What's for Dinner? #157 [old]

[LindaWhit]

Well, time to move along to a new thread! We've had a break in our uber-hot spell here in New England, but I've heard that humidity is returning for the weekend. Sounds like a cold salad type of "cooking". But we'll see.

What's cooking in your area?

[mike9]

Oops -

[Harters]

We've reached that point where it's time for a new thread . Here y'all go:-

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/861225

[mariacarmen]

Who was it I have to thank for dinner tonight? someone here recently inspired me... dinner was poached eggs on peppered goat cheese ciabatta toasts, salad of romaine, asparagus, endive, dijon/lemon vinaigrette, BACON BITS, and sauteed (in the bacon fat) halved and dilled radishes and whole cherry tomatoes. i could eat like that every night, i swear.

[tiffeecanoe]

I made something similar yesterday! Poached eggs, goat cheese and toasted Italian bread... Match made in heaven isn't it?! Your plate looks delicious!

[mariacarmen]

you again! you were my inspiration, yet again. thanks tiffee, it was wonderful.

[LindaWhit]

That looks seriously good!

[gingershelley]

I may have to reprise this after farmer's market eggs are procured tomorrow! Along with radishes, last of the asparagus (or we shall see what else is on offer). Have the bacon on hand, and lot's of greens.

On good bread, delish. I would like this with an arugula salad for the tangy counterpoint:)

[nomadchowwoman]

Just took a closer look at those eggs--perfectly cooked. Impressive.

[prima]

Lime/cumin/oregano/garlic/olive oil pork chops, basil/lemon/mayo potato salad, sauteed beet greens with crushed chilies and garlic, guacamole, blackberry upside-down cake (that I planned to bake last night, but didn't bake until tonight)

[gingershelley]

Tonight is going to be corn on the cob, sliced tomato (still not local yet, but a nice one this time) and avocado salad, and dungeness crab on sale again! Yeah!

This time I am eating it cold with homemade lemon mayo. Food of the gods:)

[tiffeecanoe]

Pretty sure I'd like to live in an area where dungeness crab goes on sale! :)

[gingershelley]

$5.99 a pound, you can't go wrong; whole crab, less than $8 bucks. Score!

[mariacarmen]

cold crab and lemon mayo! mmm...

[gingershelley]

It was VERY delish... I made the mayo on the loose side - definitely not oily or firm, more of a sauce. Nothing but a 1/3 of a garlic clove, lemon peel and juice, mini dab of dijon in it as an extra binder, one egg yolk, most of the egg white from said egg, and about 1/2 cup of canola oil and 1/4 cup of Spanish olive oil. Coarse salt and a sploosh of pepper sauce.

Nice and delicate with cold crab, tomatoes, lemon wedges, and a 1/2 an avocado. Kind of decadent and not enough veggies, but pure crab bliss sometimes wins out:)

[steve h.]

Skirt steak and fresh corn.

[Bacardi1]

I had bought some house-made locally-sourced organic "Honey Chipotle Chicken Sausages this past weekend, so last night I sauteed them up, sliced them, & added them to a package of Zatarain's "Red Beans & Rice", adding in a diced up chipotle in adobo sauce as well. It worked perfectly - the sweet-hot sausages were perfect with the rice mix. Green salad & crusty bread as sides of course.

[tiffeecanoe]

Pork shoulder in the crock pot and will be serving it on grilled ciabatta w/ fresh mozzarella and giardinara. Cucumber and tomato salad on the side. Looking forward to it as the house currently smells beyond delicious.

[PHREDDY]

It should!!! How was the meal?

[tiffeecanoe]

It was DELICIOUS! I was short on giardinara so I chopped some green olives and made an olive relish with it. So good and so easy!

[PHREDDY]

Got to try that in the crock pot, but when it gets a little cooler out... I love those kind of dishes when it is chilly.... Warms the cockles of mi heart!

