For anyone who participates in any kind of farm share or organic food delivery service, as Adrian and I do, you find yourself needing to get creative when you end up with, say, Swiss chard for the 12th week in a row.  I happen to love Swiss chard, not only because it tastes good but also because of its rich nutritional properties.  However, after its ninth or tenth appearance in our box, I grew desperate to find a way to make it appetizing again.  After sauteing it with everything I could think of, rolling it into dolmas, throwing it in pastas, and baking it in quiches, there it was in our box again, and I thought of something:  creamed chard.  Why not?  After all, I love creamed spinach.  It is comforting and a little decadent, but still a solid way to get those vitamins and iron.

Because I also love creamed onions, and I had just gotten some really nice sweet white onions from the farmer’s market, I decided I would incorporate them into this recipe for texture and sweetness.  Although there is butter in this recipe as well as cream, there isn’t that much of either one, but if you are concerned, use olive oil and milk instead.  I am of the philosophy to use the real deal and just eat a little less, but you make the call.  Either way, I am willing to bet that even veggie-phobes could learn to love this dish.

If you prefer, you can make this same dish with spinach, using the exact method below, or even kale, if you blanched it first, since it has a bit more of a bite.  It would also be delicious if you used mushrooms instead of onions.

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of Swiss chard, stems removed, thoroughly washed and dried, and roughly chopped
• 1 sweet white or yellow onion, sliced thin
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1/2 cup of cream
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon of finely ground white pepper
• Salt to taste

Heat a large, stainless skillet over medium heat.  Add the butter, the thyme, and the onions and a pinch of salt.  Saute until the onions become soft and translucent, about 6-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute another minute or so.  Add the Swiss chard and saute until it wilts, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.

Add the flour and stir to incorporate for a minute or so.  Then, add the cream and stir well, scraping any cooked bits from the bottom of the pan.  Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir until the cream has thickened to your liking.  Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.  Serves four.

While making the rounds at the Farmer’s Market this weekend, a beautiful, bright yellow bunch of squash blossoms stopped me in my tracks.  I had never previously cooked squash blossoms, though I have always been thrilled to see them on a menu.  I decided that I would fork over the four dollars for a dozen.  Now, every girl loves a nice bouquet, but I discovered that my husband likes to get flowers too, especially when they are seasonal and edible.

I put aside my temptation to place them in a vase on my dining room table (they really are beautiful!) and we began to brainstorm recipes.  We were torn between two preparations, both of which we had discovered on our honeymoon it Italy.  The first idea was to stuff them with something, like cheese or risotto, bread them, and deep fry them.  This is a seasonal favorite in Italy, and it is also one of the appetizers we passed at our wedding, the food item that undoubtedly received the highest praise from our guests.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with this preparation, and I recommend that you try it, but it is certainly the more mainstream approach in American kitchens.

The other preparation we discovered in Italy was to stir the blossoms into a risotto.  We decided on this preparation for two reasons:  for one, it seemed to us like a creative use of the ingredient, and furthermore, it allowed for the flavor of the squash blossoms to shine.

The blossoms can be slightly bitter, so make sure you remove the stems and the base of the flower.  Cut them in half lengthwise to inspect for bugs, and chop them into quarters or thirds.  They will shrink the same way a leafy green will during the cooking process.  What I enjoyed most about this recipe was how delicate the flavors were and how beautiful the dish looked when served.  I would recommend serving the risotto with a nice light fish or scallops and a crisp white wine.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and gently smashed
• 2 medium zucchinis, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 8-12 squash blossoms, stems and base removed, roughly chopped
• 1 cup dry, white wine, room temperature
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, warmed in a small pot
• 1/4 cup Parmegianno Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a deep sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and a pinch of salt.  Saute until the onions are soft.  Remove the garlic cloves and add the rice.  Once the rice becomes translucent, add the wine and a ladle of stock.  Stir frequently and allow the liquid to reduce until it starts to thicken.  Continue to add more stock, ladle at a time, stirring frequently, until you have only two or three ladles of stock remaining.  Add the chopped zucchini, and continue to add stock and stir.

