A Movie in the Park: As You Wish.

"I love you,' Buttercup said. 'I know this must come as something of a surprise to you, since all I've ever done is scorn you and degrade you and taunt you, but I have loved you for several hours now, and every second, more. I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any woman has ever loved a man, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm. Your eyes are like that, did you know? Well they are. How many minutes ago was I? Twenty? Had I brought my feelings up to then? It doesn't matter.' Buttercup still could not look at him. The sun was rising behind her now; she could feel the heat on her back, and it gave her courage. 'I love you so much more now than twenty minutes ago that there cannot be comparison. I love you so much more now then when you opened your hovel door, there cannot be comparison. There is no room in my body for anything but you. My arms love you, my ears adore you, my knees shake with blind affection. My mind begs you to ask it something so it can obey. Do you want me to follow you for the rest of your days? I will do that. Do you want me to crawl? I will crawl. I will be quiet for you or sing for you, or if you are hungry, let me bring you food, or if you have thirst and nothing will quench it but Arabian wine, I will go to Araby, even though it is across the world, and bring a bottle back for your lunch. Anything there is that I can do for you, I will do for you; anything there is that I cannot do, I will learn to do. I know I cannot compete with the Countess in skills or wisdom or appeal, and I saw the way she looked at you. And I saw the way you looked at her. But remember, please, that she is old and has other interests, while I am seventeen and for me there is only you. Dearest Westley--I've never called you that before, have I?--Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley,--darling Westley, adored Westley, sweet perfect Westley, whisper that I have a chance to win your love.' And with that, she dared the bravest thing she'd ever done; she looked right into his eyes."
— William Goldman (The Princess Bride)

Kings Park in Perth, which is larger than Central Park in NYC, hosts Ford Focus Moonlight Cinema during the summer showing different movies - both classic and new - throughout the week. When I read that The Princess Bride was playing one Tuesday night, I insisted that we go. It's BYO food and drink so I made an antipasto picnic bread (recipe below). The Princess Bride. A Movie in the Park. In Australia. On a Summer Night. INCONCEIVABLE!


Vizzini, aka Wallace Shawn, used to dine in 202 in Chelsea Market when I worked at Food Network. He was always a favorite celebrity sighting. 

Antipasto Picnic Bread
1 large round loaf crusty bread
2 onions, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 eggplant, sliced
½ cup mint leaves
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 cup arugula
20 oven-roasted tomato halves
½ cup basil
8 oz goat cheese
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips

Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the eggplant onto a oven dish and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until the eggplants are nicely browned. Put the eggplant in a bowl and layer with basil or dried Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar. Let marinate for about half an hour, changing the layers so that each slice gets soaked in balsamic. When the eggplant is done, add the tomato halves, drizzled with olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and roast until they have softened. Place onions and oil in a frying pan and heat over medium heat for about 4 minutes then add the red peppers and cook for another 2 minutes, until both have softened and the onions are golden. Leave aside. Heat the pan again and add some olive oil and lightly fry the zucchini until nicely browned on both sides. Lay on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Cut the top off the top of the bread and scoop out the soft inside leave 1 ½ inch thick crust. To layer, place half the onions, peppers, eggplant, mint, zucchini, arugula, tomatoes, basil, and cheese inside the bread and repeat the layers then replace the top of the bread. serve in wedges.


*The recipe called for store-bought grilled marinated eggplant, grilled eggplant, and roasted peppers, but I used fresh vegetables and did it myself. The bread I bought was a day old, on sale, and the perfect crustiness. I only had room for one layer of vegetables within the loaf, unable to repeat the layers, but I had extra vegetables so bought another bread and filled that.

The End of the Season...Waste not Want not.

Fall has officially ascended upon the Seacoast. (I started writing this post a couple weeks ago when I felt as though I was getting sick as the seasons were changing and craved a warm soup to clear my congested asthmatic lungs and since then a Nor'easter has also cascaded the area with a thick layer of snow, covering trees that have not lost all of their leaves causing the heavy weight to drop branches upon power lines....before Halloween...it was October, Mother Nature, seriously?) But, within these last couple of weeks with the ending Farmers Markets and CSA season, I have taken home a good amount of food that I have desperately, and creatively, trying to make use of - since the point of taking it home was not to let it go to waste! 