[chefathome]

Tonight we are grilling shrimp with a dill and lemon sauce, sauteeing broccoli rabe with roasted garlic and making vermicelli with peanut sauce. Sort of all over the map today but sometimes you just gotta go with your cravings!

[linguafood]

My sister left today after a whirlwind visit to Berlin. Of course, we generally go out with our out-of-town guests, and we already have plans to go out with another friend tomorrow night, so tonight will be the first time in a while where I will be at the stove:

Remarkably thick (for German standards) veal steaks will be pan-seared and topped with a mushroom cream sauce -- just sautéed diced onion, oyster & white & brown button mushrooms, some fresh parsley, a hit of red wine and a touch of creme fraîche. Side will be roasted cauli and maybe a side salad, though we may not need that much.

Dessert -- some donut peaches which are incredible this year.

[Harters]

The doughnut (UK spelling) peaches are, indeed, really fab this year. Dunno why. Peaches are usually crap here - so hard and no flavour.

[linguafood]

These are unbelievably flavorful & juicy. I have to stop myself not to eat too many.

Which reminds me -- I haven't bought *any* cherries this summer. Must do that soon, even though a lot of the fat dark ones are pretty expensive....

[Harters]

British cherries are on such a short season - but currently available. it'll be back to the Turkish ones in a week or so.

[linguafood]

Steaks came out well, the mushroom sauce was wonderful. Stuffed.

[LindaWhit]

Looks heavenly!

[GretchenS]

Drooling...

[nomadchowwoman]

That looks incredibly delicious.

[Harters]

Upcoming - haddock, saute potatoes, peas.

Coming soon to a WFD thread near you - eastern Mediterranean food at Harters Hall. We've been down to the Lebanese shop and come away laden down with bargains and change from £11. We'd just gone for za'atar which herself needs for a bread recipe. Now I can get that online for £2.50 for 50g, so when I tell you that we got 500g for about the same price - you can see why I was wandering round the shop muttering to myself saying "freak me, that's cheap" - or some such like. And the very nice woman helped us find it and told us that there was choice between Lebanese, Syrian or Jordanian za'atar. We got the Jordanian as she said it was more citrony than the others. Oh, yes, speaking of bargains, there was also the twenty pittas for £1. And cheap pickles - chilli peppers, turnips and torshi. And yogurt at half the price of the supermarket.

We had great fun!

[JungMann]

Sounds like quite some spectacular finds and I'm eager to learn how you use them all. The pitas alone are quite a value. I buy my bread from a Syrian bakery in Brooklyn whose wares are marked up in excess of 100% if I buy them in Manhattan, though I'm still getting mere packages of five in comparison to your twenty. I've heard that Jordanian za'atar is less citrusy than others because it has far more thyme than sumac, but not having tried it, I'll need to rely on your tasting notes for verification.

Last night's dinner was poached chicken, hacked Chinese style, served atop cold macque choux and drizzled with ginger scallion sauce (which goes surprisingly well with an otherwise Cajun salad!). On the side, a final bowl of gazpacho and for dessert a Bramble made with homemade blackberry balsamic shrub. The shrub which had sounded so promising in my mind tastes shockingly mild, not sure if it's my batch or just weak blackberries to blame.

[Harters]

Certainly thyme is a greater ingredient than sumac, JM, but it tastes pretty citrussy to me. Not overwhelmingly but I can always add some more sumac if it seems to need it for something. And, with that much za'atar, I'm now off to find new recipes to use it in.

[LindaWhit]

Some help:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/372971

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/533034

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/833005

And now I want roasted za'atar chicken. :-)

[JungMann]

I have to admit that my experiment with za'atar chicken last week was not altogether pleasant. Maybe it's better with whole chicken, but on breasts, it tasted incongruous like chicken and condiments.

[LindaWhit]

I always add more ground sumac to the za'atar mix. not sure if that would help.

