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Much like the tomato pie I made the other day, this zucchini galette is really delicious, and much like other recipes that I love, I’ve made it twice already in the last week. I have extra summer squash from my CSA, so I might just make another one tomorrow. What is a galette you wonder? A galette is a french term for a round, flat, free-form rustic tart.
I made the pastry in the picture above and it was surprisingly easy. The only problem I had was, once again, not reading the instructions completely before launching into the recipe. I made my first galette the other day, intending to serve it for dinner, but I neglected to read and take into account the hour-long chill that the pastry needed before baking. It was a bummer – not the end of the world though, because it was delicious heated-up the next day. I actually ate a piece for breakfast. I thought it was too garlicky for breakfast, but it was excellent for lunch and dinner.
This week we have some friends from Atlanta visiting us on Shelter Island, so I’m cooking for 16. When cooking for that many, sometimes I take shortcuts, like I did tonight. Instead of making the pastry, I used a refrigerated pie crust. It wasn’t as delicious as homemade pastry, which definitely has a lot more character and flavor, but it wasn’t a terrible substitute either. It’s so much fun having our friends visit. Kathleen is a great help in the kitchen, which slashes the prep time and it’s also a lot of fun to cook with her.
I used fresh garlic from the CSA in the recipe. I usually use the pre-minced/chopped stuff in the jar, but freshly pressed garlic is SO much better. I think I may be a convert. When you pull the galette out of the oven, you’ll find that the filling is nicely puffed up. It will shortly fall, but don’t worry, this is normal.
I found this recipe on a blog called Smitten Kitchen which I love to read because I love her recipes, I love her photographs, and her writing style is quite funny.
Zucchini and Ricotta Galette
Recipe from smittenkitchen.com who adapted the crust from Williams-Sonoma and the filling from a Cook’s Illustrated tart
For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chill again
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
Filling:
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon slivered basil leaves
Glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Make dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make filling: Spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops of the zucchini dry with paper towels before using. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and the garlic together; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon of the garlicky olive oil together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare galette: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (though if you line it with parchment paper, it will be easier to transfer it to a plate later). Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Shingle the zucchini attractively on top of the ricotta in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of the garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze.
Bake the galette until the cheese is puffed, the zucchini is slightly wilted and the galette is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with basil, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 6 servings
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If you like salt and vinegar potato chips and you have a barbecue, this recipe is for you. These potatoes have a real vinegary bite to them. They’re perfect for serving with grilled fish or chicken.
I love to grill as much as I can in the summer. It’s just so easy – much easier than cooking in a Manhattan apartment kitchen. I grill a lot of vegetables, but I’ve never grilled potatoes before. What a quick and easy way to cook them!
Next time I try these, I might try a flavored vinegar – perhaps champagne, perhaps apple cider – the possibilities are endless.
Grilled Potato Slices with Salt and Vinegar
Recipe from Martha Stewart Living, June 2009
1 pound potatoes, preferably fingerling, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (I used baby new red potatoes)
2 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Bring potatoes and vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan (vinegar should cover potatoes). Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer potatoes until just fork tender, about 5 minutes. Let potatoes cool in vinegar for 30 minutes. Drain well, and gently toss with oil, salt, and pepper.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill potatoes in a single layer until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt before serving.
Yield: 4 servings
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I was in Costco with the boys the other day and David’s Cookies was there selling pies. We tried many of them, and the boys really loved the peanut butter pie. I thought it was just ok, so we didn’t buy one, but when I tried it I was reminded of this peanut butter cream pie that I frequently made years ago. The recipe is from a book called Mrs. Field’s Best Ever Cookie Book. I knew that my pie would beat the David’s pie hands-down, and in my opinion it did. Granted the two pies were different. Theirs was more like a cookie pie and this is a cream pie that is best served directly from the freezer, but I still much prefer this pie.
The boys love it (no surprise) – even my son that claims he doesn’t like peanut butter! The boys definitely have my sweet tooth.
My pie ended up looking like a big spider web. It would be a great dessert for Halloween. I did this by making concentric circles of melted chocolate, then running a knife through the circles starting at the center of the pie.
This is a great pie to make in the summer because there is no cooking involved, and I recommend keeping it in the freezer. It’s great served frozen. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
Peanut Butter Cream Pie
Adapted from Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book
Chocolate Crust
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
One 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup heavy dream
Topping
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 Tbsp heavy cream or half & half
Make the Crust: In a double boiler, melt 1 cup chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Gently stir in the rice cereal until completely coated. Set aside to cool to lukewarm, then stir in the mini chips. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a buttered 9-inch pie plate. Chill for 30 Minutes to set the chocolate.
Prepare the filling: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the condensed milk, peanut butter and vanilla. In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour the filling into the crust.
Make the topping: In a double boiler melt the chocolate chips over hot water. Add the cream and stir until blended. Set aside to cool slightly, then drizzle over the top of the pie. Put the pie in the freezer until ready to serve. It’s best served frozen.