So hence begins this blog post.


The other day I went to work early to organize and manage the CSA pick up. The employees at the mart were there setting up for the start of a busy day. They go through a lot of produce, some of it bought, some of it grown on the farm. People only want good looking food though. So, any spot, crack, blemish, bruise, or imperfection is generally, if not as a rule, removed. The compost goes to another local farm to feed their pigs. I don't know why the farm - sustainably - doesn't reuse it themselves. I also don't understand why they don't use these "bad" bits to make their own pies, jams, jellies, sauces, soups. But what about all the hungry people in the area that could be fed off this locally grown food? While in Italy, I joked about dumpster diving in my fridge to use up the food we had before we went on stages or weekend trips. But, my colleagues and I go through the compost bin daily and find "perfectly good" fruits and vegetables. It's infuriating. But, yesterday, I took home 6 large eggplants with some bruises, a couple bell peppers, a head of cauliflower, and a dozen or so tomatoes that were "unsellable" and going to be thrown out. Next to this box of stuff was another box with perfectly good bunches of celery that I didn't touch, because there was no way those could be thrown out, they were definitely still good. Later in the day, I saw them being thrown out. Unbelievable. As the day progressed, my ability to breathe lessened. I don't know if there was something in the air, but I couldn't grasp enough air into my lungs which decreased my energy levels. It was a beautiful fall day, but I could tell with the changing weather that I was getting sick. What to do other than sit on the couch and watch DVDs than to make soup. So I grabbed those perfectly good bunches of celery, some a-bit-soft-but-perfect-for-soup carrots and decided to make a vegetable broth. I added the bell pepper, mushroom, ripe-ready tomatoes, fresh ginger, onion and spices and was all set to cure my congested lungs with a spoonful of leftover-apparently-unwanted healthiness.


Vegetable Soup
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, halved
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 handfuls button mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp black pepper corns
5 cups water
a pinch of dill and other herbs, optional

Heat some olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add onion, celery, pepper and carrot, tossing to coat and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and almost golden. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for about an hour or until the stock tastes rich and full. Strain stock to make a vegetable stock or blend all the ingredients to make a thicker soup, full of all the tasteful, nutritious ingredients.

Roasted Eggplant Lentil Soup
1 large eggplant, about 1 1/4 lb
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 cup Lentils
3 cups vegetable stock
Preheat the broiler. Place the eggplants in a foil-lined pan tray and prick them a couple times so they don't explode. Broil under they are deflated, about 1 hour. Let cool, then scrape out the flesh.
Meanwhile, place the lentils in a small sauce pan and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 30 minutes, until tender. Then drain.
In a larger pot, heat up some olive oil and add the onions. Cook until they have soften and turn a golden yellow. Add the lentils and the eggplant and the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil then simmer. Remove from heat and Stir then blend with an immersion blender. Serve with a squirt of lemon juice or sherry vinegar. 

Marinated Eggplant
2 lbs eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
a handful of fresh mint, torn
2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the broiler. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and place on a baking tray. Broil (or grill) for about 5minutes turning once until golden on both sides. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, mint, and remaining 1/2 cuop olive oil. Pour over the eggplant and season with pepper. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before indulging. 

Apparently, people don't like kale and Swiss chard, or they just don't know what to do with it. Another day, I took home an enormous amount of leftover-been-sitting-there-for-3-days-about-to-be-thrown-out braising greens that has enormous potential. 

