My trip to the farmer’s market yielded these dishes – simple, flavorful and versatile…
Ingredients:
- 2 ears of Sweet Corn — Shucked, cleaned and grilled, when cooled cut the kernels off of the cob
- 10 small Summer Squashes — Baby if possible, 5 green and 5 yellow cut on bias, tossed in herb oil mixture and grilled
- 8 spears of Asparagus — Trim ends, cut in 2 inch segments, toss in olive oil with salt and pepper
- 2 Leeks — Cut off dark green tops, cut in rings, wash, dry and toss with asparagus, onions and scallions in olive oil salt and pepper
- 8 Scallions/ Green Onions — Cut off root tip and clean, cut in two inch pieces, and toss with leeks, onions and asparagus in olive oil salt and black pepper
- 2 Medium Onions — Strip off the outside “wrapper”. Cut into sixths and toss with leeks, asparagus and scallions in olive oil with salt and pepper
Preparation:
Rinse the arugula (about 1 bunch) and cherry tomatoes (half a container) and dry and put on side.
Put on a sheet pan and cover with parchment paper, place the vegetable mix of asparagus, leeks, onions and scallions, place in a 350 degree oven and let roast, stirring a couple of time until asparagus is tender, not soft and onions, leeks and scallions are caramelizing. Take these out of the oven and cool.
For the dressing, mix Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, and drizzle in olive oil, while whisking as dressing emulsifies with salt and fresh ground pepper.
Place all of the vegetables on a parchment covered sheet pan except cherry tomatoes and the arugula and place in a 350-degree oven for 7 or 8 minutes until warmed through.
Place arugula and tomatoes in a mixing bowl, add vegetables and a couple of tablespoons of salad dressing and toss. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper and if needed a bit more of the salad dressing.
Serve warm on a platter as a side or serve as a base for a fish dish, chicken or add a starch for a vegetarian meal.
Dijon Vinaigrette
- 2 tbs. Dijon mustard
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Herb Marinade for Grilled or Roasted Veggies
- ½ cup of fresh basil leaves, rosemary, thyme and sage—mostly basil
- 2 tbs. chopped garlic
- Touch of lemon juice, splash of white wine
- Pinch of crushed red chilies
- Place in a blender and drizzle with 1 cup olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper
Braised Romano Beans with Cipollini onions, Cherry Tomatoes & Pee Wee Potatoes
Ingredients:
- Romano Beans (type of string bean, a little more robust, thicker skin) — Because of its thickness, it allows itself to be cooked for a longer time. If cut, blanched and sautéed like a blue lake bean or haricot vert, you will have a wonderful crunchy texture that is also fun to use in meals.
- Take the Romano beans (about 1 pound), rinse, dry and cut on the bias if possible into 1.5 inch pieces.
- Cipollini Onions (about 12) — Cut the top stem off, score the other end and blanch in a pot of boiling salted water for about a minute. Remove from water and let cool until warm and remove outer skin. Can be done by squeezing the out of their skin thru the opening made at either end.
- Cherry Tomatoes — Wash and clean (about a half basket)
- Pee wee Fingerling Potatoes — Wash and clean the (about 12)
- Chicken Stock — 2 cup
- White Wine — ¼ cup
- Chopped Garlic — ½ tsp.
- Fresh Thyme & Fresh Rosemary
- Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper — To taste
Preparation:
In a braising pan (if possible a pan made of heavy material with a lid), heat some olive oil over medium heat, add a little chopped garlic and the onions, stir and add the green beans, the tomatoes and potatoes and some chicken stock and a touch of white wine, salt and fresh ground pepper, a little fresh thyme and a sprig of rosemary.
Cover the pot and place it in a 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes. Check to see that seasoning is correct and that green beans, potatoes and onions should be tender. Serve as a side.
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