Farmer's Market Lassi

lassie, lassy, Lassie...no lassi

So many words sound the same (homophone) but have completely different meanings. The same can be said for food. There are many different types of fried potatoes - french fries, home fries, hash browns, Jo Jo's, etc. For this post I've made a lassi, which is like a cross between a smoothie and a shake, but different in a few distinct ways.

Yogurt and fruit are blended together with some unusual ingredients - coconut water & basil. These two ingredients make this drink different from your average smoothie, and fresher, I think. This drink is also different because it's not very sweet making this drink perfect for breakfast or dessert. Make this for our last few warm days left this year. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1C Nonfat Greek Yogurt
1C Coconut Milk (lite okay)
1/2C Strawberries, sliced
1/2C Pineapple, cut into chunks
3 Leaves Fresh Basil
1C Frozen Purple Grapes
1C Ice Cubes
Garnish: Toasted Coconut & Fruit

Directions
Begin by making the toasted coconut: preheat the broiler to high. Move the oven rack 2 slots from the top. Spread shredded coconut into a single layer on a sheet tray and broil until brown and crunchy. Be sure to check the coconut often and turn it so that it doesn't burn. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Make the lassi: combine the yogurt, coconut milk (mix well), strawberries, pineapple, basil, frozen grapes, and ice in a blender. Process until smooth and pour into 4 serving glasses. Garnish with the toasted coconut and extra fruit. That's a good lookin' lassi! Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Margarita Pizza

"To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,

Home again, home again, dancing a jig;
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog;

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog;

To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,

Home again, home again, market is done."

 

In an effort to take in the last summer has to give (I know fall started 9/22) my husband and I have been frequenting the local farmer's market on Sundays. We love to go and see what everyone has to offer, try new things, and buy old favorites. On our last trip I noticed how wonderful the tomatoes were and decided to celebrate them in my next post.

Well, here we are. For this second rainbow series post I've made a Heirloom Tomato Margarita Pizza. Red, orange, yellow, green, even purple tomatoes decorate this dish with both flavor and color. This recipe is quite simple, but I find that high quality ingredients beg for little fuss in preparation. Grab a few heirloom tomatoes, some cheese, and dough for your next pizza night and make this dish. It will be gone just as quickly as summer. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1lb. Fresh Pizza Dough
1T Cornmeal (or Cooking Spray)
1T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1T Italian Seasoning
1 1/2C Shredded Mozzarella
1lb. Heirloom Tomatoes, thinly sliced
Purple Basil, such as Opal
Kosher Salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a pizza stone by sprinkling the cornmeal on top. If not using a pizza stone, spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Strech or roll the dough out to fit your pizza stone or tray. Top the dough with the olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Spread out to cover the entire surface. Top with cheese and the thinly sliced tomatoes. I overlap the tomatoes and put them in a circle spiraling toward the center.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. The crust should be brown and the tomatoes bubbling. Top with a sprinkling of salt and torn basil. Allow the pizza to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing to serve. Saver the last of summer...to market, to market!

Grilled Rainbow Ratatouille Salad

"If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff." – Remy from 'Ratatouille'

I love the movie 'Ratatouille' not just for the journey that Remy takes, but for the memorable quotes like the one above. People often times say "you are what you eat" and there is debate over whether or not that is true. But, I believe fully that you are a product of what you take in physically as well as emotionally. Feed yourself well and you will reap and sow only good things.

I've taken inspiration from the movie quote for my ratatouille side dish. Taking the traditional components of a ratatouille - tomatoes, garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant, and basil - I'm grilling instead of sauteing them. This helps to keep the vegetables in more of a raw form and omits unnecessary fats like butter and oil used when sauteed. The grill imparts a charred, smokey flavor which is balanced by the lemony dressing everything is tossed in. Be good to yourself, make this side with fresh farmer's market veggies. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8

1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes

1 Red Onion

2 Zucchini
2 Summer Squash
1 Medium Eggplant
3 Portabello Mushroom Caps
1 Lemon, zest & juice
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Basil for topping

Directions
Preheat the grill to about 300 degrees. We used our charcoal grill for more flavor, but if you only have a gas grill that will do.

