Ode to Tomato - September 2011

Diva:  Lovina

Drinks:  Aven's mom

Tomato Martini

2 very ripe tomatoes
cucumber

fennel

1 garlic clove
Kosher salt

For each cocktail:


2.5 ounces cucumber vodka

Cherry tomatoes (to garnish)

Chop tomatoes, garlic, fennel and cucubmber roughly. Place in a bowl with 3 tablespoons kosher salt and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, then transfer tomatoes and juice from bowl into food processor and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Line a mesh sieve with a cloth napkin and pour tomato mixture into it. Let drip into a container overnight. Discard solids, and reserve liquid.

For each martini, shake 2.5 ounces tomato consommé with 2.5 ounces vodka and serve strait up in a cocktail glass. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.

(Adapted from esquire.com)

Tomato Veggie Juice

Juice tomatoes, celery, cucumber, beets, carrots, garlic, onion, fennel, and herbs of choice.

Appetizer:  Ivy (sub for Mariah)

Tomato Confit and Marinated Tomato Tart



Tomato confit

2 ½ pounds large plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed

4 large fresh thyme sprigs

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

½ c olive oil

1 tsp coarse sea salt

Marinated tomatoes

1 pound large plum tomatoes

2 large fresh thyme sprigs

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

½ tsp coarse sea salt

1 ½ c (or more) olive oil

Crust

1 ¾ c plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

¾ tsp fine sea salt

10 T chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 large egg yolks

2 T (about) water, room temperature

1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water to blend (for glaze)

Salad topping

8 c loosely packed arugula

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp fine sea salt

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler

6 large fresh basil leaves

For tomato confit:


Preheat oven to 300°F. Oil large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange tomatoes on baking sheet. Scatter thyme sprigs and garlic cloves over. Drizzle with 1/2 cup olive oil, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake tomatoes 45 minutes. Turn tomatoes over; continue to bake until tomatoes shrink slightly but are still plump and moist, about 1 hour longer. Cool completely. Peel off skins. 



For marinated tomatoes:

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add tomatoes; blanch 30 seconds. Drain. Cool tomatoes. Peel, quarter, and seed tomatoes. Cut away membranes. Transfer tomatoes to glass jar or bowl. Add thyme, garlic cloves, and salt. Pour enough oil over tomatoes to cover. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.

For crust:

Blend flour and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until coarse meal forms. Add 2 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon water; process just until moist clumps form, adding more water if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured parchment paper to 12-inch round. Transfer parchment with crust to baking sheet. Pierce crust all over with fork; brush with egg glaze. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 27 minutes. Cool crust completely on parchment on baking sheet. 



For salad topping:


Toss greens with oil and sea salt in large bowl. Place crust on platter. Arrange greens atop crust, leaving 1-inch plain border. 

Starting at outside edge and working toward center, alternate tomato confit and marinated tomatoes in slightly overlapping concentric circles atop greens. Top with Parmesan shavings. Garnish with basil leaves. Cut into wedges and serve.

(From epicurious.com)

Salad: Aven

Summer Salad



really ripe tomatoes


freshly picked cucumbers

basil 


white balsamic vinegar 


olive oil


salt & pepper

chop tomatoes, cucumbers and basil however you like and sprinkle with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper
toss lightly and eat immediately

Soup:  Mary Ellen (Sub for Sara)

Roasted Veggie Gazpacho Soup

8-12 tomatoes

4 large garlic cloves

2 large red bell peppers

2 large orange bell peppers

1 large onion

2 T vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp crushed red pepper

3 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 T red wine vinegar

¼ c chopped cilantro

Roast the vegetables. (The oven worked for me, but you could also grill them.) Meanwhile, remove the garlic cloves from the skewers, peel them and transfer to a large bowl. Peel the peppers and add them to the bowl along with the onion, cumin, crushed red pepper, lemon juice and vinegar.

Working in batches, puree the vegetable mixture in a blender or food processor. Pour the gazpacho into a clean bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Just before serving, stir the cilantro into the gazpacho. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the cilantro, avocado, sour cream, croutons, or a bit of fresh salsa and serve.

