Ribollita (Vegetable Stew)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon crushed garlic (4-6 cloves)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (including juice)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 pound chopped kale, collards, chard, or spinach (about 2 bags or 1 large farmer's market bag)
4-6 large, thick slices of toasted whole-grain bread (The denser and heartier the better to avoid it getting soggy)
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano (omit to make vegan)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. When it’s hot, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Add beans, tomatoes, stock, rosemary and thyme to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice to break up the tomatoes.

3. Stir in the greens. Toast bread and lay slices on top of the stew so they cover the top. Scatter red onion slices over the top, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.

4. Put the pot in the oven and bake until the bread, onions and cheese are browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman in the NY Times

Grandma's Cornbread Stuffing

1 lb sausage (hot? mild? needs more research).
1 recipe no-frills cornbread or 2 packages cornbread stuffing mix
1 onion (diced)
3 stalks celery (diced)
1-2 cans mushrooms (what kind?)
1-2 cans water chestnuts
? cups chicken broth
? butter
1 - 2 eggs
Sage (fresh? ground?)

• Acquire corn bread. 
• In non-stick skillet, cook sausage, reserving 2 to 3 T of oil. 
• Using sausage oil, saute fresh sage (if using), onion and celelery
• Mix in crumbled sausage and cornbread
• Mix in mushrooms and water chestnuts, butter, eggs and ground sage (if using)
• Mix in chicken broth until batter is consistency of oatmeal or grits. It should be thick but still flowing. 
• Add to casserole pan and bake for 45minutes at 350 

Beet potato salad

2lbs beets, diced into 1/2 in cubes
2 lbs new potatoes, diced into 1/2 in cubes
1C diced dill pickles (salt brined preferred)
1/2 lb carrots diced
2T Olive oil
2T minced garlic
2T minced dill
2T lemon juice
1/2 C Greek yogurt / mayonnaise / sour cream

* Toss beets, potatoes, carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper.

* Roast beets potatoes and carrots until cooked, tossing with spatula 3/4 way through (maybe 30 minutes total ).  Potatoes and carrots will cook faster.

* Combine all ingredients, adding sour cream to taste

* Serve with beet greens!

Butternut Squash Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 leek (or onion), white and green parts only, quartered lengthwise, sliced thin
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 - 2 cups water
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch cayenne pepper
• sour cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Microwave squash in a covered bowl until paring knife glides easily through the flesh, 14 to 18 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer squash to colander set in bowl and drain for 5 minutes; reserve liquid.

2. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, leek, and at most 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until squash pieces begin to break down and brown fond forms in bottom of pot, 10 to 13 minutes. Make sure not to let it burn at this stage.

3. Add 2 cups broth and scrape bottom of pot to incorporate fond. Add the remaining 2 cups broth, reserved squash liquid, 1 cup water, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and cayenne. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until leeks are fully tender, about 6 minutes.

4. Remove and discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Use immersion blender to process soup until smooth, thinning with up to 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve with sour cream if desired.

Adapted from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. 

Fresh Berry Gratin

INGREDIENTS

• Fruit Mixture  
• 4 cups berries e.g. raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, (hulled and left whole if small, halved if medium, quartered if large)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon Kirsch, Cointreau, other fruit brandy
• pinch table salt
• Topping  
• 3 slices bread, torn into quarters
• 2+ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• pinch ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 400 degrees. Toss fruit gently with sugar, cointreau, and salt in medium nonreactive bowl and transfer to 9-inch glass or ceramic pie pan.
2. 2. Pulse bread, butter, sugar, and cinnamon in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over fruit and bake until crumbs are deep golden brown and fruit is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes and serve.

Rice Salad with Avocado and Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS

For rice:

1.5 cups brown rice

2 tsp salt

2 tsp lime juice

For mix:
2.5 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 jalapeño chile, minced
5 scallions, sliced thin

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add rice and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, 23 to 25 minutes. Drain rice, transfer to parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet, and spread into even layer. Drizzle rice with lime juice and let cool about 15 minutes.
2.  2. Whisk olive oil, honey, garlic, lime zest and juice, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Transfer cooled rice to large bowl. Add tomatoes, avocado, jalapeño, and dressing; toss to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. 3. Add ¼ cup scallions and cilantro; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and serve.

Filet Mignon and Cognac pan sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 4center cut filet mignons, 1 1/2 inches thick, 7 to 8 ounces each, dried thoroughly with paper towels
• 4-8teaspoons olive oil (try 2t per steak to prevent burning)
• salt and ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Place rimmed baking sheet on lower middle position in oven rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven reaches 450 degrees, heat 10-inch heavy-bottomed skillet (not nonstick) over medium or medium high heat on stovetop until very hot, about 2-3 minutes (do NOT heat on high in our stainless steel pan - the steaks will burn).
2. 2. Meanwhile, rub each side of steaks with 1/2 or 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place steaks in skillet and cook, without moving steaks, until well-browned and a nice crust has formed, about 3 minutes. Turn steaks with tongs and cook until well-browned and a nice crust has formed on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat, and use tongs to transfer steaks to hot baking sheet in oven.
3. 3. Roast 2 to 4 minutes for very rare (cherry red center), 4 to 6 minutes for rare (red centers), or 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare (pink centers). Transfer steaks to large plate; loosely tent with foil, and let rest about 5 minutes before serving.
   
   
   After transferring steaks to oven, proceed with the pan sauce:
   
   

   INGREDIENTS for 4 steaks

   • 2shallots or  some red onion, really minced or put through garlic press (about 1/4 cup)
   • 1teaspoon brown sugar
   • 1/4cup Cognac
   • 3/4cup chicken broth
   • 1tablespoon lemon juice
   • 1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
   • 3tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
   • 2teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
   • salt and ground pepper

   INSTRUCTIONS

   1. 1. To the same skillet used to cook steaks (do not clean skillet or discard accumulated fat), add shallots and sugar off heat; using pan’s residual heat, cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are slightly softened and browned and sugar is melted, about 45 seconds.
      2. Return skillet to high heat, add cognac and broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits on pan bottom with wooden spoon. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes.
      3. Add lemon juice and mustard; cook to blend flavors, about 1 minute longer.
      4. Off heat, whisk in butter until melted and sauce is thickened and glossy. Add tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper; spoon over steaks and serve immediately.
      
      Notes:
      - This sauce comes out rather sweet and would be good over poultry or pork as well. Maybe tone this down for filet mignon: less mustard and more chicken broth.