I was encouraged to try this recipe. It smells fantastic ... but the jury's out until I see just how many folks actually chow down on it. I'm actually having doubts about it as the sugar content is quite high and it has this funky cooked sugar and olive oil component that just feels wrong to me, but one must follow the recipe when one is in unknown territory ... and I have never made this classic of Jewish cuisine.

Sweet and Sour Cucumber with Fresh Dill

Ingredients:

4 small cucumbers, tipped and sliced thinly

1/2 large sweet white onion, sliced into thin half-moons

a generous pinch of kosher salt

3 tbsp. sugar

5 tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 tbsp. cold water

3 generous tbsp. fresh chopped dill

fresh pumpernickel bread, sliced into thin half slices

1. Combine the cucumbers and onion slices and toss with your hands to separate the slices and mix the two.

2. Sprinkle the salt and toss again. Set aside for ten minutes in a cool spot.

3. Mix the sugar, vinegar, and cold water, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

4. Pour the brine over the vegetables and add the chopped dill. Toss to coat all the veg and distribute the dill.

5. Cover and chill for a few hours.

6. Serve the pickle with slices of fresh pumpernickel bread, as a salad or appetizer.

... time machine ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Should have left the kugel at home ... it was too thin, sticky and too crisped -a complete fail. However, I've NEVER met a more gracious group of people who assured me that it was just fine! Haha! Guess I'll be taking lessons from Elaine, who brought the most luscious apple kugel that it made me close my eyes and smile! It was truly a revelation!

Oh well ... the pickle was totally tasty!

Braised Sirloin Tips and Mushrooms ... A Pub Food Rant!

I recently found a heavy cast iron Dutch oven on Ebay that called my name ... it was well-used and came to me for a song ... what care do I have that it has dings and a bottom that is stained and a bit pitted ... I plan to add to the 'patina'! The key for me was having a heavy pot that would take the shift from stove top to oven and go right to the table. The key was also having a pot much like a La Creuset, but without the sticker shock. Digging around on the Ebay auctions brought me to this Danish Copco cast iron beauty. I can put a whole chicken or big pot roast and all the fixings in this baby and let things simmer away to a soft 'fall off the bone' finish or make a huge soup or stew. Once this pan gets hot, it radiates warmth for a good long time!

Today, the house is chilly and I have decided to bake and use this Dutch oven to make some classic pub food ...

Golden Onion Pie ... and a Story

This is a seriously yummy onion pie. It's not a quiche. It's a pie stuffed with the sweetest onions I could find ... those huge white onions that caramelize in the blink of an eye because of their super sugar content. Yes, there are a couple eggs in this pie, but there's also flour mixed with those eggs and that's very un-quiche-like. No, this is a pie reminiscent of some farm wife's bounty of onions and her wish to make an easy supper that  surprises her husband and satisfies her kids.

The Virtual Supper Club - Beer Battered Onion Rings !

This month, The Virtual Supper Club visits the Country Fair ... 

Can country fair fare be made 'lighter' ? Believe it or not, yes! And here's the proof ... this batter has no egg yolk and no milk. There is no deep-fried method in making the rings ... there's a quick stove-top fry in minimal canola oil and then a finish in a hot oven to complete cooking the onions and build a crispy crust (that would have been accomplished in that sea of hot grease!).  So ... let me digress a bit ...