I thought it strange that I had a craving for iceberg lettuce.  I rarely purchase it.  It may have been because I had all the makings for Roquefort Buttermilk Dressing in my refrigerator -- and once I get a vision inside my little head, there's no getting rid of it (just ask my family about that).  The only thing I did not have was a grilled steak.  That would have been a great follow-up to the chilled wedge of iceberg lettuce drizzled with creamy blue cheese and buttermilk dressing, and sprinkled with pieces of hot, smokey bacon. 


                 ROQUEFORT and BUTTERMILK DRESSING
                                            Gourmet | May 1996

• 1/3 cup well-shaken low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese
• additional blue cheese for sprinkling

   In a blender, blend dressing ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle over wedges of iceberg lettuce and sprinkle with additional blue cheese and pieces of hot bacon.  This recipe makes enough dressing for 4 servings. 
                                    Oh... grill a steak, too.

 

    Miss Pips  and I are packed, have said our good-byes, and are headin' down the road.  Who knows where this adventure will lead us?  And, since Pipi insists on driving the first leg, I'm going to get a little shut-eye (Gee, I hope she remembered to bring a map!).  Here's a tasty recipe to tide you over while we're gone.........

    I used Acini di Pepe, a very small tubular pasta, to make this delicious side dish.  If you are unable to find it in your grocery, substitute orzo.

                          • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

                      Ancini di Pepe with Tomatoes and Corn
            loosely adapted from a recipe in Food & Wine | June 2001

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup Acini di Pepe or Orzo
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4 cup organic chicken broth
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil leaves
• Salt and freshly grated pepper to taste

1.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan.  Add the small pasta and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned.  Add the onion and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.  Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring for half a minute.  Add the chicken broth, cover pan, and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
2.  Stir the tomatoes and corn into the pasta mixture and season with salt and pepper; cook over low heat momentarily to warm the just-added ingredients.  Gently stir the chopped basil and parmesan cheese into the pasta. Serve immediately. 

   I can't tell you enough how much I  loved  this flank steak!  I've had this recipe on file for a couple of years and finally got around to making it.  I was still able to use cherry tomatoes from my garden and it was fantastic!  As far as I'm concerned, if there's Sherry Wine Vinegar in a recipe, it will be a winner.  Sadly, my cherry tomatoes are now finished for this growing season.  If I make this herb-crusted flank steak again, it will have to be with purchased grocery store tomatoes.
   
                      

         Herb-Crusted Flank Steak with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives
                                       Bon Appétit | June 2002

YIELD:  Makes 6 servings

STEAK
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I used 1/3 of that amount dried)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2  1 1/2-pound flank steaks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
TOMATOES
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted brine-cured black olives
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted brine-cured green olives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar (a must- don't substitute anything else)
FOR STEAK:
1.  Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl.  Place steaks in large glass baking dish.  Brush steaks with olive oil.  Rub with herb mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
FOR TOMATOES:
1.  Mix all ingredients in large bowl.  Season tomatoes to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead.  Let stand at room temperature.)
2.  Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).  Grill steaks until cooked to desired doneness.  Transfer steaks to cutting board.  Cover with foil.  Let stand 5 minutes.
3.  Cut steaks across grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Arrange steak slices on large platter.  Spoon tomatoes with juices over steaks and serve.

   The Cherokee Purple, Aunt Ruby's German Green, and Red Siberian heirloom tomatoes in my garden are practically a memory (thanks in part to the drought conditions in Minnesota and my lack of desire to water any longer on a daily basis).  But nothing seems to slow the yield of my lingering Sweet 100 Cherry Tomatoes.  They just keep on comin', which is fine by me.  If you are still being inundated with cherry tomatoes, you should consider making this pasta dish.  The combination of fresh tomatoes, minced garlic, and olive oil create a luscious aroma while the linguine is boiling.

     


                Cherry Tomato, Arugula, and Pecorino Linguine
      adapted from a recipe in O, the Oprah Magazine | September 2007

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups fresh baby arugula
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup shaved Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/3 cup basil, shredded

1.  In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, olive oil, arugula, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.
2.  Prepare linguine according to package directions.  Strain, reserving a bit of cooking water.  Transfer pasta to the tomato-arugula mixture and add butter, tossing until arugula is wilted and butter is melted.  Add some of the reserved water if the pasta seems too dry.  Transfer to a serving platter; garnish with cheese and basil.