(Adapted from foodandwine.com)

Side Dish:  Lovina
Grilled Panzanella


1 ½ c fresh basil leaves


½ c plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided


1 large shallot, thinly sliced


5 dashes hot sauce (I used cholula)


2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 T fresh lemon juice


Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


3 pounds ripe tomatoes, assorted colors and sizes


1 12-ounce loaf rustic or sourdough bread, cut into 1/2"-thick slices

1 garlic clove, halved



Chop basil leaves and add to large mixing bowl. Add ½ cup olive oil, shallot, hot sauce, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir with fork to blend then season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice tomatoes into assorted wedges, rounds, and cubes; add to bowl with dressing. Toss to coat; let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to high. Brush bread with remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill bread until charred in spots, about 2 minutes per side. Rub grilled bread with cut sides of garlic clove. Tear bread into 1"–2" pieces. Add bread to bowl with tomato mixture; toss to coat. Season panzanella to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

(Adapted from epicurious.com)

Entrée: Stacey
Pasta with Homemade Meatballs

3T olive oil


1 onion diced

kosher salt and pepper


3 garlic cloves minced

2 c torn pieces of crustless white bread

½ c buttermilk


1 tsp fresh thyme


2 lbs ground beef

¼ c italian parsley-chopped

8 oz. mozz. cheese-cut into 1-inch cubes


7 c good tomato sauce (your choice)


1 ½ lbs pasta (I used orchiette)--cooked and drained

grated parmesan for garnish
 


In a large saucepan heat up 1 T. olive oil, add onion and generous pinch of salt, and cook for 10 mins. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Let cool.  In a bowl combine bread and buttermilk.  Add beef, onion mixture, parsley, thyme, 2 1/2 t. salt, 1 t. pepper.  Mix gently with hands.  Form 12 large meatballs and lay on a baking sheet.  Stuff one mozz. cheese cube into center of each one.  In the same pan over med-high heat, add 2 T. olive oil.  Brown the meatballs--will take two batches--about 10 mins.  Transfer to a plate.  Pour tomato sauce in pan.  Add meatballs and simmer over medium heat--turning once--for 30 mins. until meatballs are cooked through.  Serve over hot pasta with plenty of parmesan cheese.  
 

**meatballs can be made in advance, and frozen (uncooked).  Lay the meatballs on a cookie sheet and freeze overnight.  Transfer to a large freezer ziplock bag and put back into freezer until you need them.

(Adapted from Williams and Sonoma Catalog recipe)


Dessert:  Ashley
Tomato Tarte Tatin

1 ¾ lbs plum tomatoes (8 large)


3 T unsalted butter, room temperature


¾ c sugar


1 tsp vanilla extract


1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed, corners cut off to make very rough 9- to 10-inch round


Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring large saucepan of water to boil. Cut shallow X in bottom of each tomato. Add 4 tomatoes to boiling water. Blanch tomatoes just until skins at X begin to peel back, 15 to 30 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer blanched tomatoes to bowl of ice water to cool quickly. Repeat with remaining tomatoes. Peel tomatoes. Cut out cores, halve lengthwise, and remove seeds.

Spread butter over bottom of 9 1/2-inch diameter, 2- to 3-inch-deep ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron). Sprinkle 3/4 cup sugar over butter. Arrange tomato halves, rounded side down and close together, in concentric circles in skillet to fill completely.

Place skillet over medium heat. Cook until sugar and butter are reduced to thickly bubbling, deep amber syrup (about 1/4 inch deep in bottom of skillet), moving tomatoes occasionally to prevent burning, about 25 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Immediately drizzle vanilla over tomatoes. Top with pastry round. Using knife, tuck in edges of pastry. Cut 2 or 3 small slits in pastry. Place skillet in oven and bake tart until pastry is deep golden brown, about 24 minutes.

Cool tart in skillet 10 minutes. Cut around sides of skillet to loosen pastry. Place large platter over skillet. Using oven mitts as said, hold skillet and platter firmly together and invert, allowing tart to settle onto platter. Carefully lift off skillet. Rearrange any tomato halves that may have become dislodged.

