July 2006—Julia, Nanci & Robin

The focus in July was on grilling. Here's the menu:

Mango Gazpacho

Grilled Rosemary Flatbread

Almond-Crusted Goat Cheese Salad with Raspberry Dressing

Double-Edged Swordfish—Grilled Swordfish with Two Terrific Sauces
Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce
Green Grape Relish

Grilled Baby Artichokes with Olive Oil and Lemon

Lemon Rice

Trio of Summer Pies
Strawberry Rhubarb
Double Blueberry
Fresh Peach

Mango Gazpacho

1 large can (or 6 cups) of tomato juice
2/3 to 1 cup pineapple juice (or more to taste)—you could also use mango or papaya juice
1/2 green pepper AND 1/2 red pepper
Chop the peppers very finely (these can overwhelm the taste, so keep the chunks on the small side)
Large chunks of 2-3 mangos (These should not be mushy, but slightly firm as they will continue to ripen in the tomato juice—but make sure they are sweet as these add a wonderful flavor!)
1/2 red onion very finely chopped
2 avocados, cut into large chunks—again choose a slightly firm avocado
1 bunch of cilantro (or 3 Tablespoons)—pick off the leaves and chop finely (the cilantro makes the soup more spicy)
4 shakes of Tabasco Sauce (or more to taste)
3 Tbsp lime juice (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate over night. Enjoy!


Grilled Rosemary Flatbread

Makes 6 flatbreads—12 servings

1 pkg active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup finely diced onion
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
2/3 cups finely shredded parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper

In a bowl sprinkle yeast over 1-1/4 cup warm water. Let soften for 5 minutes. Add salt, onion, 1-1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 1/2 cups flour. Stir vigorously for 5 minutes or until dough is stretchy. Stir in 1-1/4 cups flour. Put dough onto lightly flour surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (not sticky any more)—add flour as required to prevent sticking. Place dough in oiled bowl. Turn over, cover airtight and let rise in warm place until doubled—about 1 hour.
Punch down dough, cut into 6 equal pieces and form into balls. Flatten one ball by hand and roll into an 8-inch round (flour as needed). Brush round with about 3/4 teaspoon olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary, parmesan and pepper. Lightly press in seasonings. Cover with sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Invert seasoned round onto a plate, parchment paper side down and cover with plastic wrap. If making ahead, stack rounds covered with plastic and chill in refrigerator up to 6 hours.

Pre-heat grill. Take a few seasoned rounds at a time and flip onto grill, dough-side down. Remove parchment. Grill until browned and cooked through. Remove from grill and cut into quarters.


Almond-Crusted Goat Cheese Salad with Raspberry Dressing

Dressing:
2/3 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp minced red onion
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Goat Cheese:
2 5-ounce logs soft fresh goat cheese, each log cut into 4 round slices
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. water
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tsp. butter, melted

6 ounces mesclun mix (about 8 cups lightly packed)

Blend first 7 ingredients in processor. With processor running, gradually add oil. Add poppy seeds and blend 5 seconds.

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Pat each goat cheese slice to 1/2-inch thickness. Whisk egg and 1 Tbsp. water in small bowl to blend. Place flour in another small bowl. Place almonds in shallow dish. Roll goat cheese slices in flour, then dip into egg mixture, then roll in almonds to coat, pressing gently to adhere. Place cheese in glass baking dish; drizzle lightly with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until almonds are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Divide mesclun among 4 plates. Top each with 2 warm cheese slices. Drizzle with dressing; serve.


Double-Edged Swordfish—Grilled Swordfish with Two Terrific Sauces

When we did our trial run to sample recipes, we loved the two sauces we made for the swordfish. So we decided to make both for you all to try.

6 6-ounce swordfish steaks (each about 3/4 inch thick) Olive oil
Brush fish with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Add swordfish steaks. Grill just until opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to platter; tent loosely with foil to keep warm. If necessary, repeat with remaining fish.

Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp drained capers
Chopped tomatoes

Simmer butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until deep golden brown, swirling pan occasionally, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in vinegar, honey and mustard. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Grill swordfish as above. Whisk sauce over low heat to re-warm if necessary. Spoon sauce over fish. Sprinkle with capers and tomatoes.


