Zucchini gratin

Zucchini seem to be like rabbits: There's no such thing as just one. Well, unless you count that monster zucchini that some co-worker will bring in and put a sign by it that says "Free." It's clearly one that was hiding under a giant leaf and could be used to feed an army. It never seems to get any takers, but there's always at least one that shows up every year.

Naturally, the French have a solution for such excess. Here is Ina Garten's version.

Zucchini gratin

From “Barefoot in Paris,” by Ina Garten

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter, plus extra for topping

3 large onions (I used a mix of red and yellow)

2 pounds zucchini, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup hot milk

¾ cup grated Gruyere cheese

¾ cup fresh bread crumbs

Method

If baking immediately, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large deep skillet over low heat. Add onions and cook until tender but not browned, about 20 minutes. Add zucchini slices. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. Stir in flour. Add hot milk and stir until mixture thickens and flour is cooked. Pour mixture into a baking dish. The recipe called for an 8-by-10 pan, which I didn’t own, but any casserole dish will do in this case.

Mix cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over top of onion mixture in dish. Dot top with a bit of butter. (At this point you can cover the dish and refrigerate until ready to bake. Can be made a day ahead. Bring back to close to room temperature before proceeding.) Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Rating: Tasty. A repeatable use of an excess of zucchini. An easy make-ahead side dish. That said, I don’t know that I’d serve it to company because it lacks much in the way of texture despite the crumb topping. Those onions and zucchini have become very soft in that creamy, almost gooey sauce, and even with using a mix of onion and squash colors, it’s not very colorful. But it made a great comfort food side with chicken for supper.And I no longer have any uncooked zucchini in the house.

Breakfast of 4-H champions

When you start your morning at the Park & Ride at 7:43.

We spent the day at the State Fair, hanging out with Minnesotans when they are having the peak Minnesota experience, which strangely makes them act less Minnesotan.

They are much more likely to talk to strangers on the bus, in line or at a show. They become nearly Iowan in this regard, speaking as a reformed Iowan.

They also become more like Japanese in that they are obsessed with novelty while deeply rooted in tradition. Hence the longest lines for the newest foods, but everyone still has their must-have staples. So we got the Kentikky Chicken Sliders from Hot Indian Foods, the shrimp cheese fritters from Funky Grits, and our must-have fix of Danielson onion rings. (Just south of the Food Building; grab some to go with a flight from the Craft Beer Hall nearby.)

They also become more European, in that they get to wander around in public drinking beer, like a civilized nation. This probably contributes a slight amount to their increased loquaciousness, but they seem to start the day more chatty than usual.

Some 13,000 steps and three music acts later, we're sated again for another year. There's only so much fried food a person can take, however tasty.

Sorry, no picture of those sliders. Trying to eat them in the middle of a sudden downpour was not conducive to photography.

Roasted and pickled pepper dip, preserved lemon hummus

Sometimes life gives you lemons and you make preserved lemons. And then eventually you have just one left. Sometimes at the farmers market you succumb to the charm of cute little hot cherry peppers and make pickled peppers. And then eventually you have just one left.

It's this sort of thing that Marisa McClellan's book, "The Food in Jars Kitchen," addresses admirably. She's written previously about putting up food in jars. This book addresses what to do with that abundance. Sure, you can always put your jam on toast, your pickles on sandwiches and other obvious usages. But sometimes you've got so much on hand that you're looking for alternative uses. And sometimes you've got just one left.

Roasted red pepper, pepperoncini  and feta dip

Adapted from “The Food in Jars Kitchen” by Marisa McClellan.

Ingredients

1¼ cup drained roasted red peppers

1 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (reserve oil)

½ cup drained pepperoncini rings or other pickled hot peppers

2 garlic cloves, chopped

8 ounces crumbled feta

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

¾ cup olive oil, or a combo pack of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1 cup fresh parsley leaves

Method

In a food processor, combine red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, pickled peppers and garlic. Process until well chopped. Add feta and cream cheese and process until smooth. With motor running, add oil in a stream. Add herbs and pulse until chopped.

Rating: Pretty tasty. Works as a dip for veggies or naan, or as a spread on hamburgers and such. I'd make it again when I've got those ingredients to use. (I used that one remaining pickled cherry tomato and part of a jar of pickled jalapenos I'd already opened.) Obviously the hotter the peppers you use, the hotter the dip. This combo was more like a pleasant background heat.

Makes a party-size amount, so if you’re just preparing it for the household, you might consider chopping the recipe in half. But it does keep fairly well.

Preserved lemon hummus

Adapted from “The Food in Jars Kitchen” by Marisa McClellan. If you don't have a preserved lemon, the author suggests substituting the zest and juice from 1 lemon and an additional ½ teaspoon of salt.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves (or more)

¾ cup water

¾ cup tahini

1 preserved lemon, chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste

2 cans chickpeas (or 4 cups fresh cooked), drained, with some liquid reserved

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

Olive oil for drizzling

Method

Warm chickpeas in a pan or in a microwave safe dish until they’re heated through.

In a food processor, mince the garlic. Add water, tahini, preserved lemon, salt and cumin and process until smooth.

Add warmed chickpeas and process for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with lemon juice, more cumin and more salt as needed. Process until smooth. Serve drizzled with olive oil.

