Grilled steak skewers and Charred corn salad

This was one of the best dinners I have made recently. The steak was delicious, tender and flavorful. The salad was excellent also. I used a skirt steak, instead of a flank steak that the recipe called for. I used grass-fed steak, which I think makes a big difference in the texture on the steak.

A great summer meal!

From Grilling magazine

For the steak:
1 1/2 lbs beef flank (or skirt) steak, preferably grass fed
1 Tbsp each ground cumin and dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp each ground coriander, kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
cherry tomatoes

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Slice steak against the grain into 1/2 inch slices, set aside.
Combine cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, pepper, and garlic powder for steak seasoning in a medium bowl. Whisk in lime juice and vegetable oil, and toss with steak strips. Place a cherry tomato on each of eight steak skewers. tread 2 steak strips on each skewer, folding stips accordion style. Spread strips along length of skewer. Place a cherry tomato on end of each skewer.
Grill skewers, covered, over direct heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
Charred corn salad Adapted from Grilling magazine
Makes 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes, (plus 30 minutes soaking time)

3 ears fresh sweet corn, shucked
3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
1/4 cup sliced red onion
3 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
2 Tbsp lime juice
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Dissolve 1/2 cup kosher salt in 2 qts water. Soak corn in water for 30 minutes, remove and pat dry. Grill corn over medium heat, turning often, until kernels begin to blacken, about 10 minutes. Remove corn from grill. When corn is cool enuogh to handle, cut kernels from cob and place them in a bowl. Add tomatoes, avocado, and red onion.
Whisk together goat cheese and lime juice in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle goat cheese sauce over corn mixture; toss to combine. Serve with steak skewers.

Best meal of the summer so far, I think!!

Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Blueberry Swirl

I seem to have a problem. I can't stop buying cooking magazines! I see them in stores, and just have to buy one. This recipe was on the cover of Gourmet magazine this month, and looked too tasty.
I made these for a group of friends that came over, and they got eaten up pretty quickly! They are a bit of work, but not too bad. You use already made vanilla ice cream. A great way to use ripe local, blueberries.
For lemon ice cream:
2 pt all natural vanilla ice cream (I used Breyers)
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Transfer ice cream to a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 30 percent power in 10 second intervals, stirring until softened.
Stir in lemon juice and zest. Spread ice cream thinly in a 13-by-9 baking dish and freeze while making compote and sandwich layers.

For blueberry compote:
2 cups blueberries (10 oz)
1/4 cup sugar
2 (3-by 2 1/2-inch) strips lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch

Cook blueberries, sugar, and zest in a skillet over medium high heat, thoroughly crushing blueberries with a potato masher, until juices are released and sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Stir together lemon juice and cornstarch, then stir into blueberry mixture. Boil, stirring, 1 minute. (Mixture will thicken.)
Transfer to a bowl and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Discard lemon zest.

Sandwich layers (Make while blueberry compote chills)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp caking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Equipment: 2 (8 inch) square baking pans (2 inches deep), a small off-set spatula)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with rack in the middle. Butter baking pans and line with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhand on each side, then butter foil.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and brown sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer a medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. At low speed, add flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing until just combined.

Divide batter between baking pans and spread into thin, even layers with offset spatula. Bake until golden brown but still tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely in pans, about 30 minutes.

Dollop tablespoons of blueberry compote all over ice cream, then swirl with a spoon. Spoon all of the ice cream over 1 sandwich layer (in pan) and spread evenly using clean offset spatula. Invert second sandwich layer over ice cream, pressing gently to form an even sandwich. Wrap baking pan in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
Transfer sandwich to a cutting board using overhang. Cut into 8 pieces.

A variety of summer produce

Basil from our CSA!

