A Stack of Dishes

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healthy

Heavenly Roasted Peppers with Artichoke Puree

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Fall colored roasted peppers with a light green artichoke puree.

Taking the time to make fresh roasted peppers is well worth it in my book. Not only do I appreciate the better flavor, but I don’t drown them in oil either- which they simply DO NOT need! Peppers are packed in oil are to preserve them, but I eat mine right away. Instead of all that oil, I dress them with this fantastic artichoke spread, that will steal the show the next time you serve it.

Roasting peppers is a little time consuming, I won’t kid you. I usually throw mine into the oven when I’m in the midst of doing other things. If I can’t get to skinning them right away I’ll do it later- though between you and me- skin-on ain’t no bad thang either.

For company I’ll do them up right, but once a week I throw in a nice big tray of roasted peppers to keep them in the fridge for a great afternoon snack- or an addition to a sandwich.

This batch was a result of falling in love with all the colors at the farmer’s market. Seriously, how could I resist? I pulled them into my arms like I was arranging flowers. Once they were roasted I had a blast arranging them into a contemporary painting of colors on the platter.

I’m also really loving this artichoke dip. This was a bit of stroke of serendipity when I came up with this. At Fairway they sell lovely little jars of artichoke puree for a mere $9 each. On the other side of the aisle are the bins of pickles, olives and- artichokes. Do I need to explain my thinking?

The addition of the rosemary is just stellar. The pine flavor rosemary makes the artichokes sparkle and it compliments the peppers too. I make myself a good batch of this. It’s so good on so many things.  Rather than mayo I use this garlicky spread on my sandwiches. The flavor is amazing and it’s just as satisfying.

Strips of bright colored peppers with a nice addition of artichoke puree

So now you can add a brightly colored serving of delicious and healthy vegetables into your weekly menu.

Roasted Peppers with Garlicky Artichoke Puree
If you prefer to use pre-made peppers, that’s fine. Drain off the extra oil and reserve for salad dressing. The artichoke dip is also wonderful with other veggies too. You’ll fall in love, I promise.
 
serves 3 plus one cup of dip
 
6 peppers of varying types
1 can of artichoke hearts packed in water
1 small clove of garlic, crushed and rough chopped
2t fresh lemon juice
S & P
1T olive oil 
1T fresh rosemary
 
Preheat oven to 350˚ and line cookie sheets with foil
 
Slice peppers in half and deseed. Arrange top down on sheets. Roast until blistered and a bit shriveled. Abt 45 mins.
 
Allow the peppers to cool, then peel off skins. Slice into thin strips and arrange on a plate.
 
 
In a food processor combine drained artichokes, garlic, S&P and olive oil.
 
Puree until smooth. If necessary you can add a little water to reach desired consistency.
 
Spoon puree over the peppers and top with chopped fresh rosemary.
 
Store leftover puree in the fridge for up to a week.
 
 
 

Grilled Steak with Tomatillo Salsa

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Juicy sliced steak served with crispy tomatillo salsa, grilled corn and string beans.

The summer days are skittering towards Labor Day and it’s soon back to school in the Northeast. This time of year always puts a panicked rush in my step to get to the grill while the gettin’ is good. Of course, this is silly, since we dedicated New Englanders are sometimes known to grill in the snow- but you know what I mean.
It’s the long shadows of late summer sunsets, accompanied by the sound of birds and a far off hum of a lawnmower. It’s sitting on a stoop while shucking corn, it’s the smell of charcoal and smoke. Bare legs, sticky fingers, sprinklers, ice pops and bug bites on your ankles.
Of course, all of THAT is even pretty silly, since I write to you from my tiny NYC apartment with not a patch of lawn in sight- but I can conjure up a memory just as good as anyone, and the smell of corn silk is as powerful as Proust’s madeleines to me.
I do have great memories as a kid when the biggest challenge was getting sand out between my toes after the beach, or beating my brother to the last cherry Ice Pop. This summer has come as close as I’ve come in years to those care free days. I’ve spent more time traveling this summer than at home- a total of 10 weeks out of the past 14 have been without boundary, without schedule or demand- with full time enjoyment and exploration. I think that was what I loved best as a kid- exploring.
Some kids play sports and spend their summers in motion. I was more of a dreamer. I would write stories and make them into little books. I was the kid that would spend hours glueing shells that I had collected onto boxes and mirrors. My brother and I would dress up and act out plays we invented, and even as a kid- I cooked and baked.
I hope you try making this tomatillo salsa to go with your steak. It’s super quick to put together and it has a  tangy taste that sets off the fat in the meat perfectly. It’s really more of a relish than a real salsa- no real bite or kick, but rather an accent to the beef.
The summer days are fleeting- but still many delicious days ahead.
Grilled Steak with Tomatillo Salsa
serves 6
 
