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The recipe calls for preparing your grain (farro or barley) until tender then adding the peas until warmed through. The ingredients are drained, transferred to a bowl and drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt.
The cabbage is cut in half and cut into 2-inch wedges, leaving the core intact to hold the leaves together. They are sautéed in butter until golden on both sides. Thinly sliced onions are added to the pan with the cabbage and cooked until softened. To serve, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt are added to the grains and mixed. The dressed grains are spread on a platter, topped with cabbage wedges and onions. The accumulated pan juices are poured on top and add extra herbs. This was a delightful vegetarian meal. The barley was filling, yet tasty from the acidity of the lemon juice, a punch of citrus from the lemon zest and aromatic from the addition of fresh herbs. This made for a lovely lunch. Also in our box was a small container of gourmet mushrooms from Innoculated Exotic Mushroom Farm in Fairfield, NJ. I found a recipe on “Lidia’s Italy” for Skillet Gratin of Mushrooms and Chicken. As I was only cooking for two, I had a sufficient number of assorted mushrooms for the dish. You’ll also need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, extra virgin olive oil, Shiitake mushrooms, fresh garlic, fresh sage leaves, white wine, prepared tomato sauce and grated grana padano cheese (you can use Parmesan). The chicken breasts are seasoned with salt and coated with flour followed by frying in a pan that has both olive oil and butter. The chicken cooks for approximately two minutes per side then removed to a dish. Additional olive oil is added to cook the mushrooms and garlic. The mushrooms are moved to the side of the pan and the chicken returned. Each piece is topped with two mushroom caps. Sage leaves are added to the pan along with small pieces of butter dotted through the pan. White wine and tomato sauce is poured between the chicken and grated cheese sprinkled on top of the chicken. The pan is covered and simmered until the chicken is cooked through. This was a flavorsome preparation. The mushrooms added a different texture against the chicken, the wine and tomato sauce added a nice acidity and complex flavor to the dish and the butter made for a glossy sauce. It was easy to prepare; the entire dish was complete in about 30 minutes. It’s summer, and extreme heat is on its way. I live near a marina and there’s a family business called Jersey Shore Lobster Brothers LLC that sell fresh shrimp, scallops and lobsters on the South Concourse in Neptune, NJ. I messaged them earlier this season inquiring where their shrimp are from, North Carolina. The shrimp sell for $10/lb., scallops $24/lb. and lobsters $10/lb. I’ve had both the scallops and shrimp and both were excellent. The scallops were turned into Buttery Scallops with Lemon and Herbs, a recipe by Melissa Clark of The New York Times. The recipe takes a mere 15 minutes and requires salt, black pepper, unsalted butter, fresh garlic, fresh minced thyme, fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and soft herbs such as basil, chives, mint or cilantro for garnish. The scallops are seasoned with salt and pepper in a skillet over medium high heat using butter. I cooked them until they were a deep golden brown before flipping over. To the pan I added a tablespoon of butter to cook both the minced garlic and thyme leaves until they became aromatic. Lemon juice was poured over the tops of the scallops followed by a sprinkle of lemon zest then gently combined. They were garnished with a pinch of red pepper flakes, a dusting of minced chives and lemon wedges. The scallops were fabulous. They were plump, had a nice brown exterior, the lemon components provided a lovely citrus contrast, the garlic a lovely infusion of flavor and the red pepper flakes added a subtle touch of heat. I garnished my scallops with chopped chives to complement the garlic in the dish. I found myself with an unopened package of cream cheese from a recipe I didn’t make. Not wanting to waste it, I dug through my recipe box for Cheesecake Cookies, a recipe I got from a family friend back in the late 60’s. The recipe yields 12 petite squares. For the recipe you’ll also need butter, brown sugar, flour, walnuts, granulated sugar, an egg, milk, vanilla and lemon juice. The press-in crust starts by creaming the butter and brown sugar. Next, the flour and finely chopped walnuts are added and mix by hand. Reserving a cup for the topping, the mixture is pressed into an 8-inch square pan and baked for 10 minutes. While the crust is baking, the sugar and cream cheese are blended together until smooth. Egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla are added and mixed until incorporated. The filling is spread over the baked crumb mixture and sprinkled with the reserved crumbs and bakes for 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into 2-inch squares. You can dust with confectioners’ sugar. It’s been many years since I baked these cookies and they were scrumptious. These tasty squares satisfied my cheesecake craving without leaving me with a whole cheesecake in the refrigerator. They’re a perfect light dessert.
Buttery Caramelized Cabbage with Farro, Peas and Spring Herbs
Recipe by Chef Katie Reicher The Wall Street Journal April 5, 2025 Total Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients 1½ cups farro Kosher salt 1 cup fresh or frozen English peas 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra as needed 1 small head green or Savoy cabbage, about 1 pound 8 tablespoons butter ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons water ¾ cup chopped soft herbs, preferably a mix of mint, dill, and basil, plus extra to garnish 3 lemons, zested and juiced Directions
Skillet Gratin of Mushrooms and Chicken
By Lidia Bastianich From “Lidia’s Italy” Serves: 6 Ingredients 6 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each) All-purpose flour, for dredging 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 12 large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 6 fresh sage leaves ½ cup white wine ½ cup prepared tomato sauce 6 tablespoons grated Grana Padano Directions
Buttery Scallops with Lemon and Herbs
“Sea Scallops Farmed in Maine Aren’t Just Sustainable. They’re Helping Their Habitat,” By Melissa Clark The New York Times, August 23, 2021 Total Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 2 pounds sea scallops, patted dry Salt and black pepper 4 to 5tablespoons unsalted butter 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons minced thyme leaves 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for garnish 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest Pinch of red-pepper flakes ½ cup chopped soft herbs (such as basil, chives, mint or cilantro), for garnish Preparation
Cheesecake Cookies
Recipe from Edie Toner Yield: 12 squares Oven temperature 350 Ingredients Crust Mixture 1/3 c. butter (5-1/3 Tablespoons) 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1 cup flour 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts Filling 8 ounces cream cheese 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 2 tablespoons milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon lemon juice Preparation Crumb Mixture - Cream butter with brown sugar. Add flour and nuts and mix with fingers. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Press remainder in bottom of ungreased 8-inch square pan. Bake 10 minutes. Filling - Blend sugar and cream cheese for filling until smooth. Add egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; beat well. Spread filling over baked crumb mixture then sprinkle with served crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes. Cut into 2-inch square. Yield 12 squares.
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