Main course

Scallops with Asparagus and Couscous in 15

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Faster than a speeding bullet……
” ” pizza delivery…..
” ” going for burgers
” ” cheese sandwich…well, not faster than a cheese sandwich
First of all, I’m just not about speed in cooking or anything else. If I can’t take my time about whatever it is, I’m generally not interested. And, I adore slow-cooking. I’m never happier than if something is braising away in the oven for hours on end while I…while I.. while I…
  • iron linen napkins
  • look at my husband
  • throw the ball for the golden retriever
  • watch old movies (or MSNBC–I’m a politics junky)
  • walk
  • talk to a friend
  • have lunch with a book
  • make candy
  • listen to “Fresh Air” on NPR
  • play the piano or listen to someone else do it better
  • go shopping (if someone else is home to watch the oven)
  • run down to Coaltrain and see what’s new
  • write a letter (Yes, I write letters. I write something to my daughter
    snailmail every single week. Well, I try.)

But, once in a while I take a lesson, run to the grocery, run home to teach a lesson, do three more loads of wash….(Ok. Where does it come from? There are only two of us. Can’t we wear dirty clothes?)

On those days, I’m desperate for something for dinner. And, yes, I could have wine and cheese (I almost typed “swine.” I have that, too, occasionally.) I could have a grilled cheese and tomato soup. I could order out. Or, I could “throw something together” like grilled scallops and asparagus with couscous cooked with yellow raisins and onions.

If I know I’m going to be desperate, even on a cold and blustery fall day, I search for desperate food at the store on my way home. What looks good, doesn’t cost a fortune, and, here’s the hard part, sounds good to me? In this case, my husband had to eat, too–so I couldn’t just consider my desires. He’s not picky and will eat anything but tuna casserole, and I have to confess that once in a while, I’ll buy a frozen tuna casserole just for me. For lunch. Over a whole can of green beans. Ah, confessions.

Today, I grabbed asparagus, 2 for $3.00. (Like my friend Sue, I’ll pay nearly anything for asparagus anyway.) I checked the meat counter for specials (Lamb chops are quick, but they’re rarely on sale to coin a phrase.) No on-sale tiny steaks. Chicken was on sale (when isn’t it) and I had no desire for it. I’ve given up boneless breasts for humane and political reasons and the rest would take too long. Hmm. Fish? My store doesn’t have the best fish market and, to tell the truth, the dolt serving the counter was texting … who? I don’t know. Luckily, someone else saw me waiting. “Can I help you?” Scallops, fresh, were $11.99 a pound. Not a great price for 4 or 6, but not bad for 1 or 2 in a real hurry.
Home again, home again. Teach, have tea with great student. Husband home. Dinner?

GAME PLAN
—————Things you need are in green—————

Make couscous. (I like the kind with olive oil and garlic)

Heat 1 1/3 c (1 1/4 at sea level) water to boiling. Meantime, in 2 qt saucepan, saute 1/2 red onion, chopped and 1/3 c golden raisins in 2 T olive oil with kosher salt and pepper. When onion is soft, add couscous and water. Cover for 5-7 minutes. 5 at sea level; 7 at altitude. Fluff with fork when done. Keep warm in pan covered.
–
Grill asparagus and scallops.

Meantime, heat grill pan, brushed with olive oil, over medium heat to make scallops and asparagus. Add 1# asparagus (washed and trimmed). Co0k about 1 minute and push to perimeter. Add towel-dried 1# scallops. Salt and pepper all. Turn asparagus several times; turn scallops once when medium-brown grill marks on first side–after about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper all on this side. Cook another 2 minutes or so and test scallops for doneness. They should give slightly to the touch; you don’t want them well-done… just cooked through is more like it. You can take a sharp knife and check the inside. It should be just barely opaque and still juicy.

Put it together

Place about 1 cup of couscous on each plate. Top with 3-4 scallops and a few asparagus spears. Squeeze lemon over scallops and asparagus. Eat while hot.
(Serves 2)

15 minutes… total… maybe————————-Why go out?
For gluten free, omit couscous and sub salad and gluten-free bread.

Wine: California Chardonnay

Sigh… You can fix this for friends another night. You know how to do it now.

Oh, and you’d better set the table and pour the water and wine before you begin!

Sing a new song while you love the scallops, even in the cold and snow—
Alyce

Lamb-Italian Sausage Stew

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My favorite stew! It might be yours, too.
 

The weather has gone from autumn brilliant:


to frozen solid with all of the leaves on. We’ve had three lynx on our back deck (I got only one horrible pic), as well as these gorgeous bucks…

…trying to get something to eat through the ice. One wants to know why I’m taking pictures off the ice rink of an upper deck. We spent a couple of lovely days at home working on projects and enjoying cooking time. Ice, ice!

Today’s blog is actually not totally from that cooking weekend, though we began it with a Friday night version of this lovely, original stew, layered with some rice topped with chiffonade of basil and a tish black pepper: I even added some carrots to round the stew out.   Another night, we had it with pasta.

I do apologize for the picture, but you get the idea. This is a full-bodied, hearty lamb stew that you could make

1. in the crock-pot,
2. on the stovetop or
3 in the oven if you so choose.

You can eat it just like it is in deep bowls, adding some baguette for dipping. Or, you can freeze a few containers and have them with rice or pasta some other week. Totally up to you.

Lamb-Italian Sausage Stew (Slow Cooker)  serves 6-8

In our house in Colorado Springs, the kitchen is two steps up from the sunroom, where I often work at the table, but also have a small television. Many days I’ve left a program on to listen to while I cooked or cleaned up in the kitchen. Sometimes I paid more attention than others. One day, Emeril Lagasse was making a stew with lamb and Italian sausage and beans; that was about all I heard. I didn’t remember any other ingredients or the cooking method, but another day, with those three ingredients in mind, I decided to make a lamb stew in the slow cooker and have been making it ever since.

