Chard scramble

The earthy, green flavor of chard marries perfectly with the creamy umame of scrambled eggs.  Addictive.

Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Serves:  2 generously

INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
4 tablespoons milk or water
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (or your favorite)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups coarsely chopped chard leaves
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the milk and the cheese.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chard, stirring, for 2 minutes or until leaves are wilted.

Turn heat to medium low and pour the egg mixture over the hot chard.  Cook, stirring slowly and constantly, for 2-4 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to the consistency you like.

Serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Variation:  Add in a little minced jalapeno when you saute the chard.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes and Tomatillos

If you enjoy fireworks on your palate, cook no further.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  About 2 cups

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 - 2 cups ripe tomatoes, 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup tomatillos, 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 2 teaspoons fresh, minced)
1 tablespoon minced hot pepper flesh (not seeds)*
A few drops of your favorite hot pepper sauce*
Tortilla chips for serving

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients. 

Don't be surprised if this gorgeous stuff disappears in less time than it took you to make it.

*Add half the minced hot pepper and hot pepper sauce, and taste for flavor, and then decide if you want to add the rest.

Homemade Pasta Sauce!

When nature hands you a ton of tomatoes, make sauce to freeze or can for the winter.  The mess you make here will be amply rewarded with summer flavor in February.








Here are two methods , one that requires peeling for a smoother, more traditional sauce, the second faster and a little bit coarser, but the same terrific flavor.

Prep time:  70 minutes
Cook time:  3 hours
Yield:  6-8 cups of sauce

INGREDIENTS
10-15 ripe tomatoes
3-4 TB olive oil
1 onion, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
2 green peppers, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
1 bunch parsley, minced
1 hot pepper, minced (your favorite)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (or fresh)
1 TB fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 bay leaf1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

DIRECTIONS (Traditional method)
Fill a large stock pot halfway with water and bring to a boil.  Set a large bowl filled 2/3 with ice water nearby, and another bowl for the cleaned tomatoes.  Place whole tomatoes in boiling water for a minute, lift out and place in the cold water bath for another minute (or more).  Remove the skin, and squeeze out the seeds as best you can.  Place these cleaned tomatoes in the empty bowl.

Dry out your stock pot (or use another).  Heat the olive oil in the bottom over medium-low heat and cook the onion, peppers, carrots, parsley, minced hot pepper, garlic, sage, basil, oregano, and rosemary for 5 minutes, stirring.  Remove from heat.

Use a food processor or blender to process the tomatoes and the vegetables.  Start by adding about 1 1/2 cups of the tomatoes, and puree them to create a liquid.  Then add the vegetables and process again to a consistency you like.  At the risk of overgeneralizing, adults seem to like their sauce with lots of texture, kids tend to like it smooth.  Return this puree to the stock pot.  Process the rest of the tomatoes, and add to the stock pot.  Add the wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper, stir, and turn the heat to medium high.  Heat to bubbling, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2-3 hours uncovered, stirring occasionally.  The sauce will reduce and thicken.  This is a good thing.

Serve fresh over pasta, or freeze/can for later.

DIRECTIONS (Easier method resulting in a more rustic sauce)
Heat the olive oil in the bottom over medium-low heat and cook the onion, peppers, carrots, parsley, minced hot pepper, garlic, sage, basil, oregano, and rosemary for 5 minutes, stirring.  While these vegetables are cooking, cut up your tomatoes into 1" chunks, peels, seeds and all.  Add the tomatoes to the rest of the vegetables, stir, and bring back to a gentle simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or until reduced by about half.  Remove from heat, and allow mixture to cool for an hour or more.  Add the wine, salt, and pepper (omit the bay leaf).

Use a food processor to process the vegetables, working in batches to not overwhelm your machine.  Process for a minute to achieve a good, relatively smooth consistency. 

Serve fresh over pasta, or freeze/can for later.

Note:  All types of tomatoes can be used to make sauce.  Paste-type tomatoes have lower water content and yield a thicker sauce.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Chili with Tomatoes 3 Ways

This rich version of classic chili features extracted tomato flavors.  The heat is mid range, add more or less cayenne and cumin according to your taste.

Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  45 minutes
Serves:  8

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, 1/4 inch dice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large sweet bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup oven dried tomatoes
1/3 cup puree of oven dried tomatoes
2 teaspoons ground cayenne
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
3 cups (or 2 15 ounce cans) prepared beans
1 1/2 cups (or one 15 ounce can) refried beans
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Heat a large saute pan or stock pot over medium heat and cook the ground beef, onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes.  Add the red pepper and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until ground beef is cooked.

