This is a dish of contrast. The bright green of the brussels is beautiful next to the orange squash and the butter-colored mushrooms. The acidity of the vinaigrette balances the sweetness of the butternut squash and the nuttiness of the brussel sprouts. The crispness of the bacon is balanced by the tenderness of the squash and the crunchiness of the occasional hazelnut.

All of this contrast works, however, because this dish encompasses many of the wonderful flavors of Thanksgiving. It makes a wonderful, quick-cooking, bright-flavored side dish that adds color and nutrition to your table. You just might find yourself making it again before the next Turkey Day rolls around.

This recipe is much easier and less stressful if all ingredients are prepared before you begin the cooking process.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 lb. of brussel sprouts, cleaned and cut in half, lengthwise
• 1/4 lb. Chanterelle or other wild mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 3 slices of good bacon, cut into 1 in. pieces
• A handful of hazelnuts, chopped and toasted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare a large ice bath by filling a large mixing bowl with water and ice.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt liberally and add the butternut squash.  Blanch for about three minutes and then add the brussel sprouts.  Blanch for another four minutes and remove from heat.  Immediately strain and place vegetables in the ice bath.

In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon pieces over medium high heat.  Once the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy and brown on both sides, remove the bacon and set aside for later on a paper towel.   Then, reserve most of the bacon fat in a bowl to use for the vinaigrette.

Add the olive oil to the hot skillet, and add the brussel sprouts and squash.  Saute for about five minutes, letting the vegetables caramelize.  Add the garlic and the fresh rosemary and thyme.  Add the Chanterelle mushrooms.  Continue to saute for another three minutes, or until the squash is tender, and then remove from the heat.

In a small nonstick skillet, toast the chopped hazelnuts over medium heat.  Stir frequently until the nuts begin to become a light golden-brown.  Do not walk away!  They will burn!

To the bowl with the reserved bacon fat, add the dijon mustard and the juice of the lemon and whisk until the mixture emulsifies.  Poor the vinaigrette over the vegetables, toss or stir well to coat, and serve immediately, topped with the crispy bacon and toasted hazelnuts.

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.

Totally simple recipe here, nothing too fancy, but some great flavors and easy to prepare.  These are the sorts of recipes that I love to make when I don’t have a lot of time on my hands, because I can literally have them ready in 10 minutes, and it’s a wholesome, satisfying meal.  I add the egg for some protein, and you could certainly add in some bacon or other protein as well, but I decided to keep it simple.

The key to sauteing broccoli I’ve found is to cook it properly.  You want to start it off over high heat to give it a good sear, then lower the heat and cook it slowly to tenderize it, sometimes with some liquid like wine or stock.  I also love to cook the stems, and can’t stand to see people throwing them out.  I think they have a fantastic consistency and merit using…so next time, try cooking them in your dish and don’t throw them away!  Here’s an idea for your next couple stalks of broccoli:

• 2 medium sized stalks of broccoli – florets chopped and stems roughly chopped
• 1 medium white onion – thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 egg

• 2 cloves of garlic – smashed and diced
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup of dry white wine – something you would drink
• 1-2 Tbsp. white wine or champagne vinegar
• 2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• (optional) Crushed red pepper flakes
• (optional) A few lardons (thin slices of bacon)

Pretty easy assembly here – start with prepping the broccoli, making sure it’s chopped along with the onions and garlic.  Start with a saute pan over medium/high heat and add a good glug of olive oil – enough to coat HALF of the bottom of the pan.  Add in the onions and broccoli and season with some salt.  Cook over the higher heat for a 2-3 minutes and then add in the garlic.

Stir frequently to make sure the veg doesn’t burn.  Once the vegetables become rather tender, lower the heat a little bit and add in the wine.  You can estimate all of the above measurements by the way – you’re looking to add around a small glass of wine into the pan.

Once the wine has evaporated, likely 4-5 minutes, kick the heat back up a bit and then crack the egg into the pan.  Season with a little more salt and pepper and then stir the egg vigorously into the rest of the dish.  Finish the dish with the vinegar and a little bit more olive oil and adjust the seasoning to taste.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

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.

This one was one of the first recipes that I noticed and wanted to try when I picked up the ‘Jaime at Home’ cookbook.  It’s one of those recipes that is fairly intimidating (you have to make your own pastry crust) yet ultimately totally rewarding (because it’s so damn good).  Jamie Oliver makes this with spinach…not having any around I opted for Kale, a favorite veggie of Fresh Dish lobster roll author Taylor Barstow.  One of the things I really like about this recipe is the Parmesan cheese, which I supplemented with some Gruyere – Mario Batali (along with many others) considers Parma ‘the king of all cheeses’ – and if you were a doubter before, try this recipe and you’ll likely change your mind.

