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.

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.

Pineapple fried rice has always been one of those dishes that I’ve passed up when going to eat Thai food, opting instead for noodle dishes, curry or spicy basil.  When it comes to cooking Thai food at home though, pineapple fried rice is one of my favorites.  The recipe I use here was literally thrown together in a matter of minutes and included lots of jalapenos and basil for that kick that I dig.  The nice thing about this rice is that you can really make is as spicy as you want – include whatever peppers you might have at hand or in your local store – it’s literally a conglomeration of ingredients if there ever was one.

One note about using rice for making fried rice – you want it to be a little bit sticky, but not like fresh short grain sticky rice, like that of sushi.  If possible, you are looking for some moderately sticky rice that’s a day or two old.  Let it chill out for a little bit in your fridge before you prepare the dish.  The texture of the rice will benefit from the rest and loose some of the intense stickiness.

For this variation of the dish, I decided to add some fresh American wild shrimp and create a basic Thai stir-fry sauce incorporating brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and Sriracha – among other things.  The results tasted good and is awesome as leftovers – much better than that old Chinese takeout box of rice that’s probably sitting in your fridge right now.  Try it out for yourself!

Ingredients for the Rice

• 2-3 cups of leftover (preferably short grain) white or brown rice – rinsed thoroughly
• 2 medium or 1 large yellow onion – diced
• 2 jalapeno peppers – seeded and chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves – diced
• A knob of ginger – peeled and grated
• 12-15 shitake mushrooms – steps removed and chopped lengthwise
• 1/2 a medium pineapple (around 1.5 cups) cored and chopped into 1″ cubes
• 1/2 cup scallions – diced on the bias
• 12 large wild shrimp (16-20) – around 3/4 – 1 lb. – peeled and tails removed
• 4 medium organic eggs – beaten with a splash of milk
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

Ingredients for the Sauce

• 1.5 Tbsp. brown sugar
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sriracha sauce (add more if you want it really spicy)
• 1 tsp. oyster sauce
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. garlic chili sauce (awesome stuff!)
• 1 tsp. hoisin sauce

Method

Start with the aromatic vegetables: heat a pan over medium heat, add the oil, onion, jalapeno and garlic and cook slowly, until the vegetables have sweat out a little.  Add the mushrooms and continue to cook down until combined and incorporated.  Add the ginger, scallion and pineapple and toss to incorporate together, cooking until the vegetables are soft and basically cooked through.

In a separate large non-stick pan, melt the butter and add the eggs slowly, covering the entire bottom of the pan.  Cook the eggs like an omelet, folding them over into thirds, trying to keep them thin but creating one rather large omelet.  Remove the eggs from the pan and chop them up a little bit into thin ribbons.  Incorporate them into the vegetables and stir together.

At this point, you want to make the sauce – mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl or jar until they’re well incorporated.

The final piece to this puzzle is the rice – add it into the pan and mix it together with all of the vegetables.  I actually had to add some of the veg to another pan to fit it all.  Add in the rice and make sure it’s well incorporated before adding in the sauce.  Once it’s all mixed together, get some low heat on it and serve immediately – you can top it with some more scallions and some almonds for that great crunch.  Enjoy!

My family’s traditional preparation of a lobster dinner is just that – traditional.  We typically buy the lobsters alive, fill up the steam pot with a bunch of sea water from the beach and boil them.  We’ll then take the cooked lobsters and serve them whole with butter and tools for getting to the meat.  Sides of corn and new potatoes are common as well.  Very Maine coast, traditional and delicious.

I realized recently though, that we rarely ever deviate in the way we eat lobster.  I realized that family food traditions are perhaps some of the most trusted and used traditions of all, and are not lightly changed or altered.  Aimee’s family has the same traditions, the best of which in my opinion are done with Dungeoness Crab around Christmas time.  Their tradition includes fresh SF sourdough, some mayo and is absolutely delicious.  If there’s any altercation to this tradition, then it’s all about topping some of the crab with garlic, red chili flakes and butter and baking it in the oven before taking it to the bread.