Yield: 8 servings
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I had some left over red quinoa that I wanted to use up, so I tried this recipe. Despite the fact that there are only a few ingredients, I thought the quinoa was quite flavorful. I loved the hint of lemon flavor that the zest/juice provided.
I have made this recipe with regular quinoa as well as red quinoa. Both are tasty. Next time, I will cook the quinoa in chicken broth for a little added flavor as I have done in the past.
The original recipe calls for cooking the quinoa for 15 minutes, then steaming it for an additional 10. I skipped the steaming part and the result was still fluffy and delicious.
Lemon-Scented Quinoa
Adapted from recipe at epicurious.com
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salt
Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time.
Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 2 quarts water), uncovered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain in sieve. Transfer quinoa to a bowl and fluff with a fork. Stir in oil, zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve warm.
Yield: 4 servings as a side dish
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I made one of these last night AND the night before. I also plan to make another one this weekend. I love this pie so much we’re going to be eating a lot of them this summer which will make my husband very happy.
When I first looked at the ingredients I was surprised by how few there were. I also didn’t think that something so simple could be so tasty, but I was wrong.
Although this pie was delicious, the presentation was marginal at best. Both times, the cheese leaked out of the pie crust. Not sure why, but since I used a rimless baking sheet, some of the cheese dripped onto the bottom of the oven and smoked. Thank goodness I made these on Shelter Island where the kitchen has a couple of windows. It would have been a disaster in my NY apartment. Despite the leaky cheese, I’ll make this again and again.
I recommend that you use parchment paper when making this. I didn’t use it the first time I made it, and the pie crust stuck to the cookie sheet a bit. When I made this I couldn’t find yellow tomatoes. Red worked just fine.
Gina’s Summer Tomato Pie
Recipe from The Neely’s on foodnetwork.com
Flour, for dusting work surface
1 (9-inch) ready-made refrigerated rolled pie crust
2 large yellow tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 red tomato, sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 ounces mozzarella, sliced
1/4 cup chiffonade basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sprinkle flour on a work surface. Roll out pie dough to form a 10-inch circle and place on parchment paper. Overlap and alternate the different tomatoes and mozzarella slices in the center of the dough, leaving a 3-inch border. Scatter the basil leaves on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes. Fold the uncovered edges of the dough inward over the filling to create a pleated crust. Brush edges and top of pie with olive oil.
Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven to a cutting board. Slice and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
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This is a very nice pasta salad for the summer. During the summer, I love to make dishes that can be served cold. Who wants to be slaving over the stove when it’s so hot outside? I love this recipe because it comes together in no time, especially if you’re using pre-made pesto.
As written, this recipe makes a LOT! Next time I’ll cut the recipe in half, unless I’m bringing it to a pot-luck affair. The recipe calls for two different types of pasta, but I couldn’t find fusilli at my local supermarket, so I only used bow-tie pasta. Don’t skimp on the salt when you make this. I find that Ina Garten’s recipes are usually very salt-heavy, so I always start with a fraction of the salt called for. In this case, I underestimated. I used about 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of salt and it definitely wasn’t enough. I’ll use the whole 3/4 teaspoon next time.
This recipe makes great leftovers. I actually thought it was a tiny bit better the next day. If you have to bring something to a pot-luck dinner or barbecue, this is the perfect dish to make the night before.
Pasta, Pesto and Peas
Recipe from Ina Garten
3/4 pound fusilli pasta
3/4 pound bow tie pasta
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 cups pesto (packaged)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.
Yield: 12 servings
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In my eternal quest to get my boys to eat/drink healthy things, I found this recipe for strawberry lemonade made without adding sugar to it. I typically cook with sugar. I never use artificial sweeteners. This is one of the first recipes I’ve tried that calls for agave nectar. I’ve had a bottle of agave nectar for about a year now, and I haven’t touched it. It’s time!
I was surprised by how much I liked this drink. I always thought I disliked agave nectar, but this drink definitely changed my mind. The boys inhaled the lemonade. Actually I should say that three out of four boys inhaled it. One of my sons rejected it because he found a strawberry seed in it. The second it hit his lips, the drink was rejected. Do you think he’ll ever get over his aversion to fruits and vegetables? It’s killing me!
Next, I’m going to try to make lemonade with agave nectar. I hope it’s good because my boys LOVE lemonade, but I only make it as a treat during the summer because it has so much sugar in it. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Strawberry Lemonade with Agave Nectar
Recipe from weelicious.com
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries, stemmed and washed
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 cups water
Ice for serving
Puree strawberries and agave nectar in a blender or food processor until smooth and transfer to a pitcher. Pour the water, agave nectar and lemon juice in the pitcher and stir to combine.
Chill and serve over ice.
Yield: 4 servings
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This recipe comes from the August 2010 issue of Cooks Illustrated. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy reading the magazine? One recipe is better than the next. I typically try several new recipes from each issue.