Add the tomato sauce, puree of oven dried tomatoes, cayenne, cumin, oregano, kidney beans, refried beans, and salt.  Stir to completely mix, then turn heat to medium low, cover, and cook, stirring every few minutes, for 30 minutes or until gently bubbling throughout. 

Serve with fresh cornbread, and laugh at the cold weather outside.

Variations:  Use fresh hot peppers in place of the ground cayenne.  Use ancho peppers in place of the sweet peppers.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Skillet Baked Broccoli Tomato Quiche

  
Here's the latest installment in our informal series of quiches.  They all aspire to achieve the magic combination of attributes:  Ease of preparation (this one especially - it's a one skillet meal), delicious flavor, and of course lots of veggies.  Note - this crustless quiche is truly fast prep.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes
Serves:  6-8

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 broccoli stems*, shredded
1 onion, shredded
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
salt to tastepepper to taste
1 tomato, 1/2" dice (about 1 1/2 cups) with juice (or one 15 oz. can diced tomato)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350F.

Heat the olive oil in a medium (8") oven-safe skillet over medium heat and sauté the broccoli and onion, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. While broccoli is cooking, whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the milk, mozzarella, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, sage, salt and pepper.  Stir in the tomato.

When the broccoli is done, pour the egg mixture into the skillet over the broccoli, and quickly stir to mix, and then stop stirring, and let it cook for 1 minute.  Gently lift the skillet from the stovetop and place in the hot oven, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the quiche has set (the middle will be just firm). Remove quiche from the oven, and let cool for 5 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy.

*Broccoli Stem Primer: Young, tender broccoli stems lend themselves best to shredding.  These are the ones that break with a crisp snap, and offer a pleasant crunch when you bite them.  All you need to do is cut off the dried end of the stem and shred away. Older broccoli can get woody - you'll be able to tell as you cut it: if the stem resists your knife, it will cause just as many problems for your teeth. If you are determined to use them, one solution is to cut off the bottom section of each stem, and scrape the remaining length with a carrot peeler to remove the tough exterior skin.   And then there are the real old timer stems that are woody all the way through.  Send those out to challenge your compost pile. 

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Pasta with Sauteed Vegetables and Feta

All you need in one delicious serving.  Except that you'll want to go back more than one serving.

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 bell peppers, cut in to 1/4 inch chunks
1 bunch scallions, cleaned, white and light green parts chopped into 1/8 inch pieces
3-4 tomatillos, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
1 hot pepper, seeds and membranes removed, minced
1 bunch turnip greens, cleaned, stems and leaves separated and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 eggs
1 large tomato, 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pound whole wheat pasta

DIRECTIONS
Heat the pasta water.  Whisk the eggs in a bowl and set aside.

While the water is heating, heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-low heat and saute peppers, scallions, tomatillos, and hot pepper for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the turnip green stems and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring, then add the turnip greens, cover, and cook for one more minutes or until greens are wilted.  Remove from heat.

Cook the pasta to your liking, drain, and return to the pasta pot.  Stir in the eggs.  The heat from the pasta will cook the eggs.  Scrape the pasta into a serving dish, and top with the vegetables from the skillet, along with the tomato and the basil.  Gently mix in the vegetables.  Serve, topping with crumbled feta cheese.

A good rose or dry red alongside completes the picture.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde is "the" way to showcase gorgeous tomatillo flavor

Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  about 2 cups salsa











INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb tomatillos, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 fresh hot pepper (such as jalapeno or serrano), minced, seeds and all
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl and mix thoroughly. 

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

(adapted from my Complete Idiot's Guide to 5-Minute Appetizers).

Asparagus & Broccoli Soup

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick










I have heard hearty soups like this called "peasant food".  I can't think of higher praise, because to me the term embraces simplicity, flavor, and creativity with ingredients.  A meal in a bowl like this is perfect for a cool spring night, and makes terrific use of tender broccoli stems.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes
Serves:  4+

INGREDIENTS
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups tender broccoli stems, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups asparagus, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked potatoes, coarsely chopped
2-4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
Toasted almonds to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat, and cook the broccoli stems, the onions, and the red pepper for 2 minutes, stirring.  Add  the asparagus and cook for another three minutes, stirring, or until the broccoli and asparagus are tender-crisp.

