New Year, New Ingredient. September 15, 2015.
"Look for something weird," Diva K instructed her husband as she sent him off to the farmers' market after work one day. For dinner club in September, likely the last really good month to hit the farmers' market and also the month for Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year, when many families have a tradition of eating a new fruit), Diva A challenged the divas to pick something new from their local farmers' market - something they'd never cooked with before. It didn't have to be a fruit, but it did have to be new. The divas, all veterans of the farmers' market, realized they might have to look for something a little weird or different in order to find something they'd never cooked with before, but they all successfully found their ingredients for another delicious dinner together.
Pickled Hot Cherry Bomb Peppers
I'd never bought this particular kind of pepper before, which has heat a bit hotter than a jalapeno, and I'd never pickled anything before! Thanks to Martha Stewart and The Kitchn for the recipes that were my guides. -N
Ingredients
Instructions
Place peppers and remaining ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the peppers are slightly softened.
Cool for approximately 30 minutes. Transfer peppers and brine to storage container and refrigerate. Eat peppers once they've cooled or store for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Serve them with your favorite cheese or meat.
I'd never bought this particular kind of pepper before, which has heat a bit hotter than a jalapeno, and I'd never pickled anything before! Thanks to Martha Stewart and The Kitchn for the recipes that were my guides. -N
Ingredients
- 2 pounds hot cherry bomb peppers, washed well and dried
- 6 garlic cloves, halved
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 4 cups white-wine vinegar (at least 5 percent acidity)
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
Instructions
Place peppers and remaining ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the peppers are slightly softened.
Cool for approximately 30 minutes. Transfer peppers and brine to storage container and refrigerate. Eat peppers once they've cooled or store for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Serve them with your favorite cheese or meat.
Turkey Enchiladas with Fire Roasted Tomatillos
Roasted Tomatillos:
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and cut in quarters
3 cloves garlic
2 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded
1 small sweet onion, rough chopped
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Turkey Enchiladas:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Eight 8-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
2 cups sour cream, for serving
For the tomatillos: Preheat the broiler and set the tomatillos, garlic, jalapenos and onions out on a foil-lined tray. Drizzle the ingredients with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the vegetables under the broiler 3 to 4 inches from the top and cook until the tomatillos and onions are well charred, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the vegetables and broil until charred all over, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and transfer to a blender with the chicken stock, cilantro and lime juice. Puree until completely smooth. Place in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and warm through. Season with salt and pepper.
For the turkey enchiladas: Set a large saute pan over medium-high heat and coat with the oil. Add the turkey and garlic and brown well, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano and onions and cook until well browned, 10 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9-by-13-inch gratin dish with oil.
Spoon some of the tomatillo sauce into the bottom of the pan to lightly coat it. Dip each tortilla into the heated tomatillo sauce (this will both flavor the tortilla and also make it more pliable). Spoon 1/4 cup of the ground turkey filling onto each tortilla. Divide 1/2 cup of the shredded Jack cheese between each tortilla. Fold the tortillas over the filling and place them seam-side down in the gratin dish. Place 6 enchiladas in the pan and top with more tomatillo sauce so they are just barely covered. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of Jack cheese and sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco. Place on a tray (to catch any drips) and bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, 15 to 17 minutes. Finish under the broiler to brown further if desired. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and garnish with the chopped cilantro. Serve with the sour cream on the side.
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri and the Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/turkey-enchiladas-with-fire-roasted-tomatillos-recipe.html
The Mothership Tomato Salad
(From Jamie Oliver)
Ingredients
2 1/4 pounds mixed ripe tomatoes, different shapes and colors
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch dried oregano
Red wine or balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped
Directions
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks. Straightaway this will give you the beginnings of a tomato salad that's really brave and exciting to look at and eat. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt.
Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won't be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.
Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle over the oregano. Make a dressing using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, the garlic and the chile. Drizzle the tomatoes with enough dressing to coat everything nicely
(From Jamie Oliver)
Ingredients
2 1/4 pounds mixed ripe tomatoes, different shapes and colors
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch dried oregano
Red wine or balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped
Directions
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks. Straightaway this will give you the beginnings of a tomato salad that's really brave and exciting to look at and eat. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt.
Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won't be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.
Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle over the oregano. Make a dressing using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, the garlic and the chile. Drizzle the tomatoes with enough dressing to coat everything nicely
Plutot Smoothie
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONSPlace the pluot, banana and almond milk in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour 2/3 of the mixture into 2 large glasses. Add the strawberries to the remaining 1/3 of the mixture and puree until smooth. Slowly pour half of the berry mixture directly into the center of the pluot mixture in each of the 2 glasses. Serve
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pluots, pits removed
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup of frozen berries
DIRECTIONSPlace the pluot, banana and almond milk in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour 2/3 of the mixture into 2 large glasses. Add the strawberries to the remaining 1/3 of the mixture and puree until smooth. Slowly pour half of the berry mixture directly into the center of the pluot mixture in each of the 2 glasses. Serve
Raspberry Blanc-Manger by Dorie Greenspan
1 1⁄2 cups cold heavy cream
3⁄4 cup whole milk
3⁄4 cup ground almonds
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 1⁄4-ounce packet unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
Have an 8-x-2-inch round cake pan at hand. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water, and set out a smaller bowl that fits into this ice-water bath.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the dessert.
Put the milk, almonds and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to make certain the sugar dissolves.
Meanwhile, put the gelatin and cold water in a microwave-safe bowl or a small saucepan. When the gelatin is soft and spongy, about 2 minutes, heat it in the microwave oven for 15 seconds, or cook it over low heat, to dissolve it. Stir the gelatin into the almond milk and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Pour the hot milk into the smaller reserved bowl and set the bowl in the ice-water bath. Stir in the vanilla and continue to stir until the mixture is cool but still liquid—you don’t want the milk to jell in the bowl.
When you’ve cooled down the milk mixture, use a large rubber spatula to very gently fold in the cold whipped cream, followed by the berries. Spoon the blanc-manger into the pan and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. (If it’s more convenient, you can keep the blanc-manger in the refrigerator overnight; just make sure it is not near anything with a strong odor.)
To unmold the blanc-manger, dip the cake pan up to its rim in hot water for 5 seconds, wipe the pan dry and invert the blanc-manger onto a serving plate.
Cut into 6 large slices--but 8 seems more reasonable.
Garnish with seedless raspberry jelly, which you've melted in the microwave, drizzled over a slice of the dessert, and a few raspberries.
1 1⁄2 cups cold heavy cream
3⁄4 cup whole milk
3⁄4 cup ground almonds
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 1⁄4-ounce packet unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
Have an 8-x-2-inch round cake pan at hand. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water, and set out a smaller bowl that fits into this ice-water bath.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the dessert.
Put the milk, almonds and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to make certain the sugar dissolves.
Meanwhile, put the gelatin and cold water in a microwave-safe bowl or a small saucepan. When the gelatin is soft and spongy, about 2 minutes, heat it in the microwave oven for 15 seconds, or cook it over low heat, to dissolve it. Stir the gelatin into the almond milk and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Pour the hot milk into the smaller reserved bowl and set the bowl in the ice-water bath. Stir in the vanilla and continue to stir until the mixture is cool but still liquid—you don’t want the milk to jell in the bowl.
When you’ve cooled down the milk mixture, use a large rubber spatula to very gently fold in the cold whipped cream, followed by the berries. Spoon the blanc-manger into the pan and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. (If it’s more convenient, you can keep the blanc-manger in the refrigerator overnight; just make sure it is not near anything with a strong odor.)
To unmold the blanc-manger, dip the cake pan up to its rim in hot water for 5 seconds, wipe the pan dry and invert the blanc-manger onto a serving plate.
Cut into 6 large slices--but 8 seems more reasonable.
Garnish with seedless raspberry jelly, which you've melted in the microwave, drizzled over a slice of the dessert, and a few raspberries.