[JungMann]

I usually add a lot of sumac to my mix, along with mint and cumin. I suppose maybe BSCB does not have enough fat to match up to the za'atar since I typically eat it mixed with olive oil or labneh. I'd give it a try again with chicken thighs...

[scubadoo97]

Maybe cutting the breasts in paillards and wrapping them around some French feta, za'atar and preserved lemon would round it out??

[JungMann]

Well goodness, shoe leather would probably taste good with that combination! I wish I had some preserved lemon to try it out tonight.

[gingershelley]

I want THAT for dinner scubadoo!

[nomadchowwoman]

Sounds good to me!

[prima]

JungMann, Harters, LindaWhit, or anyone else, does sumac go rancid, or does it just become weaker/lose its punch as it gets older? I have a small tin of sumac that is 2-3 years old, and I'm not sure whether I should just buy a new batch.

[Harters]

LW - thanks, lots to go at there. And, yep, I'm having it chicken really soon.

Prima - any spice is going to lose its perkiness over time. I've had my current little jar of sumac for a couple of years and still seems fine.

[JungMann]

I assume sumac will lose its flavor like any other spice, but I don't think you need to worry about rancidity. If a handful of sumac does not taste sufficiently citrusy and bright to you, just use some more.

[LindaWhit]

What both Harters and JM said - any spice will get weaker, but you should still be able to use it. When my grandma died and Mom cleaned out her spice cabinet, she found 3 (FIVE!) containers of cinnamon and 3 of nutmeg. They were all still good.

[mariacarmen]

but things like rosemary/thyme can get moldy, can't they? i've run into many a rosemary jar that had passed its prime and tasted moldy....

[steve h.]

Dust in the Wind is not an existential ballad. Rather, it's a sage, first-person comment on old spices/herbs.
Dump the old stuff.

[prima]

Thanks, Harters, JM & LW.

[roxlet]

Sounds great -- and like it should be a shop on the regular rotation!

[LindaWhit]

Wonderful finds, Harters! And great price on the za'atar!

[gingershelley]

Sounds like a great time and a great haul!

Mediterranean food is practically my favorite, if I can only have one kind for all time (tho, I know, technically I am calling on about 8 countries at least!). Yums....

[Berheenia]

Back in town from the beach Sunday was an stock-up at WF- went to the salad bar for lunch and ate a weird but healthy selection of greens, tofu, guacomole etc. after 2 weeks of indulgence and shopped for the coming week ahead. Sunday night was chicken marsala on calrose whiterice, last night was meatloaf and baked potatoes. Both meals were accompanied with lots of summer and zuchinni squash.
And today we're having a Baby! My DOL is in labor in Manhattan and we hope to have our 1st grandchild by dinner! So who knows WFD tonight.. there definitely will be wine....

[LindaWhit]

Many happy wishes for your new grandchild!

[mariacarmen]

upcoming congrats, Berheenia!

[GretchenS]

Congratulations to all of you on the forthcoming baby!

[gingershelley]

Oh Congrats on the new baby and being a Grandma! Very exciting.... toasts with you!

[PHREDDY]

Mazel Tov!

[Berheenia]

Born at 4 am he barely made it in time for this run of WFD! Really took his time getting here. Thanks for all the kind wishes. :)

[nomadchowwoman]

How exciting for you Berheenia--takes the doldrums out of returning from vacation, doesn't it?

[PHREDDY]

Healthy and normal? Priceless!!!!

[weezieduzzit]

A neighbor just walked over with a jar of gorgeous chunky tomato sauce she made from her garden tomatoes (we have awesome neighbors.) I just happened to toss a package of ground chicken in the fridge to thaw this morning. :)

I'll make some pasta for the man and a pile of steamed veggies for me- meatballs and the wonderful homemade sauce on top.

[nomadchowwoman]

Great neighbors (who cook, can, or garden!) are a beautiful thing.

[gingershelley]

Oh, super +1 on this! I have a couple neighbors with fruit trees; I make jam and jellies with them. Very symbiotic!