The ham in the original recipe called for ‘smoked ham’, which I couldn’t find in the market and didn’t have the time to smoke the ham myself.  So instead, I opted to use some prosciutto (how can you go wrong, right?) and some standard black forest ham, which turned out to add a little bit of sweetness and was great.  I’d recommend it again. Also, don’t deterred about the 3 onions – I know it seems like a lot, but you’re going to want all of them, trust me.  I was skeptical, but this tart is one that will feed a family and leave leftovers.

I’ll admit, I’m not a baker (though I’m striving to learn), so making the dough was a little bit of a challenge.  Especially because the ingredient increments were in ounces, and I don’t own a scale.  Oh man.  I was able to sort of estimate measuring out the ingredients and it turned out great, thank the lord.  I was actually thinking that we’d be ordering pizza for a little bit.  In any case, if you have the time and want to make something truly memorable, try this:

For the pastry crust (make this first):

• 1  3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup lard or shortening – cut into cubes
• Leaves from one sprig of rosemary AND/OR a few sprigs of thyme – chopped
• 1 large egg – beaten
• 2 Tbsp. whole milk
• 1/3 cup shredded (not packed too tight) cheddar cheese
• Big pinch of salt

This recipe really works best with a food processor (at least I think so…I don’t have a mixer) but you can probably have a mixer if you have one.  Start by adding the flour, cheese and lard with a big pinch of salt to the food processor and combine them for around 30 seconds.  The mixture should become sort of grainy, but still rather fine.

Add the herbs, egg and milk and mix together for another little while, just until the mixture comes together.  Once it looks good, dump out the mixture onto a lightly floured board and clump the dough together into a ball but don’t knead it!  Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the Filling:

• ~1/2 lb. black forest or other ham
• 6-8 slices of Prosciutto – thinly sliced
• 2 cups creme fraiche
• 3 eggs
• Several sprigs of oregano – leaves picked, some chopped, others left whole
• 3 medium sized red onions – diced
• 1 medium bunch of kale – stems removed and finely chopped
• 3 medium cloves of garlic – finely chopped
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese – grated (reserve 1/2 of it for the topping!)
• 1/2 cup good Gruyere cheese – grated
• Extra virgin olive oil
• A small amount of butter for greasing sheet
• Salt and pepper

While your dough is in the fridge, start the onions in a pan over medium heat and sweat them until they’ve turned translucent, but don’t let them color.  Add in the kale, in batches (there will be a lot to add) and cook down, mixing it together with the onions.  Next add the chopped oregano and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Add in the wine and cook until 3/4 of the wine has cooked off.  Once this is done, kill the heat and set the mixture aside.

Next, you should grab your dough out of the fridge and also grab a baking sheet.  Roll out your dough to around 1/4″ thickness.  Patch the dough as necessary, but don’t let it rip at all.  Grease your baking sheet with your butter and carefully place the rolled out dough onto the sheet.  Go around the rim of the baking sheet with a fork or knife and remove any access.  Prick the dough all over with a fork and place it into the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

At this point, preheat your oven to 375 F.  Make the topping by mixing the creme fraiche, eggs and cheeses together in a mixing bowl.  Chop or rip the ham up to your desired size and set aside.

When you dough is ready, pull it out of the freezer and pop it right into the oven for 6-8 minutes or until it’s golden brown.  Remove it and you’re ready to build your tart.  I put the onion/kale mix on first, being sure to cover all of the tart shell.  Next, add the ham and prosciutto and top with the creme fraiche mixture.  Top with the reserved Parmesan cheese, the whole oregano leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.  Bake in the oven for around 15-20 minutes, or until the topping has turned golden brown.  Let cool for 10-15 minutes and cut as you like.  Enjoy!

Summer has always been my favorite season, for many of the obvious reasons.  But as a lover of food, what I appreciate the most about this time of year is how frequently the opportunity arises to share meals with friends and family.  It seems as though someone is always extending an invitation for a barbecue or a potluck, and I am always trying to come up with recipes that I can contribute that feed a whole crowd and are easy and affordable to prepare.

I love this orzo dish for many reasons.  One thing I like is that it is not a dish that is sensitive to being left out in the heat for several hours, so it makes a great addition to a picnic.  The dish takes about twenty minutes to prepare and will cost you at most fifteen dollars and feed 12-15 people as a side dish easily.  The Mediterranean flavors accompany just about anything you could possibly throw on the grill, it’s low in fat and high in nutrition, and I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like it.