Prepare the vegetables: skewer the cherry tomatoes; cut the onion into 8 wedges leaving the root end attached; cut the zucchini, squash, and eggplant into 1/4in thick planks; scrape out the 'gills' from the underside of the portabellos. Once the grill is to temperature, grill the veggies until charred.

Allow the veggies to cool to room temperature and make the dressing. In a large bowl whisk together the lemon zest and juice, garlic, and olive oil. Add about 1tsp. salt and 1/2tsp. pepper, whisk, and set aside.

Cut the onion (remove root end, discard), zucchini, squash, eggplant, and mushrooms into large rustic pieces and toss with the dressing. Taste for seasoning, add more salt and pepper as needed. Top the salad with fresh torn basil, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Eat the "good stuff"!

Purple Plum Crumble

purple plums baked to sweet & crunchy perfection

Growing up a common end of summer dessert that my mom made was peach cobbler. I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of cobbler, but I loved the sweet soft fruit underneath the bread topping. I'm sure I'll post her cobbler recipe on here at some point, but I actually prefer a crumble...so that's what I've made.

The main difference I notice between a crumble and a cobbler is the crunch factor. My crumble has oats to provide that nice texture. Other crumbles have nuts in them...feel free to add some to this recipe too. The fruit gets nice and soft when baked, so having a crunchy topping is perfection. I round this dessert out with ice cream. It really is a must! Make this when you need an easy, well-rounded dessert. Here's how...

Ingredients
7-8 Purple Plums
1/2 Lemon or Lime, juiced
1T Granulated Sugar
1C Quick Cooking Oats
4T Flour
1/2C Lightly Packed Brown Sugar
6T Softened Butter
1/2tsp. Cinnamon
1/4tsp. Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt
Vanilla Ice Cream for Serving

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Begin by preparing the plums: cut the plums in half and pit. Line the bottom of a 1.5 quart baking dish with the plums, cut-side up. Feel free to cut the plums to fit in as many as you need to cover the bottom. Squeeze the lemon/lime juice over the plums and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.

Next make the crumble topping: in a medium bowl combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cut the butter in with a fork or your fingers. Be sure to work everything into a fine crumble.

Spread the crumble topping evenly over the plums and bake for about 50 minutes, or until warm and bubbly. Allow the crumble to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. You can also serve this at room temperature, if desired.

Serve with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Enjoy!

Grilled Plum & Shrimp Skewers with Cumin Scented Couscous

fire brings out full fruit flavor

Grilling fruits make them plump and juicy. And, there is just something about the caramelization that only the grill can give to anything that touches it. One of the first fruits I had grilled was pineapple. SO GOOD! The charred edges are crisp while the insides remain soft and juicy. It's an easy change up to throw some fruit on the grill when making dinner.

In this recipe I grill the plums along with the lemon after seasoning them with an unexpected spice rub. Paired with grilled onions and shrimp and a cumin scented couscous this meal is different, but tasty. I've taken most of these flavors from Indian or Middle Eastern dishes I've learned to make. This recipe is very easy and can be a good way to introduce yourself or family to these different cuisines. Make this for dinner when you need a change from the norm. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
1T Sugar
1T Kosher Salt, plus 1 tsp. for the couscous
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 lb. Peeled & Deveined Shrimp
4 Purple Plums, quartered
1 Medium Red Onion, quartered
1 Lemon, quartered
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 inch Ginger, minced
1 Shallot, minced
1T Olive Oil
1tsp. Cumin
2C Couscous
2 1/2C Vegetable Stock
Topping: Chopped Cilantro

Directions
Begin by making the spice rub: mix the sugar, 1T salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Skewer the shrimp, plums, red onion, and lemon each on their own skewers. It is best to do this since the shrimp might be done before the onion, etc. Rub all but the onion with the spice rub and set aside. Preheat the grill at this time.

