Bruschetta with Caramelized Onions, Parmesan & Arugula

Crisp, savory toasted bread topped with tender sweet onion and pungent arugula.  Must... stop...  devouring...

Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Serves:  4-6 as an appetizer









INGREDIENTS

1/2 - 3/4 cup Olive oil (plain or infused)

Two large spring onions, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 slices whole wheat (or white) bread, cut into quarters or triangles

1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh, crisp arugula
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat on your stove and caute the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While onion is cooking, preheat your broiler.

Remove onion from heat when pieces are translucent and tender.

Place bread on a baking tray, and brush with olive oil.  Broil for 2-3 minutes on the second rack down from the broiler, watching carefully. When crisp on one side, remove the baking tray, flip the bread, brush again, and broil until toasts are crisp.

Remove tray from under broiler, and top each piece of toast with a bit of caramelized onion, and a generous pinch of Parmesan.  Run the tray under the broiler again for 30 seconds, or until cheese begins to melt.  Remove, top each toast with fresh arugula, and give the assembled multitude a quick grind of salt.

Serve with a dry rose wine and a view of the ocean.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

White Beans with Sautéed Onions and Arugula

Having just enjoyed this for breakfast, I can safely say this simple, satisfying dish could be tasty any time of day.

Prep time: 5 minutes (not including bean prep time!)
Cook time: 12 minutes
Serves:  2+ as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed, or the equivalent thinly sliced fresh garlic
1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cups prepared white beans (or one 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained)
1 cup fresh arugula, chopped
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat and sauté the onions and garlic, stirring, for 8-10 minutes or until onions are soft and slightly browned. Add the white beans and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mixture is hot. Scoop to serving bowls or plates, top with arugula and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Another drizzle of olive oil completes the picture.

Note: I used Rancho Gordo "White Tepary" beans for this.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Harvest Season Slaw

Can you say Crrrrunch?

Prep time:  25 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 bulbs (about 2 cups) shredded fennel bulb and lower portion of the stems
2 apples, cored, sliced, and shredded
2 ears cooked corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded sweet onion
mint leaves, one leaf for each year of age of the cook, chopped
juice from two lemons (about 4 TB)
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Get busy with your food processor, using the thin slice disk.  Place all ingredients in a large salad bowl, and toss with lemon juice and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Then crunch.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Powisset Vegetable Beef Dinner Casserole

Loaded with flavorful chunks of veggies and beef, this casserole will feed a family.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  45-50 minutes
Serves:  6-8

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
3 spring onions with stems, 1/4 inch dice (or regular onions)
1 large zucchini or yellow squash, 1/2 inch dice
2 cups oven dried grape tomatoes, or halved grape tomatoes (will add more moisture to the dish)
12 ounces dried whole wheat pasta (your favorite shape)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (1/4 inch pieces)
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
3 tablespoons wheat bran for topping, optional
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan for topping, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil for topping, optional

DIRECTIONS
Preheat water for pasta.  Preheat the oven to 350F.

While water is heating, cook onions and ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring.  Add squash, cook for another 5 min, or until beef is done and squash is just tender.  Stir in the tomatoes and remove from heat.

Cook the pasta.  When al dente, drain and pour into a large bowl.  Stir in the squash mixture, along with the basil, sour cream, and mozzarella.  Scrape this mixture into a 9x12 baking dish (or similar volume).  Sprinkle bran on top, then Parmesan, then drizzle with the olive oil.  Bake for half an hour or until heated through, and serve.

A good merlot would pair nicely with this casserole.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Sliceapalooza Salad

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










"Salad" is a matter of interpretation. Its most common form includes leaves and the color green, but this salad has neither. This does, however, offer great flavor and texture, and makes good crunchy use of fresh vegetables.

Prep time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 4

1 fennel bulb, cut into chunks small enough for a food processor feed tube.
1 small sweet onion (about the size of a pool ball)
A handful of fresh carrots, scrubbed, or scraped if necessary
1 apple, cored and cut into slices
1-2 cooked beets, cut into chunks as above.
2 TB shredded Parmesan cheese
Your favorite vinaigrette

Run the fennel,onion, carrots, apple, and beets through a food processor equipped with a slicing disk. Scrape into a serving bowl, toss with the parmesan and dressing, and serve.

Crunch, crunch, yum, yum.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Fennel, Cucumber & Fresh Greens Salad

 






A crunchy, savory salad that is hard to stop eating.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-4

INGREDIENTS
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
4 cups fresh spinach (or other greens)
1 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, chopped into 1/4" pieces
1 small sweet onion, chopped into 1/4" pieces
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
2-3 TB fresh lemon juice
2 TB olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine solid ingredients, and toss with lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Onions

Many early cultures grew and revered onions which are now found in many dishes throughout the world. The edible underground bulb is part of the Allium family. Onions can be yellow, white or red, sweet or pungent, and come in different shapes including tiny "pearls", flattened "cippolinis" and large globes. Onions can be divided into two major types: "storage" (or dry) and "fresh" (also referred to as spring, sweet, or green) onions. Fresh onions are harvested at an early stage while storage onions have been "cured" and have a papery husk to retain moisture over time.

Store fresh onions in a plastic bag in the fridge. They contain more water and have a shorter shelf life than storage onions. Storage onions should be kept in unrefrigerated in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place away from other produce. Never in plastic bags! They will last many weeks or months.

Fresh onions seem a bit sweeter and more juicy than storage onions, and can be great eaten in salads, grilled, baked, sauteed, etc. The green leaves of fresh onions can also be used raw or cooked in dishes. Storage onions can be used the same way but are more pungent in flavor due to more concentrated sulfur content than fresh onions. It is due to this sulfur that onions cause you to "cry" while you cut them - cutting onion cells releases sulfur gas compounds and forms sulfuric acid when it contacts water such as on the surface of your eyes. This burns and causes you to tear. While everyone has their favorite method of reducing onion tears, one easy way to keep sulfuric acid away from your eyes is to cut onions under or near running water.

Shallots, a relative of the onion, have a milder, sweeter flavor than onions and are great for storage. Keep them in a dry, cool place (not the fridge, not in plastic bags). They are great substituted for most onions in recipes, and are really yummy raw in salads or dressings.