The list of ingredients below uses mostly Greek flavors, and can be modified to accommodate any other vegetables you particularly like or happen to have on hand, such as asparagus or artichoke hearts.  In this pasta I have substituted the traditional use of spinach for heartier kale.  I love to use kale with pasta because it can be chopped and sauteed briefly and will hold its shape and texture much better than spinach, which tends to soften dramatically and release a lot of water.

Next time someone asks you to bring a salad to a summer dinner, try this one out.  It also works great on its own as a main course lunch serving.  Here is the way I have prepared it…

Ingredients

• 1 box of dried orzo pasta
• 1 bunch of kale, washed and roughly chopped
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, mined
• 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup of good quality feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
• Salt and black or red pepper to taste

Follow the instructions on the orzo box to prepare the pasta al dente.  While the water is coming to a boil, heat a medium-sized skillet with one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the sliced onion and cook until it begins to caramelize, about six minutes.  Add the kale and two of the three minced cloves of garlic.  Saute until the kale softens and the onions are fully caramelized, about four or five more minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they are just heated through, another minute or so.

When the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain the water and put the orzo in a large bowl.  Add the sauteed kale and onions, the chopped scallions, the pine nuts, parsley, and feta cheese.  Stir well to incorporate all of the ingredients.  Dress the pasta salad with the rest of the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss well and serve warm or cold.

We do not appreciate asparagus the way that we ought to in this country.  For much of my life, I grew up eating asparagus at least one day a week, regardless of the time of year, and along with many people I know, considered it to be one of my favorite vegetables.  When I was a girl, I used to particularly love asparagus steamed and dipped in mayonnaise, the thought of which now makes me cringe.  Looking back, I realize that this was an acceptable way to eat asparagus because for most of the year I was getting it from halfway across the world, so there wasn’t nearly the delicacy of flavor or nutrition to ruin.  I am happy to say that my taste buds have progressed since then.

The truth is, for those who know anything about how asparagus is grown, it is a crop more than any other that is worthy of respect and appreciation.  I first learned about the grueling process of growing asparagus when I read Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal Vegetable Miracle.  Unlike most crops, which yield their fruit within a few months after they are planted, asparagus doesn’t produce what we recognize and love to eat for the first three years.  This is discouraging for many home vegetable growers, but the patience is worth it.  During that time, the plant is growing and developing a system of roots that is storing energy and nutrients in preparation for the production of those lovely little spears.  But after all this waiting, the asparagus season is short, producing tender, edible spears for only a few weeks.  So, if the farmers can maintain the patience necessary to grow it, we should have the patience to wait until it is in season locally to eat it.

When I can get my hands on fresh, local asparagus, I cook it is often as possible, every day if I can.  My favorite preparations are quick and simple, allowing the subtle flavor and extraordinary nutrition to remain intact.  Jamie Oliver has an entire chapter in his cookbook, Jamie at Home, dedicated to asparagus that is full of these kinds of recipes, as well as some comments on his experience tending to it in his home garden.

The recipe below requires only seven ingredients, so make sure they are top quality, especially the balsamic vinegar.  I recommend Bistro Blends Heirloom Balsamic Vinegar ($23), but any aged, pure 100% balsamic vinegar will do the trick.  I used lemon-thyme, which I am growing on my back porch, but you can often find it in the store.  Lemon-thyme has a remarkably lemony flavor, and is delicious for this dish, but if you can’t find it, use regular time and finish the dish with a sprinkling of lemon zest.  I call this a salad because I think it makes an excellent first course, but it also works as a side.  If your having guests, make more than you think you need.  They’ll want seconds.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 large shallot, sliced thin
• 4-5 sprigs of lemon-thyme
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Aged Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt and red pepper flakes to taste
• Two tbsp. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for garnish

Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.  Add the olive oil and the shallots.  Saute until the shallots begin to soften.  Add the asparagus and season with salt and red pepper to taste.  Remove the leaves from the thyme and add to the skillet.  Cook the asparagus for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the balsamic vinegar and let cook for another two minutes.  Remove the asparagus from the heat and plate.  Garnish with the cheese and serve immediately.

Out of habit, I make a lot of pasta.  I have made hundreds of variations of this dish, with some sort of ground meat or sausage, some variation on vegetables, and sauce.  Come to think of it, I could pretty easily write an entire cookbook full of them, changing the ingredients to accommodate the changes in season and mood.  This particular version, however, was special.  In my world, no dish exists that is more delicious and comfortable.  It has a few really fresh and high quality ingredients, none of which are expensive, and it could satisfy even the most insatiable crowd.

