Guest post: Curried Apple Orzo Salad

So, as I've mentioned before, the purpose of this blog is to celebrate experimentation. Sometimes that means developing a recipe from scratch. Sometimes it means tweaking grandma's secret recipe (I won't tell if you won't). And sometimes it means trying to recreate the flavor from a dish in a random restaurant which has been haunting you for sometime. You long-time readers may recognize this dish, as I actually tried to recreate it some time ago. This is my favorite dish to get at the little deli in my building for lunch. It has a little spicy-sweet kick that is really interesting.

I promise you that this version is better than my attempt; I'm not too prideful to admit that. Nice work, Jenn.

Curried Apple Orzo Salad

for the salad

2 cups uncooked orzo
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds toasted
about 1/2 red onion
1 large diced granny smith apple

for the dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions then combine all dressing ingredients and mix well.

Pour dressing over warm orzo then add raisins, almonds, onions and apples.

Mix thoroughly then refrigerate overnight.

Guest Post:: Caponata (Tomato and Bread Salad)

Thanks to SHeil for this dish, straight from her authentically Italian grandmother's garden.

This is a central Italian bread and tomato salad. It is a great way to turn fresh tomatoes from the garden into a quick, healthy, delicious lunch. There are many different regional versions of the caponata, but this is the 'correct' one, according to my grandmother, who lives in Salerno (which is in the second wrinkle in the ankle of the boot). This recipe may look long at first, but once you know how much seasoning goes into the tomatoes, it's really very quick and simple: seasoned tomatoes and crunchy bread cubes. If you have been storing the tomatoes in your fridge, shame on you. You've created nasty, inedible, bitter things, only good for sauce, BUT you can redeem yourself SLIGHTLY by leaving them on the windowsill for a few hours before you use them.

I hate to say the best bread for this salad is made only in Italy, but it's true. However, you can cheat relatively well with a good baguette, or other fresh, hearty loaf of crusty bread. For this recipe, I used half a baguette I had in the bread bin, and it was very good. When you season and toast the bread they will look like giant croutons, but making them yourself is essential. You can make them ahead of time and store them, but they only take about 10 minutes to cut and bake, so it really doesn't matter, and fresh will be better.

The ingredients are all rough estimations as this is not a picky recipe. You really just need even proportions of bread and tomatoes; you can use according to taste. Use a little more or less of some things, according to your taste. Just don't skimp on the olive oil, you're skinny enough. Trust me.


Caponata

You'll need:

• several ripe tomatoes (4 big/6 medium should do)
• half a baguette
• 1/3 cup relatively good extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling
• a medium handful of FRESH basil, torn into little pieces
• a large clove FRESH garlic
• sea/kosher salt (about 1.5 Tbsp) *Kosher/sea salt is WAY better, but regular salt will not kill you in a pinch. It's just not nearly as good, and you'll have to live with that.
• a little pepper
  

for the tomatoes

Get a medium mixing bowl. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Less seeds are better, so leave that seedy juice puddle on the board, but you don't have to be obsessive about removing every seed from the tomatoes. Pour the oil over the tomatoes, about 1/3 c,
enough to generously drizzle over the whole pile.

Salt the tomatoes generously (about 1.5 T, enough to shake evenly and lightly over the whole
bowl--you should be able to see salt, but the tomatoes should not be drowning in it). Tear up your handful of basil (you can chop, but tearing releases the flavor better) and add that to the bowl. Finely mince the garlic clove (I just use a garlic press right in the bowl) and add that to
the bowl. Add around 5 twists of the pepper grinder-you'll want enough to very lightly coat the tomatoes. Toss everything together.

