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 I was recently watching an episode of America’s Test Kitchen where co-host Bridget Lancaster was demonstrating how to make Cod Baked in Foil with Fennel and Carrots. It just so happened that Whole Foods had a Prime Member special on “Sustainable Wild-Caught Fresh Atlantic Cod Fillets” for $8.99/lb. What luck, I didn’t have to think of what to make for supper and my main ingredient was on sale.
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 Once during a visit to Williams-Sonoma, I picked up a recipecard for Butternut Squash Risotto. The recipe sounded delicious. While Williams-Sonoma does sell organic butternut squash puree ($16.95), I find it easier to purchase fresh butternut squash and cook in a pressure cooker to make my own puree. You can also cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and roast till tender. With a spoon, scrape out the tender flesh and mash. Another cooking method is to peel, cube and place the squash in a pot with a steamer basket and cook until tender. You’ll also need unsalted butter, fresh sage, vegetable or chicken stock, caramelized onion, olive oil, Arborio rice, fresh rosemary, white wine and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Prep and took time is 50 minutes each.  The peak season for cauliflower is now through November. With that in mind, I recently purchased a small head of cauliflower at Delicious Orchards, Colts Neck. Many, many years ago when I use to make weekly trips for my produce (now I use their personal shopping service and have my husband pick up my order), I used to grab their recipe handout sheets.
 Last week, Whole Foods had bone-in pork chops on Prime Member special for $4.99/lb. I couldn’t resist finding a recipe in which to stuff the pork chops. I found a few recipes, but nothing that particularly caught my eye. I changed my search to a stuffing recipe and found a interesting one from Ina Garten on the Food Network website. The recipe was Herb and Apple Stuffing made with bread cubes, butter, yellow onion, celery, Granny Smith apples, fresh parsley and rosemary and chicken stock. Unfortunately, this recipe made enough for 8 to 10 servings, I was merely stuffing two pork chops.
 Now that cooler weather is upon us, I’m ready to change my style of cooking.
My daughter participates in a CSA program at Dreyer’s Farms in Cranford. In a recent box of farm fresh vegetables, Dreyer’s includes a newsletter and recipes. One recipe recently was for Apple Cider Pulled Pork from the website A Taste of Home(in conjunction with their magazine, A Taste of Home). It’s a terrific slow cooker recipe. Although the recipe called for pork butt, I purchased a shoulder, which worked out just fine. You’ll also need an onion, celery, apple cider and seasonings (seasoned salt, ground mustard, paprika and ground coriander)
 I’m still eating summer tomatoes on sliced Delicious Orchards English muffin bread with Duke’s mayonnaise. My husband and I are still snacking on cubed watermelon that has been so sweet and delicious this summer. I blanched six ears of New Jersey white sweet corn to have during the cold winter months. Last night, I made grilled peach, romaine, chicken and blue cheese salad.
I found this recipe many years ago in a Penzeys Spice catalogue. Recipes that appear in the catalogue are submitted by Penzeys customers and use their spices and seasonings. The recipe is done in three parts. Chicken breasts can either be cooked in slow cooker or roasted in a low oven for approximately three hours. I chose the oven method yesterday. The chicken is seasoned with fresh ginger, garlic and salt to taste. What I especially liked about this recipe is that the romaine and peaches are grilled for several minutes giving it lovey charred taste. The grilling brings out the natural sweetness of the peaches. The salad also has sliced red onion, olive oil, blue cheese crumbles and nuts.  I spent two days last week cooking and puréeing 50 pounds of plum tomatoes. I’ve been doing this, and freezing the sauce, for a few years now as my husband and I prefer the lightness of fresh tomato sauce. Last summer, I only sauced one 25 pound box and made about 8 or 9 containers. That didn’t quite last until the spring. This year, I did an extra 25 pounds. I did this by myself, weighing off 3 pounds of tomatoes, quartering, cooking and then puréeing using a food mill. I was fortunate in that my basil this summer really grew tall and pest free. I have my wonderful husband to thank for that. He planted three basil plants for me.to add to my repertoire.
 I can’t believe summer 2019 is over. We had a little more company than in past summers and we thoroughly enjoyed them. I was quite busy cooking this summer, be it for visiting out of town guests, our daughter and her family or our son and his wife. I enjoyed this season’s tomato crop, especially with Duke’s Mayonnaise courtesy of @karenmc824 and @salexander3575, it was a game changer. We especially enjoyed fresh sliced tomatoes on lightly toasted Delicious Orchards English muffin bread with a smear of Duke’s. The NJ sweet corn too, was especially delicious this summer. Pierre Franey’s Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Fresh Corn, Shallots and Cream, combined two of husband and mine’s favorite, chicken and corn. This was another quick and delicious recipe, good for those September suppers while Jersey corn still tastes delicious.  In a recent weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal, there was a recipe for charred romaine with flank steak and olive tapenade. The recipe appeared in the column called “Slow Fast Food” with a recipe by Chef Caroline Glover. Ms. Glover’s owns the restaurant Annette in Aurora, Colorado. What appealed to me in this recipe was the cut of beef and the simplicity of the recipe.
The flank steak in this recipe is merely season with salt and pepper and grilled 5-6 minutes per side. One of the things that makes this recipe quite good is the accompanying charred romaine lettuce that has a nice smokey flavor and the roasted shallot dressing that goes over the romaine. |
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