Serve tart warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

(From Bon Appetit August 2010)

Namesake - July 2009

Diva: Sara

Drinks: Stacey
Sykes' Salty Dog Cocktail

John and I perfected the drink a couple of years ago...Sykes family favorite!!

makes one drink:
1 and ½ ounces Absolut Mandarin Vodka
6 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice
kosher salt for rim of glass
fresh grapefruit slices for garnish

***without the salt it is called a greyhound, without the vodka it is called a salty puppy!!***

Appetizer: Mariah
Crump's Canyon Caviar

This very special dish is loved by all Crumps and is an easy breezy creation while on a river trip or simply just enjoying the river from the beach!

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 ounce) cans white corn, rinsed and drained
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
½ c rice vinegar
½ c olive oil
1/3 c white sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Mix the black beans, pinto beans, white corn, green chiles, jalapeno pepper, red and green bell peppers, red onion, and cilantro together in a large bowl.

To make the dressing, stir the rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and garlic powder together in a pan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, and cool. Pour dressing over bean mixture, and toss to mix evenly.

Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
One bunch cilantro mixed with desired amount of plain yogurt.

Serve Crump's Canyon Caviar with Cheesy Quesadilla and top with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce.

Salad: Aven
Great Grandma Mae's Frogeye Salad

My great-grandma Mae used to make this salad every summer when we would get together for little mini reunions in her backyard in Casper Wyoming. It was always my favorite. I don't know if she had her own recipe or used one from the pasta box. This recipe I found has all the same ingredients as hers - I left out the marshmellows and cool-whip and used one tub of Ricemellow creme instead.

1 lb Acini di Pepe package
1 medium Egg
½ c Sugar
1 T Flour
¼ tsp Salt
16 oz Crushed pineapple drained, reserving juice
16 oz Fruit cocktail drained
16 oz Mandarin Oranges drained
1 c Marshmallows
12 oz Cool Whip

Cook Acini di Pepe as package directs. Drain.

In a heavy saucepan, beat egg with wire wisk until foamy. Stir in sugar, flour, salt, and reserved pineapple juice. Over low heat, cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

In a large bowl, combine Acini di Pepe with egg mixture. Chill thoroughly about an hour.

Stir in pineapple, fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, and marshmallows. Fold in Cool Whip.

Cover and chill thoroughly. Stir before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Soup: Tamara
My name, Tamara, means "date palm" in Hebrew so I made a soup using dates.

Pumpkin, Red Lentil and Date Soup

100 grams red lentils
500 grams pumpkin, de-seeded cut in pieces
250 grams (1 can) crushed tomatoes
1 T oil
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1 T fresh thyme, leaves only
1 onion, chopped
1 liter water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
pinch of cayenne
10 dates, de-seeded and chopped
splash lemon juice

Heat the oil in a large pot.
Add the chopped onions and saute until glassy.
Add the rosemary and thyme, the pumpkin pieces and the red lentils.
Add the vegetable bouillon and cook the soup until the pumpkin is soft and the lentils are done.
Check from time to time and stir, as the soup becomes quite thick.
Add the tomatoes and the dates and puree the mixture until smooth.
Add a splash of lemon juice and season to taste with a pinch of salt and cayenne.
Garnish with coriander leaves or chili oil and serve hot.


Side Dish: Ashley
Pita pizzas with tomatoes, olives and feta inspired by Maggie's tomato salad, which she served to me during a meeting that inspired me to make a leap of faith.

Pitas (makes 8 regular sized)

3 c flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 T sugar
1 packet yeast (or, if from bulk, 2 teaspoons yeast)
1 ¼ to 1 ½ c water, roughly at room temperature
2 T olive oil

If you are using active dry yeast, follow the instructions on the packet to active it. Otherwise, mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, such as a cutting board, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes (or until your hands get tired). If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. I use canola spray oil, but you can also just pour a teaspoon of oil into the bowl and rub it around with your fingers. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it'll be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.

Open the oven and place as many pitas as you can fit on the hot baking surface. They should be baked through and puffy after 3 minutes.

Tomato Topping:

2 c diced seeded tomatoes
1 c pitted coarsely chopped olives
½ c chopped red onion
4 T olive oil, divided
3 T chopped fresh mint
3 T chopped fresh basil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 c crumbled feta cheese

Mix topping together, mound on top of pitas and place under broiler until cheese gets warm.