I would serve this to my friends on a Tuesday night, but I would not be ashamed to serve it to my mother on a Sunday. I never really feel the need to serve it with any accompanying side dishes because it is packed with veggies and served over spaghetti, and there is nothing that brings people together better than a family sized bowl of pasta in the middle of the dinner table. I also love to entertain with a dish like this because it only takes about 40 minutes to prepare and there are plenty of things for guests to help chop.

One thing that makes this particular pasta unique is the flavor the sauce gets from the vodka.  If you have never tried a vodka sauce before, it is awesome.  The flavor is more subtle than you would think, but it is sharper and cleaner than the flavor you get from using wine.  I was first turned on to the idea of using vodka when I had the linguini arabiata at a great little place in East Bay Area in California called La Piazza.  This family oriented Italian restaurant has an open kitchen with a few  bar stools to watch the action, so I was able to pick up some ideas for recreating this dish myself.  The nice thing about preparing it at home was that I could use whatever vegetables and meat I chose, and I was able to substitute the heavy cream for the yummy sheep’s milk feta, an option I felt a little better about.

View the recipe below as a cooking method rather than specific dish, although these ingredients do work together quite harmoniously.  I often search the fridge, inventory the fresh produce and protein on hand, and piece together a meal spontaneously.  So if you happen to have kale instead of spinach or chicken sausages rather than ground pork, you can absolutely make this happen.  My last bit of advice on this dish is to make twice as much as you think you will need for that night…it’s even better left over.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 large yellow onion, julienned
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, with 3 tablespoons of the fronds chopped and reserved for garnish
• 1 large bunch of fresh spinach, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 12 oz. of feta cheese (I used sheep’s milk feta)
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 large can of San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 large can of tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 package of spaghetti (I used whole wheat), cooked al dente
• Salt and red pepper flakes to taste

Heat the olive oil in large, deep skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and fennel and cook until they begin to become translucent.  Add the garlic, pine nuts,  and red pepper flakes.  Season the pork with salt and pepper and add to the pan, allowing the meat to brown before you turn it.  When the second side is cooking, break the pork into bite site bits with the back of a wooden spoon.

When the pork is browned on both sides, add the vodka and allow the alcohol to cook off for about five minutes.  Add the tomatoes and the tomato sauce and reduce the heat to low.  Stir in the chopped spinach. Break up the feta over the sauce and slowly stir it in to the sauce.  Stir in the reserved fennel fronds.  Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet, and toss well all together.  Serves four with leftovers!

Our crew of friends loves food and loves to cook.  A lot of what we do socially revolves around a meal of some sort, be it potlucks or restaurant club meetings.  So with it being Taylor’s birthday this past Monday, he decided what better way to celebrate than a potluck with a bunch of good food.  What transpired was fairly typical, all delicious and loads of fun.  I have become a great fan of potlucks and recommend hosting them to anyone who loves to cook and talk food!

So the obvious question on my mind was what to make and bring.  I’ll be honest, I’m a fan of small plates or appetizers – one biters.  If I’m hosting the potluck, then I’ll usually opt for doing a protein or some sort of more of a main dish type of thing.  But I was going over to a friends, so I decided to do an app instead.

Having still a ton of garlic from a recent visit to Costco, I whipped up a bunch of roasted garlic paste the night before and decided to integrate it into the dish: scallops wrapped with prosciutto with the garlic paste and a little basil.  Pretty simple recipe actually:

• 12 or so scallops – I halved them because I was serving apps…up to you what to do
• 6-8 thin slices of prosciutto
• 4-5 large basic leaves, julianned
• 1/2 c. roasted garlic paste

Pretty simple assembly: Take 1/4 of a slice of prosciutto (use a sharp knife to cut it), smear a little of the garlic paste on it, add a little piece of basil, and wrap it around a scallop like a burrito.  If you see a little of the scallop hanging out, that’s fine, but you want to make sure the pieces of prosciutto are long enough to wrap around the whole scallop.  Then, in a hot pan, add a little oil and sear them on both sides for a few minutes, but try not to overcook.  Once the prosciutto becomes a little crispy, they should be done.

–

So the scallops were served with a whole bunch of other dishes for starters, and then we hit up the main courses: braised cabbage (recipe coming soon), Johnny’s spicy jambalaya, Amanda’s stuffed bread (which got eaten so fast I missed out on a piece, grumble, grumble), Tim’s BBQ steak tips (amazing) and most impressively: Matt’s whole roasted stripped bass – a local fish and favorite.