[Bacardi1]

I recently discovered a new local artisinal market, & purchased some local " Honey Chipotle Chicken Sausages". Sauteed them up in some extra-virgin olive oil to taste-test them first. Then cooked them up, sliced them, & added to them to some Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice along with a minced Chipotle Pepper in Adobo sauce. Turned out delicious. The pepper added a needed kick to the sweetness of the sausage. With a green salad on the side, was a really nice meal.

[ChristinaMason]

So far dinner's been a leftover veal chop, a wedge of leftover pizza...and not sure what else is on tap. Some vegetables would be appropriate, I suppose!

[roxlet]

Home alone? I'm familiar with those kinds of meals!

[steve h.]

A spinach turnover (recipe courtesy of, From Julia Child's Kitchen). Puff pastry came from the store, the ham is leftover stuff I made last week. This is a cool dish that takes maybe two days to assemble properly but is not onerous. Deb is doing all the heavy lifting. The cheese sauce alone (gruyere) is worth the price of admission. Kitchen smells great. A Sonoma chardonnay will wash it all down. I'll be on KP.

[chefathome]

Simple but delicious. Too hot to really go all out.

Pureed Soup of Carrot and Sweet Potato with Spices and Citrus

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Garlic
Mango and Black Plums Salad with Lavender-Infused Honey and Fresh Mint

[tiffeecanoe]

Loving that our garden and herbs are in slightly out of control! Last night we had a version of recipe from the cookingchannel.com that someone shared on Facebook, lol - come to think of it, may have been Bobby Flay, hmm! It was french bread, grilled with goat cheese, fresh tomatoes and topped with beautiful poached eggs which were sprinkled with a fresh herb salad in a fresh tarragon vinaigrette. It was delicious and my husband asked if we could have it again tonight! I'm attached a picture - not the most beautiful plating ;)

Made some marinara and I'll be turning our homegrown eggplants into some beautiful parmigiana!

[mariacarmen]

tiffee- that sounds like a fabulous dinner - eggy goat cheesy one. may have to do that this week.

[steve h.]

Nice. Goat cheese and eggs were made for each other.

[nomadchowwoman]

Yum. I love what one of my pals refers to as "architectural toasts." Great ingredients on grilled bread, and you cannot go wrong.

[gingershelley]

"architectural toasts"! Love the term:) Oh, and the taste....

[nomadchowwoman]

Last night we had vietnamese-style cold rice noodles with grilled chicken and various sauces (David Tanis, NYT).While we both enjoyed this (I probably more than DH), all the chopping and mincing and prepping for the marinade, two more sauces, noodles, chicken, and veggies and herbs was very time-consuming. I know Smitten Kitchen has a simplified version; I may try that next time. I also made (Vietnames) shrimp fritters from the COTM, which we had a couple of hours before dinner. These were pretty fabulous (but I have got to stop frying things--esp. in this godawful heat). DH loved them enough that he reheated some and made a sandwich for lunch. That's two self-designed sandwiches in eight days: the man's inner chef is finally emerging.

Tonight it will be leftover pulled pork tacos with pickled onions, sides of black beans and avocado salad. And I'm going to make myself something thirst-quenchy to celebrate the end of my month of jury duty.

[LindaWhit]

A MONTH of jury duty? Ye gods.

[nomadchowwoman]

Yes, one of the many insanities of life in this city of many other charms ; ).

And sorry about your car, LW. We just swallowed hard over another 1K repair on a 10yo Volvo. I'd be crying over $1500--or pouring myself a large glass of something.

[LindaWhit]

Oh, whine was definitely on the menu last night. ;-)

[nomadchowwoman]

Hence the ubiquitous "wine a bit; you'll feel better." (Showed up on a little banner someone brought as a hostess gift recently.) Or "wine takes the h out of whine."

[Harters]

A month.? Yikes.

