This is a re-post of a classic recipe that is and will always be a part of our household – Aimee’s family Caeser salad recipe. The first time this was made for me, I literally was bowled over by how different this caeser was compared with all those other sub-par caeser’s that I’d eaten in pubs and restaurants over the years. This salad makes you forget all about those other salads and shines as a meal unto itself. I maintain still that it’s the best recipe we’ve ever produced on this blog, so at our 2 year anniversary, I give you it once again – with updated pictures. Enjoy!

Caesar salad is an American staple.  In fact, Caesar salad is probably one of the most predictable menu items, whether you are at a high end restaurant or a local diner.  Even at the grocery store, you are guaranteed at least ten varieties of bottled Caesar dressing.

Somewhere along the line, the standard for Caesars has been lowered.  Often, you end up with wilted romaine overdressed with a  mayonnaise-heavy, salty dressing and stale and dry boxed croutons.  When a Caesar salad is made well, however, nothing satisfies quite like it.  With a little effort, a real Caesar salad and fresh croutons are easy enough to make at home, and are worth every moment of the extra effort.  So put that “Caesar in a Bag” kit back on the shelf, and pick up a few fresh ingredients to make a real Caesar salad.

The Croutons:

Ingredients:

• 3 one inch slices of good, crusty bread, cubed (I recommend sourdough)
• 6 peeled whole cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium sized skillet.  Add the whole cloves of garlic and cook until they are soft and golden brown.

Remove the garlic cloves and reserve for the dressing.  Add the cubes of bread and stir or toss thoroughly to coat with the olive oil.  Cook the croutons in the skillet until they are golden brown on all sides, usually about five minutes.  Stir or toss frequently to prevent them from burning.  At the end, add salt and pepper to taste and toss or stir.  Remove and place on a paper towel to cool before adding to the salad.

Caesar Dressing:

Ingredients:

• 6 cloves of sauteed garlic (reserved from cooking croutons)
• 1 clove of raw garlic
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
• The juice of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce
• 3-6 anchovy fillets, or anchovy paste, depending on your taste
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

In a large salad bowl, using the back of a fork, smash the sauteed garlic to make a paste.  Add the egg yolk, the Dijon mustard, the mayonnaise, the Worcestershire sauce, and the lemon juice and stir.  Use a garlic press crush the raw clove of garlic and add it to the bowl.  Finely chop the anchovy fillets and add to the bowl.  Add salt and pepper and stir well. Slowly stream in the olive oil as you stir the other ingredients.  The oil should emulsify with the other ingredients, but the dressing will still be a bit chunky.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  I usually taste the dressing with one of the croutons.  Yum!

Wash and dry and entire head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces.  Add to the bowl with the salad dressing.  Add the croutons and the Parmesan cheese and toss well.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6 people.

My friend Katie has become the canning conniosseur in my life and we’ve gotten ourselves silly with stickiness on numerous canning projects over the past year here in California. Something that she and I have in common is enthusiasm for tantalizing produce from the farmers market that oftentimes inspires our canning projects. We both adore Inzana Ranch’s fruit and nut stand at the Monterey and Pacific Grove Farmer’s markets. Its one of the best we’ve ever encountered and we both look forward to Tony and Joye Inzana‘s friendly smiles and colorful delicious selection of almonds, grapes, apples, asian pears, apricots, figs, persimmons, kiwis, walnuts and peaches as the seasons change.

Their bright juicy clingstone nectarines inspired Katie to get creative preserving some nectarines for the coming Winter.  Clingstone nectarines are the type that have the flesh attached to the seed in the middle. We’re not sure what variety of clingstones they are, perhaps August Glo, or one of the twenty-one other varieties Inzana Ranch cultivates according to their California producer certificate . She bought about 7 pounds of them which we brought up to Search Ranch, our friends Marie and Jim’s homestead up in Carmel Valley. Katie got the idea to make a light honey syrup from Search Ranch’s own hives instead of boring old sugar from Jordan at Happy Girl Kitchen in Pacific Grove.

With Marie and Jim in their farmhouse style kitchen last Saturday morning, we kicked off an action packed weekend as we chopped, heated and properly preserved these gorgeous symbols of Summer into jars. We learned from the Joy of Cooking that preserving stone fruits in a light syrup requires about 3 parts water to 1 part sugar, and we knew Happy Girl Kitchen’s cherry jubilee consists of a very light honey solution (10:1 ratio) for preserving sweet bing cherries. We tasted the nectarines and Katie knew this fruit would turn out best with a slightly sweeter syrup since a lot of them were a little tart yet.