When you come to the last ladle of stock, stir in the squash blossoms.  Add your final ladle full of stock, and stir gently until the risotto is moist, but the liquid is thick.  Add both cheeses and the butter to finish the risotto and taste for seasoning. Serve immediately.

Serves four.

When you have just suffered a day of unbearable heat, and your house is still stagnant with the day’s humid air, sometimes the last thing you feel like doing is increasing the temperature in your house by flaring up the stove.  Often during these nights you can’t even tell whether or not you are truly hungry, even though your grumpy mood insists that you are.  Well such was the case when I concocted this delightful sandwich.

I decided one pot, one burner was my max, so I picked up a piece of beautiful of fresh sockeye salmon from The New Deal fish market here in Cambridge.  I kept thinking about what to serve with the salmon when a thought occurred – why not just make a delicious sandwich to encase the entire dinner and call it a night?  Sounded simple enough.

If you are just going to have one thing for dinner, you want it to satisfy, so good quality ingredients are key.  Lucky for me it was Monday, the day of the farmer’s market that is less than a block from our house (I know, we are lucky, lucky, lucky and very grateful!).  I picked up a nice crusty sourdough loaf, some fresh tomatoes, and a nice bunch of fresh basil that I thought I would use to whip up a basil mayonnaise.  I was ready for dinner!

This sandwich turned out to be simple but so unbelievably satisfying.  If you are having guests, perhaps just a simple salad might compliment this sandwich nicely.  We were cooking for two, and loved the idea of eating the whole darn meal with our ten fingers, and I must say, that wasn’t a bad way to do it.  Total prep time was around 20 minutes and one pot made the dish load very manageable.  A successful cure for the sticky hot, summertime Monday blues!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 lb. of fresh salmon per person
• Good quality crusty sourdough bread
• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise per two people
• 1 lemon
• 1 large ripe tomato
• 2 tablespoons of fresh basil,chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pat your salmon very dry, especially if you like to eat the crispy skin, and season it with salt and pepper.  In a cast iron skillet, melt the butter and add the oil.  Place the salmon skin-side down in the skillet, and leave it alone until you can see that the salmon is cooked about halfway through and the fish moves freely from the pan, about 4 minutes, depending on thickness.  If it sticks, do not fight it, just give it another minute or so.  Then, flip it and cook another three or four minutes until it is just shy of done.  It will finish cooking as it rests.  It may take a bit longer if it is a thick piece of salmon.  Remove from the skillet and set aside to rest.  Squeeze half of the lemon over the salmon to keep it moist and to add acidity.

In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, basil, and about a teaspoon of lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside for assembly.

To assemble the  sandwiches, cut the bread to about 1/2 inch thick slices.  If you insist on toasting it, be my guest, but down blame me when the sandwiches innards end up all on your lap.  Add a generous layer of the basil mayonnaise, the salmon (skin removed if you prefer), and nice, thick tomato slices.  Cut in half to make them easier to eat, and enjoy!

As people who claim to know anything about Italian cooking, it is not hard to imagine how we ended up in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy on our trip after loving the food and culture in the Amalfi Coast and the Tuscan wineries and restaurants. The Emila-Romagna is an area many famous Italian chefs, including Mario Batali, herald as one of the food capitals of the world.  The Emilia-Romagna, a rather wealthy area of Italy, is home to Bologna, a city that is responsible for both Bolognese sauce, which Italians call ragu, and to the cold cut that shares its name, which Italians call mortadella.  West of Bologna you will find Parma, home to the famous Parmigiana Reggiano cheese and to Prosciutto de Parma.  Between these two cities lies Modena, the birthplace of Balsamic vinegar.  With all of these culinary highlights, it is a wonder we didn’t spend our whole trip here!

Of all of the wonderful offerings of this region, I intend to dedicate the remainder of this post to just one room, in a tiny osteria in the city of Modena, hidden in the back of a little market, containing only four beautifully set tables, in which Adrian and I were served what must be the best meal we have ever eaten.  We would have never in a million years found this jewel of a restaurant had we not been led there by Mario Batali’s online guide to traveling in Italy.  His praise for the restaurant claims that if you are to travel to any one place in Italy, “it must be here.”  High marks from an iron chef who has made his career studying and preparing authentic Italian cuisine.  So we heeded his advice, and we went there.  And “there” was the highlight of our whole trip.