Entree: Lovina
Leg of Lamb

My entree was inspired by my sister Adela. She has been on my mind a lot lately because she is going to have another baby in the next couple of weeks. The meaning of her name means "noble", thus I wanted to make something that was inspired by the definition of the word noble. I took it to mean something impressive in appearance, splendid to the senses, and of bold flavor. Having never cooked a leg of lamb and wanting to challenge the majority of people's impression of lamb as a meal choice, I decided to give honor to my sister my barbecuing a fantastic leg of lamb.

1 sirloin end leg of lamb, boned, and trussed
4 cloves garlic
8 fresh mint leaves
1 T brown sugar
1 T kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
5 T strong mustard, such as Dijon
2 T canola oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Roughly chop the garlic cloves in the food processor. Add the mint and repeat. Add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, mustard, and oil and blend to a paste. Spread the paste evenly on the meat side of the roast. Roll the leg into a roast shape and tie with cotton butcher's twine. Fire 2 quarts (1 chimney's worth) of charcoal (natural chunk is best). When charcoal is lightly covered with gray ash, split the coals into 2 piles and move them to the far sides of the cooker. Close the lid and allow the grate to heat. Then, place the lamb, skin side up, on the middle of the hot grate. Add the rosemary sprigs to the charcoal briquettes and close the lid and grill. After 20 minutes, flip the roast and rotate it 180 degrees. Insert the probe thermometer into the roast and continue to grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the roast at 135 degrees. Remove the butcher's twine from the roast. Cover with foil and rest it for 15 minutes before serving.

Dessert: Colleen
Stephanie's Summer Crisp

My neighbor Stephanie used to make Alex and I an amazing nectarine and raspberry crisp in the summer time when we lived in Tucson. I think of her often, especially in regards to her wonderful recipes - she always fed us so well! So, for a summertime namesake dessert, Stephanie's Summer Crisp had to be the winner.

Nectarines and Raspberries - I used ~20 peaches and 3/4 lb raspberries. Put stone fruit on bottom of dish and top with raspberries.

For the crisp topping:

¾ c light brown sugar
½ c butter
¾ c white sugar
1 c flour
1 t cinnamon
1 c oatmeal (not instant)

Mix butter, sugars, cinnamon until well combined. Add the flour and oatmeal. Crisp topping should be fairly dry but when pinched together it should stick. Sprinkle on top or fruit. Bake at 350 for ~ 1 hour.

Lottery: Bonnie

Under Construction - August 2008

Diva: Aven

Drinks: Sara
Power Screwdriver

2 oz vodka
2 ½ oz O J
1 oz coke

serve on ice

California Screwdriver--(Flathead)

2 oz vodka
1 ½ oz Grand Marnier
2 ½ oz Club Soda
2 ½ oz OJ
Serve over Ice

Italian Screwdriver--(Philips)
1 ½ oz Vodka
3 oz OJ
2 oz Grapefruit Juice
Splash of Ginger ale
Serve over ice

For Non-alcoholic versions, simply omit alcohol.

Appetizer: Ashley
Frittata with chorizo, mushrooms and goat cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chorizo sausage links, large diced
1 c chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ c chopped fresh wild mushrooms

9 large eggs
¼ c cold water
¾ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
¼ c plus 2 T chopped fresh thyme

Heat olive oil in large nonstick broilerproof skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and onion and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic; continue cooking for 2-3 minutes being careful not to burn garlic. In a small skillet, lightly saute mushrooms in your choice of butter or oil or both (I use ½ and ½).

Preheat broiler. Whisk eggs, ¼ cup water, salt, and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Pour eggs into skillet with chorizo mixture. Stir 1 minute. Add ½ cup chopped thyme; stir 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and cook without stirring until almost set, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle mushrooms on top and gently push into the top layer of the eggs. Sprinkle goat cheese on top.

Broil frittata just until firm, about 1 minute. Using spatula as aid, transfer frittata to serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons chopped thyme. Cut frittata into wedges and serve.