Add the potatoes, the chicken stock, the pepper, and the salt.  Process with an immersion blender (or in batches in a countertop blender) until smooth and thick.  Heat in the stock pot to a simmer, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Distribute to serving bowls, garnishing with toasted almonds and a grind of black pepper.

Tip:  Use only tender broccoli stems.  A simple way to test them is to try a stem raw, or cut it with a paring knife.  If it's crunchy, use it.  If it's woody, or hard to cut with a knife, banish it to the compost.

Tip:  This soup is a terrific destination for leftover cooked broccoli or asparagus.  Feel free to vary the proportions of these key green ingredients.  All asparagus?  Great.  All Broccoli? Yum.

Pasta with Monkfish and Tomatoes

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick









Rich, buttery monkfish complements the other ingredients in this flavorful pasta.  The liquid released by the tomatoes, and the fish, forms a delicious sauce.

Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Serves:  6-8

INGREDIENTS
1 pound shaped pasta, such as macaroni, rotelle, or rigatoni.  I used whole wheat here.
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
2 pounds monkfish fillets, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 pound grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1 packed cup fresh coarsely chopped spinach
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Cook the pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat and cook the garlic, crushed red pepper, and monkfish chunks for 1-2 minutes, stirring.  Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the fish is cooked.  Turn off the heat.

When the pasta is done, drain and mix the pasta and the spinach into the monkfish in the skillet, being sure to coat the pasta with the pan juices.  Serve hot, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, and Parmesan if using.

This pasta dish will pair well with a range of wines, from rich white wine (such as an oaked California Chardonnay) or a dry rosé, to even a light bodied red.

This recipe makes enough for company.  It can be halved.

Variations:  Try with fresh basil in place of (or in addition to) the spinach.

Homemade Salsa

Photo by Tod Dimmick









Homemade salsa is the best salsa.  Although there are myriad recipes out there, my favorite is this simple variation on Marion Cunningham's classic from the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. 

Prep Time:  10 minutes
Yield:  About 2 1/2 cups salsa

INGREDIENTS
2 large (about 8 oz.) fresh tomatoes, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 fresh hot pepper (such as jalapeno or serrano), minced, seeds and all
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 TB red wine vinegar
3 TB fresh lime juice (or the juice of one lime)
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Dash hot sauce (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl and mix throroughly.  Fresh salsa is best eaten soon after it's made, but it will keep for a day or two in the fridge.  Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping on enchiladas.  Yum.

Choi Stir Fry with Three Peppers

Choi Stir Fry with Three Peppers

Speedy prep, tantalizing savory-sweet flavors.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Serves:  4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
1  bunch bok choi, washed, stems separated from leaves.
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
1 green sweet pepper, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
1 hot pepper, seeded and finely minced.   (I used jalapeno)
1-2 teaspoons hot pepper oil (optional)
2-3 tablespoons oyster sauce

DIRECTIONS
Chop the choi stems into chunks about 1/4 inch wide, and coarsely chop the leaves, keeping them separate.  Heat the canola oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat, and cook the garlic, choi stems, sweet pepper, and hot pepper for 4 minutes, stirring.  Add the choi leaves and hot pepper oil if using, stir, and cover for a few minutes to steam the leaves to the texture you like.  Remove cover when the leaves begin to wilt, drizzle with oyster sauce, and stir to combine.

Delicious with rice and a half-sweet wine like a typical Riesling or Gewurztraminer.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Grilled Hakurei Turnips

When the summer mood hits, nothing but grilling will do.  A crisp, smoky exterior over creamy-piquant white turnip flesh is a unique pairing.

Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves:  4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch hakurei turnips, scrubbed and cut into 1/4 inch slices (reserve the leaves for another use)
3 TB canola oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ground ginger
dash hot pepper sauce
soy sauce to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your grill.  Place the turnip slices in a plastic bag that can be closed, or a container with a tight fitting lid.  Mix the olive oil, garlic, ginger, and hot pepper sauce.  Pour over the turnip slices, close the lid, and shake to evenly coat the slices.

Arrange slices over the grill and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until browned and just beginning to soften.  Remove to a serving bowl and dress with a few dashes of soy sauce. 

Tip 1:  All grills have different heat levels, so your grill may run shorter or longer than the time listed above.

Tip 2:   Grilling this way works with relatively tender Hakurei turnips.  Other turnips can also be grilled, but you may need to partially cook them first (such as steaming them until half tender).

Photo & Recipe by Tod Dimmick