Ribollita

 











Ribollita appeals to my food sensibilities.  Loaded with vegetables, its whole premise is waste-nothing (Stale bread? Chuck it in!), it's a rich stew, and of course it's Italian. Look up comfort food and the first entry should be Ribollita.

This dish made of leftovers thickens and tastes better the next day - sort of leftovers squared.

Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: A crowd

INGREDIENTS
3 TB olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, scraped, 1/4 inch dice
4 stalks celery, 1/4 inch dice
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tomato, 1/4 inch dice (or one can diced tomatoes)
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp hot sauce (your favorite)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cups whole grain or white bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
Shredded Parmesan for topping

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large stock pot and cook the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the tomato sauce, tomato, stock, hot sauce, and thyme. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for an hour. Add the parsley and bread and heat for a few minutes, then serve, topping with shredded Parmesan. A swirl of olive oil is traditional.

A dry red wine is perfect alongside your bowl of Ribollita. It is also appropriate to arrange for snow outside.

Variation: Chopped bacon or diced pancetta are nice additions for the carnivorously-inclined.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Stuffing Muffins

This tasty variation on classic stuffing makes great use of leftover bread. Adapted from my recipe for the Phantom Gourmet television show.


Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 12-15 muffins

INGREDIENTS
Muffin cups
1 loaf (1 ½ lbs) sliced whole wheat bread
1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
6-8 strips bacon
1 small (pool ball size) onion, ¼ inch dice
3 stalks celery, ¼ inch dice
1 apple, cored, ¼ inch dice
2 eggs, whisked
1-2 cups chicken stock
½ cup chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with muffin cups, or spray with cooking spray. Cut the loaf of bread into cubes about ½” across. Place bread cubes in a large bowl, sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Now cook the bacon until crisp in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove bacon strips to paper towels, pour off excess fat, and cook the onions and celery in the remaining bacon fat for 4 minutes, stirring. Add the apple and cook for another minute. Turn off heat in skillet, scrape mixture into the bowl of bread cubes, and stir. Add the eggs, 1 cup of chicken stock, the parsley, and the bacon, and stir gently to spread the moisture throughout. The mixture should be moist enough to cling together when squeezed with light pressure between your hands. If necessary, add a little more broth. Using your hands collect a baseball-size sphere of stuffing mixture, squeeze slightly so that it clings together, and place in a muffin cup. Make sure that this is the muffin shape you want, because these muffins won’t rise as they cook. Repeat until mixture is used up and other muffin cups are full (if you have extra stuffing mixture, make a few more muffins or a small loaf).

Slide muffin pan into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until muffins are crisp on the outside.

Serve as a side dish with your favorite oven baked meal. Roast fowl are a natural.

Variations: Add raisins, chopped apricots, toasted nuts, and other fun things to Stuffing Muffins.

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Powisset Chicken Salad

This crunchy, refreshing salad couldn't be simpler to prepare, and is perfect for a hot weather meal.  Talk about incentive to cook extra chicken the night before.

Prep time:  15 minutes
Serves:  4

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken meat, 1/2 inch dice
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped carrot, 1/2 inch dice
1 cup arugula, chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 apple, peel on, sliced and chopped
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS
Toss the chicken, carrot, arugula, parsley, apple, almonds and Parmesan with the lemon juice and olive oil.  Serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

A cool white or rosé alongside makes the picture complete.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Pasta with Sausage, Zucchini and Fava Beans

This hearty pasta dish offers up an irresistible melange of flavors and textures.   Cook the pasta at the same time as the rest of the ingredients.

Prep time:  10 Minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
1 lb sausage links, cut into 1/4 inch slices

2 cups thin whole wheat spaghetti, or your favorite

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, 1/4 inch dice

3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small zucchini squash, about 3 cups, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

2 cups fava one or cannellini beans

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Olive oil to dress (optional)

Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat water to cook the pasta.  While water is heating, cook the sausage in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, stirring.  When sausage is done, remove to a separate dish and drain excess fat.

Cook the pasta when water is boiling.

Meanwhile, add the olive oil to the skillet, then the onion, garlic, and squash.  Sprinkle with the oregano and sage and cook over medium heat, stirring, until onions are translucent and squash is almost tender.  Add the beans, heat for one minute further, then remove from heat.

When pasta is done, drain, and combine in serving dish with the sausage, cooked vegetables, and parsley.  Distribute to serving plates, sprinkling with Parmesan and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  A drizzle of good olive oil might be nice.

A good Pinot Grigio, or even a dry Italian red wine alongside, would finish the picture.

Variation:  Omit the sausage for a vegetarian dish.

Photos and recipe by Tod Dimmick

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

Green Crunch Salad

A crunchy, colorful salad.  

Prep time:  15 minutes
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
3 large carrots (or enough to yield about 2 cups processed)
1 large stick celery (or enough to yield 1 to 1 1/2 cups processed)
1 apple cored and cut into wedges
1 cup chopped arugula
1 cup chopped young broccoli leaves
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

DIRECTIONS
For the salad:  Fire up your food processor and, using the thin slicing disk, slice up the carrots, apple, and celery.  Of course, slicing with a knife is always an option.  Scrape sliced vegetables into a bowl, and add the arugula, broccoli leaves, chives, and parsley.