This thing came out so delicious, I’m still thinking about it today.  It was well seasoned and surrounded by root and other vegetables that did well by gaining some of the fish’s flavor in the pan.  I was lucky enough to grab a cheek of the fish, which was succulent and delicious.  The whole thing was great and made for a really fun and interesting presentation.  I’ve never actually roasted a whole fish like this.  I cooked trout after catching them on the grill, but this bass was about 4 times the size of your average rainbow trout.  Just one of those great presentations and cooking methods that ensured the fish stayed moist.

Another great idea was the BBQ steak tips, which were really good to me, as I don’t eat steak much, but these were cooked perfectly – on the medium rare side, which I enjoy and that awesome BBQ sauce crusty char that you get from the grill.  Johnny Mac made some really good and spicy jambalaya, which had chicken and sausage and some good slow heat to it.  Tomato based rice with lots of good spices are always good in my book and this didn’t dissapoint.  Awesome meal and great potluck overall.

Ok, here’s the situation: it’s winter time – snow falling and not very many good, local, fresh ingredients at your local market.  You got some friends or family coming over for dinner on a weeknight and want to make something really good, but don’t want to have to work very hard at it.  Here’s an idea – do just a little bit of work a few days in advance and then reap the benefits later while only having to sear some pork chops for a few minutes.

Brining is something that I was introduced to a couple of Thanksgivings ago by Aimee’s family when we decided to brine an entire turkey for the dinner.  It turned out great for the turkey, and even better for these pork chops.  If you haven’t tried brining pork chops, you will be impressed with the moistness of them, I guarantee.  It’s so easy to do too, though the hard part is remembering to do it in advance.  A lot of sources may recommend brining pork chops 1-2 days, but I would definitely advise using the full 2 days or more. For other poultry, you can use less time, but be patient for the pork.  Here’s a pretty good guide for brining different types of meat.

The kale is a fairly simple Italian recipe that is spicy and savory.  The white beans added some starch and thickened the sauce and the tomatoes and lemon play key roles for their acidity.  This was a good complement to the pork and would serve it again.  Here’s how it went down:

For the Brine and Pork:

• 1/3 c. sea salt
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 10-15 whole black peppercorns
• 5-6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 rosemary sprigs
• 2 cloves garlic – smashed with your knife
• A few fennel seeds
• ~5 c. water
• 4 bone-in or bone-out pork chops

You can really add as many things here as you want or whatever you would like – it can be as simple as salt and water and it will still work great.  Some other ideas are star anise, cloves, cinnamon sticks, juniper berries, saffron, etc…you get the idea – go nuts.

Mix the brining ingredients well in a large seal-able bowl and add in the water.  The salt and sugar you add should dissolve before you add in the meat.  Once the liquid is ready, add the meat and cover in the fridge for the desired brining time. The brining time can vary, but I wouldn’t go over 36-48 hours on it, or your meat will end up too salty.

When the pork is done brining, remove them from the liquid and discard the liquid.  Dry the pork well with paper towels and set aside to come to room temperature.  Heat a heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron works great) over medium-high heat and add olive oil to coat the pan – grab a well fitting lid too!.

Once the pan is hot and the oil is almost smoking, add the chops and sear for a few minutes before flipping – you are looking for some good carmelization here!  Flip the chops and cover the pan with your lid.  Continue to cook until done, around 10-12 minutes depending on thickness.  If you think your pork is done, pull it from the heat and let it rest for another 10 minutes – it will continue to cook!

For the Kale:

• ~3 c. Kale – chopped into 1-2″ pieces lengthwise like lettuce
• 1 can white beans or 1-2 c. cannelloni beans soaked overnight and boiled in salted water until tender
• 1/3 c. white wine
• 1/2 large white onion – juilianed (half moons)
• 2 anchovy filets
• Leaves from 7-8 thyme sprigs
• 3-4 garlic cloves – peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. red pepper
• 1/2 c. tomato puree
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper

• olive oil

Start by adding the olive oil in a pan, then the onions and salt and sautee until softened.  Add in the red pepper, thyme, anchovy (let it dissolve into the oil) and garlic.  Cook until the garlic is a light golden brown before adding in the wine.  Let the wine cook until the liquid from it is almost cooked off, then add in the beans.  Cook the beans for a minute or two, and then add the chopped kale and some more salt and pepper.  Let the kale wilt and cook down, incorporating it into the dish, but don’t stir to hard or you’ll break up the beans – you want to keep them fairly whole.  Finish in the pan by adding the tomatoes and lemon juice (you can also use a little vinegar) and finally the Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately with a pork chop on top!

More brining ideas:

• Cookshack – good looking brining guide
• I Like to Cook
• Real Restaurant Recipes

And a couple Kale recipes:

• Kathy’s Blog
• 101 Cookbooks