Here in the UK, it's usually two weeks. Of course, if you get picked for a long trial, you could be at it for weeks. The one I got picked for only lasted a couple of days (and we had to be dismissed as we couldnt agree a verdict)

[LindaWhit]

Massachusetts is usually for a day, unless you get picked for a trial. Then it's the length of the trial. If you get picked for a grand jury I think that's up to 3 months, and the grand jury meets 3 times a week.

[nomadchowwoman]

Three months!!!! Ok, I'll stop whining about my one month.

[LindaWhit]

But that's grand jury only. I don't know anyone who's ever been picked for that in MA. Then again, I don't know the majority of people who live in MA. ;-)

[kubasd]

One of my sisters is at Northeastern, and in Boston even non-residents can get called for jury duty..... She got picked for both city AND state jury duty back to back!! Oh, forgot to mention that the second one was when she was home in CT for the summer...

[gingershelley]

NMC, I sometimes feel like some things I make are too time consuming for the results. HATE it when that happens... But the dishes look great!

a whole MONTH of jury duty? Aaacck! I can see if your on a murder trial or something, but otherwise...

I have never been called for jury duty, and on the other hand, have friends who have been tapped every few years it seems like. A mystery.

[roxlet]

I had made this too, ncw, and we really liked it, though it is a real PITA to make. My husband wasn't that fond of the noodles, however, and I found that the recommended package made a too much. But my son really loved the chicken and the marinade, so I would be tempted to serve this as a chicken entree. I, too, did the NY Times version, not the Smitten Kitchen one.

[nomadchowwoman]

Exactly on the chicken--and too many noodles. My husband said I should skip the noodles and sauces next time but definitely make the chicken this way again. I liked it all, but agree that the chicken was pretty special and that prep was the easy part.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Tonight is carne adovada, made with the remaining 3 pork chops from the family pack we dug into last night. I made the red chili sauce yesterday and have been marinading the pork chunks overnight, and will continue to marinade them until it's time to cook. Sides will be Mexican(ish) rice, chipotle pinto beans and more of the flour tortillas that are just completely different (and way better) than anything I've had in Canada, New York or California.

Also made the mistake this morning of taking my bread dough out of the fridge and starting it proofing. Now I have the oven on and the day keeps getting hotter. Since our only piece of furniture at the moment is the kitchen table, and I work all day on my computer, I am stuck working in an oven. Oh well. it's an oven that will soon smell like fresh baked bread, so it's not all bad.

[GretchenS]

Back from a week at HQ (report on SF Board but little truly Chowish food), and feeling decidedly uninspired back in my own kitchen. Last night I took advantage of the unseasonably cool weather to make a big batch of red sauce with Italian sausage. Served some of it over whole grain spag to which I added some baby kale for the last 2 minutes and frozen baby peas at the end. Freshly grated parm on top. Good but I was too generous with the peas so it ended up a bit on the sweet side. Am hoping that a stop at my local farm stand on the way home tonight will provide some inspiration. Need to get through two nights before the fish share takes over my life for the following two nights. Why does this happen every now and then? No ideas, nothing appeals. I know we all go through it....

[prima]

Chicken + chorizo paella and blackberry upside-down cake.

[Harters]

So, if I was using poncy chef-speak, I'd be calling dinner a warm salad.

No, actually, I'd be calling it a salade tiede.

Anyway, it's a recipe I've had in the file for ages, just waiting for there to be some leftover roast beef. And there is.

First, some green beans get a bit of boil to the soft, but still a good bit of bite, stage. Halved tomatoes go in the frying pan, cut side down, with a bit of oil, salt, pepper, and demerara sugar. When they've started to caramelise and get a bit soft, rosemary, garlic and balsamic vinegar goes in and bubbles about , reducing until it's starting to become a sticky sauce. At that point, the green beans, thinly sliced red onion and thin strips of the beef go in, for a minute to warm through. Sprinkle of parsley and serve. Crusty bread as the carb.