Drizzle the lemon juice, then the olive oil, over the salad and toss to coat.  Distribute to serving plates, sprinkling with pecans and crumbled blue cheese.

Variations:  Endless.  All kinds of greens (radish greens, lettuce, turnip greens, young kale, escarole) could be used.


Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Herbs and Feta

This colorful salad looks as good as it tastes. 

Prep time:  15 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch chunks (about 3 cups)
1 - 1 1/2 cups greens and herbs, coarsely chopped.  I used:
3/4 cup chopped arugula
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt to taste
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Place the tomatoes and greens in a serving bowl, drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil, and gently toss.  Serve, sprinkling with feta, salt and pepper.

Note:  Vary the herbs, and the proportions, according to your taste.  As long as the total volume is between 1 and 1 1/2 cups, you'll reach the right balance.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Beet Salad with Sweet Corn & Parsley

Colorful, flavorful, and delicious.

Prep time:  5 minutes (not including beet cooking time!)
Serves:  6-8

INGREDIENTS
4 cups cooked beets, 1/2 inch chunks
1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (2 ears)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup walnut pieces
salt to tastepepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Mix beets, parsley, corn with the lemon juice and olive oil.  Distribute to serving plates, then sprinkle with Parmesan, nuts, salt & pepper.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Parsley, Feta & Toasted Pecan Salad

A great combination.

Prep time:  8 minutes flat
Serves:   4 as a small salad, or 2 serious salad people

INGREDIENTS
2-3 cups fresh parsley, washed & coarsely chopped
1 early season apple, cored and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
A few slabs of feta cheese
about 3 TB toasted pecan chunks

DIRECTIONS
Mix.  :)

Heirloom Tomato & Parsley Salad

This green and red salad offers pungent fresh greens to balance the sweetness of fresh summer tomatoes.  Feel free, of course, to substitute in other fresh greens.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Serves:  4

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup arugula leaves (optional)
1-2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup toasted pecans
Edible flowers, such as nasturtiums (optional)
Your favorite vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS
Mix.

Monkfish Baked with Parsley

 Something about the combination of spicy "green" flavors of parsley perfectly matches the buttery richness of monkfish.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  16-20 minutes
Serves:  4

INGREDIENTS
4 TB olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 to 2 cups parsley, minced
4 monkfish fillets, cleaned1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 TB grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400F.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic for a couple of minutes or until the garlic begins to tan.  Turn off heat.  Mix in the parsley.

Arrange the monkfish fillets in a baking dish.  Top with the parsley-garlic mixture, and sprinkle the bread crumbs, then the Parmesan, on top.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until fish is done.  Distribute fillets to plates, and top with some of the parsley mixture from the baking dish.

Corn, Cucumber, & Escarole Salad

Simple is good.

Prep time:  5 minutes
Serves:  4 as a salad side dish

INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
5-6 large leaves escarole, coarsely chopped(or lettuce/endive/arugula, etc)
1 cup cooked corn
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 TB pine nuts
2 TB shredded Parmesan
Juice from 1/2 lemon
3 TB olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine cues, escarole, corn, parsley, pine nuts, and Parmesan in your serving bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, and toss lightly to combine.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Tip:  one ear of cooked corn, leftover from last night, yields just enough kernels for this salad.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Prosciutto & Herb Carbonara

Photo & Recipe:  

Tod Dimmick

Use fresh spring herbs to dress up comfort food!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 4 with leftovers

INGREDIENTS

3 TB olive oil

1 medium onion, 1/4 “ dice

1 lb. whole wheat rotelle pasta (or your favorite)

1 egg, well beaten

½ cup slivered prosciutto

1/4 cup sour cream

2 TB Heavy Cream

¼ cup minced chives

¼ cup minced fresh basil

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

2 TB minced fresh cilantro

1 ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

3 TB toasted pecans (optional)

Salt

Black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat, and cook the onion for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onion turns soft and a caramel color.

   

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

When pasta is done, drain, return to the pan, and quickly toss with the beaten egg. Then stir in the prosciutto, sour cream, cream, chives, and basil. Scrape pasta into a serving dish, top with mozzarella and toasted nuts, and serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Everything Powisset Crock Pot

This delicious potluck dish was created by Christiane Oberli for Powisset Farm.

Prep time: 20 Min
Cook time: 6-8 hours unattended
Serves: 6-8

1 smoked ham hock
1 lb dried beans mix washed and sorted
3 carrots sliced
2 parsnips sliced
1 celeriac cubed
1 large red onion roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic skinned
1 tbsp salt
4 fresh sprigs parsley
3 fresh sprigs thyme
2 cloves
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp ketchup
water
4 peeled potatoes cubed

Place all except potatoes in crock pot and fill with water (allow beans to expand). Turn on low for 6 to 8 hours. Add potatoes 2 hours prior to serving. At time of serving, cut up ham hock and return all (bone included) to the pot. Enjoy with crusty bread slices.