I always used to joke with Aimee and tell her that I wanted to use the crab in another way – create a dish around the meat and not just eat it out of the shell.  I then of course realized that it was time to do the same altercation with the lobster, so for Aimee’s birthday, I went for this dish.  This recipe started with the usual lobster cooking process and then gets a bit of a Batali cookbook infusion…but is pretty much Maine coast (with a touch of Italy) in the final taste.  I really liked the idea of serving this risotto with a little more liquid than I might a normal risotto, which made plating a little tough, but it was wicked good…heh heh.  Here’s how it went:

• 4 1.25-1.5 lb. Maine lobsters – uncooked
• 2 medium white onions – one chopped finely, one chopped coarsely
• 2 medium/large carrots – one chopped finely into cubes, one chopped coarsely in larger pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1.5 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup decent dry white wine – Sauvignon Blanc works well here
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley – finely chopped
• 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• A knob of butter + 4 Tbsp. for finishing
• Good sea salt (I love good salt, makes a huge difference)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Start with the lobsters.  Over high heat, bring a big pot of water up to a boil and add in one onion, one carrot and the bay leaves.  Prepare a large ice bath in a big bowl.  One by one or two by two, plunge the lobsters in to the boiling water for a few minutes and then remove them to the ice bath to stop the cooking.  Continue until all the lobsters are cooked, cooled and set aside, but make sure you don’t drain the cooking liquid!!!  Set the liquid aside and get yourself a large ladle.

Next, you can prepare the risotto.  Start with a large pan over medium heat and add the knob of butter and olive oil.  Add the finely chopped onion and cubed carrot to the pan and season with a little salt and pepper.  Cook the vegetables without browning them until they’re soft and translucent.  Add in the rice and tomato paste to the pan and cook it until it’s toasted a little bit and becomes rather opaque and the tomato paste starts to brown.

Add in the wine to the pan, then ladle in a couple ladle-fulls of the lobster cooking liquid and stir the rice, letting the liquid cook off.  Once the liquid is cooked off, add in more of the cooking liquid, stir the rice and cook off.  Continue to do this for around 15 minutes until the rice becomes al dente.

Meanwhile, you can work on the lobsters – they should be undercooked at this point.  Take the meat out of their shells and set it aside – the easiest way to do this is to crack the claws with a cracker, attempting to leave the claw meat whole.  With the tails, break each tail off of the body and then break the tail lengthwise down the seam.  You then want to flip the tail over and break it the other way from where you just cracked it.  This way, the tail meat will just pop right out with minimal effort.  Chop the tail meat into 1/2″ to 1″ pieces and set aside.

Add the lobster meat to the rice and stir it in, still adding liquid to the rice to finish it cooking.  It will be done when the rice is cooked but still holds its shape and texture.  At this point, adjust for seasoning, adding some more salt and pepper to your taste.  Add in the parsley and stir it in, then remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the butter vigorously.  Depending on the consistency, add in a little more liquid to the rice to loosen it bit.  Serve immediately.

Serves around 6

This is one of those side dishes that goes best along side some delicious chicken or fish – the cakes are fairly rich, but since they incorporate yogurt, they’re not over the top and aren’t totally unhealthy either.  They’d even be really good for breakfast with eggs or even on their own as an appetizer or snack. The idea for this recipe comes from our wonderful neighborhood restaurant Oleana and chef Ana Sortun. The recipe is basically the same from her cookbook ‘Spice‘ with a few variations and additions.

Sortun’s recipe was inspired from the excellent crust texture that you get from baking rice pilaf. For any complete, well rounded plate of food that I make, I’m always looking for a crispy or crunchy element, It’s so important in my mind. It can be a crispy piece of skin on a piece of salmon or chicken, or a crust on a seared or grilled steak These cakes have one side of good crust, but the other side should be left soft.  I made them both ways – having two sides of crust and one and the latter was the better variation.

You can season these with any herb you want – I used lemon thyme, saffron and fresh oregano, but they would be divine with Madras curry powder or fresh basil or even some blanched dark greens like chard…you get the idea. The recipe is simple and delicious and totally adaptable. Here’s how it went down for us:

• 2 cups uncooked Jasamine rice (or Basmati)
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup of Greek style yogurt (you can use other whole milk yogurt if you want but eh Greek stuff is awesome)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• A few large threads of Saffron
• 10-12 sprigs of thyme – leaves picked off and chopped
• 2 stalks of oregano – leaves picked and chopped
• Around 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt to taste (about 2-3 Tbsp.)