So here is how we did it:

• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 cups + 1/2 cup of water
• 7 pounds of nectarines (about 15 cups)
• juice of half a fresh lemon
• 1 bunch of mint, de-stemmed

We sliced the nectarines in uniform slices and squeezed fresh lemon juice all over to prevent oxidation. We chopped the mint leaves and set aside.

We then prepared the syrup, heating the 4 cups of water and honey in a pot slowly while stirring until it completely dissolved. When it came to a gentle boil, the heat was turned down and it simmered for a while staying hot while we sterilized the jars and lids.

We heated the nectarines in a pot with a 1/2 cup water just until they got hot, stirring around a little so they heated evenly.

We filled the sterilized jars with nectarine slices and chopped mint, then poured the hot syrup over the fruit to the point where the fruit was completely covered. Just before covering with sterilized lids and boiling the jars we stirred the jars to removed extra air.

Voila, the taste of California Summer to enjoy from a jar all winter long…

Italy in summer is hot for sure, but that heat that beats down also produces some of the best vegetables known to man, most importantly the epic tomatoes, which proprietors of small restaurants around the south of the country grow in small pots outside of their kitchens.  I can’t tell you how unique an experience it is to literally see the chef walk out of his kitchen to the back patio, pick some cherry tomatoes off of his cherry tomato bush and bring them back in to make our bruschetta in the heart of Positano on the Amalfi Coast.

Of course, what many don’t realize is that like any great sandwich being all about the bread, bruschetta is no different.  Great, fresh bread has such a great flavor, and paired along with the olive oil, herbs and tomatoes creates one of my favorite appetizers ever.  The Italiens have (not surprisingly) perfected this, and a big part of it is this simplicity.  It’s literally 5 ingredients, plus a sixth (herbs of your choice), but those are optional.  I’ll keep this post short and simple, the way this recipe should be and keep dreaming about those evenings walking around town looking for the fresh tomatoes and other crostinis – we couldn’t stay away from this dish and sampled it almost everyday.  Here’s how we re-create it at home:

• 2-4 Tomatoes depending on how much bruschetta you’re making.  Remember that this dish is aggressively seasonal.  I wouldn’t dream of making it in the winter time, or any other time besides peak tomato season, which in New England runs from around July to mid-September.  You can use cherry, heirloom or any good looking tomatoes for this dish.  NEVER REFRIGERATE YOUR TOMATOES!!!
• 1/2 – 3/4 loaf fresh crusty bread
• Extra virgin olive oil – the fresher the better
• A few pinches of salt
• 1-2 cloves garlic – peeled and left whole
• Fresh herbs of your choice – I use a combo of oregano and basil, but thyme works well too (optional!)

Somewhat simple construction of this dish.  Simply dice the tomatoes into rough chunks.  Delicately place the tomatoes into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt and a generous splash of olive oil.  Remember to use the best olive oil you got for this dish, it really makes a difference!  Mix in the herbs you’re using with the tomatoes and set aside to rest.

Next, cut the bread to the desired width – I really like mine a little on the thicker side, but not too thick.  Toast the bread in the toaster until golden brown but still soft in the middle.  You’re looking for a good crunch, but still a chewy middle.  Don’t overlook this step!  Remember to toast the bread well and you’ll be happy.

Once the bread is done, take your clove of garlic and rub it generously on each piece while it’s still hot from the toaster.  You then want to drizzle a little olive oil right onto the bread, over the garlic.

Top with the tomato mixture and serve immediately!  Enjoy -

Back when Aimee and I lived in the Bay Area (Alameda more specifically), we had a huge lemon tree in the back yard that used to produce huge Eureka lemons all the time.  I always felt a little bad because I couldn’t ever use them all – but when I could, I always used to make this lemonade, especially on the hot days in the summer.  The infusion of Mango is just one idea, but I also used to puree strawberries and add those.  You can really add just about any other fruit you like to this drink and it would still turn out delicious.

Keep it simple when you’re making lemonade.  Start with just a little bit of sugar, then you can always add more as you wish depending on your sweetness level tolerance.  Another idea here is to try making ‘ade’ with another citrus fruit.  Everyone’s likely heard of and tried Limeade, but my new thing is to make grapefruit-ade.  It’s really pretty good and a different combo that you might like.