A hearty meal for the family that could cook all day while you’re skiing, this stew also could be stretched to feed 10 guests, if served over rice or egg noodles. Cooking it on top of the stove works quite well, but you’ll need two or more additional cups of broth or water, since it cooks down. (Stovetop directions included)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds lamb (boneless leg, shoulder, or stew meat), cut into 1-2-inch pieces

Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper

1-pound hot Italian sausage links (4-5 pieces), cut into 1-2-inch pieces

2 medium-large onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon each fresh rosemary and thyme, chopped or 1/2 teaspoon each dry

6 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 cup red wine

32-ounce can chopped tomatoes

4 cups cooked white beans

  1. In a large bowl, toss lamb with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add lamb and Italian sausage and cook until well-browned, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add onions, celery, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes until vegetables are softened.
  3. Add meat mixture to a 6-quart
slow cooker. Pour in beef broth,
wine and tomatoes; stir in drained beans.4
  4. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings.  Serve hot in warm bowls with crusty bread.

Stovetop directions:

Follow directions above, but cook meat, vegetables, and herbs in an 8-quart pot with a lid. Add broth, tomatoes and wine, along with an additional 2 cups water or broth. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until lamb is tender, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Stir in cooked beans and simmer 10-15 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasonings.

Cook’s Notes:

You may use 2-3 cans any variety of white beans, drained, or you may cook your own beans. If cooking your own beans, they don’t need to be completely done when you add them; they’ll cook more with the stew. I like beans cooked in a microwave — they cook through without breaking apart, peeling or becoming mushy. You also can cook them on the stove.

Microwave directions: In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine 2 cups dry white beans, picked over and rinsed, 4 cups water, 1 large onion, halved and with the skin on, 4 cloves garlic with papers, 3 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried and 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Microwave at full-power for about 35 minutes or until tender. Drain beans, remove vegetables and herbs. Season with 1⁄4 teaspoon salt.

 

From my 2013 book, SOUPS AND SIDES FOR EVERY SEASON.

 

Copyright Alyce Morgan, 2013.  All rights reserved

(printable recipe}

.
Here, I cooked the meat in two pans at once (left and right) to hasten the process.


There must be a special blessing for eating lamb; it’s so tasty, homey and still elegant. Think of one and post it? We are always so incredibly grateful for such stomach-warming dishes. Particularly when it snows ice for hours on end. Brr.

… … … … … … … … …

Meantime, the weather has broken a tad and I’m in the middle of baking loaf after loaf of pumpkin bread. Pumpkin is a little scarce this year, but I got enough for my bread and for the Thanksgiving pies. Yes, it’s coming!

I’m traveling the next few days. I will put up something new if I can, but might have to wait until early next week. Include me in your prayers for travel mercies?

Sing a new song…
Alyce
additional pictures added Feb, 2013

Spicy Shrimp Pasta or Rocky’s Got a Brand New Bag

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I’ve heard it said that dogs come into our lives for a reason, leaving something we must learn……….and we are fed by those who help us most to grow — if we let them—and we help them in return. Now, I don’t know if I believe that’s true, but I know I’m who I am today because I met you….
(“For Good” from “Wicked” paraphrase with changes)

Rocky’s got a great new home:

Our sweet Rocketman, fostering with us for just a month, found a new calling guarding sheep on a ranch just south of Pueblo. If you’re missing seeing his pics on my blog in the future, imagine how Dave, Gabby and I feel. We’re a tad lost, a tish happy and breathing well to know he’s in the right place. A rancher who had been looking for a Pyr for quite a while was happy, indeed, to find our “little” pup (over 100 pounds) to add to the ranch entourage and to fend off coyote, bobcat and, hopefully not bear. Truly, “The Rock” was simply too big for our house and needed a bit more room to roam. He now has boocoo acres to call his own and a perimeter I wouldn’t like to walk. All’s well that ends well. If I do get further pics, I’ll share them with you. New owner has invited us to come visit the ranch, so hopefully there’ll be a few more. Meantime, Gabby needs a friend—badly.

Of course, I’m still cooking and blogging, but I had to really suck it up and sigh more than a few times to get the blog up today… But, friends, you are in for a treat. I have been dreaming of a shrimp pasta for a long time and just hadn’t made it for some reason. The vision held heat and I don’t do a lot of heat (I’ve been known to put the hot sauce on the table for everyone else) because I’m interested in flavor, not being burned to death. This, however, just appealed to me and I had to try it out to see how it might work. And, oh, how it worked. And, oh, how it worked so very quickly. If you’re going to cook anyway and you know how to make spaghetti, MAKE THIS INSTEAD! Get out of your box; move your cheese. Forget the hamburger. Go buy a little shrimp. Splurge. Be healthy.

SPICY SHRIMP PASTA
serves 2

Fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil
Large shallot
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup red or yellow (sweet) pepper
2 stalks celery, chopped
½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
4-5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 32 oz can chopped tomatoes (I like Cento)
½ cup white wine
½ lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper
½ # uncooked fresh, peeled and deveined shrimp

½ # whole wheat linguine (use corn or other gluten-free pasta for GF meal)

freshly grated parmesan cheese
fresh basil julienne, optional

Bring 5-6 qt. water to boil in an 8-10 qt. kettle. Salt and pepper water and add fresh basil leaves if you have them.

Saute shallot, onion, peppers and celery in oil with herbes de Provence and red pepper for about 10 minutes until softened well.

Add garlic and cook, stirring 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine and the lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Throw the lemon into the pan. Cook 2 minutes or so and add shrimp.

Cover and cook until shrimp are pinking and opaque—about 3 minutes, though check at 2. Serve over linguine and pass the cheese and basil, if using, at the table. Please roll your eyes heavenward, wrinkle your nose and lift the corners of your mouth; you are well-fed!

If your shrimp are frozen, just throw them in the sauce and let them unthaw.

Making the meal bigger: baguette and salad

Wine: A nice Chianti Classico, puhleeze..  (Pairing the prep, not the protein.)

Dessert: Sorbetto, por favore

Seen this week: “You Can’t Take it With You” (Jimmy Stewart, Jean Arthur and Lionel Barrymore– 1938?)
Reading: Still finishing the Dorothy Sayers and Barbara Brown Taylor’s THE PREACHING LIFE. (slow reader lately?)

