Insalata Misto (Mixed Salad)

This salad took me only a few minutes to prepare while my pasta was baking. The dressing can easily be made ahead. The dressing turns a brillant green color and is a nice colorful addition to a spring or summer table. The flavor on the dressing really shined through but was not overpowering. This recipe is a great way to enjoy all of the health benefits fresh basil offers and have a tasty dressing. I also liked shaving the vegetables for this salad. It makes an ordinary salad look a little fancier.

Insalata Misto (Mixed Salad)

• 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 cups arugula
• 4 cups bite-size pieces radicchio, from 1 (10-ounce) head
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 hothouse cucumber, peeled

Blend the basil, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.

Place the arugula and radicchio in a wide shallow bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot over the salad. Shave the cucumber into a medium bowl. Pat the cucumber shavings with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Add the cucumbers to the salad.

Do-Ahead Tip: The vinaigrette and salad can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Whisk the dressing to blend before using.

Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve.

Source: Giada de Laurentis, Everyday Pasta, Clarkson Potter, 2007.

Fig Ice Cream

I love fresh figs and it seems there appearance is always so fleeting. I found some Texas figs at our local market and decided this ice cream would be a fun recipe to try with them. My figs were not the beautiful purple of the mission figs so my ice cream was a tan color rather than purple as shown in the picture of the Perfect Scoop. I also thought my ice cream yield on this recipe was much less than other recipes I have made. I thought the fig flavor in this recipe was really nice. I probably wouldn't want to sit for a bowl of this alone, it needs a compliment. It paired really well with the gooey chocolate cakes.

Fresh Fig Ice Cream

2 lbs fresh figs (about 20)
1/2 cup of water 1 lemon, preferably unsprayed
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed, lemon juice, or more to taste

Remove the hard stem ends from the figs, then cut each fig into 8 pieces. Put the figs in a medium, non reactive sauce pan with the water, and zest the lemon directly into the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10

minutes until the figs are tender.

Remove the lid, add the sugar and continue to cook until it reaches a jam-like consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Blend together with cream and lemon juice, chill in the fridge and then put in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions.

Source: Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas and Sweet Accompaniments, Ten Speed Press, May 1, 2007.

Gooey Chocolate Cakes

Another sure fire hit from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours. This is the perfect make ahead dessert for a dinner party. I prepped the cakes in the afternoon and then refrigerated. After dinner, I tossed these in the oven for 13 minutes and we had a delicious warm dessert. I followed Dorie's hint of using disposable muffin pans and these popped right out of the pan and there was no mess to clean up! It really amazed me how this dessert came out exactly like the restaurant version with perfect molten centers. This is a great dessert for impressing your dinner party guests. They will think you made something really complicated when in fact these were very easy to make.

Gooey Chocolate Cakes

1/3 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used green and black organic)
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, (I used Ghiradelli)
4 ounces, coarsely chopped
1 ounce, very finely chopped
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
6 tablespoons sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter (or spray-its easier) 6 cups of a regular size muffin pan, preferably a disposable aluminum foil pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Put the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt together.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the coarsely chopped chocolate and butter in the bowl and stir occasionally over the simmering water just until they are melted-you don't want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks until homogeneous. Add the sugar and whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and, still using the whisk, stir (don't beat) them into the eggs. Little by little, and using a light hand, stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Divide the batter evenly amount he muffin cups and sprinkle the finely chopped chocolate over the batter.

Bake the cakes for 13 minutes. Transfer them, still on the baking sheet, to a rack to cool for 3 minutes. (There is no way to test that these cakes are properly baked, because the inside remains liquid.)

Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat or parchment or wax paper, and, after the 3 minute rest, unmold the cakes onto the board. Use a wide metal spatula to lift the cakes onto dessert plates.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apples and Sauerkraut

My husband and I have decided if we are going to be eating out we only want to eat at local independent restaurants. We are sick of the glutton of chain restaurants in our area and the mediocre food they serve. This past weekend as part of our exploration, we tried a local German restaurant. We were blown away by how terrific the food was and can't wait to go back and try another meal and a beer sampler! I love happening upon great finds like this. Since our local quest began we have already found three new favorites this restaurant included! Its amazing what great places there are if you take the time to look. I 'll be the first to admit I have never been a fan of red cabbage or sauerkraut but the red cabbage served at the restaurant was so delicious I couldn't stop eating it! Inspired by that wonderful meal and a busy schedule that required the use of our slow cooker, I chose this recipe. Admittedly, this is not really an August recipe but better for winter/fall, nonetheless it hit the spot! I will definitely be making this one again. The recipe recommends a variation using pork spareribs and I think I will go that route next time. The only other change I would make to the recipe, is to make sure the meat is on the bottom of the slow cooker. My pork chops got a bit dried out when placed on top of all the vegetables as directed by the recipe. Otherwise, the flavors were great, the sauerkraut was very tender and best of all this slow cooker recipe didn't use any processed ingredients.