Here’s my take on the simple, super refreshing drink:

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2-3 mangoes – pulp pureed in a food processor (see more about preparing mangoes below)
• Ice
• 4 cups water to dilute

Putting lemonade together is totally easy.  Start by prepping the mangoes: I find the best way to prep mangoes is to cut them in half like you would an avocado.  Make sure you don’t cut into the large seed in the middle of the mango, rather cut on either side – almost like a filet.  I then take my paring knife and cut cubes out of the mango’s flesh, then invert the mango and turn the half inside out and remove the cubes that protrude.  This video does a good job documenting this:

Take the mango cubes and puree them in your food processor or juicer until you have a good puree on your hands.  Try to get it as smooth as possible, add some water as needs be – chunks in your lemonade aren’t really as ideal as you can imagine.

In a large pitcher of bowl, I mix the ice, sugar and lemon juice with a large wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the mango puree and mix in, then add the water to dilute.  Make sure you don’t add too much to start, so add a little, then adjust from there.  Serve with more lemon slices or mango.  This drink also goes really well as a cocktail with some vodka or gin.

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!

There are not many places in the world that I’ve seen like Toscana (Tuscany to us North Americans).  Especially in the summertime, when man, that Tuscan sun is intense – the movie didn’t lie about that one.

So after an amazing few days down on the Amalfi Coast, Aimee and I made our way via rental car (a little go-cart-esque Fiat) from Sorrento up the A1 highway to the hills of Tuscany.  Along the way, we stopped in Montepulciano quickly, took some pics and (not surprisingly) bought a bottle of Brunello wine – really great stuff.

Tuscany is the home of wine in Italy for the most part – the place where Chianti comes from, the pinnacle of the ancient Sangiovese grape, which is responsible for the makeup of the region’s most popular wine, Chianti Classico.  Chianti, as we learned at the Castello Fonterutolli outside of Castellina, MUST contain no less than 80% of Sangiovese grape – other than that it’s up to the vintner, many use Cabernet Sauvignon to complement.

We spent out time between the town of Siena – an awesomely ancient city (like going back to the middle ages in terms of the architecture, art and just the feel of the city).  In terms of food, we really enjoyed Siena as well, tasting probably what was the second best meal of our time in Italy, on Aimee’s birthday at the Antica Osteria da Divo, a fantastic little restaurant that we literally stumbled upon after a rather embarrassing incident driving through the mainly pedestrian streets of the Siena town center.  The restaurant was perfectly suited for Siena, with terra cotta floors and high, wood beamed ceilings.  The only light came from candles on the tables and around the room.

It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get some pictures of this food, as it really was delicious.  We started with Crispy Herb Scented Anchovies with Eggplant Cake and Basil Sauce, then sampled some of the regional specialties.  In Tuscany, they’re famous for their use of wild boar, which we sampled in the Pici with Wild Boar Ragu.  Pici is a hand rolled, or “pinched”, pasta that is shorter and much thicker than spaghetti.  We also ordered a risotto dish with zucchini and zucchini flowers served in a hollow wheel of pecorino cheese.  When they scooped the risotto out of the cheese, the dish was delightfully rich and creamy – a nice touch!   Since we had just been in Montepulciano, and we were planning to head to Chianti in the next couple of days, we decided to order a Brunello to sip throughout the meal.  Delicious all around for sure.

In Tuscany, Aimee and I also fell head over heels in love with perhaps our favorite ingredient in all of Italy this time of year – the tomato.  Bruschetta you see was in full bloom there, and we took full advantage in Tuscany.  Perhaps the second best Bruschetta we sampled in Italy was at a cafe right on the Siena’s main square the Piazza di Campo.  So simple and delicious – something that we’ve already re-created here at home for dinner.  Just toast up some crusty bread, rub the surface with a garlic clove, and top it with tomatoes tossed in a little olive oil, salt, and dried oregano.  That’s it.  But believe me, that is enough.  In the heat of July, bruschetta is a perfect snack.

Other highlights of Tuscany besides the wine and the food was the coffee – especially at the famous Siena roaster Nannini, which roasts their own coffee and offers homemade gelato and around 1,000 different types of pastries and biscotti.  It offers very few tables, but there is a long espresso bar at which you can stand and sip your cappuccino or espresso and nibble on your pastry.

We also sampled some of the traditional dishes of Italy in Tuscany, such as Pesto Genovese, Fagiuoli all‘Uccelletto – the traditional Tuscan white beans in a simple tomato sauce.  Panzanella, a salad made with bread, cucumbers, and tomatoes, is also a regional specialty during the summertime, but the authentic version unfortunately falls a little short of the american adaptation.