Rating: Possibly the creamiest hummus I’ve ever made. Warming the beans is a genius tip when you’re using canned chickpeas, which generally aren’t very tender. Flavorwise, even though I wound up doubling the amount of preserved lemon and cumin called for (and the recipe listed above reflects that doubling) and added more lemon juice, it was pretty subtle. Tasty, and very creamy, but if I make it again I’d opt to boost the flavor quotient even more. 

There are a lot more fun things to do with a preserved lemon, but at least now I don't have the monstrously big jar of brine with one remaining lemon clogging up precious frig space that could be taken up by quickles if I get around to it.

Spiralized beet salad with balsamic honey dressing

 

For a time it looked like my spiralizer was doomed to be one of those appliances that enjoys the same half-life as a one-hit wonder, and then lurks in the back of valuable kitchen cupboard space unnoticed and unloved. I tried enough variations on zucchini noodle recipes to decide they are OK-ish for salads, but a lousy substitute for noodles, especially compared with roasted spaghetti squash. And really, I'd just rather give up on any pasta recipe if zoodles are my only carbless choice.

But then I ran across this recipe and my spiralizer is enjoying a comeback. 

You don't have to have a spiralizer to enjoy this recipe; spiralized beets are available in some grocery stores, or you can simply grate or julienne the beets. Or maybe haul out that Salad Shooter ... Yes, of course I still have mine. It's next to the grinder attachment for my grandmother's 1951 Kitchen Aid mixer I still use. Marie Kondo has never been near my kitchen.

Spiralized beet salad with balsamic honey dressing

From Inspiralized.com

Ingredients

2 large beets (a mix of colors is pretty, but not necessary)

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons minced chives

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash beets. Trim off ends and peel. Spiralize, or grate with a large-hole grater.

Spread beet noodles on parchment. Drizzle with some olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes or until just tender. Let cool to room temperature.

Mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and honey. Mix in most of chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with roasted beets. Sprinkle with remaining chives and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Rating: Really pretty nice flavor-wise, and very colorful. This works well either as a side salad or as a component of a salad/brain bowl.  

Mind you, one hit is better than none. Just ask any surviving member of Shocking Blue.

Sunday breakfast in Red Wing

We had a very nice Sunday breakfast this morning, and for once I didn't have to make it or do the dishes. We took a very brief getaway to Red Wing, where we took in the Jeremy Messersmith concert at the recently restored Sheldon Theatre, dinner at Oliver's Wine Bar, and capped it with a refreshing stay at the Golden Lantern Inn. The latter was the home to three generations of the Red Wing Shoe exec's family before it was converted into a B&B. It makes a lovely one. And it was a lovely break from reality.

Pink mushroom pasta with pancetta and thyme

Pink oyster mushrooms! Ramps! Radish sprouts! The Midtown Farmers Market opened for the season this weekend, thus flipping the switch from the time of year when I plan menus and then go to the store to when I go to the market and then plan menus. If you see pink mushrooms, you just have to let them drive the bus.

The market is in a new, temporary location this year next to Moon Palace Books. It's kind of elbows-in compared with its former roomy quarters, but everyone was in a good mood, and just glad it wasn't snowing like it has been for some market openers. 

 

Pasta with mushrooms and pancetta

Adapted from Bon Appetit, October 2016. The original recipe called for sliced proscuitto, but I didn't have any on hand, so pancetta it was, which is what happens when you shop first and plan later.

Ingredients

1 pound penne pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 ounces diced pancetta

1 pound mixed mushrooms (oysters, chanterelles, cremini, shiitake), torn into bite-size pieces

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 cup broth

⅓ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

Method

Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Salt liberally and cook pasta to al dente, reserving some cooking liquid for possible use in the sauce.

Meanwhile in a large deep skillet, cook pancetta until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan and saute mushrooms until browned and tender, tossing often. Stir in shallots, thyme and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until shallots are tender. Add stock and simmer for about 10 minutes until sauce has reduced. Stir in cream and butter and heat through. Add pancetta. Add pasta and stir to coat, adding reserved pasta liquid as needed to make desired sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Rating: Quite nice. Saucy without being cloying. The pink mushrooms don't stay pink, but they stay tasty.

Orecchiette with arugula tomato ricotta sauce

I was a little skeptical of a double-starch dish involving both pasta and potatoes, but this works.

Orecchiette with arugula

Adapted from “Cook’s Encyclopedia of Pasta”

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small red onion, finely chopped, divided

1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch of cayenne

2 tablespoons wine (white or red both work)

2 potatoes, peeled and diced, about 7 ounces

2¾ cups orecchiette

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 ounces  arugula leaves

½ cup ricotta

Grated Parmesan for garnish

Method

While bringing pasta water to a boil, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add half of the onion to the pan and cook over medium low heat until softened. Add tomatoes, oregano, cayenne and wine. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

When pasta water comes to a boil, salt generously and add orecchiette and potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender and pasta is al dente.

Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in another skillet. Cook garlic and remaining onion in the oil for 2 minutes. Add arugula in batches, stirring until wilted and adding more as you go.

Toss drained pasta and potatoes with tomato mixture. Add arugula mixture, ricotta and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated Parmesan. Serves 4-6, depending on whether it’s a main course or side dish.

Rating: Nice. The ricotta makes it a vaguely creamy tomato sauce. Very filling, but not leaden, despite the double dose of starch. I'd make it again.