Saturday, May 27, 2023

The Grill is Open!!


The first grilled dinner of 2023. Porterhouse steaks was our first grilled dinner. Chris handles the grilling so I sit back and enjoy a Dirty Martini.


I, of course, do the side dishes. Tonight I just made one dish. Green Bean Potato Salad with Feta and Olives. Not bad at all. The flavors were perfect together and I liked using the Feta in the dressing. The recipe is from Inspired Taste. I cut this recipe in half and we had more than enough for the 2 of us.


Ingredients-
1 pound small yellow or white potatoes
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and fresh black pepper

Method-
Cook the Potatoes and Beans-
Add potatoes to a pot and cover with 2 inches of water.
Season with salt — 1 teaspoon for every quart of water.
Bring the water to a boil then reduce to a low simmer.
Cook 15 to 20 minutes or you can easily pierce them with a fork.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice.
When the potatoes are done, transfer them to the ice bath.
When cooled, remove potatoes from the water and slice into 1/2-inch rounds.

Bring the water that potatoes were cooked in back to a boil then add green beans.
Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until bright green and crisp-tender.
Set up a second ice bath.
Transfer green beans to ice bath.

Make the Salad-
Combine potatoes, green beans, olives, spring onion and the parsley in a large bowl.
Make the dressing by whisking vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and olive oil until creamy.
Add the feta cheese, stir well then season with salt and pepper.
Pour over salad and toss to coat.
Set the salad aside and wait 15 minutes before serving.


Friday, May 26, 2023

Farmers Market Dinner

Early dismissal at work today because of the holiday weekend. 

I made a beeline to the Madison Farmers Market. I get back Madison too late on Fridays to take advantage of the amazing produce and products.

But today was different.


I got a pound of sea scallops that were caught, is that what is is called, this morning in North Stonington from T.A.LK. Seafood out of Stonington.

$25 per pound and we got 16 nice sized scallops.

I used my go to scallop recipe. from epicicurious.com.

It is so simple.

The recipe mentions making extra sauce for sopping up with bread. Well that is just what I did. I picked up a baguette from Wave Hill Breads. They have had a stand at the Farmers Market from day one. Excellent bread. Perfect for this sauce!


Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Zuppa Arcidossana


Zuppa Arcidossana, a Mark Bittman recipe, is our favorite one pot 30 minute meal. It actually only takes 25 minutes if you have your ingredients prepped.


We had no leftovers. If we had extra bread we would have wiped the pan clean.


Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 cup 1/2 -inch-diced carrots
1 large onion, chopped
Salt
black pepper
1 cup stale bread (use coarse, country-style bread), cut in ½-inch cubes
1/2  pound spinach, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup ricotta salata, cut in 1/2 -inch cubes (feta may be substituted)
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, optional

Method-
Put oil in a large pot or deep skillet and brown sausage over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. 
When sausage is cooked through and leaving brown bits in pan, add carrots, onion, and continue to cook until vegetables begin to soften and brown, about 10 minutes. 
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add bread to pan and stir for a minute or 2; add spinach and continue cooking just until it wilts, a couple of minutes.
Add about 2 cups water and stir to loosen any remaining brown bits from pan. 
This is more of a stew than a soup, but there should be some broth, so add another cup of water if necessary. 
When broth is consistency of thin gravy, ladle stew into serving bowls and top with cheese and some freshly chopped parsley if you have it. 
Serve immediately.