Autumn Soup
3 medium carrots, or 6 small, peeled and quartered

2 large tomatoes, quartered

1 yellow onion and 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges

1 butternut squash, peel, seeded cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges

6 garlic cloves

extra virgin olive oil

10 cups (or more) of vegetable broth

2 bunches of finely chopped kale, washed and stmmed

3 thyme springs

2 rosemary springs

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place carrots, squash, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast vegetables until they are brown and tender, giving the pan a couple good shakes occasionally, about 30-40 minutes. When cool, cut the carrots into 1/2 inch pieces; set aside. Peel garlic cloves and place in food processor with tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour some broth onto the baking sheet to scrape up any browned bits stuck on the bottom. Scrape the vegetable puree into a large pot and add the broth in the food processor to get the rest of the puree on the walls. Add broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to boil then reduce the heat to simmer uncovered until kale is tender, about 30 minutes. Add carrots and squash to soup. Simmer for about 10 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.

Kale, Potato and Roquefort Soup

extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
1 1/2 lbs starchy potatoes (such as Idaho potatoes), peeled, cut into small equal sized chunks
A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, a couple of sprigs each parsley and thyme, and a Parmesan rind
1 pound kale, stemmed and washed thoroughly, cut into thin strips
1/2 oz Roquefort or blue cheese, more to taste
Freshly ground pepper
Heat some oil over medium heat in a large soup pot, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the potatoes, the bouquet garni and two quarts of water. Bring to a boil, add salt, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are falling apart. Remove the bouquet garni. When the potatoes have begun to fall apart,  blend the soup with an immersion blender. Stir the kale into the soup, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered until tender. Add the blue cheese and blend (or can leave chunky). Taste, adjust salt and add pepper. 


What to do with kale stalks when a recipe just wants the leaves? 


They are great and super healthy to munch on while cooking! I heated up some olive oil in a pan with some sliced garlic. When they became a bit softer, add the kale stalks and toss to coat. Cook for about 7 minutes until slighly tender then add some strips of red pepper,  a couple black olives, some red pepper flakes, and about a tablespoon of horseradish. Crunchy. Flavorful. Nothing wasted. 

Braised Greens with Olives and Goat Cheese

I made this one up with stuff I had...

1/2 red onion, sliced

2 bunches of braising greens (mix kale, Swiss chard, collared greens) washed, stems removed, chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips

a handful of green olives, halved

crumbled goat cheese

pinch of hot red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

In a large pan, heat some olive oil and add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until soft and translucent. Add the green stems and cook until softened then add the leaves. Toss to coat in the olive oil, adding some white wine or water for more moisture. Add the red pepper and cook until softened. Add the olives, toss to combine then transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese and red pepper flakes over and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper. 

Curried Cauliflower Manchego Soup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs cauliflower florets
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
squirt of sriracha
1 tbsp curry powder
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup Manchego (or Cheddar) cheese
salt and pepper
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the cauliflower. Cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, until tender and light golden brown. Add the onion and garlic and stir in to coat, then add the bay leaves and sirarcha. Stir again and cook for another 5 mintues. Add teh stock and bring to a boil then simmer for about 25 mintues, until the cauliflower is soft. Add some water to replace what has evaporated, add the cheese, and season to taste. Bring to a boil so that the cheese melts and simmer. Blend with an immersion blender. 


....and this was only a couple of the recipes that I made. Mum also made a tasty kale and white bean soup. Full disclosure: I'm really bad at following recipes. My absolute favorite is to read through cook books, but when it actually comes down to using them, I use the recipes as guidelines and kinda make it up as I go....IF you use any of these, I am sure they will be fantabulously delicious, but I trust your own instincts as you go. 

What's in Season: Broccoli & Cauliflower

Broccoli is green and cauliflower is white, right? Technically yes, but there are a whole lot of other differences within these Brassicas. Broccoli has one central stalk with sprouting stems that grow immature flower buds. Think of it as bunch of flowers! Cauliflower has a short central stem and many flower buds which are often described as "aborted" as less than 10% will actually ever flower. There's broccoli bianco in Italy, broccolini and brocoletti and purple sprouting broccoli. There's purple and chedder colored cauliflowers. Then there's a cross in between the two, a broccoflower that is a Romanesco.

Broccoli

Buying: The immature flower buds should be tight and unclosed. Discard any that have yellow flowers. If buying organic broccoli, make sure to soak it in cold salted water for about 5 minutes to get any dirt or criters out from inbetween the buds. 