The market that sits in front of this hidden restaurant is called Macelleria de Guisseppe Guisti.  It is a small little market with an amazing selection of cured meats, cheeses, and jarred goods, as well as a nice variety of balsamicos. There is also a cafe next door, but don’t mistake this for the real jewel, which we only found when Adrian questioned the man servicing the meat counter about “l’hosteria?”.  The man replied, “si, si” and shuffled us behind the counter, through swinging doors and a dim hallway into a room that couldn’t have been more than ten meters in width and length.  It contained only four tables, two of which were occupied.  He seated us, and we smiled at each other victoriously, glad we hadn’t had much of a breakfast.

Our waitress, who we soon learned was the great, if not the great-great granddaughter of Guisseppe himself, spoke enough English to give us some insight into the menu and to recommend a local Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine, served chilled, that locals drink with everything.

Our plan of attack, since it was around one in the afternoon, was to just go for a big lunch and not have to eat for the rest of the day, if ever!  So we decided on sharing an antipasti, each ordering a primi piatti, and splitting a secondi.   For the first course we decided on a seasonal dish, a zucchini blossom, stuffed with simple risotto, dipped in a batter, fried to perfection, and drizzled (of course) with an aged balsamic vinegar.  It was absolutely divine.    The risotto stuffing was perfectly al dente and undoubtedly seasoned with Parmigiana, and the flavor of the zucchini blossom was the star of the dish.

For our pasta course, we went with one seasonal and one very traditional dish.  The waitress told us that they had “special” fresh ricotta, so I ordered the tortelloni with ricotta, spinach, and lemon zest that was lightly sauced with butter.  The dish was so fresh, and if you can imagine anything tossed in butter tasting light, that is the only way I can describe it.  The fresh pasta that encased the tortelloni was perfectly thin and cooked to perfection.

Adrian went with a regional specialty for his primi – Pappardelle con Guanciale, or thick cut pasta with the cured cheeks of the pig.  Again, the pasta was so perfect, it was almost the star of the dish, were it not for the unbelievable, rich and slow sauce.  We both reluctantly switched plates to sample each other’s, only to become increasingly confused about which dish to fight for.  Either one of these dishes would have certainly been the best pasta we had ever had.

For our secondi course, we opted for their house made sausage, which the waitress assured us was their specialty.  We decided to trust her on that, wisely.  The sausage was formed in perfect disc-shaped patties, coated in a light breading, and deep fried until it had a perfect golden crust to encase the savory juices within.  The sausages were accompanied by a perfect zabaglione, which is an incredibly light custard made with whipped egg yolks, sugar, and Lambrusco wine.  Having a sweet accompaniment to such a savory dish was surprising at first, but when we tasted them together, it was indescribably delicious.  Who ever thought of that should be knighted.

To finish the meal, we couldn’t pass on their homemade ice cream drizzled with a reserve aged balsamic vinegar, an absolute treat, after which we expected to have to request a wheel barrel to tote us out to the street.  Remarkably, though, we felt wonderful, which is a testament to the perfect portion sizes and simplicity of the food we had just eaten.  Or perhaps it was the ease on our wallet that left us feeling so great – the whole meal cost less than sixty Euros.

We left through the back door, which puts you at the very end of a long alley.  Just outside the door, accross the alley, there was a wine store that carried an innumerable collection of Italian wines.  The lights were low and no one was presently in the wine shop, but the door was open nonetheless, despite the fortune of wines within.  Only in Italy!  We were pleased at the opportunity to just snap a few photos and let the high from that most incredible meal carry us back to our hotel in Bologna.

Part two of this post is as casual and simple as part one ’spring ramps with poached eggs and toast’, and at least equally delicious.  Pizza is a great vehicle for ramps because it gives them room to shine, and the salty prosciutto and savory mushrooms make a brilliant combination.  This pizza couldn’t be easier to make, either, because you precook the dough a bit, pre-saute the mushrooms and ramps, and spread a layer of creme friache instead of laboring over a sauce.  We prepared the whole meal in about twenty-five minutes.