Next make the couscous: in a sauce pan over med-high heat saute the garlic, ginger, and shallot in the olive oil until soft. Add the couscous, cumin, and salt and saute for another minute, or until fragrant. Then add the veggie stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until al dente, about 10-12 minutes.

While the couscous cooks, grill the skewers. The onion will take the most time, about 10 minutes. The plums, shrimp, and lemon will only take about 4 minutes per side. Once everything is cooked through, remove the skewers to a tray and then remove everything from the skewers.

Serve the grilled plums, shrimp, and onions on top of the couscous topped with chopped cilantro. Squeeze the grilled lemon over top and enjoy a unique flavorful meal!

Veggie Potstickers with Plum Dipping Sauce

this recipe is just 'plum' tasty

The end of summer is stone fruit season. I love these little gems. They are so easy to cook with and great for a snack on the go. Purple plums are one of my favorite stone fruits. My mom used to pack these for me when we would go to the neighborhood pool. I remember biting into the tart flesh, revealing the sweet soft insides, and ending with just the pit. It signaled the end of summer for sure.

In this recipe I cook plums down into a yummy sauce and pair them with veggie potstickers. The sweet sauce balances the savory flavors of the potstickers hitting on all 5 of our basic tastes. I find this in most Thai, Chinese, Japanese, etc. cuisine and I think that's why I enjoy learning to cook traditional Asian dishes. They also tend to use less meat than Americans...Ha! When you are looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer this dish will deliver on all different levels of taste. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Makes 30-35 Potstickers
Veggie Potstickers
1C Savoy or Napa Cabbage, shredded
1C Mushrooms, chopped
1/2C Carrots, shredded
1 Shallot, minced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1in. Ginger Root, peeled & grated
2T Cilantro, chopped
2T Basil, chopped
1T Mint, chopped
1tsp. Kosher Salt
30-35 Round Wonton Wrappers
3-4T Peanut Oil, divided

Plum Dipping Sauce
2 Purple Plums, peeled, pitted, & chopped
1T Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1T Rice Vinegar
3T Water
1tsp. Sugar
2T Hoisin Sauce

Directions

Heat a large skillet over med-high and add 1T peanut oil. Once the oil is hot, saute the cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, shallot, garlic, and ginger until soft, approx. 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. After the mixture has cooled, stir in the herbs and 1tsp. salt.

Make the potstickers: lay 1 wonton wrapper on a clean surface, place 1tsp. of the filling in the middle,  wet your finger with water and trace a half-moon shape along the outside edge, fold the wrapper like a taco, and press the edges together firmly to seal. Stand the potsticker up on the folded side and shape as desired (see the back panel of the wonton package for a diagram). Repeat until all of the filling is gone. Place the finished potstickers on a tray and cover with a wet paper towel as you work. This will keep the wrapper from drying out.

Once the potstickers are made, work on the plum sauce. In a small pot, add the plums, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, and sugar. Cover and cook on medium for 10-15 minutes, or until the plums are very soft and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and mash the plums until they look like applesauce. Add the Hoisin and stir until combined. Pour the sauce into a serving dish and allow to come to room temperature as you cook the potstickers.

Wipe out the large skillet, return to med-high heat, and add about 2T peanut oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the potstickers in batches. Be sure not to crowd the pan, and to brown each side of the wonton, then remove to a plate. Repeat until all of the potstickers have been fried, adding more oil as needed.

Once the last of the potstickers have been browned, put all of them back into the pan, and add 6-7 ice cubes. Cover quickly to capture the steam that's created. This is what makes the potstickers both crunchy and chewy - so good! Allow all of the water to evaporate. Serve immediately with the plum dipping sauce. Experience all 5 tastes at once...enjoy!