Rather than making the dish with fresh baked crusty croutons, as we often see Giada prepare it on the Food Network, the serve it with mushed up day old bread, sparingly incorporate peeled and chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, and dress it with little more than olive oil.  It is served chilled and lacks much acidity.  This is one dish we tried that we definitely prefer to eat at home.

All in all, Toscana’s stunning scenery and rich history make for a memorable experience.  We’ll certainly be back.  For now, off to Bologna, Modena and Emilia-Romagna!!

Grapefruit is the last citrus fruit that I usually think of – it sort of gets lot in the fuzz among the stars: lemons, oranges and limes.  This is unfortunate though, as I absolutely love the flavor of grapefruit, especially when the bitter flavor is mixed with sugar and sweet ingredients.  This cake was a rather odd recipe that really stuck out in the Ad Hoc cookbook from Thomas Keller’s restaurant in Napa Valley.

Part of the draw of this cake for me was the way that you were supposed to bake the cake first, then poke holes all over it and brush it with a grapefruit syrup (a good amount too).  Doing this reminded me of a Tres Leches cake – trust me, every cake should be infused somehow with liquid – you just can’t deny the moisture it adds. I thought when I was adding the liquid that it was going to turn the cake into mush, but trust me, keep going and add all of the syrup the recipe calls for, you’ll like the results.

I topped the cake with some simple powdered frosting, packed it with grapefruit zest and served it up and it was a hit.  If grapefruit isn’t your think, try using another citrus fruit like lemon or lime.  The other benefit of this cake? It’s totally simple to create.  Here’s what to do:

Wet Ingredients:

• Zest of 1 whole grapefruit – around 2 Tbsp. diced up
• 1 cup of grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed – you’ll need around 2-3 grapefruits total here)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup + 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla paste if you can find it

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 and 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Grapefruit Frosting Ingredients

• 3/4 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
• 2 Tbsp. fresh grapefruit juice

Method

Again, the cake is fairly easy to produce.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Start by bringing together all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl – sift them together.

In a separate bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the 2/3 cup of sugar and eggs and mix together with the whisk attachment (or your whisk) for a few minutes until well combined.  Whisk in the milk, then the oil and finally the vanilla and grapefruit zest.  Whisk all together until well combined, then lower the speed of your mixer and add the dry ingredients in three parts, one at a time, until well incorporated.  The cake batter will be fairly wet, this is to be expected.

Lightly oil a loaf pan or other cake pan (7 cup capacity) and pour in the batter.  Cut a small length-wise slit down the cake with a paring knife before placing in the oven – this will create a nice crack in the cake once it’s done.  Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Then turn the cake 180 so it browns evenly, then bake for another 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.

While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup and the frosting.  For the syrup, simply add the cup of granulated sugar and grapefruit juice to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Let simmer until the sugar dissolves, then kill the heat and set aside for the cake to finish.  For the frosting, simply whisk or stir together the powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. grapefruit juice.  Add some more sugar if you aren’t happy with the consistency.

Once the cake is finished, remove it from the oven and poke holes all over the cake with a small skewer (every 1/2″ or so).  Then proceed to brush all of the syrup into the cake, you may need to let it soak in for a minute before proceeding, but make sure you put all of the syrup into the cake.  Finally, remove it from the baking dish and top with the frosting before serving.  Enjoy!

This one takes barely anytime at all.  In fact, that’s really why I’m posting it here.  We’ve both been feeling somewhat beat after getting home from work, so cooking is often the last thing we want to do.  Then we watched Food, Inc. and that attitude got flipped around.  It prompted us to start getting a Boston Organics box from the seemingly great organization here in town.  We’ve been very impressed overall with the quality of the fruit and vegetables, but we end up with almost more that we can use.  This week was our second week getting the green box and in it were some beautiful baby potatoes from Maine which I wanted to use before the weekend.  So potato salad – yeah that happened.  Totally simple, and really good.

The potato salad that I make is rather French – it’s somewhat creamy, but light at the same time.  I use a little bit of mayo, but more creme fraiche, dijon, lemon and vinegar.  The secret though?  Cut your warm potatoes up into pieces and let them soak up some wine, stock and lemon juice before you add the rest of the dressing.  Here’s the method I used, which I think you’ll find easy and simple tasting:

• 15 small red new or fingerling potatoes (around 1.5 lb.) – washed and left whole
• 1 medium red onion – very finely diced

• 2 Tbsp. homemade or Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. creme fraiche
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp. decent dry white wine
• 3 Tbsp. chicken stock
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon (meyer’s if available)
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• Good grind of black pepper
• Decent amount of salt
• 3 Scallions – sliced VERY thin along a bias

Ok, so the obvious part of this recipe is to cook the potatoes.  Start with a large pot of boiling water and add and good amount salt. Add the potatoes, and of you’re using larger sized potatoes, half or quarter them – especially if they’re really big. Boil them for around 15-20 minutes, or until you can stick them with a fork, pull them out of the water and the fall off the fork after a second or two.