Storing: Broccoli spoils rather quickly so it is best to use it as soon as possible – best if it is used the day of buying it. Broccoli should be treated delicately like lettuce – store it losely wrapped and kept in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. It still needs room to breathe. Broccoli can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be frozen if soaked in salted water for 15 minutes, then blanched for 3-4 minutes, drained, cooled and wrapped in a plastic bag.

Medical: high in Vit C, folic acid and iron.

Cooking: Broccoli should be cooked quickly so that it will retain it’s bright green color, it’s agressively green flavor and crisp texture. If broccoli is not used right away and looks a bit tired, soak it in a bowl of ice cold water for 30 minutes to refresh it’s vibrant crispiness. The stalks can also be used, but cook them separately from the head because it is tougher and the cooking times vary. Peel the woody parts of the stalks and cut into slices.  Cut off any leaves and wash before cooking. Nutrtionally-wise, it is best blanched or steamed. It pairs very well with good quality extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Sautee it with minced garlic, red pepper, capers, and anchovy. If the oil is absorbed too quickly, instead of water, try adding a splash of white wine.

Cauliflower

Buying: Cauliflowers leaves should naturally wrap around the head, protecting its creamy white color. Disregard any with large darkened spots or just cut off. The sun spots are generally a sign of sun expoxure. 

Storing: Cauliflower spoils easily. Wrap it tightly and keep it in the drawer of the refrigerator, using it as soon as possible to when you bought it. Cauliflower can be frozen if blanched for 3 minutes in boiling water with a squeeze of lemon in it.

Medical: good source of Vitamin C, good for colon and stomach cancer reduction risks.

.

Cooking: Cauliflower has a subtle, nutty flavor that intensifies when cooked. The longer the cauliflower is cooked, the more the mustardy compounds will come out so don't cook it for too long or it will become unpleasantly sulphorous. It can be boiled, but steaming is better as it doesn't lose any flavor into the water. The stem can be eaten as well, but since it is not as large as a broccoli stem it is not usually used. Break the florets into pieces.

Recipes: 

Broccoli sauteed in wine and garlic

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

3 lbs broccoli, cut into spears; stalks peeled and cut into strips

1 cup dry white wine (used to love making it with Malvasia when I was living in Emilia-Romagna)

1 tbsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)

zest of lemon and orange

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic. When it sizzles, add the broccoli stems for 2 minutes then the broccoli heads, tossing frequently and gradually add the wine to keep the garlic from browning and the stalks are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and zest, tossing well and serve immediately.

Alternatively, I love roasting broccoli (or cauliflower) in the oven with lots of whole garlic cloves, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil until the broccoli is crispy. Try broccoli with soy sauce and ginger and cauliflower with cumin, coriander and almonds. Great with lemon juice. Yogurt. 

Cauliflower and Cheese Sauce

Me: Do you have that recipe for cauliflower and cheese you used to always make us?

Mum: Yeah. You cook the cauliflower, boil it or steam it. Until it's cooked. Then you make the cheese sauce. Pour it over the cauliflower and broil it until it's all golden and bubbly. 

Me:........I can't write that as a recipe! 

after looking for such recipe that mum could cook without thinking as we grew up eating and loving, she exclaimed that no such recipe existed. 

Joy of Cooking's Cheese Sauce:

Melt 3 tbsp butter in a saucepan. Stir in 3 tbsp flour until blended and then slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups milk. When the sauce is smooth and hot, reduce heat and add 1 cup of mild grated cheese (real cheese?) and season with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp paprika, a dash of cayene and 1/2 tsp dry mustard. Stir until all is blended and melted. 

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

2 heads cauliflower (about 4-5 lbs)

4 tbsp unsalted butter

3/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)

1/4 tsp curry powder

salt

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups water

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut out the core. Trim stems, but reserve. Trim 2 cups florests for the garnish and set aside. 