Green Grape Relish
1 cup seedless green grapes cut in half
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Can make ahead and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.


Grilled Baby Artichokes with Olive Oil and Lemon

12 baby artichokes or 4 large artichokes

Marinade:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 tsp garlic

Cut stem and trim thorns from leaves. Steam or simmer whole. Cool down and refrigerate till cold. Depending on size, cut artichokes in half remove choke with a teaspoon—may want to quarter if large. Pour marinade over artichokes. I cook night before and marinate in the morning. You can leave on the counter or in fridge all day. Grill until you see light char marks and they are warmed through. You can serve this with a basil pesto mayo, but the flavor is great on its own.


Lemon Rice
Makes 4 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup minced white onion
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1-3/4 cup chicken stock
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Grated zest of 1 whole lemon, minced
Freshly ground pepper

In a pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, add the onion and cook until soft—about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and toss for a minute to coat with the oil. Pour in the stock and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the rice is cooked and the liquid absorbed—about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Fluff the rice with a fork; toss with the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Brown rice takes 45 minutes to cook. Use more broth. White rice takes 18 minutes.


Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar
2-3 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca
1 lb rhubarb
2 lb strawberries
Pie pastry for double-crust pie or single crust and Crumble Topping (below)

(These are the measurements my mother gave me for this recipe. When I made it, I only had about 3/4 pound of rhubarb, so I used 1-1/2 pound strawberries and the full amount of sugar and cornstarch. The 9-inch pie plate was heaping with fruit and topping when I put it in the oven. Nanci)
Prepare pastry in pie plate. Mix sugar and cornstarch together. Cut rhubarb into 1-inch pieces. Cut strawberries in half or quarters, if large. Cut enough fruit to fill pie plate. Mix fruit and sugar mixture together. Place mixture in prepared pie crust. Top with top crust or crumble topping. Bake at 400 °F for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 350 °F and continue baking for 1 hour. Juices from the pie may spill over—I place a foil on the rack beneath the pie to catch spills.

Crumble Topping:

1 cup flour
1 cup instant oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp salt


Double Blueberry Pie

Graham cracker crust (see below)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups fresh blueberries

Prepare the graham cracker crust below.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sugary, cornstarch, lemon zest, cinnamon, allspice, and pepper. In a medium saucepan, combine the frozen blueberries and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the sugar mixture and lemon juice. Return to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 5minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Stir 2 cups of the fresh blueberries into the cooked blueberries and spoon into the pie shell. Top the pie with the remaining 1 cup fresh blueberries, cut into 8 wedges, and serve.

You can make this pie using all fresh berries if you like. The cooking times will remain the same.

Graham Cracker Crust

36 graham cracker squares
2 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 °F. In food processor, combine crackers and sugar until finely ground. Add oil and milk until moistened. Spray 9-inch pie plate. Press crumbs on bottom and up sides. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool.


Fresh Peach Pie

Makes one full pie and one smaller pie. (See Pie Crust recipe below)

Peel and slice peaches—I usually use about 6 peaches or at least 4 cups worth. I always think the more the better especially if trying to get two pies out of this recipe.

Boil the following ingredients until clear and thick:
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1-3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Add: 1 three ounce package of orange jello (use strawberry jello for a berry pie). Cook for five minutes more.

Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Refrigerate until cool and pour the glaze over sliced peaches and stir until all fruit is covered.

Pour into pie crust then top with sweetened whipped cream.

Pie Crust (Makes 3-4 single crust pies)

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1-3/4 cups shortening
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup cold water (I ice my water)
1 egg

Mix flour, sugar, salt in bowl. Cut in shortening until dough forms pea size crumbs. In separate bowl, mix egg, then add vinegar and water. Add this liquid mixture to the flour mixture.

Combine ingredients with a fork—DO NOT stir vigorously! Take wax paper to form one big ball. Don’t handle the dough too much.

Flour the board. (The dough will be soft) Cover dough with wax paper and roll. Be careful not to add too much flour while rolling out the dough. (I use a Silpat to roll out my pastries.)

Once rolled out, carefully put dough into pie pan and pinch the sides. Poke your fork in the bottom and sides of the dough and bake until golden. Use for any of your favorite pies!