Panzanella

Another Italian late summer favorite.


Panzanella
Panzanella is an Italian Bread salad that is commonly made in the Tuscan region of Italy. It consists of toasted bread, fresh tomatoes, basil and a light vinaigrette along with whatever leftover ingredients may be on hand – perhaps roasted peppers, cucumber, olives, lettuce, garlic or whatever one prefers. The amounts here are approximate, as this type of dish is really one where you can add as much or as little of anything. The only musts here are the toasted bread, tomatoes, basil and dressing. The key to a successful panzanella, besides best quality ingredients, is adding the right amount of dressing – just enough to moisten the bread and not so much that it is soggy. The richness from the buttery olive oil should cause the bread to just melt in your mouth.


Serves 6

1/2 pound stale rustic bread, cubed
1/2 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons best quality extra virgin olive oil
4-5 medium size heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the bread cubes onto a baking sheet and toast until slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
To make the dressing, combine the mustard, salt, pepper and lemon juice. While whisking, slowly pour the olive oil into vinegar mixture. This dressing can be made a day ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.
Combine the tomato, cucumber, onion, basil, parsley and garlic in a salad or serving bowl. Pour over half of the dressing. Add the toasted bread cubes and enough of the dressing so that the salad is well dressed but not soaked. If the salad seems underdressed drizzle over a bit more olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

June Gloom in July

Last month I mentioned that once I had my computer back I would post a recipe for Spicy Tortilla Soup - a recipe that was intended to be posted during our long and dreary June Gloom episode. But then "the crash" occurred and June came and went and so did the gloomy weather. I began to think that I was crazy for considering a blog post for a soup recipe in the midst of summer, especially after last week's little heat spell. Fortunately, the heat has dissipated and sunny San Diego has returned to its weather of typical coastal haze. So... I thought I might be able to get away with posting my June Gloom Soup recipe even though it's a bit delayed.






Spicy Tortilla Soup
This soup is actually one that could be served year round - nothing particularly designates it to a specific season. It's rather light and brothy and is a good warm summer soup - if there is such a thing. The soup is a bit spicy, which can be adjusted to your own taste, and as usual is very basic and easy to make. It is really all about the toppings -fresh baked tortilla chips, ripe avocado, fragrant cilantro, creamy goat cheese and a squeeze of lime makes up the true essence of this tasty soup.


Serves 6

Ingredients

Tortilla Strips
6 corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow or white onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalepeno, seeds and core removed, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
14 ounces crush tomatoes
8 cups homemade vegetable stock (or 5 cups store bought and 3 cups water)
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1-2 ripe avocados, cut into slices or bite size pieces
4 ounces goat cheese
2-3 limes, cut into wedges
salt
fresh ground pepper


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the tortilla strips with the olive oil and salt on a large baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
In a large heavy bottom saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalepeno, cumin and chili powder and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, and 1 cup of stock and cook for 5 minutes over medium/low heat. Turn off the heat and puree with a hand held food blender, until smooth. Add the remaining stock, season with a bit more salt and pepper and bring everything to a simmer over medium heat. Let the soup simmer without a lid for 20-30 minutes. Taste for spiciness. You can add more chili powder if you want a spicier soup.
Serve the hot soup in individual bowls and top with a handful of the tortilla strips, a sprig of cilantro, chunks of avocado, and a tablespoon or so of goat cheese. Squeeze a wedge of lime over the soup, if desired.

Tomato Soup Weather

Creamy Tomato Soup
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Arugula Salad
Oatmeal Cookies with Macadamia Nuts, Golden Raisins and Chocolate Chips




Creamy Tomato Soup
This is your classic tomato soup – a clean canvas for whatever direction you want your meal to head. Add a chiffanod of basil and a Parmesan crostini for a gourmet Italian flair, or add those little tiny pasta stars for a walk down memory lane, or my favorite, enjoy with a crispy grilled cheese sandwich. If you are making your own vegetable stock, I suggest adding a few whole tomatoes or even a small can of tomato juice to the stock. You can even add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of spice, however I try to keep the spice and herbs to a minimum with my tomato soup or else I feel like I am eating a big bowl of spaghetti sauce. This particular recipe is very basic and as usual, very easy to make.