Upcoming: Brownie pie a la Marypat and Lamb Stew. Don’t hold your breath, loved ones, but remember to

Sing a new song,
Alyce

–In memoriam: GOURMET magazine… a dreaming, far-reaching food
enterprise for many years. Pick up the last issue: November, 2009

The Rocket…………………………

September Staples-3-Pepper Short Ribs

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Friday Morning. 43 degrees F Leaves on trees still green; robin in cherry tree…
If you read the last blog, you’ll know I spent a day making a new tortellini soup and tasty it was! In the middle of getting things out of the garage (I have a pantry, huge upright freezer and extra double-wide frig out there) for that soup, I noticed it was time to finish clearing out meat from the freezer before winter came and I needed the space for legions of soup, stews and boo coo Tupperware containers of cookies. To say nothing of the things I make ahead for Thanksgiving, which include stacks of cranberry bread. I digress. ( What else is new? )

September Staples includes using up the frozen meat. It appeared there were two huge briskets, short ribs, a standing beef roast and some boxes of Omaha steak hamburgers, which are my emergency rations for any occasion. Sounded like time for a party to make barbequed brisket (coming to your food blog soon), but, in the meantime, the two small packs of on-sale short ribs caught my eye and out they came.

I love short ribs and they have been sort of a trendy entrée for a while, but I also find them 1. full of fat and 2. pricey, pricey. When they’re on the cheap, I’ll grab some, try and cut out some of the fat (useless—just figure on pot roast calories that day) and fix them braised in beer or wine with onions, served over sticky rice with a plate of garlicky green beans on the side. Great for a winter crock pot when you’re busy all day.

It wasn’t winter, but it had cooled off enough to want something more substantial than fish and salad. (We did eat outdoors in the “cool, cool, cool of the evening.”) And who doesn’t love a reason to raid the wine cellar of some cookable AND drinkable red wine? I also cook for therapy and to keep busy sometimes; cooking is good for that and baking is even better. The day I went to cook the ribs, I had a pretty rough morning personally and it threatened to knock me low; I needed to cook to free my mind and heart to consider new endeavors. (Blessings abound; the next day I saw “Julie and Julia” and saw further possibilities in life.) Cooking is so…..

PRODUCTIVE!!

Let’s do something I don’t usually do with these ribs…. I went over all of the ways I’ve made them. My friend Rick loves them any-old way and I think I’d made them for our wine group a time or two just simmered all day long with lots of broth, wine and garlic. Those were boneless ones, even more expensive and, frankly, while yummy, none of them had a lot of meat for the bang. I used them for starters and kept some behind in case someone at the dinner party didn’t like fish, the main course. What else? I got to thinking about my Dad and his cooking style.


My Dad was from near New Orleans, and, hence, cooked a lot of things with onions, celery and green peppers. In those days, I didn’t see yellow or red peppers; where were they? I grew up with produce grown in my own back 40; those are the vegetables I know best. The red peppers we grew were hot enough to make a child very ill indeed; I stayed well clear of them. Lord, Lord, Lord. Just to think of them makes my mouth burn. But the pepper thing came back to me; I had plenty of peppers in the frig drawer as they had been ten for ten dollars. (My father would have called that highway robbery, but I call it a good deal in a world where fast food hamburgers are usually cheaper than fresh peppers.) At this time of year, my Mom would make pans full of stuffed green peppers, freezing them for wonderful cold winter nights. Why not throw these peppers on top of the ribs and see what happened?

Oh, my; you’ve got to make these. If you don’t have short ribs, cut up some pot roast. Tempting, filling, satisfying and great leftover, reheated. Make a lot. I see no reason why you couldn’t freeze this dish for later if you did a double batch. Here’s how:

3-Pepper Short Ribs
Serves 3- 4

2 T olive oil (use regular, not extra-virgin—not so much olive taste)
Kosher Salt and freshly-ground pepper
8 bone-in short ribs
2 large onions, cut into eighths
4 cloves of garlic whole
4c beef broth, low-sodium, gluten-free or regular
2c red wine (any full-bodied)
2 large carrots, quartered
2 stalks celery, quartered
3 large sweet peppers, sliced (I used one ea: red, yellow, orange)
2t dried thyme
¼ t crushed red pepper

Heat oil in Dutch oven to medium high. Salt and pepper well ribs. Brown them well, about 5 minutes on each side. Stir in onions and garlic; cook five minutes. Pour in broth and wine. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots, celery, peppers, thyme and red pepper. Stir well. Cover and cook until short ribs are tender, about 2 ½ hours. Spoon off as much fat as possible or strain the cooking liquid through a gravy de-greasing measure cup. (Get one for Thanksgiving now if you don’t have one.)

You could make this in the crock pot: follow through Stir Well and put in crock pot. Cook on low about 6 hours.


Accompaniments: I served this with the juices over mashed potatoes along side a medley of green beans, carrots and mushrooms seasoned with a little more thyme. French bread for sopping juices.
Green Beans were $1.00 per pound…………Mushrooms were $3.50 per pound………… ????????

Wine: We liked an inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon with this dish; an Argentine Malbec would also be fine. (Save the good cab for steak or standing rib roast.)

Dessert: Probably not.

Current Reading: Barbara Brown Taylor’s THE PREACHING LIFE and Dorothy Sayers’ THE NINE TAILORS. I thought I had read everything Dorothy Sayers had written and was heartened and hopeful to find this old mystery involving church bells (one of my favorite subjects) that was written in 1934. My parents weren’t even married until ’36! Excellent, excellent reads.

Bloggin’ dogs…………………………………….
Current Listening: I invested in some “old” Mo-town cds a couple of weeks ago and I’m still listening. Also have on albums from The Rose Ensemble, a vocal arts ensemble out of Minneapolis. I’ve heard some lovely music from my students this week; people making music together. Chopin, Bach, Morgan…It’s all good!

Don’t weigh yourself today.
Sing a new song,
Alyce

In memoriam: Mary Travers/The Answer is Blowing in the Wind

Hutson’s Tortellini Soup or Make it Again, Alyce

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The finally- finished product… or some version of it

What about making a soup that’s light, but filling and is done in under an hour? I made two versions of this soup recently and the recipes are original if the idea is not. Like everything else in the world, it’s probably on the internet, but I don’t know about it. I’ll google later. Here’s how it started:

A year or two ago, I chatted up a lady at the grocery who was buying turkey Italian sausage (I use this for hamburgers) and we compared notes about what a versatile meat this was. She admitted to me that when her kids and grandkids returned home to visit, she always made tortellini soup that used the sausage for a base. (Note to self: try this some time.)
The other day, I finally began trying out this soup with the idea of feeding some friends who recently had a new baby. On the same day, one of my students was coming to lunch and, as anyone would, I, of course, decided to make one meal for both occasions with enough left over for our own supper. Once upon a time, there was a book called, SIMPLE PICTURES ARE BEST. That title became a phrase in our house and continues to this day, along with “You will like them, you will see; you will like them in a tree” or whatever variation thereof needs to be stated that day. You fill in your blanks on that one.