Corasely chop remianing cauliflower and stems into 1 inch pieces so they cook evenly. (need about 8 cups). Melt 3 tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, leeks, curry, and cauliflower with 2 tsp salt then cover and stir occassionally until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Pour in the milk, cream, water and increase the heat to med-high and bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes, skimming off foam from time to time. Then, puree the mixture until smooth and velvety (either in batches in a food processor or with a hand-held immersion blender). Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the vinegar and reserved cauliflower, blanch until tender about 4-6 minutes. The vinegar keeps the cauliflower white. Drain. 

Melt the remaining butter in a pan over med-high heat until gold brown and add the florets, sauteeing until golden brown. Set aside. 

Heat up the soup to serve, adding some water if the consistency seems too thick. Pour the soup into bowls and top off with the cauliflower florets. Drizzle with a little good-quality extra-virgin olive oil and the cauliflower florets. 

Broccoli &Gorgonola Pie

....I'm making this tomorrow

1 lb puff pastry

1-2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced

2/3 cup skim milk

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup tarragon/thyme/oregano, chopped

3 tbsp grainy mustard

1 tsp salt

black pepper

 7 oz Gorgonzola, cut into chunks

1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400F. Roll out 2/3 puff pastry into a circle, 1/8 thick and enough to cover a 10-inch tart pan. Trim off excess pastry. Roll the remaining pastry into a thinner disc, large enough to cover the surface of the pie and lay it on a plate. Lay both shell and lid in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then, line the pastry in the tart pan with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove the paper and beans and cook for another 5 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool. 

Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in a large pan in boiling water for 2 minutes, until tender but firm. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Leave to dry. 

Melt the butter in a pan and fry the leeks for about 10-15 minutes until soft but not colored. Add the cream, water, herbs, mustard, s&p. Stir well then remove from heat. 

To assemble, spread the leek mixture over the bottom of the pastry in the tart pan.

 Scatter broccoli on top and press into the leek mixture gently.

 Scatter the Gorgonzola. 

 Brush the rim of the tart with the beaten egg and place the rolled-out pastry lid over the filling. Press around the edges to attach the lid. Trim any excess. Blaze the lid with the beaten egg and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

 Allow to cool a little bit before serving.  

Delicious!

What's in Season: Asian Pears

Buying: Asian pears are more crispy than melt-in-your-mouth pears. It can be eaten straight from the tree, with hints of honey and spice. Even though they feel hard will not become as soft as other pears, Asian pears do bruise easily. The skins should be smooth and yellowy-bronze, not green. 

Storage: 

Asian Pears should be refrigerated.

Cooking: 

Asian pears do not need to be peeled, although they have a tougher skin than most pears. If peeled, rub the flesh with lemon to avoid it from turning brown. They would be delicious in salads with cheese and walnuts.

Asian Pear and Grilled Gouda Cheese Sandwich
*From Chow.com
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 slices light rye bread
2 ounces thinly sliced young Gouda cheese (aged 1 to 6 months)
5  slices (1/8-inch-thick) Asian pear
Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, spread half of the butter on one side of each slice of bread.Once the pan is warm, add 1 slice of bread, buttered side down, then top with half of the cheese, all of the pear slices, and top with the remaining cheese. Close with the second slice of bread, buttered side up. Cook until the bread is toasted and golden and the cheese is melted, about 6 minutes per side.

Corn Silk Tea

Not sure what to do with those pesky strands of corn silk? Make tea! I came across this recipe in the NYC's Union Square Greenmarket the other weekend. It reminded me of an article posted on gilttaste.com and alas, this recipe too was written by the writers of Gourmet. I made it the other day when fall was suddenly postponed and we had a couple of 80 degree days, and despite it being the end of the corn season, it was a pleasant reminder of the taste of summer as autumn slowly falls upon us. 

hairy corn silks in the sink. everywhere.

2 ears corn

1/5 cups water

silk of 2 corns

Cut off the dark corn silk bits at the top of the corn (this is just a sign that the corn is ready to be picked). Carefully remove the husks. Pull of the corn silks – there is one silk for every kernel and each silk is the way that the kernel receives its nutrients from the sun. Put in a small pot and cover with enough water to cover the silks – about a cup and a half to two cups of water for the silks from 2 ears of corn. Bring to a boil and them simmer for about 10 minutes – depending on the flavor you desire. Strain the mixture into a cup to discard the silks. It may look like pale water but it will taste like summer in a cup! It is apparently very good for urinary discomfort and infections, cleaning out the bladder, kidney stones in the gallblader and detoxing the liver.