Serves 6

Ingredients

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 7 cups crush tomatoes (2 twenty eight ounce cans)
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup cream
- salt
- fresh ground pepper

In a medium/large heavy bottom saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, stock and fresh thyme. Season with a bit more salt and pepper and bring everything to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer and thicken for 45 minutes.
Remove the thyme sprigs and stir in the cream. Taste for more salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
You can make grilled cheese about a million and one ways – so many cheeses, so many breads and so many great fillings. One combination I particularly love is Gruyere cheese and baby arugula on crusty European style bread. Tomato, mozzarella and basil is a classic combo and one time I made an exceptionally delicious caramelized onions and blue cheese sandwich. It is pretty hard to go wrong when the basic concept here is bread and melted cheese.
To make a grilled cheese sandwich, lightly butter one side of two slices of bread; then place a generous layer of sliced cheese (or other fillings) between the unbuttered sides of the bread. Heat a medium/large size skillet or pan over low/medium heat. Add the sandwich and let cook 3-4 minutes on a rather low heat, allowing the cheese time to melt properly. When the cheese is beginning to melt and the bottom skillet side of the bread is beginning to brown, use a spatula to flip over. Increase the heat when the cheese is beginning to melt and the bread needs a bit more browning. (If you are using a thicker rustic bread, use an empty cup on top of the spatula to press weight down on the sandwich.) Serve and eat immediately.


Oatmeal Cookies with Macadamia Nuts, Golden Raisins and Chocolate Chips
I really like the consistency and flavor of these cookies – they are dense yet light, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The wheat pastry flour is subtle and contrasts well with the butter and the bit of cream. You can certainly substitute all-purpose flour for the wheat pastry flour (and I do not recommend substituting whole wheat flour), and half and half or milk for the cream. I have certainly made my fair share of oatmeal cookies and I can confidently say that this is one of my favorites. The consistency of the actual cookie is quite perfect, which I think has a lot to do with the little bit of cream. The flavor, too, is enhanced by the cream, as well as by the buttery macadamia nuts and the generous amount of chocolate chips. Golden raisins are much more mellow in flavor than traditional Thompson raisins and could certainly be left out in this recipe if you don’t have them on hand.


Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

- 1 cup wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cream
- 1 1/2 cups old fashion oats
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, toasted, chopped
- 1/2 cups golden raisins
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the cream. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Finally, stir in the oats, nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips.
Drop tablespoon size balls of cookie dough onto unlined baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown on the edges. (I prefer to slightly under bake these cookies so they or soft. You can bake the cookies until golden for a crispier cookie.) Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for 1 minute and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store the cool cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days. This dough will also keep wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking.

Audrey Hepburn's Favorite Pasta

The key to this understated dish is to cook the pasta perfectly al dente – meaning it has a bite to it- and to generously top each serving with plenty of fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 sticks of celery, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, mince
- 2 twenty eight ounce cans peeled tomatoes
- 1 large bunch fresh basil, washed
- extra virgin olive oil
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- salt and fresh ground pepper
- 1 pound pasta (spaghetti, fussili, penne…)

To make the sauce heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery and carrot. Season with a bit of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally over medium to medium/low heat, until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and their juices and half of the basil (left whole). Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pasta sit for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, meaning tender to the bite. To test the pasta remove one noodle approximately two minutes before the cooking time indicated on the pasta box instructions. The pasta should have a slight bite, but should not be chalky in the center. When the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta and add to a large serving bowl. Top with the tomato sauce and toss everything together. You can remove the cooked basil, at this point. Top individual portions with fresh basil, a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Late Summer Dinner

Tomato Crisp
Thyme and Parmesan Cornbread Muffins
Mixed Greens with shaved Pecorino Toscano
Peaches and Cream



Tomato Crisp
This savory crisp is very basic and takes only minutes to make. I served this dish as a light main course but it certainly makes a nice side dish too.


Serves 4

Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs (preferably from rustic European style bread)
- 3 tablespoons, unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1/4 cups pitted kalamata olives, cut in half


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the fresh breadcrumbs with the melted butter, thyme, a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Set aside.
Slice the tomatoes into 1/2 slices and arrange in a large baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Distribute the kalamata olive slices over the tomatoes, then evenly distribute the breadcrumb mixture on top. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden and the tomatoes are bubbling. Serve warm.



Thyme and Parmesan Cornbread Muffins
These muffins are somewhat plain (but good) and are not overwhelmed by the subtle flavors of thyme and parmesan. They are best warm with butter. I strongly recommend baking these with paper liners, and not merely greasing the muffin tins, as I did.


Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, baking soda, baking powder and sugar. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and buttermilk, and pour into the center of the flour mixture. Whisk together until combined. Add the cheese and thyme. Finally, add the melted butter and mix everything together until combined. Fill each of the twelve muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffins comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the tins for 2 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool or serve warm. These muffins will keep in an airtight container for 3 days.


Peaches and Cream
A classic combination- Peaches and Cream- sweet ripe peach and creamy vanilla ice cream makes for an uncomplicated, yet delicious dessert.