Surely this was the simple way to feed folks for three meals. One big pot, some homemade rolls and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (see May blogs.) Right. It ended up taking nearly seven hours to complete not one version, but, naturally two because of my inability to plan my time correctly. Well, I did take time out (while another batch of bread dough was rising) to have a two-hour lunch with my student friend. Joys of working at home. Thanksgiving for friends, weather, money for food…………..

Since I had until 12:30 to get the first round done, I thought I had plenty of time to drink coffee, watch the news, read the paper, wash my hair and so on. What was I thinking? Naturally, I had only half of the ingredients (not knowing for sure the day before if I was or was not cooking for everyone) and had to go to the grocery store. I didn’t return until 10am when I began making homemade chicken stock………………. Definitely could make a quick version of my stock and have the soup (whose recipe was as yet unknown) done by 12:30. Sure I could!

Getting a 16qt pot full of water, chicken and vegetables to boil at sea level is one thing; getting it to boil at altitude is another. Half hour later, it’s not yet boiling and I’m getting nervous. I come to the conclusion that if this soup is to be ready for lunch, I’m going to have to make it a very different way and it had better be pretty fast now.

Going to a restaurant was looking pretty good, but aren’t I the person who writes a blog about feeding people at home? Run to the garage pantry to check my stock of boxed stock and am gratified to see I have stocked up recently. (Have I used the word stock enough in one sentence? Did you think it could be done?) Mind in fast gear; moving quickly……

Brown turkey Italian sausage

Throw skinless chicken thighs into by now boiling stockpot to cook
Chop onions, garlic, celery ; brown with sausage. Drain fat.
Add boxed stock……..Find fresh herbs. Run to deck; run back.
Chop other veg; taste……….. (not bad) What else should go in here?

And so on. The soup barely got done and the pasta was very al dente when my friend walked in the door. Still, the deck table was set; there was sunshine. A pitcher of iced green tea with mint from the side garden was set out on the table. First batch of rolls was out of the oven. Lunch! No dessert yet, but prayers were answered, she arrived with perfectly ripened strawberries (needing nothing). Leave it to a gardener. She adored the soup, boxed stock and all. Note here: I used partly totally unsalted boxed stock, now available. Season to your own taste! Second note: the cheapest boxed broth in town is at Whole Foods..their store brand. (Cheapest oj, too) Odd little note, but good!

After my friend left (what is there about two women at lunch and how much they can talk…now that I think about it, there’s even a song about “Here’s to the Ladies Who Lunch,” but I’m SURE we’re not like that.) I had to figure out the second soup, clean up after the first, make the cookies, roll out and bake the next batch of rolls……….. I couldn’t believe I had been so stupid that I not only had to cook twice, I had to clean up twice. Obvious not a trained chef. Onward and upward………..

I strained the big pot of real stock, shredded chicken (no deboning; it fell off), pureed all of the long-cooked vegetables and put them back in the mix, set the stock back on the burner to reduce and intensify the flavors and went to work on the next batch of whole wheat rolls (another blog). To force the second rise, I threw them in an oven I had preheated to 200 and then turned off.
Next: cookies. By the time they were done, it was absolutely barely enough time to get the soup for the new baby family done. (I ended up being 20 minutes late.) I chopped all of the same vegetables again and once more threw them into a stockpot. Deja vu.

At 4:45 (dinner due at 5 at their house), the pasta was going in along with the green beans. The green beans, and they can be famous for this, WOULD NOT get done. I think I packed it all up with them still kinda crunchy. Soup, bread, cookies, ah, yes, wine, too. Made it—-well, made it late, anyway.

Still, they got their dinner (enough for 3 days maybe) and my husband took me out for a drink downtown to breathe for a half an hour. Later, we heated up the leftovers from the lunch version and were, I’ll tell you, pretty glad to get it. My husband said, “I could eat this every day!” (Main fan) I haven’t heard yet from the baby family, so don’t know if that batch was edible. Still, I’m guessing they’re ok as I haven’t heard otherwise. Here’s a version of the recipe using whatever stock or broth you have. Needless to write a recipe for homemade stock; google Ina Garten’s chicken stock or some such thing! The big difference between most stock recipes and mine is that, if it’s a rustic sort of soup, I puree and put back in the vegetables that have cooked in the stock. I also like to let it sit overnight and remove the fat that has hardened at the top; I think it’s easier than defatting it any other way.

Hutson’s Tortellini Soup
4-6 servings

1/2 # Turkey Italian sausage, bulk (or take out of casings if link)
1T olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped coarsely
1 small red onion, chopped coarsely
4 stalks celery, chopped coarsely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 qts chicken stock of your choice
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes (or half a can Italian tomatoes, my choice)
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
1/4# fresh green beans, trimmed and chopped into 2″ pieces
2 carrots, cut into matchstick pieces
1 parsnip, cut into matchstick pieces
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
4 or more shakes of hot sauce
9-10 ounces fresh tortellini
2 c fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil chiffenade-topping
1/2 c fresh zucchini, minced-topping
1/2 c parmesan cheese, freshly-grated-topping
++++
In large stockpot, brown Italian sausage and break up with wooden spoon. After about half-browned, add onions and celery. Cook until vegetables are soft and sausage is done. Drain off almost all of the fat. Add garlic and parsley Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Add chicken thighs, herbs, carrots, parsnips and salt, pepper and hot sauce. When thighs are done, remove and shred with forks or cut up with a knife and return meat to pot Add tortellini and fresh spinach. Cook 8-12 minutes, according to package directions, until tortellini are almost tender. Turn off heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Ladle into large bowls and top with fresh basil, minced zucchini and fresh cheese (or pass those three things at the table.)
==
Wine: I like a nice California zinfandel with this, but a light chianti might suffice!
Dessert: See blog—–
==
Note to those of you who say to me, I’ll cook one of your recipes when I have time…..I am thinking about you. I seldom put anything on this blog that is not a pretty quick recipe for a meal. I also know I have more time than many people! So, if I can make something more “instant” for you, I’ll do it occasionally. In this recipe, you can hasten the entire thing by these changes:
1. Heat already-cooked meatballs or sausage intead of using raw meat.
2. Sub a bag of frozen veg for fresh.
3. Sub a can of onion soup for onions and celery.
4. Sub prepared pesto for fresh basil.
5. Sub jarred garlic for fresh.
Grow, Hutson!!
Sing a new song,
Alyce