First thing you want to do is soak the rice in some water for about 30 minutes, then strain it through some more water.  You then want to cook the rice – bring around 4 cups of water to boil in a heavy bottomed pot and add the saffron and a little salt.  Pour the rice into the boiling water and stir it around a bit.  Lower the heat on the pot to a low simmer and cover the pot.  Let the rice cook for around 20 minutes, until basically all fo the water is gone and the rice is cooked through but not totally soft.  Fluff the rice and mix it together to get the saffron incorporated and let it cool for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 F.  Mix together the eggs and yogurt in a large bowl until smooth and combined.  Once the rice has cooled, add it into the yogurt/egg mixture and stir to combine evenly.  Next, add in the lemon zest, thyme and oregano and mix to incorporate.

In a large oven safe pan, start the butter and olive oil over medium heat.  Once the butter browns nicely, add in the rice mixture a small scoop at a time – you should get around 10-12 small cakes or 6-8 large ones in the pan if you can (you can do it in batches too).

Once the bottoms of the cakes start to brown, take the pan and put it into your pre-heated oven and bake until the tops of the cakes have sort of ‘set up’ – around 10 minutes.  The bottoms of the cakes should be crusty and the tops still relatively soft.  Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to plates and serving with your protein and/or vegetable of choice.

Plus, Risotto is an excellent base from which a true plethora of recipes can be created.  Learn to make good Risotto, and you will be able to make some fabulous dishes!  To illustrate this point, I’ll first describe a method of cooking Risotto.  Then, I’ll provide a simple variation so you can see how easy it is to create unique and interesting dishes from this versatile base.

Ingredients

On to the ingredients.  I don’t have any exact measurements, but that’s part of the point.  Risotto is very intuitive; instead of worrying about exact amounts, pay attention to relative quantities.

When it comes down to it, Risotto has five basic ingredients:

The Rice: Risotto is made using round, medium grain rice. The easiest type to find (in the US, anyway) is Arborio. Choose the amount of rice based on the amount of servings you want. One and a half cups will make a good side dish for 4-6 people. The quantity of rice dictates the quantities of the other ingredients.

The Aromatics: To begin with, just use onion. As you explore the world of Risotto, you’ll discover that other aromatics can be a nice addition (garlic or fennel, for example). Pick the aromatics based on your mood and the other ingredients you plan on using. As for measurement, use about half to three quarters the amount of rice. So here we’d be using about a cup.

The Broth: If you can, use homemade broth. It really makes a difference. I use chicken broth, but vegetable broth would work just as well. I would recommend a low sodium broth, as you can always add salt later. You need to get the broth hot – if you introduce cold broth to your Risotto, it will not turn out well. Use about two times the amount of rice.

The Fat: I use a combination of butter and olive oil, but you could use either of those on their own as well. I think I end up with about two tablespoons of fat in total. You need enough to coat the rice and the aromatics.

The Cheese: Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano is the best choice here. How much you use is really up to you – I probably use about one third the amount of rice.

* Some people would argue that Risotto without wine is not Risotto. Actually, it is still Risotto. It’s also simpler and cheaper to make. I’ll describe the use of wine below.

Cooking Method

Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce to low heat and put a lid on it.

Over medium low heat, warm the fat in a heavy skillet.  (Cast iron skillets are cheap – like $25 – and they rock).  Add the onion and sauteé until softened. For now, avoid browning (most people brown the onions, but this adds complication; I’ll describe below).

Now add the rice and sauteé until mostly translucent (5 minutes?), stirring constantly (you do not want the rice to brown). If things dry out, add more fat.

Mix in a ladle or so of your hot broth, and stir occasionally after that.  When the broth is nearly all cooked off (3-4 minutes), stir in another ladle or so.  Keep doing this until the Risotto is cooked to perfection.

How do you know when the Risotto is done? It should be soft but a little bit firm. It should be very easy to chew, but not turned into a paste. In short, it should be al dente.

Stir in the cheese and salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

Using Wine

Most Risotto recipes call for wine. Wine is a nice addition, but is not so significant as to change the dish entirely. If you want to use it, heat it up and add it in place of the first flush of broth. You’ll only need a ladle or so (about half a cup). Choose the type of wine based on the other ingredients. For the basic Risotto above, use a dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc.

