Italian-Stuffed Artichokes
Our Nonna Pat’s favorite way to serve artichokes!
Ingredients:
1 lemon, halved
6 whole artichokes
¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Grana-style cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Method:
1. To prep the artichokes, squeeze the lemon halves into a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Trim the bottom off each artichoke. Trim off the tough outer leaves and snip the thorny tips off the top leaves. As each one is completed, place it in the lemon water to prevent it from discoloring.
2. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic and parsley and then season with salt and pepper. Pull each leaf open slightly from each artichoke and stuff a little of the filling into the opening. Place the artichokes snugly side by side in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1 inch of water to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and steam until the bottoms of the artichokes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes; a knife should insert easily.
3. Remove from pot and serve artichokes hot.
Fennel & Lemon Relish
This crisp slaw from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food II is excellent tossed with grilled veggies.
Ingredients:
2 lemons
2-3 fennel bulbs
1 shallot
2-3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Using a box grater or rasp, zest both lemons, then reserve the zest and fruit.
2. Peel and finely dice the shallot. Place shallot in a small bowl with the lemon zest, juice of 1 lemon, Champagne vinegar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well and let sit for a few minutes to macerate. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Taste for salt and acid and adjust as needed.
3. Trim the fronds and dark green stalks from the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and then into a fine dice. Toss with salt to taste and stir into the lemon-shallot mixture. Remove all the remaining peel from the unjuiced lemon and cut the segments from their membranes. Cut segments into a medium dice and gently stir them into the relish. Let relish sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Smoky Bacon, Sweet Onion & Chanterelle Mushroom Crostata
The show-stopping crostata makes for a delicious entrée; just serve with a side salad of summer greens.
Ingredients:
F&L crostata dough, rolled into a 12-inch circle, wrapped in plastic and chilled in the fridge
4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½ pound Chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 large sweet onion, such as Walla Walla, thinly sliced, rinsed, and patted dry
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
Leaves from 2 thyme sprigs
Method:
1. To prepare the filling: Place bacon in a heavy skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crispy and golden brown on both sides. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, let cool and then finely chop. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet and then add the olive oil, before adding the mushrooms, onions and garlic; season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet, until it evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in cream and cook, stirring, until mostly absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in bacon, pepper (to taste), walnuts, 2 tablespoons cheese and thyme.
2. Remove the dough from the fridge and let stand on counter for a few minutes, until it’s pliable enough to lift and fold without cracking. Preheat oven to 400° with a rack positioned in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment and transfer the crostata dough to the sheet. Scrape filling onto dough using a spatula, spread into a 9-inch circle. Lift the border of the dough and fold over filling, crimping as you go to create a crust.
3. Bake until the crust is deeply golden and then filling is hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over the filling, and if desired, the crust. Drizzle with oil, if desired. Let cool about 10 minutes or let cool to room temperature, then cut into wedges and serve.
Heirloom Tomato & Grilled Bread Panzanella
The beauty of this summery salad is in its simplicity: Be sure to use good-quality olive oil and season generously!
Ingredients:
4 cups Pain au Levain bread, cut into large cubes
2-3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
½ cup good-quality olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
¼ cup freshly-crumbled feta or goat cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Toss the bread cubes with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Grill the bread cubes until lightly charred, turning frequently with tongs. (A grill basket works well for this if you have it; otherwise watch that you don’t lose the croutons down the grate!) Remove from the grill and reserve.
2. On a large platter, arrange the heirloom tomato slices and drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped basil, cheese and grilled bread croutons and drizzle with another swirl of olive oil and, if desired, balsamic vinegar as well.
Variation: If you can find it, this salad is amazing topped with burrata cheese instead of the crumbled soft cheese!
Blueberry Cobbler
It’s hard to beat this classic summer dessert—just add vanilla ice cream!
Ingredients:
6 cups blueberries
F&L cobbler crust mix
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar
10 tablespoons cream
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
Method:
1. Melt butter in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the F&L cobbler crust mix with the cream, stirring until dry ingredients are just moistened.
2. Bring 1 cup sugar, blueberries and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and top with cobbler batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired.
3. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve the cobbler warm or cool.
Shaved Fennel Salad with Beets & Raspberries
Tossed with a raspberry-honey vinaigrette, this showpiece salad boasts beautiful color.
Ingredients:
1 bunch beets, cleaned and trimmed
4 cups water
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly shaved crosswise, fronds reserved
¼ cup Grana cheese, grated
4 cups loosely-packed salad greens, washed and patted dry with a paper towel
½ cup raspberries
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
For the vinaigrette:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup raspberry wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1-2 teaspoons honey
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place beets in a large roasting pan and pour over water, red wine vinegar, sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with parchment and foil. Roast until just tender, they should be easily pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. Peel beets under cool water. Cut into quarters.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the roasted beets, fennel, fennel fronds, and greens with about ½ cup of the raspberry-honey dressing. Plate dressed greens. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary, sprinkle with the Grana cheese and raspberries and serve.
Pear Crostata with Blueberries
This rustic tart is fantastic served for dessert—and then breakfast the next day.
Ingredients:
2 pears
½ cup blueberries
¼ cup all purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg white, beaten
1 premade or store-bought pie dough crust
2 tablespoons raw sugar
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll pie crust into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a sheet pan.
2. For the filling, cut pears in wedges and place them in a bowl. Toss them with the flour, sugar and salt. Fan the pears on the dough circle leaving a 1½-inch border.
3. Sprinkle blueberries on top of pears. Fold over in sections. Use egg wash as glue as you work in sections around the dough. Spread remaining egg wash over folded dough. Dot the crostata filling with butter.
Sprinkle raw sugar over the entire tart. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Grain Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes
Drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette, this crisp salad is accented by green olives and sweet onions.
Ingredients:
1½ cups cooked farro, quinoa or other grain of your choice
2 heirloom tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
¼ cup green olives, pitted and chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl add the farro, tomatoes, onion, olives and parsley, then toss to combine.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to coat.
3. This salad can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Blueberry-Nectarine Buckle
This easy dessert is sure to please the whole family!
Ingredients:
For the topping:
½ stick (¼ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup sugar
â…“ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
For the batter:
1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1â…“ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups blueberries, picked over and rinsed
2 nectarines, pitted and cut into 1-inch wedges
Method:
1. Make the topping: In a small bowl, blend together the butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg until the mixture resembles coarse meal; chill the topping while making the batter.
2. Make the batter: In a small bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar and beat in the vanilla. In a small bowl stir together the baking powder, the flour, and the salt, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and fold in the blueberries and the nectarines.
3. Spread the batter in a well-buttered 10-by 2-inch round cake pan or 2-quart baking pan, sprinkle the topping evenly over it and bake the buckle in the middle of a preheated 350° oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean and the topping is crisp and golden. Serve the buckle with whipped cream or ice cream.
Fava Bean Dip
This simple, fresh dip enhances the inherent nutty flavor of fresh fava beans.
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh fava beans, peeled, blanched and steamed (see method)
â…“ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese (or use this week’s herbed cream cheese!)
1 tablespoons Grana-style cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Combine the cooked beans with the olive oil, mint, garlic, lemon juice and both cheeses in a food processor and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and process again until just combined.
2. Transfer dip to a small serving bowl and garnish with additional chopped mint. Serve at once.