Recipes

Stir-fry Sauce

Published at In Category Bok Choy, broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, eggplant, garlic, Napa cabbage, Recipes, Vegetables Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

One of the things I do to make a quick stir-fry even quicker is to keep a jar of stir-fry sauce in the refrigerator. You could buy a jar, but why? When you’re ready for dinner, heat up some vegetable oil, sauté your vegetables (this week you could use bok choy, beet greens, thinly sliced beets, onions, garlic and/or squash) and when it’s just about done, add just enough of this sauce to coat everything lightly. The cornstarch will thicken quickly and your stir-fry is done. I love that I don’t have to haul out the ginger and the garlic and the soy sauce and whatever every time I want to make a quick meal. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Vary the proportions to suit the taste of your household.

Pasta with Sausage, Onions and Lettuce

Published at In Category Lettuce, Onions, Recipes, Vegetables Tags: , , Leave a comment

If you’re thinking you’d like to do something with that head of romaine beyond fixing yet another salad, remember that the leaves make fabulous wraps for grilled anything. Or for spring rolls. I came home from the beach a few weeks ago with a bag of wild Atlantic shrimp. I poached the shrimp and then made spring rolls, using shredded romaine in place of the traditional rice noodles. When it came to eating the rolls, I laid each one in another romaine lettuce leaf, and added a few leaves of mint and basil, dipped the whole thing into a spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce and enjoyed.

I also love the idea of slightly wilted romaine lettuce. See what you think about this recipe.

Basil Caramel

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I just made a caramel birthday cake the other day … now I recall this recipe for basil caramel as demonstrated by David Larkworthy of 5 Seasons Brewing Company. He demonstrated this last year at the Morningside Farmers Market. I could have infused that caramel frosting with basil. Yum. David’s recipe for basil caramel sauce would be great over ice cream.

Basil Gimlet

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In Wednesday’s New York Times, there’s a feature on summer cocktails. Not the complicated new cocktails that call for heirloom citrus juices and herbal-infused bitters combined with bacon-infused rye and porter, but simple drinks of 3 ingredients. I love this idea for a basil gimlet from Scott Beattie of Spoonbar in Healdsburg, California.

Grilled Naan Filled with Herbs and Cheese

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Now to that big bunch of cilantro. I admit, I had some cilantro left over from last week. So, I combined the leaves from both bunches, and made this delicious grilled bread. I actually cooked my bread on a griddle indoors since I wasn’t in the mood to go outside and fight off the mosquitoes last night. Turned out perfectly.

No tricky yeast, the dough goes together quickly and rolls out perfectly. The recipe is from Fine Cooking. Substitute basil for the cilantro if you wish, or combine basil and cilantro. It’s all good.

Grilled Swiss Chard and Mozzarella Bundles

Published at In Category Recipes, Swiss chard, Vegetables Tags: Leave a comment

I was introduced to Swiss chard by Julia Child. I’ve forgotten now which cookbook, but she sautéed the stems in butter with shallots, then added the chopped leaves. A little more sautéing and then a cream sauce with Gruyere poured over the top and everything stuck in the oven to brown. At least that’s how I remember the recipe. The key points were to cook the stems first as they need longer to become tender, and of course everything’s better with butter, shallots and cheese. Right?

Here’s a simpler way to combine Swiss chard and cheese. The recipe idea comes from Moore Farm and Friends. A perfect side dish when you’re already cooking on the grill.