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While on the top of unusual combinations, again in my Insta feed a new local pizza restaurant, Catbird in Asbury Park, was promoting their evening pizza special that was topped with Gorgonzola, mozzarella, red cherries, molasses and basil. It just happened I received cherries in my CSA box and wanted to try my hand at replicating this pizza. The complexity of flavors made for a flavorful and delightful tasting pizza. The cherries were tart and slightly sweet, the Gorgonzola had a sweet and buttery flavor, the mozzarella offered creaminess and the molasses provided a sweet, smoky flavor. Both my husband thoroughly enjoyed the nuanced flavor combination.
Since I was on a roll with the cherry topped pizza, I had some Parmesan Reggiano Cream Sauce in my freezer. I defrosted and heat it up. I lightly steamed some baby spinach and squeezed out the excess water. I spread the cream sauce on the pie and topped with the cooked, chopped spinach. Again, unusual combination, but totally wonderful. The sauce could have been thicker as the freezer might have caused some separation of the milk and cream that was used to make this sauce. However, we devoured a good portion of this pizza along with the cherry one. Our grandchildren are big banana lovers. When I came across a recipe by Sohla El-Waylly for Banana Nut Breakfast Bars, I thought the kids would enjoy them. For the recipe you’ll need bananas, eggs, olive oil, peanut or almond butter, honey, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, pure vanilla extract, old-fashioned rolled oats, chopped walnuts and flaky salt for topping. One cup of mashed bananas is blended with the eggs. Olive oil, peanut or almond butter, honey, kosher salt, cinnamon and vanilla are added to the banana mixture and mixed until combined. A greased 8- or 9-inch baking pan lined with a parchment sling is used for baking. The batter is poured into the pan, topped with walnuts and a sprinkling of flaky salt. The aroma of these breakfast bars was heavenly. After cooling in the pan, they were removed and cut into 1-inch squares. When you cut the bars, I suggest cleaning the knife after each cut so the knife doesn’t drag through the bars. These bars were delicious. Although my 2-1/2-year-old grandson wasn’t in the mood to try them today, I’m hoping his cousins will be more interested. The chopped nuts were incorporated into the batter and I omitted the salt as I thought my grandchildren would enjoy them better. As my one granddaughter has a peanut allergy, I used almond butter that I made myself. The recipe I found called for olive oil, since this breakfast bar recipe already contained oil, I merely toasted the ground almonds and mixed in the balance of the breakfast bars ingredients to create the almond butter. This is a nice healthy snack made with natural sugar. I will say that a majority of cooks on the NYT Cooking website complained that these bars lacked flavor. I’ll have to wait for a review by my granddaughters before making these again. The last recipe of the week again takes advantage of my CSA veggies. In a previous box I had spring peas which I shelled, blanched and froze for future use. In this week’s box there were four zucchinis. After a recipe search of my favorite sites, I came across a tempting recipe by Lidia Bastianich for Zucchini, Peas and Pancetta Risotto. Besides the ingredients listed in the title, you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, a medium onion, Arborio or short-grained Italian rice, dry white wine, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, hot chicken broth, fresh chives, unsalted butter and freshly grated Grana Padano cheese (you can substitute Parmesan Reggiano). I followed the cooking method that America’s Test Kitchen uses for their simplified shrimp risotto, which requires minimal stirring. Using my LeCreuset braising pan, I heated the olive oil over medium heat and cooked the pancetta until golden and crisp. The chopped onion is added to the pan and cooks until wilted. The rice is stirred in and coated with the oil. The rice cooks for a few minutes before the wine is added and cooked until absorbed. Chopped zucchini is added and is seasoned with kosher salt and pepper. I started off by covering the rice mixture with four cup of hot homemade chicken stock and mixed all the ingredients together. I lowered the heat to medium low for a vigorous simmer and covered the pot. The bubbling action of the rice helps release the starches which thickens the risotto. I stirred it twice to make sure nothing was sticking to the bottom of the pan. After approximately 18 minutes or so, I added ¾ cup of hot stock and vigorously stirred releasing more of the starches and making the risotto creamy. Off heat I added the Parmesan cheese, butter and chives. This was a marvelous meal. The rice was tender and creamy, the pancetta lent a savory, pork flavor, the butter and cheese gave it a richness and the chives a brightness. This was a remarkable risotto.
Banana Nut Breakfast Bars
By Sohla El-Waylly The New York Times/NYT Cooking, January 17, 2024 Time: 1 hour Yield: 9 Bars INGREDIENTS 2 ripe medium bananas (about 240 grams peeled) 2 large eggs 6 tablespoons/90 milliliters olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan ¾ cup/187 grams peanut or almond butter 6 tablespoons/120 grams honey 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), or 1 teaspoon fine salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup/100 grams old-fashioned rolled oats ¾ cup/80 grams walnut halves and pieces, roughly chopped Flaky salt, for topping PREPARATION
Zucchini, Peas and Pancetta Risotto
From the website “Lidia’s Italy” By Lidia Bastianich Active Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Servings: 4 to 6 people Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive 2 ounces pancetta, diced 1 medium onion, chopped 1 1/2 cups Arborio or other short-grain Italian rice 1/4 cup dry white wine 3 small zucchini, chopped (about 1 pound) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 6 to 7 cups hot chicken brother, preferably homemade, or low-sodium store-bought, or water 1 cup frozen peas, thawed ¼ cup chopped fresh chives 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces ½ cup freshly grated Grana Padano Preparation Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta, and cook until it’s just crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, and cook until it’s wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice, and stir to coat it in the fat. Cook until the rice grains are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine, and cook until it’s absorbed. Stir in the zucchini, and season with salt and pepper. Add stock or water to cover, cook until it’s absorbed, and give the rice a good mix. Continue to add stock and mix as the stock is absorbed until the rice is al dente, adding the peas for the last 5 minutes. The process should take about 18 minutes from the first addition of liquid, with the final product still a bit loose, but not runny. Off heat, stir in the chives. Beat in the butter and grated cheese, and serve immediately. Donna’s Notes: an easier way to prepare is to follow the America’s Test Kitchen process whereby 4 cups stock into rice mixture; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 18 minutes, stirring twice during simmering. I have used Parmesan Reggiano cheese in place of Grana Padano when I can’t locate it.
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