Here are some of the random things I have been making with our produce that we picked up on Friday:

Coleslaw
I made two kinds of coleslaw in the past two days. I just love homemade coleslaw. And whenever I make it for people, there is often someone who says, "Oh, no thanks. I don't like coleslaw." I usually tell them to try it, and everyone who has said that and tried mine, liked mine! I don't think that is a major reflection on my culinary skills, but just the fact that the coleslaw you find in grocery stores is made with gross gross stuff, and the cabbage is all mushy. Fresh coleslaw is the way to go.
Variety #1
I chopped up purple and regular cabbage, 2 CSA spring onions, grated some CSA carrots, and added some CSA cilantro. For the dressing I whisked a little buttermilk, mayo, dijon, sat and pepper. Then I added a little white wine vinegar as well.

Variety#2
This was barely coleslaw. I used:
A little chopped purple cabbage
half a choppedCSA cucumber
red onion
CSA cilantro
a few chopped sungold cherry tomatoes
The dressing this time was mayo, dijon, GOAT CHEESE (major yum) and white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. I loved this. It was a snack today.

Tonight I also made: (Bur forgot to take pictures!!)S

Fusilla pasta with alfredo sauce and sauteed zucchini
Bruschetta-Easiest recipe ever
1. Toast bread. Rub each piece with a garlic clove.
2. Chop tomatoes, add a little olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and fresh basil.
3. Put tomatoes on bread.

Pasta salad with creamy pesto

I made this macaroni salad in order to use some of my lovely CSA produce, along with some local tomatoes I got at Central Market! I know I just made a pesto potato salad, but the 8 bunches of basil I got were starting to wilt, and I really didn't want to chuck them. That would break my self-challenge! I will definitely try to do something other than pesto with the basil next week.

I really liked the pesto with some dijon and vinegar. You really could use a variety of veggies, like broccoli, celery, or add some olives, etc. It was also good and flavorful the next day.
CSA produce used:
carrots, basil, green onion, radishes, and cucumber

Ingredients
1/2 lb elbow macaroni or other small pasta
2 small carrots, thinly sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
2-3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh flat leaf parsley and oregano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While you are waiting, slice all the veggies and put in a large bowl along with the chopped parsley and oregano.

Put the basil, pine nuts, and cheese in a food processor. Mix together, then add dijon, vinegar, about 1/2 tsp salt and some pepper. Add the olive oil while the machine runs, until the pesto reaches a creamy consistency.

It is so pretty. I could have just eaten this plain!

Taste and adjust seasonings.

When the pasta is done, drain it and rinse under cold water to cool it down. Shake off extra water and add to the bowl of veggies. Stir in the pesto sauce, taste, and add any extra salt, pepper, parsley or oregano.

Midsummer Vegetable Burgers with Pico de Gallo

I like veggie burgers that aren't supposed to taste like a meat type thing. I like veggie burgers that taste like veggies. And making your own is always better.

This one sounded great because it uses summer produce and has a south west flair. We got tomatoes for the first time and we were excited. The first taste is....amazing. Months of having tasteless tomatoes, this was like a burst of flavor in your mouth! I was able to buy some local sweet corn. They are not quite ready, they were a little small but five of the little ones were good for this recipe.
I realized after I was done cooking that this meal is not only vegetarian, but it is also vegan! I was amazed... it is probably good cause tomorrow I am making bacon cheesegurgers for the holiday.
CSA produce used in these recipes:
garlic scapes, zucchini, cilantro, red tomatoes and sungold tomatoes

Burger Ingredients adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
serves 2-3

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion
2 garlic scapes (or garlic cloves)
1 minced fresh jalepeno chile
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium zucchini, grated (about 1 cup)
5 small ears of corn
1/2 cup cornmeal
Sliced avocado (optional)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil cook the ears of corn. Cook for a few minutes, until the corn is tender. Slice the corn off the ears into a bowl.
2. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a deep non-stick or cast iron skillet with a lid over medium heat.

Put the onion, garlic scapes, and chile in a food processor and pulse a few times to grind to almost smooth. add the mixture to the pan with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook and stir.

The onion mixture cooking with the zucchini.