Salad: Brenda (Sub for Colleen)
Salad Bar

Lay out an assortment of greens, veggies and toppings, including blue cheese crumbles and few dressings. Allow each Diva to construct their perfect salad.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Chop up two cloves of garlic.
Place garlic in jar
Cover with olive oil (oil to vinegar ratio is about 2:1)
Add twice as much balsamic vinegar
Add pepper, white pepper, salt, celery salt, cumin, and oregano
SHAKE it up!
That's it. Otherwise any veggies that you like to add to your greens with some bleu cheese crumbles to top it off is great.

Zesty Creamy Salad Top

2 heaping T mayo or nayonaise
4 T lemon juice
1 T cumin
1 tsp white pepper

add more of each to taste

Soup: Lovina
Cheese Tortellini Soup with Ground Turkey Meatball’s
(a hearty workman’s soup)

For soup:

3 chopped carrots
3 stalks chopped celery (with leaves)
1 large onion chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme
2 T. olive oil
8 c. water
8 tsp vegetable bouillon or substitute water and bouillon with vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
24 oz bag frozen cheese tortellini

For meatballs:

1 ½ lbs ground turkey
2 slices whole wheat bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
parsley pesto (see below)
2 T canola oil
Parsley pesto

½ cup torn Italian parsley
½ cup pine nuts
1 T. olive oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Garnish:
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Fresh chopped parsley

In large Dutch oven, heat olive oil and add celery, carrots, and onion. Sauté over medium heat until the onion softens. Add fresh thyme and sauté for 2 minutes. Add water and bouillon (or vegetable broth) and salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Add cheese tortellini and boil until the tortellini float to top.

In the meantime, prepare the meatballs. Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl, blend together ground meat, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper, and parsley pesto, using hands to mix. Heat a skillet with 2 T canola oil. Using a teaspoon, portion out meatballs about 1 inch in diameter using hands to form. Place meatballs into heated skillet and cook until browned. Turn meatballs over. After they are browned on both sides, remove from skillet and drain on paper bag or towels. Once all the meatballs have been drained after cooking, place them in a shallow baking pan and place in heated oven for 10-15 minutes to cook through.

Place soup in bowls. Top with meatballs, and garnish. Serve immediately. Serves 8-10.


Side Dish: Stacey
Asparagus, Peas and Basil

¼ c finely chopped shallots
3 T butter
2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
10 oz. package frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp salt
¾ c fresh basil leaves, torn

Cook shallots in butter over medium heat until tender (about 4 mins.). Stir in asparagus, peas, salt, 1/2 t. pepper, then cover and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in basil and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!!

Entrée: Erin
Panini Bar

Extra virgin olive oil
Prosciutto, thinly sliced
thinly sliced whole-milk mozzarella cheese and/or smoked mozzarella cheese (I love the smoked mozz!)
tomato slices
fresh basil leaves
Moscow Co-op salted French bread (yummy!)
Black olives, sliced
Fresh spinach
Brie
Roasted red bell peppers
Salt and Pepper, optional
Whatever other ingredients you can think of!


Spritz the bread sides that will be touching panini grill with olive oil. Layer prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil (and/or other toppings of your choice) over bottom of bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Place other bread slice on top.

Prepare grill (medium heat or just plug in). Grill sandwiches until bread is golden brown and cheese melts, pressing occasionally to compact, about 5 minutes per grilling session.

Dessert: Bonnie
Flat Tire Ice Cream Sandwiches

Betty Crocker oatmeal cookies
Breyers Ice Cream

Sandwich ice cream between two cookies and serve!

WildCard: Mariah
Note Books in honor of the concept De-construct, Reconstruct, Create and Inspire!!

Lottery: Tamara

Citrus - March 2008

Diva: Ashley

Drinks: Mariah
Sangria
CranRaz Juice
Red Wine
Dash of triple sec
Fresh squeezed mandarins
Mint leaves
Grapefruit wedges
Lemon wedges
Bubbly water
Mix it up your way, baby.

Minty Citrus Drink
The Syrup:
1 c sugar
1 c water
Handful of mint leaves
1 each orange juice and lemonade concentrate
Bubbly water

Prep:
Boil the water, sugar and mint leaves and simmer 5 minutes with the lid off.
Remove mint, stir in juice concentrates

To serve:
Pour 3 Ts over ice and add bubbly water.