Charred Sweet Corn & Fregula

I fell in love with Fregula pasta after making the "tomato party" salad. I was in New York last weekend, after a bachelorette weekend and a bridal shower in Long Island, I stayed over night in my parent's apartment instead of driving home to take advantage of visiting the city. I went to mum's favorite shop, Kalustyan's, and bought some interesting grains and spices and goodies - including some more fregula. But this time, instead of making the tomato party salad again - like I have all summer - I found a recipe in Mario Batalli's Babbo Cookbook for Charred Sweet Corn and Fregula. I had sweet corn. I had fregula. Perfect.


And I must say, the juicy sweet corn kernels combined with the chewy little pasta dots are just a perfect combo - they are the same size and just melt in your mouth. I add more spices than his recipe called for - some basil and dill and hot red peppers flakes - and then with the leftovers, I sauteed some garlic in avocado oil with broccoli and then added the leftovers to warm up....and boy, oh boy.  delicious.

I hate the word "mouth-feel" when describing food, but there is something about the juicy charred sweet corn and the chewy fregula that is just so comforting and the flavors make you want fall to come and warm up inside while eating it.


Charred Sweet Corn & Fregula
*From Mario Batalli


1 1/2 cups fregula pasta (not a grain, but an ancient pasta from Italy made from semolina. It is courser than couscous)
2 ears corn, shucked
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 stock
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Regiano
Dried basil, dill, red chili flakes
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with 1 tbsp salt. Cook the fregula until somewhat tender, but not cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and run under cold water and let dry. Brush the ears of corn with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill (or broil) until the sides are nicely charred and the kernels are about to burst. Remove with tongs and when cool enough to handle, remove the kernels with a sharp knife directly into a large saute pan. Add the fregula and stock to the pan and cook over high heat until the stock boils and is absorbed into the pasta, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese, herbs, and season, tossing for about another minute.
The juicy, sweet corn kernels and the chewy fregula pasta are about the same size, making it a winning, fall-warming dish.

What's in Season: Peaches & Nectarines

Peaches. There is nothing that tastes like summer than biting into a recently picked, perfectly ripe peach that when you bite into it, juice just oozes down your chin and drips down your arm. Pure pleasure.

I am allergic to peaches - they are related to the almond family - so I generally stay away from them. Plus I always thought they weren't that great, a little tasteless and not sweet enough. I thought that I was less allergic when they were a bit hard and under-ripe. However, my interest peaked as everyone at the farmers market started asking about the arrival of the peaches and how they were their favorite part of summer. So when they finally came in season, I couldn't resist to biting into one. Minus the incredibly itchy fuzz which makes me maniacally scratch, they definitely are delicious when juicy and ripe with the juice running down your chin and all over your arms as you try to wipe it off.

Buying: Peaches are either clingstone or free-stone. Clingstone are ones where the flesh is pretty securely attached to the flesh and are usually sent to the canning industry whereas free-stone peaches have pits that hang about the flesh pretty freely. There are a lot of different varieties of peaches and nectarines but realistically, they can be interchangeable. Pay attention to the smell of the fruit as well as the background color. Red, although appealing, doesn't not equate with ripeness or maturity, but with with variety of the fruit.  You can tell the type of peach by looking at the ribbed shoulder on the top of the peach - the little strip will be yellow-orange for a yellow fleshed peach and a lighter yellow for a white flesh skin. Look for pieces of fruit that have an orange or golden, not green, hue to their background. Like tomatoes, always trust your nose and smell your fruit - should be peachy keen!

