|
|
The girls had a lesson in how to core and quarter a strawberry for the jam we were going to make. I found a recipe on The New York Times/NYT Cooking website by Melissa Clark for jam that only requires strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. It’s a must, however, for an instant read thermometer as you need to temp the mixture twice during cooking. I used mine, but I couldn’t get a read over 215°. At one point the mixture must reach between 218 to 220° as you need to activate the natural pectin which is the thickening agent. If I plan to make more jam in the future, I might look to invest in a candy thermometer which goes to a higher temperature.
For each pound of fresh berries, I used a half cup of sugar to start with. Although you could go with 2/3 cup, if the berries are “freshly picked and or deep red,” per Miss Clark, decrease the sugar to 1/2 cup, taste; then decide. Going with a half cup was the perfect choice. The result was a jammy consistency, a deep shade of red and perfect balance of sweetness with subtle tartness; delicious on toast. In our CSA box last week, I had fresh Jersey asparagus and leeks. As I said the weather had a slight chill despite what the calendar said, so I thought a pot of soup would be perfect for the weather. Going again with a recipe by Melissa Clark, I tried her Asparagus Soup with Ricotta Crostini. Besides the asparagus you’ll need fine sea salt, leeks, chicken stock, a bay leaf, extra-virgin olive oil, uncooked white rice, black pepper, lemon juice, 1/2-inch-thick slices of baguette bread, fresh ricotta, fresh tarragon and a garlic clove. The recipe begins by cutting the asparagus stalks into thirds and blanching the tips. The leeks are thinly sliced and combined in a saucepan with the asparagus bottoms and bay leaf to create a strong, flavorful stock. The soup is strained and the solids discarded. Using the same pot, the leeks are sautéed in olive oil along with the rice. The rice is going to be the thickener for the soup. The stock is added to the pot along with the asparagus middles and then cooked until the asparagus is tender. I put my soup into a blender to make it smooth and silky. Ms. Clark suggests pureeing in a food mill for some texture. The finished product is seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. I had some leftover ricotta from another recipe and tarragon from my herb pots. I toasted the bread and rubbed the raw garlic over the surface. To the ricotta I added salt, pepper and chopped tarragon then smeared on the toast. To serve, the soup is ladle into a bowl and garnished with several asparagus’ tips. The crostini is served as an accompaniment to the soup which was wonderful. The layers of flavor made for a tasty and delicious soup. I prefer vegetables, in which pureeing is involved to have a creamy consistency. The rice gave it the same thickness as cream would do. Overall, a delightful recipe. As for the leeks, Dan Pelosi, also of The New York Times/NYT Cooking, had a recipe for Chicken Florentine which needed leeks along with flour, grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, olive oil, butter, a shallot, fresh garlic, dry white wine, chicken broth, basil (fresh or dried), oregano (fresh or dried), heavy cream, cream cheese and baby spinach. This recipe takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare and starts by coating the chicken breasts in a mixture of flour, Parmesan, salt and pepper. They are sautéed in a large pan with olive oil and butter until golden on each side. They are removed and kept warm. Into the pan goes additional butter, chopped shallots and garlic, and a pinch of salt and cooked until the shallot is softened. The wine, broth and herbs are added and cooked until reduced. The heavy cream and cream cheese are added an incorporated into the mixture until a creamy sauce is made. The baby spinach is added and combined with the sauce until wilted. The chicken is returned to the pan and simmers until cooked through. This was a fabulous supper. The richness of the sauce, combined with the herbs and spinach and the moist and juicy chicken was divine. This is a great meal for company or a quick supper. My sister-in-law gave me the book, “Scotto Sunday Suppers and Other Fabulous Feasts: Creative Entertaining for Every Occasion.” The Scotto family has a restaurant in midtown Manhattan called Fresco by Scotto and one of the siblings is the a NY Fox News anchor, Rosanna Scotto. In the book I found a recipe for Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak. Because there are so few ingredients and the recipe calls for fresh herbs. Besides flank steak you’ll need fresh garlic, shallots, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. The garlic, through the balsamic vinegar are mixed together then brushed on both sides of the steak, covered and marinated overnight in the refrigerator. To cook, your grill is preheated on high. The steak is seasoned with salt and pepper and placed on the grill, 7 to 10 minutes per side. I removed my steak at 135° for medium rare. This was a very flavorful marinade which infused lots of flavor into the meat. I have both thyme and oregano growing in my yard and the fresh herbs make such a difference in cooking. The meat was perfectly cooked, juicy and tender. This is another terrific recipe to add to your summertime barbecue.
Strawberry Jam
By Melissa Knific The New York Times/NYT Cooking Total Time: about 1-1/2 hours Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour cooking Yield: about 1 cup ”Sweet and ever-so-slightly tart, strawberry jam ranks among the top spreadable fruit flavors. When the pick-your-own season begins and supermarket shelves are abundant with the juicy, scarlet berry, it signals the start of summer, and it’s an opportunity to get your jam on. Here, just three ingredients—strawberries, sugar and lemon juice—make a simple jam that’s not overly sweet. However, it is crucial to have an instant-read thermometer on hand and to keep a watchful eye on the simmering temperature so the fruit’s natural pectin can do its thickening magic. In the off-season, frozen berries are a perfectly suitable stand-in for fresh, since they’re often picked at peak ripeness. This simple jam will last in the fridge for up to two weeks (for larger batches and a longer shelf life, consider canning it). Spread strawberry jam on crumpets, make an extra-special dessert, or, if you can’t wait for it to cool, spoon it warm over some ice cream.” Ingredients 1-pound fresh strawberries, hulled and diced, or 12 to 14 ounces frozen strawberries (no need to thaw), diced (2½ to 3 cups diced) ⅔ cup granulated sugar (see Tip) 1 tablespoon lemon juice Preparation
“Tip - When it comes to jam, the amount of sugar used can vary depending on both the sweetness of the strawberries and personal preference. Use the ⅔ cup here as a guide: If the berries are freshly picked or deep red, they’re likely full of natural sweetness, so feel free to decrease the sugar to ½ cup. Taste a berry and decide! 
Asparagus Soup with Ricotta Crostini
“A Spoonful of Spring Asparagus, Green as Can Be” By Melissa Clark “A Good Appetite/The New York Times,” May 30, 2014 Total Time: 40 minutes Yield: 4 appetizer servings Ingredients 1¾ pounds asparagus ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed 2 large leeks, halved lengthwise and rinsed 1 quart chicken stock 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons uncooked white rice ¼ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed 1 teaspoon lemon juice, more as needed 4½-inch-thick baguette slices, cut on the bias ½ cup fresh ricotta 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon (or chives) 1garlic clove, peeled and halved Preparation
Chicken Florentine
By Dan Pelosi The New York Times/NYT Cooking Published April 17, 2025 Total Time: 30 minutes Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving Salt and black pepper 4 thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound) 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted) 1 medium shallot, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ cup dry white wine ½ cup chicken broth 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil) 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano) ½ cup heavy cream 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 2 cups packed baby spinach (about 3 ounces) Preparation
Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak
“Scotto Sunday Suppers and Other Fabulous Feasts,” With Linda Stasi ©2005 Starjem Restaurant HarperCollins Publishers Servings: 4 to 6 Ingredients 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons minced shallots ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme ¼ cup chopped fresh oregano 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2-1/2 pounds flank steak Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preparation
Note: Flank steak should be cut on a bias against the grain
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
|||||||||||