Appetizer: Ivy (sub for Lovina)
Pears with Spicy Lime Chili Chutney

3 pears
5 tsp lime juice and zest from 1 lime
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic – minced
1 tsp soy sauce
¼-½ c raw almonds – roast on baking sheet until both sides are slightly browned
springs fresh mint for garnish

Cut each pair into 6 slices – lengthwise. Using a melon baller, create a well in the center of each slice.

Mix the lime juice and zest, cayenne, garlic, soy sauce and brown sugar.

Grind almonds in a food processor and add to other ingredients.

Spoon chutney in heaping spoonfuls into hollowed pears.

Garnish with sprigs of mint and drizzle with a syrup made from equal parts honey and lime juice.


Salad: Stacey
Orange Avocado Slaw

1 avocado
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. sugar
2 t. white wine vinegar
1 T. olive oil
5 c cabbage/slaw mixture
(red cabbage, green cabbage and carrots)
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. black pepper

Peel avocado, remove pit, and chop the meat into 1/4 inch pieces. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, curry powder, cumin, sugar and vinegar. Add the oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified. In a large bowl, toss the avocado with the slaw mix. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Chill until ready to serve, and season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 servings.

Soup: Colleen
Chickpea, Ginger and Coriander Soup

extra virgin olive oil
organic canned garbanzo beans (chick peas)
ground cumin
ground coriander
half a seeded Serrano chili
fresh garlic,
fresh ginger
juice from a lime,
cilantro avocado and yogurt for the garnish.

Pour one can of organic garbanzo beans, liquid and all, into a food processor or blender. Blend the garbanzo beans into a smooth puree. The puree will be fairly smooth but still a bit grainy in consistency, that’s fine.

Get your ingredients ready. Mince or press a couple cloves of garlic, grate a one-inch cube of fresh ginger, mince a chili if you want some heat (I used half a seeded Serrano chili), measure out a tsp or two of ground coriander and half a tsp or so of ground cumin (the amounts are entirely up to you). Heat a medium saucepan and add a T or so of olive oil. Add the garlic and chili and cook for a minute or so. Throw in the grated ginger and cook for a minute or so longer. Add the coriander and cumin and stir for about half a minute until the spices are fragrant. Stir in the chickpea puree. If you want, you can thin the soup with a little chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water. If you are in a hurry, just cook the soup until it’s heated through then taste and season with a bit of salt and pepper. If you have the time, cook the soup for a bit longer on medium-low heat to let the flavors intensify. If you decide to cook the soup longer, it’s best to thin it with the broth or water first because it will thicken again as it cooks and the liquid evaporates. Garnish the soup with fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice (lemon would be fine if that’s what you have on hand).

Recipe Notes: If you prefer not to use the liquid from the canned beans, you can drain and rinse them and then puree the beans with some chicken or vegetable broth or water. I’ve done it both ways and I actually liked the original version the best. I’ve been using the organic canned chickpeas from Trader Joe’s that are just packed in water and sea salt. Another of my favorite brands of canned beans is Goya. But, use whatever you happen to like!
Beware of adding too much salt if you are using the bean liquid from the can. The beans are packed in salted water so you may not need to add any salt at all. Taste first, then season if necessary!
If you don’t have any fresh chilies but want to add a little heat to the soup, stir in a little crushed red chili. If you really want it spicy, try using both. If you prefer no heat, don’t add either. Feel free to use more garlic and/or ginger if those are flavors that you really like.
The soup is really great with a dollop of plain yogurt on top. Sour cream would also work.
This recipe makes two small servings of soup or one large serving.


Side Dish: Emily
Orzo and Tomato Salad in Lemon Cups

For the salad:

1 pound orzo 

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

2 lemons, juiced 

1 c extra-virgin olive oil 

2 c cherry tomatoes, halved 

¼ c roughly chopped Italian parsley leaves

For the lemon cups: 

6 lemons

For the salad: 
In salted, boiling water, cook the orzo until al dente. Strain and cool. Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, and extra-virgin olive oil. In a large bowl, toss the orzo together with the tomatoes, parsley, and olive oil mixture. Season, to taste, with salt and fresh ground pepper.