Storing: If you want to keep peaches for longer, keep them in the refrigerator after they have begun to ripen (do not put under-ripe fruit in the fridge as it will dry out the flesh and turn mealy). If you're looking to eat them sooner, leave them out at room temperature. If you want to eat it even sooner, place it in a brown paper bag with a banana (or any fruit that exudes ethylene) and it will expedite the ripening process. They are very fragile and delicate, any damage or bruising will cause them to start decomposing which is why farmers markets may have boxes of "canning" peaches and nectarines. The juices will cause the other fruits to start to rot prematurely as well so they are separated. These are often ready to eat, fallen, bruised, split-pit, even ugly fruits that are perfect for canning, obviously, or making jams, pies, and tarts. Peaches and nectarines, like tomatoes, are climacteric, which means they will continue to ripen after they are picked. So, if you buy a peach or nectarine from the farmers market that is pretty hard, it is because the farmer knows that you might not eat it right away, so leave it on the counter and it will be excellent to eat in a couple days. I'm not quite sure what to answer when people ask me if the fruit will ripen and become softer....what do you think? It will stay hard or just get harder? Of course it will ripen. However, if you go pick your own peaches and nectarines, follow your nose to find the fruit picked off the tree that is just bursting with liquid sugary syrup that will drip down your arm as you take that first bite......

Split Pits

"she obviously has a lot of respect for you. none of our friends know what a split pit is, let alone be able to talk about it for hours."

What's the difference between a peach and a nectarine? Not too much. 
Fact: peaches and nectarines are so closely related that sometimes a peach seed will germinate a nectarine tree and a nectarine seed with grow a peach tree! There is just one differentiating gene. Because peaches have hair on their surface - which causes all sorts of uncomfortable itching for me - they are considered to be "pubescent" whereas nectarines have no fuzz, just a smooth surface. Although preferred by some, nectarines are firmer than peaches so they don't have that melt-in-your-mouth effect and therefore don't really fall apart messily all over your hand, half in your mouth like a ripe peach often does.

Medical: Lots of Vitamin A & C and potassium. They are virtually fat-free (less than 1 gram), very low in calories (about 40) and the skin is a good source of fiber!

I AM ITCHINIGLY INCREDIBLY ALLERGIC TO PEACH FUZZ! 

....hours of itching at work....

Cooking: When cooking peaches, peel the skin as they will easily peel away throughout the cooking process, however, nectarines do not need to be peeled. To easily peel a peach, put an X with a sharp knife at the bottom of the peach and pop in boiling water to blanch for a couple seconds and then quickly put into a bowl of ice water. The ice water will stop the peach from continuing to cook and the skin will easily peel away. If the fruit is incredibly ripe, blanching is probably not necessary.

If you are using cut fruit, sprinkle some sugar over it to stop it from browning as the exposure to air will cause enzymatic browning.

Recipes:

Peach Bellini
The Bellini is a popular drink in Italy made famous from Harry's Bar in Venice, owned by Giuseppi Cipriani. I always wanted to meet a Giuseppi while I was living in Italy. Anyways, a Bellini is a long drink cocktail served without ice. It is two parts (100mL) prosecco, one part (50mL) white peach puree. The peach puree can be made by blanching a peach to remove the skins, then blending it with a dash of prosecco (a lot of recipes will call for water and lemon juice, but why not prosecco?!). The puree is then added to the glass and topped off with prosecco. A virgin version can be made also by using club soda instead (with the water and lemon juice in the blender).


Tomato Peach and Basil Salad
4 Tomatoes (or to match the amount of peaches, depending on the size)
4 Peaches (2 yellow, 2 white)
Basil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional
2 cloves chopped garlic
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup quality extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Roughly cut the tomatoes and peaches into bite size pieces. Tear basil into the salad. Whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the vinaigrette. Gently toss and fold into the salad.


Grilled Peach Salad
Dressing:
2 1/2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Salt and Pepper
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
1 oz Parmesean, freshly grated

2 large peaches, halved, pits removed
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 frisee or endive leaves, washed and dried
small bunch of fresh mint leaves

Put the goat cheese in a pestle and mortar with sea salt and pepper - easy on the salt because the cheese will already be salty. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix. Add the parmesean and mix again, but not for too long.