[Bacardi1]

Last night I seasoned & roasted a couple of pounds of chicken wings, then divided them up & tossed them in a variety of our favorite commercial sauces from the "Buffalo Wild Wings" chain - "Hot BBQ", "Parmesan Garlic", & "Mango Habanero". Blue Cheese dressing on the side of course!

[Bacardi1]

Last night I seasoned & roasted a couple of pounds of chicken wings, then divided them up & tossed them in several of our favorite commercial sauces from the "Buffalo Wild Wings" chain - "Hot BBQ", "Parmesan Garlic", & "Mango Habanero". Blue Cheese dressing on the side of course!

[scubadoo97]

Last night I made Hazan's tomato sauce over gemelli pasta and grilled Italian sausage

[mariacarmen]

Dinner out last two nights for me and the BF, and at the oldster's last night, i made him pan-fried bockwursts with browned onions, mashed potatoes with butter & half and half, mashed up steamed broccoli with lots of butter, and slightly sauteed ultra sweet cherry tomatoes from my sister's garden. he LOVED this dinner. those sausages are good ones for his teeth.

tonight at home we finally had the smoked turkey necks, and they were fine, but not stellar, if i'm to be honest. i'd put the bbq chicken rub on them when i slow cooked them and maybe it was too MUCH smokey/sweetish flavor, what with them already being smoked. and I think i like turkey tails better. the texture on these was a bit stringy. anyway, picked all the meat off dem tiny bones, hacked it all up, took the sauce i'd made with the drippings of the meat (added tomatoes, garlic, onions) and whizzed it up with a stick blender. cooked up some wide egg noodles until almost done, then finished them in the sauce with the meat stirred in. served with grated parm reg. on the side was thinly sliced steamed red beets, grilled asparagus spears (leftover from dinner out), crumbled feta, sliced scallions, toasted pine nuts, and a dijon/lemon vinaigrette. salad was the best part of the meal.

[weezieduzzit]

After a wildy successful weekend of camping, great food and drag racing... tonight is pizza! We still have to get the truck unloaded and we're dying to shower and relax so no kitchen duty tonight.

Thank you to everyone for the food suggestions- I took several of them which was a good move because we ended up feeding a lot more than the 10 of us I planned on and everyone loved it. We even turned an extra pan of rice into rice pudding on the barbeque in a foil pan with half and half and sugar and crushed up cinnamon candies (hey, we had a few cocktails and it sounded like a good idea...) that were packed for the morning coffee (Good thing I always take too much because I'm always afraid of not having enough!)

In addition to all of that going well... the man not only took the trophy for the flathead class (away from the club that has held it for 4 or 5 years...HUGE upset!!!!!) but he also took the trophy for Best Hot Rod. He's an amazing car builder and I'm always incredibly proud of him but it's really nice to see him get the recognition he deserves.

It was a GREAT weekend. :)

[steve h.]

That's so cool.

[mariacarmen]

fabulous, weezie!

[LindaWhit]

Glad it was fun, weezie, and YAY!!! for the Man and his trophies!

[gingershelley]

Congrats to the car man! Glad the camp cooking all went well too. Sounds like a great time!

[GretchenS]

Congrats to you for great camp cooking and to the man for his trophies!

[nomadchowwoman]

Excellent.
And how was that rice pudding??

[weezieduzzit]

Good enough for a bunch of hot, tired, hungry people that had been drinking... seriously, I would do it again and plan for it so I had vanilla and cinnamon to add. I did it after all of the meat was cooked and off the grill, used the burner on one side and the pan on the other side and closed the grill like an oven.

[PHREDDY]

Wee.... A win is great and the rice puddin.... Just added to it all...have to remember that trick

[ChristinaMason]

Tonight it's pizza for 1 with my..hmm..shall we say "minimal-knead" pizza dough, spicy marinara, 5-cheese blend, sliced tomatoes and basil chiffonade. I should probably have a salad, but probably won't :)

[JungMann]

Harters' paella put me in the mood, so I took a few of my lobster shells to make stock this afternoon. In a few minutes there'll be chorizo frying away in a pan, preparing the hot oil to make a superb sofrito. Add some toasted vermicelli, some saffron, clams, shrimp, the stock to cover and in before you know it: fideua.