Parsley & Apple Salad

For years I fell into the trap of looking at parsley as a garnish, when really it deserves the spotlight as a primary ingredient. It's pungent flavor and crunchy-chewy texture marries beautifully with the sweetness of fall apples and the richness of toasted almonds.

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

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch parsley, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 large crisp apple, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Vinaigrette (your favorite)

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Pasta with Fava Beans, Chard, and Parsley

There's a kindred spirit between earthy, al dente whole wheat pasta and the earthy, vibrant flavors of fresh chard and parsley. Layer in the richness of fava beans and sauteed onions, and this is a dish to make more than once.




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

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 small bunch chard, stems and leaves separated and chopped
1-2 cups prepared fava beans*
1 bunch parsley, washed and coarsely chopped
1 pound whole wheat pasta, your favorite
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS
Heat water for the pasta.

Saute the onion for 5 minutes in the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard stems and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring. Add the chard leaves, cover, and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until leaves are wilted. Stir in the prepared fava beans and set aside.

Cook the pasta, drain, and return pasta to the cooking pot. Stir in the vegetable mix from the skillet, and the chopped parsley. Distribute to serving plates, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper and topping with Parmesan.

*To prepare fresh fava beans in the amount called for in this recipe, start with about two pounds of fava bean pods.  Remove the beans, and  cook them for two minutes in salted boiling water.  Drain in a colander, and then place beans in a bowl of ice water.  Drain, and then carefully slip the outer covering off each bean (discard outer covering).  Place beans in a bowl, and they are ready to use.

Variation - substitute other prepared dry beans for the favas.

This dish is gorgeous with a dry rose wine. Enjoy while looking out over the vineyards, with Mt. Ventoux in the distance.  The bike ride to the top can wait until tomorrow.

Pasta with Fava Beans & Chard Stems

Photo:
Tod Dimmick















Chard stems don't get enough respect. Sometimes (gasp) they are even discarded. But the delicious, earthy, crunchy flavor is perfect in many dishes.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-6, probably with leftovers

1 lb. whole wheat egg noodles (or your favorite pasta)
3 TB olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large bunch chard, leaves removed for another use, stems washed and chopped into 1/2" pieces
2 cups cooked fava beans
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 TB minced dill
1 TB balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish

Cook the pasta. While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic and the chard stems and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the fava beans and heat. Drain the pasta when al dente, return to the pasta pot, and stir in the vegetables from the skillet, the parsley, and the dill.

Serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper and topping with Parmesan cheese.

Variation: add chopped cooked chicken, pork, or sausage.

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

Fennel & Chicken Slaw

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










This crisp, cool, savory salad is perfect for summer weather.

INGREDIENTS
1 - 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 fennel bulb, sectioned, rinsed, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup parsley, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion, minced
1/4 cup dry toasted, sliced almonds
a handful fresh basil leaves, minced (about 1/4 cup)
salt and pepper

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
DIRECTIONS
Mix the chicken, fennel, parsley, onion, almonds, and basil in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix the garlic, mayo, lemon juice, olive oil, and dill. Scrape this dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to mix, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a dry rose' or dry white wine and enjoy this salad, as you survey the view from the shade of your Provencal farmhouse. Or, in our case, as you survey the tailgate lot outside of Gillette Stadium before a Revs game.

Tip: A food processor equipped with the thin slice disk is a good tool for preparing this salad.

Smashed Potatoes with Greens and Herbs

Earthy, cheesy, with sweet smoky onion flavors and fresh greens. Yum.

2 lbs organic potatoes
1 fresh egg, whisked
1/2 - 3/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
2 pool ball sized onions, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Simmer the potatoes in water for 20 minutes or until soft. While the potatoes are cooking, saute your onions over low heat, stirring, for 10-15 minutes or until soft, golden and translucent.

When potatoes are done, drain in a colander, return to the saucepan, and immediately mash in the egg (the heat of the potatoes will cook the egg). Mash in the Parmesan. Add the onions, parsley, salt and pepper, stir to mix, and serve.

Caveat: Only use organic potatoes!
Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Salad of pungent greens, feta, & cherry tomatoes

Photo:
Tod Dimmick













This dish of bitter greens paired with sweet cherry tomatoes, laced with creamy feta, and dressed with vinaigrette, is perfect for a warm late summer night. It's hard to stop eating this crunchy salad. The amounts listed are approximate, use what you have on hand.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

2 cups cherry tomatoes (I used Matts Wild Cherry, which are small and sweet)
1 cup arugula leaves, washed and spun dry
1 cup parsley and par-cel leaves, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup basil leaves, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 TB red wine vinegar
2 TB olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss the tomatoes, greens and feta. Dress with vinegar and oil. Serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Submitted by Tod Dimmick,
"The Foodie" at 1000radishes