3. Stir the zucchini into the onion mixture along with 1/2 cup of the corn and another sprinkle of salt and pepper Put the remaining corn into a food processor and run until it becomes a thick paste. Continue to cook and stir the zucchini mixture until all their water starts to evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the corn paste and cornmeal. Remove from the hear, cover and let rest 10 minutes. If the mixture seems too wet, stir in a little flour to help bind it. Taste and adjust seasonings.

The "burgers" before they are cooked.

4. Form 4 patties and let sit for a few minutes if you have time. Wipe out the pan, put in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the patties. Cook until nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes; turn carefully and cook on the other side until firm and browned.
5. Serve with thing slices of avocado and pico de gallo, either on a bun or just plain.

I served em up with avocado slice tossed with lime juice, and my own recipe of pico de gallo. So tasty!!!! Other good topping ideas include sour cream, garlic or red pepper mayonnaise, guacamole....or toast some english muffins and serve like a normal burger with ketchup, onion, lettuce and tomato and some cheese.

Pico de Gallo for 2
2 medium tomatoes, choppped
1 small box sungold tomatoes, quartered
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 small jalepeno, minced
handful cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime

Seasonal local tomatoes are a beautiful, delicious thing.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or store in fridge until ready.

Swiss Chard Gratin

I did not faithfully use the Swiss Chard last year when we got it in our share. One time, they totally wilted in the fridge (wrap them up loosely in plastic wrap). I can't remember if I made anything food with them any other time, I think I may have avoided taking them cause I just didn't know what the heck to do with them!

This week I was determined to make something I would enjoy, and not waste my Swiss Chard. Looking through my cookbooks, I saw a recipe for Swiss Chard Rib Gratin, in Starting with Ingredients by Aliza Green. A gratin sounded good, it is hard to imagine anything covered in a creamy, cheesy sauce not being yummy.
I altered the recipe to suit my tastes, and included the chopped up leaves as well, to add color and not be wasteful. I added onion and a little potato as well. It was so very very good! I have made other gratins before, with varying vegetables. This is my favorite one so far.
Ingredients:
4-5 leaves Swiss chard leaves, ribs separated
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
1-2 onions
extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar and parmesan cheese

Chop up the chard stems

Aren't they colorful?
Here is what one looks like before you chop it up.

Boil them with the potatoes in a small pot, not too long. Until they start to become tender. Set aside.

Then, heat a pan with a little olive oil and saute the chopped chard leaves and onion, just for about 5 minutes. Set aside, you can put it in the same bowl as the rib mixture.
In a saucepan melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Preheat the oven to 350.
Meanwhile, combine the milk with the coriander, nutmeg, thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper and scald. While the hot milk mixture into the roux (the butter and flour paste). Bring slowly to a boil, stirring frequently and making sure not to burn the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in most of the cheese.
In a shallow baking dish, spread some of the sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Spread a layer of veggies,

Here are the first layers of sauce and veggies.
And close up.

Then keep adding layers: sauce, veggies, sauce, and finish with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until browned and bubbling. Remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. The cooling is important, it will be very runny if you try to dish it up right from the oven!

This was seriously delicious. I only have this slightly messy picture of the finished product, because I gobbled most of mine

Pesto Potato Salad

I am very proud of myself for making two brand new recipes I have never tried yesterday and today! Yesterday it was the veggie pancakes, today a new type of potato salad!
I have to admit I have made a dish that is somewhere along the lines of this potato salad last summer. It is an Italian pasta dish with potatoes, green beans and a pesto sauce. But this potato salad is my own little creation.

It is basically potatoes, home-made pesto, green onions, and a little lemon juice. It tasted good now, I hope it holds up, as I am taking it in my insulated lunch bag to the beach for lunch tomorrow!
Ingredients:
2 lbs new potatoes
2 green onions
freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 sprigs basil
1 large sprig parsley
1 snippet of tarragon (If these herb measurements sound iffy to you, take a look at the photo! Honestly, just grab what herbs you have around)
2 garlic scapes, chopped (or 1 small clove of garlic)
1/2 cup pine nuts1 pinch red chili flakes (optional)
1/2 cup grated parmiggiano reggiano
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
extra virgin olive oil
white wine vinegar

Start a large pot of water boiling for the potatoes.