[chefathome]

Inspiration at its best! Sounds incredibly delicious.

[jmcarthur8]

We had some nice big green peppers in the garden, so I stuffed them with ground turkey, black beans, corn, cumin, my chili powder blend, Rotel, shredded cheddar, cilantro and one lonely Japanese eggplant that fell off the plant when I was mowing near it. Served with sweet buttermilk cornbread and iced tea.

Dessert is pineapple buttermilk sherbet from a dear friend's recipe of 30 some years ago.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Today we're building a coyote fence in the back yard, and drinking lots of iced green tea with lemon to combat the heat, but I've already got tonight's pork chops brining in a brine spiked with garlic, bay, smoked paprika and star anise. They will probably be pan fried or possibly broiled (since we're out of charcoal for the grill) and served with the crabapple sauce I made last night (which turned out wonderfully, although I had to strain it twice to get all of the seeds out). Roasted broccoli with garlic and lemon on the side, and some long grain white rice, steamed with a bit more of that smoked paprika and a touch of butter.

[GretchenS]

What time did you say dinner was, BBL? ;) Sounds wonderful.

[steve h.]

Deb returned from out west on Friday. On Saturday we drove to nearby Port Chester, New York for a light brunch at Tarry Lodge's marble bar. Nibbles included smoked trout, excellent breads, olives and olive oil. Heftier fare was a pizza Margherita for me and a quattro formagio pie for Deb. They make a decent pie at Tarry. Michael, the globe-hopping, singing barkeep, kept us well lubricated with Italian wines.

This was all a prelude to cruising the adjacent Tarry Market. Among the many goodies we picked up there, I managed to score some wonderfully ripe white peaches and (shock, horror!) pre-formed burger patties made from a mix of sirloin, short rib and brisket. I pureed the white peaches and made bellinis to go with Sunday's brunch of scrambled eggs, and bacon. Chives from the garden topped the eggs. The store-bought patties will be put to the test this evening. Judging will be Olympic quality.

[LindaWhit]

Both brunch and dinner sound very good, steve!

[steve h.]

Thanks LW,

Prosecco and white peach puree in a wine glass (not a flute) is the way to go.. The white peach window is narrow so it's imperative to jump on board when you get the chance. Inexpensive fun.

The burger mix will be graded against our house grind. I promise to be impartial.

[twodales]

Love how you two do brunch, seemingly, every weekend.

[steve h.]

HI twodales,
Deb and I are old. We've developed a lot of bad habits.

[twodales]

Old? Not buying it.

[nomadchowwoman]

I was just thinking the same thing. Bellinis--damn!

[steve h.]

Follow-up on the fancy, store bought burger blend.

The mix (sirloin, short rib, brisket) was ok. Not a lot of fat there The patty needed a lot of seasoning help (salt, pepper a drizzle of butter) and benefited from a topping of white American cheese. Caramelized onions were key to overall success. The brioche-like bun came from the bakery: more Italian than French if that makes any sense.

My take is that freshly-ground chuck beats the fancy stuff. Grinding properly marbled meat a few minutes before grilling/pan frying makes for a tastier patty. A coarser grind, one you decide for yourself, also makes a difference. Proper seasoning is important, caramelized onions can make rubber boots taste good.

Yankees/Boston on the plasma. I'm torn: Bobby Valentine is a Stamford boy and I'm a Yankee fan. I'll deal.

[scubadoo97]

You would think that with short rib and brisket that the fat would be at least 20%. I use chuck as a stand alone often but the mix can add more flavor. The big difference is the control you have at home to adjust the fat ratio and the fact that it is freshly ground. Although I've ground a couple of pounds and have eaten burgers through the week and the first wasn't that much better than the last one

[steve h.]