September Staples-Chicken Tapenade Salad

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Something tells me you haven’t recently dreamed about creating a chicken eggplant salad and, I have to tell you, I haven’t either. ‘Til the other day, that is. I had in mind a Greek salad of some sort because I thought I had cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, etc and figured I’d throw in the aging eggplant sitting in my frig. Best laid plans. Also known as Alyce plans; God laughs. There was no cucumber and it was nigh on to dinner time. There were boneless chicken thighs and leftover tapenade. What to do? The idea for a warm salad began to come together and the idea of including spinach and rice moved in.
The bare bones beginning of fall is starting in the Front Range. “The air smells differently,” said my come to lunch piano student (also a professional gardener.) A few trees here and there have some turned leaves and the day doesn’t hold the heat long any more. Plants still growing look tired, “Am I still here; isn’t it time to do something else yet?” Rain, wind. Autumn wreaths are beginning to appear on the doors and fences in the neighborhood. So while salad is still sounding yummy, warm rice and chicken sound just as good. How to combine them?
Grab, cook, figure……….. Eyes narrowing, lips pursing. Nose wrinkling in thought. Right. Who’ll eat this if it’s no good? And, worse, the local pizza delivery we frequent just closed. Not because we didn’t spend plenty of money there, often opting for salmon or a grilled veggie wrap. (Bye bye Rotelli’s; we’ll miss you!)
What else is in the frig? This is, after all, September Staples and time to clean out and prepare for the “year” ahead as summer wanes. Ok, already saw tapenade and, while there’s no basil in the frig, there’s basil in the pot on the deck, still growing despite the cool wind. Onions and garlic on the counter: always good with eggplant.
Start the rice first; it takes longest. You can figure the rest out as you go. Then, out comes a saute pan; out comes another. This will be done more quickly with two. Get the onions and garlic going; add the eggplant.
Chop the thighs, brown them nicely.
The dish is starting to form a picture for eyes and tastebuds. Get out a great big platter… always a good idea for something attractive. Line it with spinach. And so on. Here’s the recipe, written after the dish was not only on the table, but nearly eaten whole by two very hungry people. While it appears complicated, it came together in twenty-five minutes while the rice cooked.
Now the thing that made things interesting was cooking around the big guy below (pic taken another day)

Rocket Man loves the kitchen. Are all dogs like this? He doesn’t mind the mess of a galley.

Chicken Tapenade Salad (aka Cooking with Dogs)
Serves 4
1 c Basmati rice (or any rice you have)
2 c water
Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper
5 T olive oil, divided
6 chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced into 1″ pieces (sub zucchini??)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 c fresh spinach
1/2 c cherry tomatoes
1/4 c chopped fresh basil, divided
1/2 lemon
1/2 c tapenade* (see below for info or just chop kalamata olives instead)
^^^^^^^^^
In 2 qt covered pot, bring 2 cups water and 1 c rice to boil; season well with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until almost tender. At 6,500 feet, this would be 25 minutes or a tad more. Probably 20 minutes for the rest of you.
When rice is nearly tender, add 2T chopped basil and set aside, covered.
While rice cooks, saute onion in 2T olive oil for five minutes; add eggplant. Cook until both are gently soft, about 10 minutes more. Add 1 clove garlic and salt and pepper well.
After vegetables are cooking up, heat another skillet with 2T olive oil and add chopped chicken thighs. Salt and pepper them well. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring often, adding another garlic clove after initial browning. When nicely browned and cooked through, remove from heat.
Scatter spinach around edge of large platter (14″ or more). Mound rice in center. On top of rice, spoon first the eggplant mixture and then the chicken thighs. Scatter remaining basil over all and spoon tapenade on a line in the middle of the chicken. Dot the rice with the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining 1T olive oil and squeeze lemon over all. Dust with salt and pepper. Serve warm, room temperature or cold within a day or two. If extra tapenade, serve with crackers on side.
————-
*You can buy tapenade (chopped olives, garlic, anchovies sometimes and olive oil) at most groceries or you can make your own. Great on crackers or crostini and wonderful as an omelette topping. To make your own:
——–
Throw all these things in the food processor and whirrrrrrrrr:
1 c pitted kalamata olives
2 anchovies
2 minced cloves of garlic
2 T olive oil
3 T minced fresh parsley
optional: splash wine vinegar, teense of red pepper flakes
————
A tapenade story: Some years we give a Christmas wine and cheese party. One year, not long ago, we did this and I, at the last minute, added a huge bowl of this tapenade, surrounded by whole wheat crackers. It was the first thing to disappear, though a country pate was the most talked-about dish. You know how a lot of people “don’t like olives?” Those people weren’t there, I guess.
Wine: Drink rose while you can. I like all kinds, but Tavel (French) is my current fave.
Dessert: Oh, my friends, the Colorado peaches are still here…. Slice some up with a little Greek yogurt and drizzle with best honey. (Apples on way.)
———–
Enjoy the cool wind coming as you eat this hearty, but healthy salad.
Sing a new song,
Alyce

September Staples-Pasta with Sage Clam Sauce

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Like some of you, I spend some time each month with BON APPETIT, GOURMET, FOOD AND WINE, etc. I actually have a terrible time letting go of old copies, kind of like some folks with their NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC stash. As I straightened out my office yesterday, I found a stack of November and December cooking magazines from the last few years. No, they did not make it to Good Will. Hoarder. When holidays roll, I take them all out and look at them (and the current issues) to dream of menu possibilities and fill a basket in the living room with the bounty of years’ worth of Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes.

Well, this month’s BON APPETIT is jam-packed full of great ideas. Pick it up if you don’t have a subscription. Somewhere in that issue, there is reference to making meals for a week (or two) out of what’s in the pantry and the frig… at least mostly. Giving the grocery and your bank account a rest. Cleaning out the shelves. At this time of year, I am all over that; I’m ready to clear out my garage pantry to make sure last year’s candied fruit doesn’t go in this year’s fruit cake and to pitch last year’s pintos in favor of the fresh ones ready soon at Rocky Ford. It’s also a good time to fill up a bag or two for the local food pantry, whose shelves are full come Thanksgiving and Christmas, but often suffers from shortages as school starts. You won’t use four jars of jelly before the expiration date, but someone else might.