When coming up with this recipe, the folks at Cooks Illustrated tried to see how many bananas they could cram into in a single loaf without losing the structural integrity of the bread. They succeeded in using 5 bananas in each loaf, with a sixth banana used to decorate the top. Not bad!
I usually add chocolate chips to my banana bread, but I decided that the first time I tried this recipe, I’d follow the directions exactly. I plan to make another loaf tomorrow, and this bread is so delicious, I’m going to leave it as it is and not put any chips into it. It doesn’t need them.
Make sure that your bananas are very ripe when you use them for this bread. I wait until the skin on mine is almost entirely black. The more the bananas ripen, the sweeter they get. Once my bananas get almost black, I throw them in the freezer if I don’t intend to use them immediately.
When I made this bread, I chose not to use the 6th banana, so I didn’t have sliced bananas on the top of mine. I don’t think I missed anything. Oh, I didn’t add the nuts either because my boys don’t like nuts in things. It was still delicious.
Ultimate Banana Bread
Recipe from Cooks Illustrated Magazine, August 2010 issue
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 large (about 2 1/4 pounds) very ripe bananas, peeled
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Spray one 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. You can also make this in a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. If you use this larger pan, decrease the cooking time by at least 5 minutes.
Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.
Place five (5) bananas in a microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in the plastic wrap with a paring knife. Microwave on high until the bananas are soft and have released liquid, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer the bananas to a fine-mesh strainer placed over a medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. You should have 1/2 to 3/4 cup liquid after straining. If you are using frozen bananas, there is no need to microwave them. Put them directly in a strainer over a bowl and let them drain.
Transfer liquid to medium saucepan over medium heat until it’s reduced to approximately 1/4 cup. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in the drained bananas; mash with a potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in the walnuts or pecans, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan.
Slice the remaining banana diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Shingle the banana sliced on top of both sides of the loaf, leaving 1 1/2-inch-wide space down the center to ensure even rising. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of sugar evenly over the top of the loaf.
Bake 55 to to 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool bread in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and continue to cool on the wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 1 loaf
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As part of the CSA to which I belong, I get a share of eggs. I turned my half-dozen eggs into a beautiful cheese quiche. The recipe is from Mark Bittman. I love how quick, simple and delicious his recipes are.
The recipe below offers a couple of options: heavy cream, half-and-half or milk andcheddar or gruyere cheese. I used half-and-half and gruyere cheese. Gruyere is one of my favorite cheeses to use in a quiche. I much prefer it to cheddar. I also threw in 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme from my garden. Yum!
I love to have a quiche around when we have house guests. You can make it the night before, and it’s so easy to heat up for breakfast. With a side of fruit, you’re all set.
Basic Cheese Quiche
Recipe from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
1 (9 1/2 inch) deep dish pie shell, unbaked and chilled
6 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups grated cheddar cheese or gruyere cheese (or the lesser known Emmenthal or Cantal cheese)
2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half or whole milk, gently heated just until warm
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Preheat oven to 425°; prick the crust all over with a fork. Line it with tin foil and weight the bottom with a pile of dried beans, rice, or other weights that will sit flat on the surface. Bake 12 minutes; remove from the oven and carefully remove the weight and foil; turn the oven to 325°.
In a bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, cream, and seasonings; beat until well blended. Place the baked crust on a baking sheet; pour the egg mixture into the crust, right to the top. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven; bake 30-40 minutes, until the mixture is set but still moist; it should still jiggle just a little in the middle (cover pie crust edges with foil if getting too brown). Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 6 servings
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If you like thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies, these are for you. The recipe comes from Tate’s Bake Shop in Southampton, NY.
We went to visit my parents last weekend and I brought a box of chocolate chip cookies from Gourmet Garage which I thought were pretty good. They’re soft and chewy. My mother had a couple of packages of Tate’s chocolate chip cookies that she served next to the ones that I brought. I went right for the soft and chewy ones. My husband made a beeline for the Tate’s cookies. I wondered why, so I did a little taste test. The soft and chewy cookies that I thought I liked couldn’t hold a candle to the Tate’s cookies. I have definitely been missing out all these years.
When we left my parent’s house, I was determined to make a version of Tate’s thin and crispy cookies. On my first try, I succeeded. I brought some to our book club meeting the other night and they received rave reviews. My friend Greg said that they were the second best cookie he has ever tasted. I asked what his favorites were. These.
There is no great trick to getting thin and crispy cookies. It’s all in the proportion of the ingredients that you use.
My father-in-law LOVED thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies. I wish he were alive to taste these. I know he would have loved them. I miss him.
Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook by Kathleen King
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with Silpat. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the water and vanilla. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Add the eggs and mix them lightly. Stir in the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Don’t over-mix the dough.
Drop the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets using two tablespoons or an ice cream scoop. Bake them for 12 minutes or until the edges and centers are brown. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Yield: Four and a half dozen 3-inch cookies
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