   Each Saturday afternoon I look forward to listening to MPR's The Splendid Table, hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.  I also receive the program's newsletter.  Greek Salad with Char-Grilled Salmon was the featured recipe this week.  Since my husband had requested salmon for dinner and I had all the ingredients for the salad in my garden and refrigerator, I thought I'd give it a try.  We loved it and I'm hoping to make this one more time before my tomatoes and lettuces are history.  The only change I made was to substitute baby lettuces from my garden for the romaine called for in the recipe. 

                             Greek Salad with Char-Grilled Salmon
             adapted from Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone by Curtis Stone

Serves 4

Salmon:
• 4 6-ounce salmon fillets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic-infused extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Olive oil, for brushing grill
Salad:
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
• 3 or 4 small Heirloom tomatoes (I used Red Siberian)
• 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 4 ounces feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1.  To make the salmon:  Prepare a barbecue grill for medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper.  Rub the garlic oil and the oregano over the salmon.  Brush the hot grill with olive oil.  Place salmon on the grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until it is just cooked through and pale pink in the center.  Gently peel away the skin from the fillet.
2.  Meanwhile, prepare the salad:  Place the red wine vinegar in a large bowl.  Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly to blend.  Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste.  In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and onions with enough vinaigrette to coat.  Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. 
3.  Divide the salad among 4 plates.  Crumble the feta cheese over the salads.  Top each salad with a grilled salmon fillet, and sprinkle with the parsley.  Drizzle some of the remaining vinaigrette over the salmon, and serve immediately. 

   There were more out-of-town visitors this past weekend.  My family was in town.  The Ratatouille Strata with Lamb and Olives is a perfect dish to serve when you have guests since it can be assembled ahead. 

   It's also perfect for this time of year--especially if you have a garden full of tomatoes, eggplant and peppers, as I do. 

   Add a green salad or fresh fruit and you've got brunch or, as we ate it, dinner on the patio (surrounded by roaring fire pits -- it was quite the chilly evening).

                    

                       Ratatouille Strata with Lamb and Olives
                     recipe by Max London | Food & Wine Magazine

• One 16-ounce loaf olive bread of sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 6 large plum tomatoes--peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup Nyons or Calamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 2 small zucchini, cut into 2-by-1/4-inch strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-by-1/4-inch strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-by-1/4-inch strips
• 1 medium eggplant (about 3/4 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups heavy cream
1.  In a large bowl, toss the bread with the milk.  Let soak, stirring occasionally, until moistened, about 30 minutes. 
2.  In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering.  Add the onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes.  Stir in the olives and basil and season with salt and pepper.
3.  In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering.  Add the ground lamb, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the lamb to the tomato sauce.
4.  Wipe out the skillet.  Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat until shimmering.  Add the zucchini and bell pepper strips and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes; stir the vegetables into the tomato sauce.
5.  Wipe out the skillet again.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until shimmering (Here I added additional oil to keep eggplant from sticking to the pan).  Add the diced eggplant and cook over high heat, tossing frequently, until very tender and deep golden, about 8 minutes.  Stir the eggplant into the tomato sauce.
6.  Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Lightly oil a 3- to 4-quart glass or ceramic baking dish.  Arrange half of the soaked olive bread in the baking dish.  Spread the ratatouille evenly on top and cover with the remaining soaked olive bread.
7.  In a medium bowl,  mix the eggs with the cream and add a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.  Pour the custard evenly over the top layer of bread and let stand for at least 20 minutes.
8.  Bake the strata for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 
MAKE AHEAD:  The ratatouille strata can be prepared through Step 7 and refrigerated overnight.  Bring to room temperature before baking.
*  I cooked the vegetables and lamb on Day 1, assembled the strata on Day 2, and baked the strata on Day 3.
                                           SERVES 6-8