I’ve been home from San Francisco and the Bay Area (also Napa) for a couple of days, but those have been taken up with a sick puppy, who somehow tore a huge gash in her leg playing ball outdoors. (Gab is recovering nicely, thanks.) Anyway, the grocery store and I have not yet met this week and I’m reduced to delivery or something from the pantry. Favorite delivery place did not answer (help!!!), so it definitely was the pantry. Canned pumpkin and Progresso soup aside, the canned clams and Cento tomatoes immediately caught my eye as I poured over the pics from the trip.

Here are a few favorite, dreaming trip pics:


Zin grapes from Tres Sobores (Rutherford)…

Not quite ready for crush…………Two more weeks of Napa sun

Old vine……………mmmmmm


——————-Over 100 degrees…a tad warm for vinyard walking

New Napa friends…

We spent a warm day, even for Napa; the wines were worth it. Visits this trip were to

Tres Sabores
Chase Vinyards
Terra Valentine
Fisher Vinyards

There were soft, rambunctious, outrageous, flamboyant and creative wines everywhere we went, but Fisher was the standout. I may have fallen just a little bit in love with the owner, that might have done it. (Just talk wine, honey!) More on the wine another post; it won’t arrive at home for a while (until the weather cools.) Many loving thanks to friend, Rick, who picked places we visited. What a job he did! What wine is on the way! Some for now; some for later; one special bottle for a friend whose wife is about to have a baby. The idea is to save it for the child’s 21st birthday; it could happen.

Sunday, we had an over the top visit with family and spent a soft, breezy afternoon in their back yard….Bay area..the backyard was the family room!
Cooked, visited, played catch, drank some Napa Chardonnay, did it all again.

World famous Moraga chef, Brad Morgan and son Nicolas

Dinner tonight (back home–boohoo) was a pick-up affair, after that trip. Didn’t stop it from being delicious and perfect for the late summer moment:

——–Veg cooking down in saute pan–the start of the sauce

Pasta with Sage Clam Sauce
serves 4

3/4-1 # spaghetti or linguine
salt/pepper
sprig fresh sage (opt)
2T olive oil
1 small red onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek (white only), minced
2 stalks celery, minced
1 carrot, minced
5-8 small, fresh leaves of sage (or 1t dry), shredded or chiffonade
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1 28oz can Cento tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine (or chicken stock)
1 10 oz can Baby Clams
Kosher Salt/Freshly-ground black pepper

1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
(see below for pantry notes)

Set to boil 6qts water in 8-10qt stock pot. Add 1t Kosher salt, a few grinds of freshly-ground black pepper and a sprig of fresh sage, if you have it. Cook pasta as per directions on package and keep warm.

Meantime, heat to medium heat a 12-14″ saute pan and add 2T olive oil. Stir in onions, garlic, leeks, celery, carrot, sage and red pepper flakes. Cook until onions are tender. Add white wine and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes. Cook five to ten minutes, stirring often. Lower heat and add clams. Heat through.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

With tongs, place pasta in each bowl and top with sauce. Garnish with cheese.

Serve at once.
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc
Dessert: Skip it
Pantry notes: I happened to have the fresh vegetables in the recipe, but you surely could make this sauce with less of the fresh. For instance, if you had onions only and dried sage, the sauce would still be good. Even just garlic would work…just something to flavor those tomatoes. I buy Cento tomatoes in large quantities and always have dry pasta and arborio rice for risotto as well. My frig pantry is seldom without Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (less expensive, different flavor) because they are such stand-out flavor boosters.
I also keep a small jar of minced garlic in case I’m out of fresh or the fresh has sprouted those tiny green shoots.

Fast and furious; fun and famous………….
Make clam sauce soon. It’s done before the pasta. Light, filling, nutritious..
Did I say YUMMY?
What’s in your pantry?
–In memoriam–Sheila Lukins, co-author, SILVER PALATE COOKBOOK–
Recipe writer, developer, business woman and chef,
Owner of The Silver Palate, New York City, changer of American
women’s lives extraordinaire. Done and gone too soon———

Sing a new song,
Alyce

August Nights-Brown Butter Risotto and Raspberry Sauced Ice Cream

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In Front Range country, where we live, late August is truly both sweet and savory. Days are finally cool enough to bake if you’ve a mind to and nights, if you’re blessed, are still warm enough to spend time outdoors. Of course, we might also get snow on the geraniums one day soon. If I look up at Pike’s Peak, which I do daily, I know it is only a matter of time before there’s “snow on the Peak.” Harbinger of snow HERE.
I wonder how many people actually run their lives according to the seasons; cooks and gardeners are gently tied always to the rhythms of the earth and what can be done when. Christians, among others, are tied to a calendar of sorts that serves to let us know (or remind us) that we are in God’s time, not our own. The year begins in late November or early December with Advent, just as the secular world is gearing down for the end of the year. I keep my feet firmly planted in both time zones, waking early at this time of year to watch the sun come up and drench the mesa and also waking early in December marking the days until Christ is born (again and again and again) in my heart.
While I was gone for two months to University of St. Thomas, my neighbors kept my potted herb garden alive (great thanks, dear friends) and, with a south window, I cheat the seasons (and the grocery store that charges $3.50 a tiny pack) and have sage, thyme and rosemary all year long. I try basil indoors to little avail. Parsley can work here, too, but is better outdoors or cheap at the store. The risotto recipe for today can be changed with the addition of a little fresh sage. You could try other fresh herbs, but most are somewhat delicate for this hearty risotto.

I love risotto because————————————————-

  • it tastes good
  • it is easy
  • you can put nearly anything in it
  • it’s a main course or a side
  • it reheats well (make lots)
  • it spans the seasons
  • the name caresses itself (rihsohhhhtoh)

I have a couple of ways of making it that shorten, or make simpler, the process. But the thing about it is that you HAVE to stand there and stir, adding broth; you are tied to the food in such a way that you see it change and be created right before your eyes. Fix it and forget it? Not risotto. You must make the time.

