donna's daily dish

the leaves are changing

10/29/2023

The leaves in our area are beginning to reach their peak color. The last few days have brought a touch of warmer weather to be followed by autumn’s chill. My husband and I are trying some seasonal cocktails that use both apple cider and bourbon. After a weekend reunion with college friends and carb loaded meals, my husband wanted some lighter meals last week. I was able to accommodate him with dinners where white beans made for filling meals, but also offered protein and fiber.

First up this week was Autumn in New England Cocktail from “America’s Test Kitchen.” For the recipe you’ll need 2-4 fresh sage leaves, 1/4-ounce maple syrup, 2 ounces of bourbon, 1 ounce apple cider and 1/4-ounce cider vinegar. I used apple cider from Melick’s Town Farm that was included in last week’s CSA share.

is it sweater weather yet?

10/7/2023

What a crazy start to October. Between the rain and unusually warm weather, I’m not sure if I should be making fall meals or summer?

I’m still catching up from my extra days of babysitting and houseguests that we had recently. The yellow squash I had from my CSA box was starting to see better days and I knew I had to find a recipe soon. My internet search brought me to the website Allrecipes and a side dish called Yellow Squash Patties. For the recipe you’ll need shredded yellow squash, an onion, salt, cheddar cheese, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, an egg, freshly ground black pepper and vegetable oil.

and then the weather changed, part 2

9/18/2023

In last week’s weekly CSA box post, the webpage administrator commented, “I just saw a recipe in NYT cooking for Creamy Corn Orzo. I am not able to link it, but it looks delicious.” As New York Times subscriber I was able to gift her the recipe which is Creamy One-Pot Orzo with Corn and Bacon and decided to give it a try myself. Beside the aforementioned ingredients you’ll also need chicken broth, kosher salt, basil, Calabrian Chile paste (or harissa or homemade chile sauce) and whole milk ricotta. Although the recipe calls for using a box grater to remove the corn kernels, I used a chef’s knife to cut the kernels off and then used the backside to scrape the corn liquid off the cobs.

and then the weather changed, part 1

9/17/2023

Thank goodness the heat and humidity are gone. Meals with warm flavors and the last of the summer vegetables can be made. From my CSA box I had a bunch of scallions that I wanted to incorporate into a main course. From Yewande Komolafe of The New York Times, I found a recipe for Sheet-Pan Gochujang Chicken and Roasted Vegetables. I enjoy the spicy and sweet flavor the gochujang imparts. For the recipe you’ll also need soy sauce, fresh ginger, a neutral oil, squash (butternut, acorn or delicata), turnips, scallions, kosher salt, bone-in skin on thicken thighs, radishes, rice vinegar, sesame oil and steamed rice (optional).

who would have thought...

8/22/2023

Sometimes our CSA repeats vegetables during the season. So, the question becomes, “What can I do with…” Another head of cabbage and more peaches were in my box last week.

I went to my favorite source for recipes, The New York Times’ webpage called “Cooking.” As I mentioned before, there are a number of contributors and there’s a wide range of diverse backgrounds among the recipe developers. I would have never thought of putting caramelized cabbage with pasta, but Hetty Lui McKinnon did in her recipe for Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta.

My husband was a bit hesitant when I told him what was for supper, but he loves pasta and has enjoyed the many preparations I have made over the years. For the Caramelized Cabbage and Walnut Pasta, you’ll need olive oil, unsalted butter, cumin seeds, leeks, garlic cloves, green cabbage, Diamond Crystal salt, spaghetti or other long pasta, grated pecorino cheese, freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice, toasted walnuts and chopped chives (optional).

move over Green Giant

8/13/2023

Today lunch was a delightful platter of roasted vegetables. I had a Spanish onion, cubanelle pepper, eggplant, grape heirloom tomatoes and a small beefsteak tomato that were cooked outside on the grill. I placed the cooked vegetables on a platter, seasoned with sea salt and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. I added a ball of burrata for my husband and I. We enjoyed it on our porch where there was a light breeze and peaks of sun from behind the clouds.

fresh vegetables

8/12/2023

I’m still hunting down recipes that can be cooked outside on the grill. Recently, I found on The New York Times webpage, Cooking, a recipe by Ali Slagle for Grilled Chicken with Tomatoes and Corn. This quick and easy recipe needed boneless, skinless chicken thighs, extra virgin olive oil, chili powder, kosher salt, large ripe tomatoes, a fresh ear of corn, small red onion and fresh oregano.