Past Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes:

Chili Chicken Tacos
Sausage and Black Bean Soup
Barbecued Beef or Pork
Braised Chicken and Stuffing

Apple Crisp

Pork Chops with Apples and Sauerkraut

4 pork sirloin chops, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 16 oz can sauerkraut, drained (I used a refrigerated sauerkraut I picked up at our natural grocer)
2 small cooking apples, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice (I used natural apple juice)
1/4 cup catsup
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed (I substituted thyme)

1. In a large skillet brown pork chops on both sides in hot oil.

2. In 3 1/2 or 4 quart crockery cooker place potatoes, carrots, onion, browned pork chops, sauerkraut and apples. In a bowl combine apple cider or apple juice, catsup, and caraway seed; pour over apples.

3. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours. Garnish with snipped fresh parsley if desired. Makes 4 servings.
Source: Better Homes and Gardens, Crockery Cookbook, Meridith Corporation, 1994.

Honey Peach Ice Cream

Finally, some homemade food at our house! Since I have an official ice cream taste tester, my 2 1/2 year old, I'm getting lots of opportunities to try new ice cream recipes this summer. By the time this recipe is posted, my tester will likely have finished this batch! Based on the quantities of ice cream being consumed at our house summer will not likely be the end of our ice cream making extravaganza. I already have some fall ice cream recipes flagged to try. Since Dorie's blueberry sour cream ice cream was such a big hit, I decided to try the honey peach ice cream also from Baking from My Home to Yours. This recipe did not disappoint. This one was a little more involved than the last, since it involved making a custard first. The peach flavor was very pronounced in this recipe and enhanced nicely by the sweetness from the honey. I opted not to dice the remaining peaches and add them at the end, instead keeping this one smooth and creamy! I also substituted vanilla bean paste for the vanilla extract. So, if you have any great ice cream recipes, feel free to pass them on to our house! Our ice cream maker is churning quite a bit!

Honey Peach Ice Cream

4 large ripe peaches (about 2 pounds), peeled and pitted
1/4 cup honey
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)

Coarsely chop half the peaches into 1/2 inch chunks and toss them into a small saucepan. Add the honey and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until the peaches are soft but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and whir to puree. (Alternatively; use a hand blender.) Set the peach puree aside while you make the custard.

Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they don't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; if you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. The custard should reach at least 170 degrees F, but no more than 180 degrees F, on an instant read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard into a 2 quart glass measuring cup or clean heatproof bowl. Stir in the vanilla and the peach puree.

Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into ice cream. Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the ice cream is churning, finely dice the remaining 2 peaches, then, just before the ice cream is thickened and ready, add the peaches and churn to blend. Pack the ice cream into a container and freezer for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

Kitchen Reopening!

There was no cooking in this kitchen last week. We were enjoying a fabulous Florida vacation! Happy to be back in my kitchen but missing my ocean view of the beach!

Barefoot Blogger's Peach Blueberry Crumble

This was the second Barefoot Blogger pick for July. I actually made this to take to a 4th of July cookout. It was a huge hit. I'm a big fan of Ina's recipe for Apple Pear Crisp. Somehow with as many times as I have flipped through my Ina cookbook's I never really noticed this Peach Blueberry Crumble. I'm so glad I was forced to notice this one. It was just as delicious as the apple pear version. I now have two perfect seasonal fruit dessert recipes. This is the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue dinner or a casual dinner party. If you bring this one to someones house they will thank you! The only change I recommend is if you don't do individual servings, double the crumble topping. It looked like I had enough topping when I put it on but after baking it was very sparse. The crumble is really yummy so you want to have lots of it on there! I used in season Texas peaches for my crumble. I know my husband will be requesting this one again! I'm also looking forward to serving this in individual servings as Ina suggested and pairing with a homemade ice cream. Thanks to Aggie of Aggie's Kitchen for picking this one. My picture of this recipe does not do it justice!

Peach Blueberry Crumble

For the fruit

• 2 lbs firm, ripe peaches (6-8 peaches)
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the Crumble

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 lb (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it’s in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and back for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles int he refrigerator and bake before dinner. Serves 5 to 6.

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa At Home, Clarkson Potter, 2006.