When this pizza emerged from the oven, the aroma alone was enough to stir our normally docile dog into a mild frenzy.  We both agreed that we would be quite happy with this pizza even if we had ordered it from a gourmet pizzeria.  If you can’t find baby shitake mushrooms, you can use regular shitakes if you remove the woody stems and chop them into bite sized pieces.  Also, given that it was mid-week and we started cooking at eight, we used a pre-made pizza dough from Whole Foods, which was actually quite good.  You can also usually convince your favorite pizza parlor to sell you some dough, or certainly, if you are so inclined, you can make it yourself!  Either way, you will impress a crowd with this one!

This recipe is made much easier with a pizza stone and peel.  If you don’t have one, it is a worthwhile investment if you think you would like to make pizza at home.  The recipe below makes one large pizza and serves 3-4 people.

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough (~8 oz. or enough for one large pizza)
• 1/4 lb. thinly slices prosciutto de Parma (amount allows for minimal snacking)
• 1/4 lb. of fresh baby shitake mushrooms

• 10-15 fresh ramps, cleaned and sliced into diagonal strips
• 1/2 cup  creme friache
• 1/3 cup shaved Pecorino Romano
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for brushing on the dough)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 550 degrees with the pizza stone in it.  For best results, put a layer of corn meal on the pizza stone and flour your pizza peel.  Toss or roll out your pizza dough and set it on your peel while the oven preheats and you complete the next step.

In a saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the baby shitake mushrooms and saute for about three minutes.  Add the ramps and season with a pinch of salt, and saute for one more minute, and then remove from the heat.  Set aside.

Once the oven is hot, brush your pizza with the olive oil and pre-cook for about 5 minutes or until the dough becomes lightly golden brown and bubbly.  Remove from the oven.

To assemble the pizza, spread the creme fraiche in an even layer over the dough.  Then, break up the prosciutto into bite size pieces and spread over pizza.  Evenly distribute the ramps and mushrooms.  Return to the oven for another 3 minutes.

Remove the pizza from the oven and garnish with fresh black pepper and the Pecorino cheese.  Serve immediately.

Ramps, a remarkable member of the onion and garlic family, only emerge for a few weeks each year, and it is a time I await with much anticipation.  Ramps are wild leeks, and their flavor is a beautiful combination of spring garlic and mild sweet onion.  They look a little bit like scallions with wispier, more tapered leaves.  The whole ramp is edible, and can be sauteed, roasted, grilled, or eaten raw.  If you ask me, they are just a perfect ingredient.

Many people advise that ramps can be prepared in any way you might use green onions, but I think ramps are too delicate and have too spectacular a flavor to take a back seat.  My favorite way to eat ramps is in simple preparations that don’t contain too many competing flavors.

Since ramps only come around for a short period of time, I tend to go on a “ramp”age.  When I found them at Russo’s market in Watertown, MA, one of my favorite places to shop for food, I bought out most of their inventory, and intend to eat them in almost all of the meals I prepare at home over the next week.  For that reason, this will be a three part post that offers three different preparations of this special vegetable.

The first preparation is an aggressively seasonal dish that glorifies all things strictly available in Spring.  It is a simple but wonderfully comforting an delicious dish that works for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  The fresh morels add a wonderful richness to the dish that works so well with the garlicky punch of the ramps, but any fresh wild mushroom, like chanterelles or oyster mushrooms, would also work well.  So hit up the early season farmer’s market or your favorite specialty foods store and pick up a huge bunch of ramps, because once you try this dish, you will be ready for parts 2 and 3 of this post! Don’t wait, though, because you will miss this precious season!

Ingredients:

• 10-12 fresh ramps, cleaned and cut into diagonal strips
• 3-4 oz. of fresh morel mushrooms, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup fresh peas, removed from pod
• 2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• Shaved Pecorino Romano cheese to taste
• 2 slices of good toast (I prefer sourdough)
• 4 farm fresh eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Season well with salt and blanch the potatoes for about 5 minutes or until they are cooked to al dente.  Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon  and set aside.  In the same boiling water, blanch the peas for 1-2 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

Prepare a pot for poaching the eggs by bringing at least two inches of water to a boil and then reducing the heat to low.  Keep on low until you are ready to poach the eggs.