At this point smell the bowl. Yes, smell it. It should smell really fantastic, like a good Italian restaurant, or your Italian grandmother's kitchen, and you should be able to smell the tomatoes, basil, salt, and oil about the same amount. If all you are smelling is tomatoes, add more basil. If it smells fruity, add a little more salt. If there is not a little puddle of oil under the tomatoes (or there are not drops of oil in the juice under the tomatoes), add a little more oil (the tomatoes should glisten). Then, taste a piece. It should taste very slightly salty, because you have to
add seasoning for the bread you'll add later. If it tastes really salty, add more tomato. Again, this is not a picky recipe, adjust to your tastes. It should be tasty all by itself, albeit a little salty, at this point.

for the bread

Slice the baguette half into 1-inch wide slices, then cut the slices into cubes about 1-1.5 inches wide. Dump them all on a cookie sheet, spray them lightly with olive oil, and put them in the
oven at around 400 degrees F. The point is to get them very lightly golden, but crunchy throughout. Crunchy is the important part. You do not want crunchy outside, squishy inside. The whole cube must be crunchy. Seriously. Watch them, as this will not take long, and flip them when the tops become golden, so that most sides have a chance to become golden.

assembly

Simply toss the bread cubes with the tomato/herb mixture. The key is to not toss them together until the very last moment before serving, or the bread will become soggy and unappetizing. The bread should absorb the tomato juice in the bottom of the mixing bowl and be a happy medium between crunchy and chewy.

If your bread is very crunchy, and you do not like the texture, simply dip your bread cubes VERY quickly in water right before adding them to the bowl of tomatoes, again making sure to do this right before serving. You should only have to do this with either really dry tomatoes, or really dense, grainy bread.

Tutti a tavola a mangiare! (the italian equivalent of bon appetito!, literally means "everyone to table to eat!", or "let's eat!")

Guest Post: Summer Pasta Salad with Basil Lemon Mayo

This one comes courtesy of local foodie, A.Dyer.

Hmm, how to introduce something as glorious and amazing as the idea of Basil Mayonnaise over a pasta salad of sweet peppers, cucumber and Farfalle? Does it really need any introduction? The idea of marrying the flavors of fresh garden basil, tart lemon and stone ground mustard into a creamy fresh mayonnaise is almost indecent it's so good! Add to that the sweet crisp of miniature sweet peppers, the cool crunch of English cucumbers and the delicate texture of al dente farfalle and you have a match made in heaven!


Basil Lemon Mayonnaise

1 c. basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 extra large egg yolks
1 T. lemon juice
2/3 c. olive oil
2/3 c. sunflower oil
1/3 c. stone ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse the basil leaves and garlic until finely minced. Remove and set aside. Clean the bowl and add the egg yolks and lemon juice - process them briefly until lightly blended. Stir the oils together and, with the machine running, pour in the oil very slowly, a little at a time, in a very thin stream until all of the oil has been added. With the processor still running, add the mustard and the garlic basil mixture. Pulse until thoroughly incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For Salad:
1 lb. box farfalle pasta
1 English cucumber, diced
3 c. sweet miniature peppers, seeded and chopped.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse until cool. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the cucumber and peppers. Add half of the mayonnaise and stir to incorporate. Refrigerator until ready to serve.

Guest Post: Domestic Showcase Summer Salad

Thanks to Ruby for the guest post.

I once gave my sister The Cottage Cheese Cookbook: 101 Recipes with Cottage Cheese.

I ensure you this recipe was not included; however it does include chesse de la cottage in a surprisingly sophisticated way (at least I think so). I adore this salad because of its texture and it feels more substantial than your everyday mix of spinach. I learned to make it from a college friend who we deemed the "Domestic Showcase"--my motto is fake it till you make it and this salad is so easy...

domestic showcase summer salad:

• toss fresh spinach leaves

• about 3/4 a container of cottage cheese

• lots or red or purple grapes- I prefer really flavorful purple ones from the CFM, but that's your call

• a few splashes of zesty italian dressing

• [sunflower seeds or pine nuts optional]

you're done! I don't measure--to get the proportions just right you have to taste and sample until your tastebuds say, "Yes!"

Guest Post: Fried Okra

This post comes from J.Deal, and let me tell you, this girl is legit. If you're trying to become authentically southern, this is the girl to listen to. Raised in Georgia and North Carolina, J has authority when it comes to all things southern where I am just pretending. And friends, there's not much else more southern than fried okra.