   My weekend revolved around tomatoes.  My goal was to use as many  tomatoes as I could in all that I was baking.  Our temperatures during the night flirted with the upper 40's and as the daylight hours dwindle away, I have come to terms with another summer's end.  And did I say, we ate a huge amount of tomatoes?  I copied this recipe for Tomato Cobbler with Gruyére Crust from a Martha Stewart Living magaziine in 2002.  I was never, however, satisfied with the results.  I really liked the idea of sweet cherry tomatoes paired with a flaky, cheesy crust...

but the recipe combined the tomatoes with too much flour -- over 1/4 cup.  What was Martha thinking?  It was pasty and cloudy.   I substituted arrowroot which results in a clear, flavorless thickener, allowing the tomatoes and basil to shine. 

   Try and let the cobbler cool somewhat before eating to allow the juices to stabelize.

                    Mixed Tomato Cobbler with Gruyére Crust 
                      adapted from Martha Stewart Living|2002

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
• 3/4 cup Gruyére cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 pounds assorted cherry tomatoes
• 5 teaspoons arrowroot
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 large egg

1.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 cup Gruyére cheese.  Add the butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2.  With the machine running, add about 1/4 cup ice water, little by little through the feed tube.  Pulse.  Do not allow dough to become wet.
3.  Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.
4.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent and softened, stirring frequently.  Let cool.
5.  Place tomatoes in a large bowl.  Toss with the arrowroot and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, basil and pepper.  Add the cooled onion mixture to the tomatoes and toss to combine.  Transfer the mixture to a 10-inch pie dish or gratin dish.
6.  Heat the oven to 375˚F.  Roll the dough 1-inch larger that the baking dish.  Place the dough on top of the tomatoes, tucking in edges to seal.  Make several small slits in the crust and crimp the edges.  In a small bowl, mix the egg with 1 teaspoon water.  Brush the egg glaze over the crust and sprinkle crust with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.  Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden, about 50 minutes.  Cool before serving.

   I got this recipe for Orange, Tomato and Avocado Salad from the same friend and neighbor that first served me Bistecca alla Florentina.  I treasure my neighbor!  I would literally drop everything if she called and asked me to dinner.  Truly, the best meals I have ever had were shared efforts enjoyed on my neighbor's patio. 
   You only want to make this salad in the summer, when you are able to use sweet, from-the-garden tomatoes.

                         Orange, Tomato and Avocado Salad

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 avocados, large dice
• 2 tomatoes, preferably heirloom, cut into large dice
• 2 oranges, peeled and sliced into thick rounds
• 1 small red onion, sliced into rings
• 10 to 12 black olives, pitted
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1.  Whisk together the lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Gently toss the diced avocados and tomatoes with half of the lemon juice-olive oil vinaigrette.
2.  Arrange the orange slices on a platter.  Scatter the red onion slices over the oranges and drizzle with the remaining half of the vinaigrette. 
3.  Spoon the avocados and tomatoes on top of the oranges.  Top with black olives and almonds.

                  

   Finally, the day I've been waiting for -- TOMATOES!  And, of course, the first thing I did with my just-picked tomatoes, was make my favorite Tomato Tart.  It's a recipe that I posted during tomato season last year, but a recipe that is worthy of re-posting. 

   I used Cherokee Purple, an heirloom tomato from my garden, but any freshly-picked, vine-ripened tomato will do.  I also tossed on several halved yellow pear tomatoes for the color.  We will be eating this tomato tart at least once a week during tomato season.  And... as far as I'm concerned, that isn't enough.
                              Get my favorite Tomato Tart recipe here.

        We ate this spicy chicken salad rolled up inside of warmed flour tortillas.

                        Spicy Chicken Salad with Bell Pepper and Cilantro
                                        Bon Appétit | August 1997
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 4 cups diced cooked chicken (about 1 pound)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeno chili
• 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1-2 tomatoes, diced

1.  Whisk the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl to blend.  Mix in the chicken, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and chili.  Season chicken salad with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead.  Cover and refrigerate).
2.  Add the romaine lettuce to the chicken salad and toss to combine.  Garnish with the diced tomatoes.
3.  Serve the salad with warmed tortillas.  Makes 4 Servings.