In a saucepan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat.  Add the potatoes and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and let caramelize for about 5 minutes.  Add the ramps and saute for another two minutes, tossing or stirring frequently.  Add the peas and remove the pan from the heat.

In the last 5 minutes, put your bread in the toaster and poach your eggs.  For great poaching technique, see our Yukon hash post.

Assemble the dish but placing the toast on the bottom, topping with the sauteed vegetables.  Add two poached eggs, garnish with the shaving of Pecorino Romano cheese.  Crack fresh black pepper of the dish and serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Lately, in our efforts to consume locally and organically sourced food, Adrian and I have been getting our produce delivered from Boston Organics.  Though it is not exclusively local produce we get, it is organic and the folks at BO do their best to provide as many locally sourced veggies as possible.  As you might predict, this means there are some weeks that we get repeat visitors in our produce box.  This week was the third or fourth week in a row we have gotten green chard.  As much I love chard sauteed with garlic and red pepper served with a squeeze of lemon, I was looking for something new to do with our chard.  I absolutely love dolmas and thought, why wouldn’t I be able to make these with chard?

Upon doing some research, I learned I was far from the first person to venture outside of the realm of grape leaves as a vehicle to make dolmas.  Any vegetable stuffed with rice or a rice and meat mixture, including tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplants, are known as dolmas in the Turkish culture.  I deviated from most Turkish recipes, however, because I used ground pork instead of ground beef.

The Swiss chard made a beautiful wrapper for the flavorful rice and meat combination, and the yogurt sauce was the perfect accompaniment.  In America, we don’t often see dolmas taking center stage as the main dish, but these are much larger than the vegetarian version made with grape leaves.  The make a wonderful and healthy dinner all on their own.

Ingredients for dolmas:

• 10-12 large green chard leaves, washed thoroughly
• 1/2 lb. fresh ground pork (or turkey, beef, or lamb)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cups uncooked rice pilaf
• 1 package of seasoning (in rice pilaf box)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbs. butter
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• Red pepper flakes to taste

Begin by trimming the stems off the chard.  Do this by cutting diagonally up the spine about a half inch from the base of the leaf on either side to form and upside down V cut.  Removing this thick lower part of the stem will make rolling the dolmas easier.

Next, blanch the chard leaves in boiling salted water for three to four minutes, or until they are just tender.  You want them to hold their color and shape, so submerge them in an ice bath immediately after you remove them from the boiling water. Once they have cooled, layer them in between paper towels and set aside.

To make the filling, begin by browning the meat in the olive oil over medium heat.  Remove the meat when it is just a bit shy of being done.  If there is excess grease, remove it from the pan.  Add the butter and saute the onions until they are soft, about five minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Add the uncooked rice, the chicken stock, raisins, red chili flakes, and the seasoning packets.  Reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is almost cooked. Add the feta cheese and the cooked meat.

To roll, place about 1/3 cup of the rice mixture at the base of the chard leaf.  Lift the sides of the leaf over the mixture and roll towards the tip of the leaf.  Keep the sides tucked in.  When you finish rolling the dolma, place it with its flap side down in a steamer basket.  Repeat this process until all dolmas are rolled and placed in a single layer into the steamer basket.

Steam the dolmas over a couple of inches of water on low heat for about 40-45 minutes.

Ingredients for Garlic Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 2 tbsp. lemon (more to taste)
• 1 tbsp. of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Mix all of the above ingredients except the olive oil well.  Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream.  Let sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Stew is food for the soul, and that is exactly what I was after with this dish.  I don’t make stew very often because it is so time consuming, and with life as hectic as it is, most of my cooking these days happens about thirty minutes before I am ready to eat.  But tonight I was cooking a meal for a good friend of mine who could use a little boost in spirits.  The meal was for the next night, so I had plenty of time to prepare a slow-cooked pot of food without the hasty influence of hunger.  You just can’t rush soul nourishment, and no dish can warm a person’s being any better than stew.  And, if you ask me, the earthy, rich flavor of lamb makes the best stew.