For the lemon cups: 
Cut a small piece off both tips of the lemon. Make sure the cut does not expose any flesh, only pith. Cut the lemon evenly in half across the diameter. Use a spoon to remove the flesh of the lemon and scrape the skin clean, being careful not to cut or damage the skin.
To assemble: 
Fill each lemon cup with the orzo salad and arrange on a platter for service.

Entree: Nicole
Chicken Breasts with Citrus Pan Sauce

4 bone-in chicken breast halves with skin
5 tsp ground cumin, divided
4 T olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, pressed
½ c chicken broth
½ c orange juice
¼ c fresh lemon juice
2 tsp grated orange peel
1 ½ tsp grated lemon peel
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425°F. Slide fingertips beneath skin of each chicken breast to loosen. Sprinkle each chicken breast with 1 teaspoon cumin and salt and pepper; rub seasoning beneath and on top of skin.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken, skin side down, in pan and cook until skin browns, about 5 minutes; turn chicken over. Place skillet in oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Transfer chicken to plate. Add remaining oil to drippings in skillet; add garlic and sauté over medium-high heat 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, orange juice, lemon juice, orange peel, lemon peel, and remaining 1 teaspoon cumin; boil until reduced to 1 scant cup, about 3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken; sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Dessert: Sara
Bavarian

6 tight-skinned tangerines
1 (1/4-ounces) envelope unflavored gelatin
8 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup chilled heavy cream

Remove side of spring form pan and invert bottom, then reattach side (to make Bavarian easier to remove). Lightly oil pan.

Grate enough zest from 1 tangerine to measure 1 teaspoon, then juice tangerines. (You will need 1 1/4 cups juice.)

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup tangerine juice in a small bowl and let stand about 5 minutes.

Whisk together yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and remaining cup tangerine juice in a heavy medium saucepan, then cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture just comes to a simmer (do not let boil). Remove from heat, then whisk in gelatin mixture until completely dissolved. Transfer to a metal bowl and chill in an ice bath, stirring frequently, until mixture has thickened to consistency of raw egg whites. Remove from ice bath.

Meanwhile, beat cream with zest until it just holds soft peaks.

Stir one third of whipped cream into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly. Spoon into spring form pan and chill until set, at least 4 hours and up to 24.

Candied Tangerine Peel

8 tight-skinned tangerines, washed well
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water Superfine granulated sugar for coating
preparation

Remove peel, including a little of pith, from tangerines in (2- by 1-inch) strips with a sharp vegetable peeler (preferably Y-shaped). Cut into thin (1/8-inch) julienne strips.

Cover strips with cold water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Drain in a sieve, then repeat procedure with more cold water 2 times.

Bring granulated sugar, water, and zest strips to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer until zest is translucent and syrup has thickened, 45 to 50 minutes.

Lightly oil a large rack and set over a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Transfer candied peel to rack with a fork, separating strips. (Discard syrup or reserve for another use.) When peel is cool (but not completely dry), toss with superfine sugar in a bowl to coat. Return to rack until dry to the touch, about 30 minutes.

Cooks' note: Candied peel keeps in an airtight container at room temperature 2 days.

Tangerine Caramel Sauce

Tangerine juice plays two roles here: It stops the cooking of the sugar, and its bright perfume brings complexity to the sauce.

Makes about 1 ½ cups

6 tight-skinned tangerines
1 ½ c sugar
¼ c water
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1 T fresh lemon juice


Remove 3 (2- by 1-inch) strips zest from 1 tangerine with a sharp vegetable peeler (preferably Y-shaped), then scrape off any white pith. Juice tangerines. (You will need 1 1/4 cups juice.)

Bring sugar, water, bay leaves, and zest to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, until sugar is deep amber. Remove from heat, then carefully add tangerine juice (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) and simmer, stirring, until caramel has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then remove from heat and cool. Chill, covered, until ready to serve (sauce will thicken slightly). Discard bay leaf and zest.

Cooks' note: Sauce can be chilled up to 3 days.

WildCard: Tamara (absent)

Lottery: Aven