I’m sorry, honey, I can’t answer the phone. I’m stirring risotto.

I’m sorry, I can’t take the dog out, I’m stirring risotto.

Here’s one I made for Dave and me Monday night. (see below)

…………… Mums in their late summer glory out front………….

Brown Butter Risotto (with Leeks and Asparagus)
3T butter
1T olive oil
2 lrg. leeks (white part only) sliced thinly
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/3 c white wine
1 qt chicken stock, kept warm on stove (perhaps a tad more)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1# asparagus, trimmed and cooked for 2-3 min
1/4 c shaved parmesan (use potato peeler on big hunk of cheese)
1/4 c cooked bacon, chopped or shredded sage, optional
In a heavy duty 4qt pot, heat butter until brown and bubbling; add oil. Stir in sliced leeks and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until leeks are tender, 5-8 min. Add white wine and a cup of chicken stock. Stir until thickened; add another cup of stock. Repeat adding stock and stirring frequently until rice is a bit more done than al dente and stock is gone. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into large bowl or platter and top with asparagus and parmesan. Sprinkle with bacon or sage if desired.
……………………..One of many kinds of raspberry sauces———————–
Raspberry Sauced Ice Cream
Rinse and pick through about a pint and a half of fresh raspberries. Put them in a 3qt heavy saucepan and add 1/4 c sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer about 15 minutes, stirring often and adding water if the sauce is too thick. Turn off heat and let cool. Puree in food processor and eat within a day; otherwise, freeze for a winter dessert treat. (Sauce is also good on waffles.)
Ladle sauce over ice cream and add a large dash of Chambord to the dish, if desired.
Wine: Try an older Sauvignon Blanc or even a White Burgundy–just barely chilled; please don’t drink it terribly cold with this risotto.
I’m heading to NapaBold tomorrow and will surely come back with a few new ideas, if not needing a new cellar. The “real world” begins next week as I begin teaching lessons again and continue the job hunt, which is starting to bear fruit. Enjoy your weekend. Love somebody and, oh, yeah… If you make the risotto….. eat quickly before someone grabs yours.

—In memoriam, Edward M. Kennedy-who loved to sing—

Sing a new song, or at least listen!

Alyce

(Today’s playing includes “Sicut Cervus” (Palestrina), “Be Thou my Vision” (Rutter version) and lesson plan music. Listening: French Chansons (The Scholars of London), OG- MHADAINN SHAMHRAIDH (Summer Dawn) by Kathleen MacInnes-the Scottish Gaelic version)

August Nights-Grilled Veg Goat Cheese Pasta

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–First Night Home–Dinner on the Deck —

GOIN’ HOME TO YOUR OWN KITCHEN
There is nothing (well…) like sleeping in your own bed or cooking in your own kitchen or raiding your own wine cellar or you fill in your blank. After a three-day trip home from Minnesota with stops in the Badlands and at Mt. Rushmore and two nights in motels right out of “It Happened One Night” (1934-Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert), we are incredibly glad to again be on terra firma– or bedrock, as we call our part of the mesa in western Colorado Springs.
Minnesota was a summer full of infinite possibilies (and much-loved people,) but it also held things like bunkbeds in the apartment, an air conditioner that was either on or off with nothing in betweeen, no saucepans that stayed on the stove, a 10 inch television and so on. You get the picture. Spoiled, spoiled, spoiled. But you can just strehhhhhhhtch at home. You can plop down on the couch you picked out yourself to fit your tired butt on the longest of days. You have a remote you know how to operate. The refrigerator does not fill up with water and leak onto the kithchen floor. But, mostly, mostly, your puppy gets to be with you 24-7 and you again have your own study, albeit full of all of the books, music and school supplies from the apartment. Read that: I can’t walk in my study, but I can see out my windows through the leafy trees to Austin Bluffs and north up the long valley to a black forest. Home.

————————————————–The Badlands —-

………………….Mt. Rushmore and me (and everyone else)..

Just for grins and giggles, I include a few snaps of the trip and, hopefully, a video of Gabby (at end) traveling through the Badlands with her head out the window. (How good to be a dog.)

———————————–Gabby doin’ the dog thing ——–

Coming home also means a trip to the grocery store (and that would be one where you know where everything is) and some thoughts about using this time as a good reason to cook something healthy and/or different. Because it’s August, we have the chance of some decent produce; it sounded like a good time to experiment with a veg dinner and here’s what came up (and yes, I’m on the goat cheese kick; bear with me):

Everything was in incredible bloom–and huge along the way. This was at a rest area! Note tomatoes in upper right corner.

Grilled Veg Goat Cheese Pasta
serves 4 as a main dish; 6 as a side
1 # fresh linguine pasta
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into l/3″ slices
1 medium yellow squash, same as zucchini
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 2″ pieces
3 1″ carrots, peeled and cut like zucchini
1 medium eggplant, trimmed, peeled and sliced into 1/2″ rounds
4 T olive oil, divided (plus a little extra for drizzling at end)
1 lemon, cut in half
1/2 t Kosher salt
1/4 t Freshly-grated pepper
3T red onion, minced
4 T chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 t butter
1/4 c white wine (can sub chicken broth)
4-6 oz goat’s cheese, divided ( save 3-4T for garnish)
Fill a 10qt stockpot 3/4 full of salted water and set to boil on high for pasta. Take carrots and microwave on high for 2 minutes in a covered dish with a couple of tablespoons of water. Drain. Set aside.
Place zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, eggplant and partially cooked carrots in a 4 qt glass container and drizzle with 2T olive oil and the juice from half of the lemon. Salt and pepper well. Grill until tender. Slice larger pieces closer to bite-sized ones and cover loosely to keep warm.
While veg are grilling, start the sauce. In a small sauce pan, place 2T olive oil and saute minced onions and chopped parsley. Add wine wine and butter. Squeeze a tablespoon or so of lemon juice into the sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain well and put back in pot. Cut or tear the goat’s cheese (all but 3 T or so) into 1/2″ pieces and stir into pasta; let sit a minute or so to melt a bit. Add grilled vegetables and sauce and stir gently, but thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Pour pasta into large bowl or onto platter. Garnish with rest of goat’s cheese and parsley. Drizzle with just a tiny bit of olive oil. Grate some pepper over top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
(All Rights Reserved)

Starters: A tiny bowl of chunked cantalope–maybe a bit of mint
Wine: Pink, definitely. Choose a nice dry rose. It’s summer!
Dessert: Gelato
Need a bigger meal: Grill a skewer of shrimp for each person and place atop the pasta
Sing a new song while you enjoy Gab on the road….. Alyce
——————————————————————————————-
Several people I love have recently lost very special pets…Here’s to Fiona, Russert, Ski, Jack and Ralph, great buddies all. Miss you always.