So, knowing the dish would be done well past my normal bedtime, I started preparing this dish about seven, after I had gotten home from work, walked the dog, and eaten take-out Thai food.  I had solicited Adrian’s help, so he had gone to the store and cubed the meat by the time I got home.  For stew, you want meat with some fat on it, so a shoulder cut is great.  Even lamb neck pieces can make great stew.  A leg of lamb is a little lean, and tends to dry out a bit, so while it is delicious for roasting, it is not the best cut for this preparation.  We bought arm chops and cut them into cubes.  We browned up the bones with the rest of the meat and cooked it in the stew to add richness.  Before I packaged it up to send off to my friend’s house I removed the bones, which were clean of all their meat.

Since I was sending this stew off as a meal to go, I decided to serve it with quinoa, a nutty, extraordinarily nutritious grain.  I also prepared a spinach salad with dried cranberries and crumbled goat cheese for a little acidity to balance out the rich favor of the stew.  I threw in a baguette to complete the meal.  Next time your soul needs a little lift, or you know someone who does, give this delicious stew recipe a try.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs. lamb stew meat, cut into 1 in. cubes
• 4 cups chicken stock (or lamb stock, if you can get it!)
• 2 cups of dry red wine
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 in. pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, very roughly chopped
• 1 10 oz. bag of pearl onions, blanched and peeled

• 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 Turkish bay leaves
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp. dry thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tbsp. smoked paprika
• 5-7 threads of saffron
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by patting the meat dry with paper towels.  The meat will not brown properly if it has too much moisture.  Season the cubes with salt and pepper, and then dust them with the flour, 1 tbsp. of cumin, and the paprika.  I do this part in a brown paper bag so I can gently shake the meat to coat it evenly. Then I shake off the excess flour before I brown the meat.

In a heavy bottomed Dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.  When the pot is hot enough so that it begins lightly smoking, put one layer of the meat in the pot.  Leave the meat alone to brown for about three to four minutes before turning.  Brown on both sides and then put aside.  Repeat this process as necessary until all of the meat is brown.

Remove all but one or so tablespoons of remaining fat from the pan and reduce the heat to medium.  Add the chopped onions, remaining cumin, saffron, thyme, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt and sauté for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften.  Add the garlic and carrots and sauté another few minutes.  Add the red wine and scrape up all of the bits on the bottom of the pot.  Let the wine cook down over medium heat for about five minutes.

Return the meat to the pot and add the chicken stock, which should cover the meat.  Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Place a lid on the pot and let it cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until the sauce has thickened and the meat falls apart.  Taste for salt and remove bay leaves and bones, if you used them.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate it for up to a week and reheat when you are ready.  The flavor just gets better when it has a chance to sit.  Serves 6.

Clam chowder is a New England dish that has made a national debut.  Even in July in San Diego, I would be willing to bet that you wouldn’t have to walk very far to find a seafood restaurant that serves clam chowder.  Granted, you might not be treated to the same charming description of why their “chowdah” is the very best in the “greatah Bahston Areah”, but you will most likely be satisfied.  It wasn’t until I lived in Boston, however, that I discovered fish chowder, and in the years that I have been living here, I have come to appreciate fish chowder more than its creamier, more commercialized cousin.

It is an unspoken rule that fish chowder has a lighter broth than clam chowder.  Something about a clam is able to stand up to a broth that is almost as thick as pudding in consistency, and this is often the kind of chowder served in restaurants.  Fish chowder, however, is more delicate and subtle in its decadence.  It typically is served in a much thinner, lighter broth which I find more appetizing and better suited for an entree serving size.  I also love making fish chowder at home because it is so easy!  The batch I prepared for the recipe here took 30 minutes, almost exactly!  That wouldn’t be the case if I were scrubbing shells and chopping Quahogs.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh haddock fillet, skinned with bones removed
• 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cube
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh or 1/2 tsp. dry thyme
• 3 tbs. butter
• 2tbs. flour
• 3 cups seafood stock
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large, heavy bottom pot, melt the butterover medium heat.  Add the onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Let the vegetables soften for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are near tender.  Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables and cook for one more minute.  Add the stock and milk and let it come to a soft boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from burning on the bottom, and then reduce the heat to low.