A trip to a local produce stand, Matt’s Farm Market in Belmar, yielded beautiful sweet corn and tomatoes for this meal. Instead of chicken thighs, I used boneless, skinless breasts that I butterflied open. The recipe also called for fresh oregano, which is one of the many herbs from my garden.

The preparation begins by coating the chicken with olive oil, chili powder and salt. I did this early in the day, but you can do it up to a day ahead. The veggies are all served in the raw state. I thinly sliced the tomatoes for a base, topped with corn kernels, red onion and oregano. The vegetables are seasoned with salt and extra virgin olive oil

summer's bounty

8/8/2023

My Dreyer Farm’s CSA offerings this summer have been wonderful; a great selection of produce to try out new and varied recipes. Recently, on The New York Times website, there were several recipes that I found to go along with my vegetables. One was a recipe by Kay Chun for Eggplant Parmesan Pasta. Also, I found a recipe for Skillet Tortellini with Corn and Crispy Rosemary by Ali Slagle and Roasted Beets with Moroccan Spices by Mark Bittman.

Eggplant Parmesan Pasta takes just 35 minutes to prepare and packs a lot of flavors. For the recipe you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, panko bread crumbs, kosher salt, black pepper, a yellow onion, fresh garlic, eggplant (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, about 8 cups), 28-ounce can of tomatoes (crushed), fresh basil spring plus chopped basil, dried oregano, pasta such as mezzo rigatoni, fusilli or shells, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh mozzarella.

mother nature

8/7/2023

Recently when I was in the mood for meat loaf. Many years ago, I purchased a steel grill meat loaf pan from Williams-Sonoma. The loaf pan has an open bottom with a handled insert and a perforated base that allows fat to drain and is meant to be used on a grill. Although no longer available, a similar product can be found at Amazon or Sur La Table.

Cheesy Meat Loaf with Bacon and Herbs was the recipe that was included with the pan. The ingredients needed are extra-virgin olive oil, carrots, celery, an onion, fresh garlic, fresh bread crumbs, warm water, fresh flat-leaf parsley, mozzarella cheese (shredded and cubed), salt, pepper, ground beef, eggs, fresh thyme and thick-cut bacon. I used fresh herbs from my garden for this dish.

steamy days of summer

7/15/2023

The steamy days of summer really put a kink in one’s cooking. However, I’ve been finding some delicious one pot pasta dishes that go well in this hot weather. Melissa Clark’s recipe for One-Pan Shrimp Scampi with Crispy Gnocchi takes about 30 minutes to prepare and makes for a quick post-beach supper. In last week’s Dreyer Farms CSA box, I had two green zucchini that came just in time to try Alexa Weibel’s recipe for One-Pot Zucchini-Basil Pasta. As Sunday was overcast and gray, why not bake even more cookies. I made Rosemary Walnut Biscotti from a vintage issue of “Gourmet Magazine, December 1992.

If you are a subscriber to The New York Times, you can find Melissa Clark’s recipe in her column “A Good Appetite.” This recipe appeared in the article titled “Give Your Gnocchi the Shrimp Scampi Treatment,” published in October 2022. I love this recipe because it’s quick, you can use fresh or frozen shrimp and shelf stable gnocchi, such as Wegmans potato gnocchi, which I love. For the recipe you’ll also need extra virgin olive oil, unsalted butter, fresh garlic, dry white wine (clam juice or broth works too), kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), black pepper, red pepper flakes, one pound of shrimp, a lemon and fresh chopped parsley.