Everyone's first reaction when they hear the word okra is, "Ugh, it's slimy," which is not true at all in this case. It's crisp, flavorful, deep fried, and amazing. Go make yourself some right now (extra points if the okra is from the farmer's market and is uber fresh to boot).

Southern Fried Okra
Serves 4.

• 1 lb okra
• 1 c cornmeal
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 c buttermilk
• vegetable oil

Choose okra that is an even green color and 2" - 4" long. Trim stem ends from okra and cut into 3/4" lengths. Soak in buttermilk for 15 minutes.

Mix cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. Add okra and toss to coat.

Heat 1/2" oil in a 10" skillet (cast iron is traditional) over medium high heat. When oil begins to shimmer, sift excess cornmeal mixture from okra and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown. (Stir gently to avoid losing coating.) Drain on paper towels and salt again if needed.

Kevin's Grilled Vegetables with Red Pepper Viniagrette

Summer = grilling.

Now, depending on what side of the country you may find yourselves on, you may have different names for what is being described in this post. In my family's home state of Utah, anything cooked outdoors qualifies as 'barbecue,' but in my current home in North Carolina, 'barbecue' refers specifically to whole pigs cooked on coals slathered in vinegar. Having spent a few years in Wisconsin, where hamburgers and bratwursts on the grill constitute a 'fry out,' I have no idea what to call this activity, but I know that I love it. Something about standing in front of a hot grill with a giant set of tongs makes you feel completely in control.

This recipe comes from a good friend of mine, probably the one responsible for my culinary experimentation. I will admit, I was very skeptical of grilled avocados, but boy howdy, was I pleasantly surprised.


Grilled Vegetables with Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• Vegetables for grilling: we used zucchini, onions, avocados, and sweet potatoes. Other good possibilities would include eggplant, bell peppers, yellow squash, portobello mushrooms, etc.

Red Pepper Vinaigrette

• 2 red bell peppers (due to a lack of quality produce, we used one red and one orange, but the result was still quite good)
• 1 medium tomato
  
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a grill to medium-low heat. Cut the vegetables into grill-able chunks: you'll probably want to cut things a little thicker so they don't get soggy. We cut the avocados in fourths, and it worked great. Cut the red peppers for the vinaigrette into 4-5 flat segments.

Place the red pepper segments, skin-side down on the grill. Cook until the skins are charred black. Remove from the grill and place in a bowl with plastic wrap covering. Let set for a few minutes.

Place the rest of the vegetables on the grill. Be aware that many vegetables cook at different speeds: this is kind of an exercise in timing. Sweet potatoes take the longest, while zucchini took the shortest. Put the firmer, denser vegetables on first, then follow after a few minutes with the rest.


While the vegetables are grilling (keep an eye on them!), peel the charred skins off the pepper. Put the pepper flesh, the tomato, olive oil, vinegar, and some salt and pepper in a blender and process until smooth.

Once the vegetables are done (you want soft, but not mushy), serve with the vinaigrette.

Marti's Not-so Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

So everyone has those tried and true family recipes, right? So, being the intense investigative culinary reporters that we are, we've gone after the best of them. I think we struck gold on this one. We'll have to apologize to Marti's mom for putting it on the internet. Sorry, Mom.

I am usually up for some experimentation, but having attempted several variations on this one, I suggest against it. I never quite got the same consistency. This is just one of those time honored standards to keep in the repertoire.



Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups flour
• 10 ounces chocolate chips (almost a full bag)
• 2 cups oats (optional)
• 1 cup nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven the 350 degrees. Cream the shortening with the sugar thoroughly. I use a Kitchenaid Artisan mixer, but Marti, the matriarch of this recipe, prefers a Bosch. We won't go there in this recipe, but that rivalry may be expounded upon later.

Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed sugar mixture, and beat thoroughly until very smooth. Add the vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Once completely mixed, slowly add the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. If you can pick up the dough without it being too sticky, it's the right consistency. If it's still sticky, add a little more flour.

Once the dough forms, slowly mix in the chocolate chips (and oats or nuts, if using). Form small balls of dough and place on a thoroughly greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the tops just BARELY turn golden brown. Do not overcook, or this cookie baking exercise will end sorrowfully in a pool of tears.