At this point, gently drain the potatoes in a strainer or sieve and add them to another bowl to let cool.  As soon as they’re cool enough to touch, quarter the potatoes or try to cut them into similar sizes as consistently as possible.  Immediately add them to a bowl and add the wine and chicken stock and mix to incorporate.  Add the onions and let stand and let the potatoes soak up the liquids while you make the dressing.

For the dressing, start with the mustard, mayonnaise and creme fraiche and mix together in a small bowl.  Add in the Worcesteshire sauce, vinegar and Tabasco and stir together to combine.  Season with a little salt and black pepper.  Next, while whisking or stirring with a fork, add in the oil to emulsify the rest of the dressing.  Finish with the lemon juice, taste and adjust your seasonings as you like them.

Once you’ve let the potatoes sit and soak for at least 20 minutes, mix in the dressing and stir to combine.  Finish with the scallions and serve immediately or store in your fridge for up to 5 days.

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.

Someone asked me the other day if I’ve had a favorite cookbook lately.  After some thinking, I happened on a book that I’ve unexpectedly liked over the course of the past year – Jamie Oliver’s Jamie at Home.  This recipe comes from the winter section of this book (I like books that are sectioned off and organized by seasonal ingredients…though the irony is that peppers are best in summer, so something’s not right here…) under the canning and bottling section and make a great holiday gift.

The best part of this recipe in my opinion is the way you can use your own peppers at your discretion, meaning you can make the chutney as spicy or mild as your wish based on your taste.  I used a few jalapenos, some serranos and even a habanero for that extra kick.  The end product is cooled down somewhat by cooking the peppers in the rest of the sauce for an hour to create that excellent, gooey, sticky chutney consistency.

It’s a great recipe to serve on the side of a cheese plate, or on top of some fish, pork or even steak.  Canning the chutney will increase its shelf life for some time – something I highly recommend learning (it’s pretty darn easy to do simply).  For more canning tips and instruction, check out the site linked to here.  Whatever you decide to do, this recipe will produce around 1.5 – 2 cups of the stuff, so if you’re just using it one time and don’t want leftovers, halve or quarter this recipe.  Here’s how to make it happen:

• Around 8-10 red bell peppers
• An assortment of other hot chili peppers – I recommend jalapenos, Anaheim chilies, red chilies, Hungarian peppers, whatever you can find or want to use, but keep them fresh!
• 1/2 cup of fairly good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 cup water
• 2 red onions – rough dice
• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary – leaves removed and chopped
• 1 medium cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 a bulb of fennel – finely diced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Ok, so now that you got all the stuff, you’re going to need to plan on how to make the pepper roasting happen.  As you can see from the image above, I used my stovetop to make this happen (ass seen on Iron Chef America).  You can do the same thing, but be wary of the heat that the gas elements will produce – it’s pretty intense.  I’d recommend using a grill if you have one handy, or a broiler.  Wither way, get as much of the pepper skins blackened and then place the peppers into a paper bag or cover them in a bowl with plastic wrap.  This will steam the peppers and make the skins easier to peel

Now the fun part – peeling the pepper skins.  If you can get some help with this, use it, it’s really no fun at all.  It’s like peeling shrimp except the peppers are spicy and will hurt if you touch your eyes or really any other body part.  Wear gloves if available or just be careful.  Once the peppers are peeled, finely chop them all and reserve while you bring the rest of the ingredients together.

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan or dutch oven over low/medium heat, add the olive oil, onions, rosemary, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, fennel and season with a little salt and pepper.  Cook for a good while – 30 minutes or so – until the onions get nicely caramelized, then add in the peppers and mix to combine.  Add in the sugar, vinegar and the little bit of water and turn the heat up to high in order to being the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer

Cook the liquid down until the whole mix becomes gooey and sticky – should take around an hour depending on the sort of pot you’re using.  Once the consistency it to your liking, turn off the heat and season to taste.  Add the chutney to sterilized jars, or keep in the fridge.  Enjoy!