Pistou
This incredibly-flavorful sauce is the perfect accent to this week’s rustic stew.
Ingredients:
1 cup stemmed basil leaves
¼ cup chopped tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon pine nuts, lightly toasted
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a food processor, combine the basil, tomatoes, garlic and pine nuts. Pulse to chop, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
2. Once all the ingredients are evenly chopped, run the processor and drizzle in the olive oil in a slow stream. Once the oil is incorporated, stop the processor and season the pistou with salt and pepper to taste. The pistou will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for several days.
Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Sweet Onion
This light side salad is excellent served for lunch, or alongside a grilled protein and bread.
Ingredients:
2 slicing or Armenian cucumbers, washed and sliced into ¼-inch thick chunks
1-2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
½-1 cup Walla Walla onion rounds, thinly sliced and separated
1-2 tablespoons fresh green garlic
2-3 tablespoons combined freshly-chopped mint, basil and parsley
½ cup Summer Red Wine Vinaigrette (see recipe)
Sea salt and pepper
Method:
1. Combine tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet onion in a large bowl, then toss with green garlic and fresh herbs.
2. Drizzle with red wine vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper as desired and allow salad to sit for 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to combine.
Caramelized Bacon
This incredibly simple recipe always gets rave reviews from our guests!
Ingredients:
1½ cups packed brown sugar
1 pound bacon
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Place sugar in a shallow pan. Add strips of bacon to pan and coat completely with sugar, shaking off excess to even coat.
2. Transfer bacon to a broiler pan or rack set over baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake bacon until dark golden brown, turning once, about 10-15 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer to rack to cool. Serve warm.
Summer Ribollita
Inspired by a recipe found in the Lark: Cooking Against the Grain cookbook, this ribollita celebrates the beautiful vegetables of summer.
Ingredients:
1 cup summer squash, cut into ½-inch dice
1 cup tomatoes, cored and cut into ½-inch dice
¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup green beans, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup rainbow Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves cut into 2-inch strips
½ jarred cooked cannellini beans, drained of brine
2 slices of day-old bread, lightly toasted and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup dry white wine
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons torn basil leaves, for finishing
Pistou (see recipe)
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until lightly golden, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened but not brown. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to maintain a simmer and let wine reduce slightly, 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the summer squash, all the tomatoes and green beans. Stir in the bread pieces, kale and the cannellini beans.
3. Add the 4 cups of chicken stock and then season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to maintain a simmer. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. To serve, stir 3 tablespoons of the pistou sauce into the ribollita and immediately ladle into serving bowls. Sprinkle the basil over the ribollita and then add a healthy grating of Grana-style cheese. Serve with the additional pistou on the side.
How-To: Gatherer’s Gold Peppers
These sweet peppers are incredibly versatile, wonderful stuffed, incorporated into pasta sauces or served charred over breakfast potatoes as part of a hash. Here, we outline the traditional Italian method: fried in olive oil and topped with Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients:
4 Gatherer’s Gold peppers
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
1. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stem and any seeds. If there are any large, thick ribs, remove them as well. Heat a large, seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until searingly hot. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
2. Add the peppers cut side down in a single layer. Cook without stirring or moving the peppers for 5 minutes, letting the steam build up under the peppers to soften. Flip the peppers with tongs and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes more, letting the skin of the peppers blister and char in the oil.
3. Continue to cook and flip until the peppers are as soft and blackened as you’d like, anywhere from 5-10 minutes more. Transfer the charred peppers to a plate and blanket generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Grilled Carrots
Brushed with our signature grill rub, these carrots are infused with smoky-sweet flavor.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, trimmed of greens, then peeled and cut in half lengthwise
2-3 tablespoons F&L house-blend dry rub
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly-chopped herbs of your choice, such as parsley, oregano and tarragon
Method:
1. Place carrots on a sheet pan and brush them lightly with olive oil on both sides. Season liberally with the dry rub.
2. Preheat the grill to medium-high and then place the carrots directly on grill or in a grill basket. Grill until crisp-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally during cooking.
3. Remove the carrots to a plate, sprinkle with salt and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes
Fragrant rosemary adds a homey, seasonal touch to these roasted potatoes.
Ingredients:
2 pounds French fingerling potatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Arrange potato mixture on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning after 15 minutes.
Grilled Fig Salad
These warm grilled figs are the perfect complement for summer salad greens.
Ingredients:
8 cups salad greens, such as this week’s Little Gem Romaine lettuce
4 figs
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Snip the tiny stem end off each fig and cut in half lengthwise. Mix vinegar, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Add figs and gently toss to coat. Let marinate while you preheat a grill (indoor or outdoor).
2. If necessary, coat your grill with a little olive oil. When ready, grill the figs, reserving all of the marinade in the bowl, for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until grill marks appear. Do not overcook as the figs will become too mushy. Remove figs to a plate.
3. To the reserved marinade, add olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper, whisking well to completely incorporate.
4. Place greens in a large salad bowl. Toss with dressing, then divide among 4 individual serving plates. Place 2 fig halves on each plate of greens and serve.
Radicchio Salad with Frisée & Apples
This crisp salad blends the best of summer greens with early fall apples!
Ingredients:
1 head Variegata Castellfranco di Luisa radicchio, thinly sliced
½ head frisée, thinly sliced
1 sweet-tart apple, such as Pink Lady or Braeburn, cut into matchsticks
½ cup toasted hazelnuts
High quality olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, combine radicchio, frisée and apple.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic, then season with ground pepper. Toss to combine. Top with toasted hazelnuts.
Variation: For a main dish salad, try adding sliced avocado, crumbled goat cheese and crispy Prosciutto.