Apricot Cobbler
It’s hard to beat this summery dessert—just add vanilla ice cream!
Ingredients:
F&L cobbler crust mix
¾ cups milk plus 2 tablespoons
4 cups sliced apricots
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar
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 milk, stirring until dry ingredients are just moistened.
2. Bring 1 cup sugar, apricot slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Pour the fruit 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.
Sautéed Fall Orchard Fruit
Kissed with fragrant cinnamon and brown sugar, these are sublime on waffles, pancakes or crêpes.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
Method:
1. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the fruit slices and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is softened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yellow Romano Beans with Caramelized Tropea Onions
These beautiful beans are tossed with Italian red onions and fresh parsley.
Ingredients:
1 pound yellow Romano beans, trimmed
2 Tropea onions, green ends discarded, peeled and then chopped
2-3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup freshly-chopped parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil. Drop in wax beans, cook briefly until just tender, approximately 1 minute. Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the beans from cooking any longer. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, add the butter and onions, cooking over low heat until onions are tender and caramelized. Add the Romano beans, turn heat to high and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the parsley.
Quince-Ginger Compote
Another fantastic filling option for this week’s crêpes.
Ingredients:
3 cups off-dry white wine, such as Riesling
1½ cups water, plus more if needed
1½ cups sugar
12 thin slices peeled fresh ginger (from one 2-inch piece)
3 pounds just ripened quince (about 4), peeled, cored, and cut into ½ -inch wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Method:
1. Bring wine, water, sugar, and ginger to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Add quinces. (Add more water if needed to cover fruit.) Reduce heat, and simmer gently until quinces are tender, 25 to 45 minutes depending on ripeness of fruit.
2. Transfer quinces to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Bring liquid in saucepan to a simmer, and cook until slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove, and discard ginger. Stir in lemon juice. Pour syrup over quinces. Let stand until cool. Refrigerate if desired.
Grilled Lemon-Garlic Zucchini
Brushed with a herb-kissed butter mixture, these zucchini slices pair well with grilled chicken, fish or steak.
Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, cut diagonally into ½-inch thick slices
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together butter, garlic, parsley and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Brush zucchini slices with butter mixture.
2. Heat a grill to medium-high. Add zucchini in a single layer and grill until lightly charred on both sides and just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately, garnished with additional parsley and salt and pepper, if desired.
Slow-Roasted Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Incredibly sweet and juicy, these roasted beauties are wonderful atop crostini.
Ingredients:
1 pound Sungold cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of both cherry tomatoes and diced heirloom tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 300°. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the tomatoes with oil, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer the tomatoes to the prepared rack
2. Roast the tomatoes until skins are shriveled but tomatoes are still plump, about 1 1/2 hours. Let tomatoes and their juices cool to room temperature.
Variations: For added punch, toss tomatoes with your favorite fresh herb, such as thyme or oregano, or minced garlic, before roasting.
Braised Baby Artichokes
Simmered with white wine and chicken stock, these baby artichokes are melt-in-your-mouth tender. (Try spooning them over pasta with some freshly-grated Grana cheese!)
Ingredients:
1¼ pounds baby artichokes
1 lemon, halved
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Method:
1. Fill a large bowl with water, and juice lemon into water. Reserve lemon halves. Remove tough outer leaves of artichokes. Trim pointy tops and stems, rubbing artichokes with lemon halves and then transferring them to the lemon water as you work to prevent discoloration. Cut larger baby artichokes in half lengthwise if desired.
2. Drain artichokes, and transfer to a large skillet along with stock, wine, and oil. Set over medium-high heat, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally until artichokes are tender and golden and liquid has completely evaporated, about 12-15 minutes. Add minced garlic, toss and sauté until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately. If desired, top with toasted, buttered bread crumbs for an added crunch.
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.