My potatoes from the CSA!I cut them into fourths, then put them in the water when it was boiling.

Check the potatoes, drain them when they are tender enough to be pierced by a knife.

While the water is heating, make the pesto. First, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet on medium heat, shaking occasionally. Really watch these, I have burnt so many pine nuts . I used to put them in the toaster oven to toast them, but I find it is easier to forget them that way. They are too pricey to waste!
Anyway, it should only take about 5 minutes until they start to smell aromatic and lightly browned.
Let the pine nuts cool.

From left to right parsely, tarragon, basil. The basil and parsley are from the CSA.

Throw your herbs in a food processor with the cheese, garlic scapes, salt, pepper, and a bit of red pepper flakes, then the pine nuts.

Mix in the processor until combined. Then start to add some extra virgin olive oil in the little liquid holes in the lid of your processor. I have a confession...I NEVER measure olive oil for pesto. I just put it in until it is the consistency I like. For this potato salad, I wanted it a bit smoother. Then add in a squeeze of lemon juice. Again, no measurements again, you have to taste to see how much you would like. And in a traditional pesto there is no lemon, but I think it would be nice for the salad.

Then just throw the potatoes in a bowl, and while they are warm add some vinegar. They will soak it up right away, and add some zing.
Then mix in the pesto and the spring onions. I found the salad still needed something, so I added a few more squeezes of lemon juice, and it seemed to brighten it up.

Vegetable Pancakes with Yogurt Sauce

As part of my self challenge to blog about every recipe I cook with my CSA produce this year, I am sharing this recipe for vegetable pancakes, from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. One of my favorite cookbooks I own, I use it a lot.

We got a lot of great produce this week. Potatoes, Swiss chard, snow peas, lettuce, basil, green onion, cucumber....definitely a lot or great stuff! So I figured I better get cooking tonight if I'm going to use up all the great produce.

There are a lot of variations you can make for these pancakes. The book says you can also use parsnips,sweet potatoes, winter squash, turnips, beets, celery root, or cooked, squeezed chopped spinach or other greens
Vegetable Pancakes (adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe)
Ingredients:
about 1 pound zucchini, yellow squash, and carrot (about 2 cups packed)
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup flour, more or less
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Half-and-half, as needed
2 tablespoons butter and/or olive oil, plus more for the pan (I used a combination on the griddle, and olive oil in the pancakes)


Here are the CSA vegetables I used, plus I decided to add in a little parsley (not pictured) Zucchini, spring onion, zephyr squash, and garlic scapes (the garlic scapes were used in the yogurt sauce)


Incidentally, here is my new kitchen island, purchased from Ikea to be my workspace. My counter is overtaken by coffee makers, other appliances, cooking oils, etc. It has storage space underneath, and hooks to hang lots of things on.

1. Preheat the oven or toaster to warm or 2275 degrees F. Grate the vegetables. I used my lovely new grater, it makes really nice thin strips.

All the veggies mixed together.

Mix the vegetables, onion, egg, and flour together. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Then add just enough half-and-half so that the mixture drops easily from a large spoon. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Here is the batter, ready to go on the griddle.

2. Put a pat of butter or a spoonful of oil on a griddle over medium heat. When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, drop in spoonfuls of the batter; use a fork to spread the vegetables into an even layer.
You have to work in batches, keep pancakes in oven until all are finished.Cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides, about 15 minutes.

Cookin up on the griddle.

Serve hot or at room temperature with yogurt sauce (recipe below)

Yogurt Sauce (adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe)
1 cup yogurt, whole milk
1 minced garlic scape
salt and freshly ground pepper
lemon juice
freshly chopped parsley and chives

1. Combine the yogurt with the garlic, a pinch of salt, pepper, lemon juice, and herbs. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
2. Refrigerate until ready to use.