Browning the Onions

Most people brown the onions, and this is probably the “right” way to do it. Still, I don’t usually bother. If you do this, you should take the onions out before frying the rice so they don’t burn. Re-introduce them when you add the first flush of broth (or the wine, if using).

Developing your Technique

If you find a particular variety of rice that you like to use for Risotto (i.e., a particular type—like Arborio—and a particular vendor), you can learn how much liquid it will absorb before it is cooked to your liking. Once you learn this, you don’t need to add the broth progressively anymore. Just add your desired amount all at once and stir occasionally.

Branching Out: Autumn Risotto with Kale, Delicata Squash, and Fennel

One of the best things about easting seasonally is that you gain a new appreciation for each of earth’s bounties, as you rediscover them year after year when they come into season.  I love kale.  Fresh, properly cooked kale is a delicious and very nutritious ingredient.  I love most squash, but I am picky about it.  Overcooked squash is gross.  Fennel is more of a late summer item, so maybe this is Early Autumn Risotto.

For this recipe I used local green kale and Delicata squash.  First, choose your quantities.  I used a cup or so each of squash and fennel and two cups of packed kale.  Add the fennel when you add the onion. Add the squash when the rice is about halfway done, and the kale a few minutes later, depending on how you like it (I like mine bright green and a little bit firm).

When you add the cheese, also add some lemon zest.  This may sound like a small addition, but it really adds something to this dish.

Obviously you can improvise and improve on this ad infinum. Make Risotto when you have some leftover veggies in your fridge and you don’t know what to do with them. Make it in a pinch when you have unexpected guests and you need to whip up a quick meal. Make it when you want to impress someone (it will). Try it with walnuts and dried fruit. Try it with mushrooms and sausage. Try it with basil and roasted tomatoes. You see? You can do pretty much anything with it. Since I’ve started making Risotto, it has become one of my primary go-to dishes for just about any situation.

I hope you enjoy preparing and eating Risotto!

Do you ever have a problem of what to do with Zucchini?  Here’s an idea: I’m incorporating it into an old Italian Classic: Risotto.  The keys to any good Risotto in my opinion are 1) Wine selection – for this recipe, I chose to use a fairly sweet Riesling from Washington State (Columbia Winery) as I thought the sweetness would go really well with the squash. 2) Good quality (homemade preferred) stock – so the next time you’re about to throw away that chicken carcass, make stock instead!  I freezes really well. and 3) Fresh (in-season) vegetables to go in it.  Here’s my take:

• 1 large (pictured) or 2 medium sized Zucchini – cubed into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 medium white onion – roughly chopped
• Around 1/2lb. Shitake Mushrooms (stems removed) – roughly chopped
• ~1 Tbsp Herbs (I like Thyme and Oregano in this, but use what you like) – chopped
• 1 cup Arborio Rice
• 3-4 cups chicken (or hearty vegetable) stock – measurement approximate
• ~1 cup white wine – again I used a not-so-dry Riesling for this particular risotto
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese – grated
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Start by heating up whatever stock you’re using in a saucepan – never put cold stock into your risotto as it will stop the cooking process.  Heat your olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat until almost smoking.  Add your onions and cook until translucent.  Add the Arborio rice and a pinch of salt and cook with the onions until the rice becomes sort of clear, but not opaque – about 3-4 minutes.  Add the wine and simmer for a few minutes, then add 1-2 ladle fulls of your stock and stir.

At this point, in a separate pan (but don’t forget about the rice!), melt your butter over medium heat and add mushrooms.  Let the mushrooms absorb the butter and brown but don’t add too much color to them.  Remove the mushrooms to a separate bowl, turn up the heat to high.  Add just a touch of olive oil to the pan (which should almost smoke at this point) and add the zucchini and a pinch of salt and pepper.  I really like to let the zucchini sit and get a little color in the hot pan.  Remove the squash from the heat when it has a little color but is still al dente – you can just put it with the mushrooms.

Ok, back to the rice – once the mixture absorbs the liquid, keep adding stock and stirring, one ladle full at a time until the rice is mostly cooked but still has a little bite to it (usually takes about 15-20 minutes).  You can now add the mushrooms, zucchini and herbs to the rice and incorporate them. Once the rice is al dente (firm but chewable), add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste and stir.

Makes about 4 servings.