Summer in the City-Scallop Basil Skillet

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My friend Lani and I hit the St. Paul Farmer’s Market last weekend and came home with more than summer’s bounty; we arrived back with the crown jewels. Summer in the furnished apartment began to look somewhat more attractive. The market is the perfect place to grab just exactly how much you need for a yummy, packed with nutrition meal. Have a look at those baby red potatoes freshly dug the morning I bought them. Not only potatoes, but I also snagged bunches of fresh basil, baskets of the first tomatoes of the season, zucchini, Amish Sheep Cheese, carrots with foot and a half green tops, rhubarb (we’re up north, remember), raspberries –“no spray”–for my yogurt (and instant pleasure) and, perhaps a couple of other things I ate along the way.

Stands full of flowers, both cut and plantable, fresh meats, hand-made soaps and buckets upon buckets of you-name-it fresh produce filled the landmark market. To sell in this market, you must have grown (made, created) your sellables within 50 miles of St. Paul. No South American fruit here. Many organic lovelies to chomp at will. A brilliant sight to behold early on a Saturday morning. And, NO, you needn’t have had breakfast. You can grab a freshly-made bagel with egg and your choice of toppings and, of course, your favorite cup of coffee. (I’ll bring my camera some visit. Had smartly left my compact flash in the printer in Colorado.)

I struggled back to the third-floor walkup apartment toting my heavy load and spread it out all over the counter. Well, it had all looked stunning at the market, but what the – – – was I to do with it once I was home? I ‘m guessing this happens to a lot of people, and, friends, this stuff doesn’t hold forever. Nor is it cheap. It’s a bargain because it’s top quality fresh produce that will nourish your body and soul, but it is not inexpensive. Well, first I would wash it and store it; that seemed like an intelligent plan. While I filled the sink with water and dug out a scrubby (zucchini and carrots are filthy from any place), I began having pictures in my head of different meals.

A fresh pasta pesto with an uncooked tomato sauce. Well, possible, but I hadn’t bought enough basil for pesto, nor enough tomatoes for sauce. I could make enough for a half portion maybe. What else? Oh! I had carrots, potatoes, onions; what about pot roast? Actually, Alyce, it’s summer, honey, and….there’s just you for dinner. Not that I mind leftovers, which may be the most creative place in cooking. But, leaving that oven or stove on for hours in Minnesota summer? Probably not.

Now, I don’t mind cooking nearly anything for one. There was a time when I only made scrambled eggs (maybe with smoked salmon) and toast or grilled cheese and sliced tomatoes if on my own. “It’s just me.” Those days are long gone; I cook whatever I please. I set the dining room table. I put out wine; I light the candle. It’s a great venue for prayer and my long days end in a positive way. Somehow, you just finally decide to eat right even if alone. (A friend or neighbor will tell you they are sometimes invited to that table as well… “I have too much dinner, come eat.”)

Still, this meal appeared to be one that should be quickly made, using little heat and keeping things as fresh as possible. You guessed it, I had to run to the fishmonger (Coastal Seafood, two blocks away) for a few scallops. I had in mind a quick saute of the veg, adding some shallot and garlic with lots of freshly-ground pepper and then throwing the scallops in at the end for something resembling a Minnesota Fish Stir-fry. So, here it is; I increased the amounts for a meal for two and you can try it yourself. An inventive kitchen lover might use shrimp in place of the scallops or even catfish nuggets if you are a hearty, hearty soul.


I used a 14″ skillet with 4″ sides.

A wok would probably suffice.

The one-skillet deal appealed to the “I hate to wash dishes” Alyce.

Don’t bother to chop the basil, just throw it in whole like spinach. You could use both if you had them–or either.

SCALLOP BASIL SKILLET
2 c tiny baby red potatoes (cut into ½” pieces if larger)
2T butter
1 large zucchini, sliced into ¼” rounds
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
½ t dried oregano (1t if fresh)
Kosher salt and Freshly- ground pepper
¾-1# fresh sea scallops
2 medium tomatoes, diced
½ c fresh basil leaves, whole
1 lemon, cut in half (use first half; cut second one into fourths for serving)

**Place baby red potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl or plate with ¼c water. Cover and microwave on high 3 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
**Heat large skillet over medium heat and add butter. When melted, add zucchini, shallot, garlic, oregano and season with Kosher salt and pepper. Cook until zucchini starts to wilt; add drained potatoes. Saute together until zucchini begins to brown (remove garlic temporarily if it starts to burn) and then push vegetables to the side of the skillet.
**Add scallops and cook about a minute before sprinkling pan with chopped tomatoes and whole basil leaves. Cook another minute or so until scallops are light brown on one side. Turn scallops and stir vegetables. Cook until scallops are almost golden on the other side. Check for doneness; they should be tender, juicy, but opaque. (Return garlic to pan if needed.)
**Squeeze lemon over all and give the entire meal a sprinkle of pepper. Turn out onto plates and serve with the rest of the lemon.




Wine: Summer super: Ugni-Blanc Colombard (2007)Outstanding Another option: Aussie or French Viognier–You need something to stand up to lots of pepper and the depth of a meal with garlic, tomatoes and potatoes.

I don’t know anyone (except those who dislike seafood) who wouldn’t enjoy this meal. It’s light enough for folks who are into fish and salad, but is also deep enough for someone with a “I wanted steak” appetite. It’s fast, but not really furious. I made it again for friend Sue, (just to test the recipe once written) who pronounced it “delicious, delicious!” I think she was also pretty happy to have someone else cooking in her kitchen.

This week also marks our Emily’s entrance into seminary at Princeton Theological Seminary. It’s a big week for everyone in our family, especially for her Dad, who shared the cross-country drive with her last weekend while I schlepped all over the Farmer’s Market. Bear with me as I add the pics……………………..…







We pray for you, Emi!



Sing a new song,
Alyce