Cut the fillet into thirds.  The pieces will break up as they cook.  Add them to the creamy stock and cook for about 7-10 more minutes, just until the fish turns opaque and begins to fall apart.  With a wooden spoon, break up the fish into bite size pieces.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

I have taken on two challenges with the invention of this recipe:  the first is making a pasta-less lasagna that is hands-down delicious (you’re welcome, gluten-phobes and carb-free dieters!); the second is creating a dish that even the most critical loather of eggplant simply could not resist.  Eggplant is a touchy vegetable for some people.  How many times have I heard the claim that eggplant is “bitter”?  My response – slander!  How could such a succulent, beautiful gift from the Earth be given such a bad reputation?  The answer is the same as with most vegetables we grow to dislike.  It’s like a bad dog:  the problem is not the offender, it is the handler.  The bitter eggplant was poorly cooked.  But don’t worry, I am here to show you how to be the pack leader of eggplant.

When cooked properly and patiently, eggplant metamorphosizes, becoming tender and sweet.  In this recipe, it makes a great substitute for pasta because it is easy to cut thin and it holds its shape, but the sweet flavor it adds brings the dish to a new place.  It already created one convert when I made this dish for my good friend’s mother, unaware that she didn’t like eggplant.  She enjoyed the dish so much, she called me right after dinner to rave about how pleased she was to finally like eggplant.  Her daughter later verified that she had to ask her to stop saying, “Yum, this is so delicious,” after every bite.  Quite a compliment!

This lasagna has three different components, and then a nice cheesy top.  I find it easiest to prepare the three components separately, and then assemble and cook the lasagna.  I chose to make a tomato sauce that was loaded with veggies like fennel and kale for additional flavor and nutritional merit.  It would also be tasty with a more simple tomato sauce.  It is a little involved, so plan ahead and complete all of the steps except for baking it.  It can wait to be baked for a couple of days in your fridge.  Remember – it is a labor of love.  It is not supposed to be easy.  The messier your kitchen is when you are done and the more love you put into giving each layer just the right amount of sauce, the more delicious it will taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 bulb of fennel, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup of chopped kale
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• A handful of fresh basil, chopped
• 1 28 0z can of whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 cup of dry white wine

• 1 large container of ricotta cheese, whole milk or part skim
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of grated Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• Salt and red pepper to taste

To prepare the eggplant:

Peel the eggplant.  Using a mandolin, slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch pieces.  Lay them out on paper towels and season them liberally with salt.  Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat in a large, nonstick skillet and put a layer of eggplant in the skillet at a time.  Cover the skillet with a lid, as this will help the eggplant steam and become soft and sweet without having to use too much oil.  Cook for about three minutes and then flip.  Cook the second side for another three minutes and remove. Place cooked eggplant on the paper towels and reserve for assembly.  Repeat this process until all the eggplant is cooked, adding more olive oil to the pan as necessary.

To prepare the sauce:

You may use the same skillet you used to cook the eggplant if it is plenty big.  Heat another two tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions, fennel, red bell pepper, and garlic.  Season with salt and crushed red pepper to taste.  Let the vegetables soften until they become translucent, about six or seven minutes.  Add the kale and toss or stir until it is coated with the olive oil. Add the wine and let the alcohol cook off for about 4 or 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.  Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat while you prepare the ricotta mixture so that all of the flavors may blend.

To prepare the ricotta mixture:

Combine the ricotta, eggs, scallions, and basil in a large bowl.  Mix well. Set aside for assembly.

To assemble:

Assemble the lasagna in a large Pyrex cassarole dish.  I love using glass because you can see the beautiful layers of the lasagna.

Start with a layer of half of the eggplant on the bottom of your dish.  I alternate the pieces, fat side up, fat side down, for a more even layer.

Next, evenly spread a layer of half of the ricotta mixture over the eggplant.  Make sure you reach all the way to the edge so you can see each layer.

Next, ladle half of the tomato sauce over the ricotta layer and spread it out evenly, all the way to the edge.

Make one more layer each of the eggplant, ricotta mixture and sauce.  Top the dish with the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. If you are preparing the dish ahead of time, stop here and put it in the fridge.  Otherwise, it is ready to bake.

Baking the dish:

Bake the dish at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Turn the oven to broil and bake for another 5 minutes, until the top is golden brown.  Let the lasagna cool for about 15 minutes, and serve!  Serves 6-8 people.