2# quality steak
1# tomatillos
.5c EVOO
.5c fresh basil, minced
.5c fresh cilantro, minced
.25c white onion, fine diced
juice of 1 plump lemon
Salt to taste
 
For the perfect steak- first season the meat with ground black pepper and allow to come to room temp for about 30 mins.
 
Next: heat your grill and get it HOT. Sear the meat for 1-3 mins on each side to get that heavenly umami flavor. Not sure about the sealing juices thing- there is debate on that- but to be sure- DO NOT press down on your meat as it cooks and DO NOT pierce it with a fork to turn it- use a spatula or tongs.
 
After the sear move the meat to a lower temperature area of the grill and close the lid. Allow it to slowly “bake” for another 5 minutes- longer for medium or well done.
 
Poke the meat for doneness. If it feels springy, it’s still on the rare side. If it yields some but still has some bounce, it’s medium range. If it is so tight it slaps you back when you poke it- you’ve reached well done.
 
Allow the meat to rest for a good 5 mins before slicing.
 
For the salsa, simply combine everything in a bowl and stir together. You can make this earlier in the day and allow it to marinate a bit. Just serve it at room temperature, not too cold or straight from the fridge.
 
 

 

Fresh Tomato Sauce- a love fest for your summer bounty

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To me the best part of August is the crazy bounty of tomatoes. Heaven is a thick slick of warmed by the sun beefsteak tomato on sourdough toast, slathered with a healthy dose of mayonnaise. Just a sprinkling of sea salt and a quick grind of pepper- nirvana.

At the farmers’s market it Union Square, my regular vendor had bags of tomatoes for cheap meant for saucing. I could NOT resist. Perfectly splendid, but not ready for the runway, these babies were mine!

I was tempted to make up a batch of ketchup, or a long slow cooked sauce, but I just love, love this simple sauce. It’s bright and fresh and tastes like summer- cooked down can wait for cooler days.

The first step was to slow roast them on a baking tray for about a half hour. This condenses the flavor just a bit, and also allows the fruit to give up their skins easily. I just make small hash cuts in the tips of the tomatoes and set them onto a lined baking tray. I included a batch of garlic cloves to roast and sweeten at the same time.

All gets roughly smashed into a rough sauce in minutes. The pepper is from the peppercorns I brought back from Thailand, which I also rough crushed right in my hand. The bowls are another score that I slogged back across the globe from Chiang Mai. They are simple enamel bowls that I paid about 90 cents each for, that I think are just gorgeous . May I gush for a second? I am proud of myself for acquiring these- that is bartering for them in Thailand. I went to the massive Worarot Market by myself- and with my meager but enthusiastic Thai- I was able to haggle with the seller (who had a smile for miles) and make my purchase. This was my first foray into that dark warren of stalls and vendors, where few farang venture on their own. It was a rush.

This batch of sauce was more than plenty for my meal- so the rest got put up in serving size containers and frozen for the future- thinking a grilled pizza with this sauce is next in the cue….

Fresh Tomato Sauce
makes about a quart and a half
 
3# ripe tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, still in their papers
.33c olive oil
3T wine vinegar
generous pinch of sugar
S & P
fresh basil to taste
 
Preheat oven to 350˚
 
Line baking sheet with foil. Make a small x in the flesh of each tomato and place on the tray, along with the garlic. Roast for approx 30 mins (depending on the size), or until the skins are a slightly shriveled.
 
Allow to cool a few minutes, then peel tomatoes, remove the stem core and put into a large bowl. Mash and mince the garlic and add it into the bowl along with the oil, vinegar, sugar, and S&P
 
Using your hands squeeze and crush the tomatoes into a rough sauce. Taste for balance and add more oil, vinegar etc as necessary. I like mine a tough vinegary.
 
To serve I boiled up some fresh tagliatelle and added blots of soft fontina.