Yeah, that was my thinking going in. I'm guessing whatever fat there was came from the short rib and precious little from the sirloin and brisket.

[LindaWhit]

I have the grinding attachment for my KA. Still haven't used it. I think it might end up being a wintertime activity. :-)

[steve h.]

You'll have too much fun.

[nomadchowwoman]

When I grind my own chuck on the coarse grind, my burgers always fall apart on the grill. Any thoughts on why that is happening?

[steve h.]

I'm no expert (although I play one on Chowhound), but my best guess is insufficient fat. Does that sound reasonable to you?

[nomadchowwoman]

It sounds reasonable, but I guess that would mean I'd have to add fat? The two times I've ground chuck for burger, I have used pretty much all the fat on the original piece of meat, which always seems like a lot. But I'll try it again and pay more attention to the ratio of fat to meat.

[steve h.]

The fat, in addition to adding flavor, also helps as a binder. I'm guessing a very coarse grind can result in the meat coating the fat and thus reducing the binding effect. Like I say, this is a guess and not fact. Keep me posted.

[scubadoo97]

Try a medium grind. That and maybe lack of fat but if it's a chuck that shouldn't be an issue.

[gingershelley]

And the score is?

[steve h.]

The house grind beat the fancy store mix by a score of 8-6 but that's not the full story. I'm thinking a re-match is in order where I grind my own fancy mix so I can better control fat content and coarseness. scubadoo97 says there's a lot of flavor in a mix and I think it's up to me to unlock it through trial and error. I'll measure things as I go and keep good notes.

To be continued...

[gingershelley]

And the WFD ground beef Olympics are ON!

I will throw my hat in the ring and compete. I am craving a burger today.

Steve, I am with you; in that I usually only use beef chuck for my burgers, but I grind in onion and some seasonings as I do it. Have read lots about different blends, but have been very happy with my chuck burgers. With the price of short ribs what they are, and good brisket cuts hard to find here, haven't felt the need to experiment further.

Look forward to hearing how you fair....

[steve h.]

I'm liking this.

[mariacarmen]

ALL THIS TALK ABOUT BOIGHUHS...I'm thinking of making hoisin burgers tonight at my Oldster's house and using (regrettably, sorry steve h - costco ground beef). of course, we can't let him KNOW there's hoisin in them.....

[steve h.]

I'm no burger bigot. Taking a page from LW, I'm reminded how a bag o' chips really seals the deal.

[LindaWhit]

Ding, ding, ding! Chips ON the cheeseboigah.

It's all that AND a bag of chips. :-)

[mariacarmen]

hoisin burgers it was, with chili garlic/sesame mayo (my sister was out of sriracha - the horror!), avocado, sliced toms, slivered scallions, and muenster cheese. a "regular" burger for the Oldster, but then he wanted another so he had a hoisin one too.... "it's a little sweet!" yep, it is. but he liked it. i fried up some taters too - parboiled skin-on red potato wedges then fried and salted. and, more horror for purists - we not only didn't grill them, my sister couldn't find her grill pan so we fried them in a cast iron pan. they were delish. burgers have so many ways to be right.

[LindaWhit]

burgers have so many ways to be right.
~~~~~~~~~~

QFT.

[steve h.]

Very cool.
A million ways to prep/cook/garnish a burger. And they ALL work.

[gingershelley]

DING! DING! DING! Last night I made a delicious burger - with a roasted hatch chili and pepper jack cheese up top. Red onion, homemade mayo, tomato, n iceberg lettuce for max crunch!
Sadly, I used store ground beef (hang my head with shame), as I was out of ground patties, and the store only had over-trimmed chuck so I couldn't grind my own and have enough fat content.

But it was GOOOD!
And I finally gave in, and opened up the bag of chips that has been in my cupboard for 3 months, made onion dip with good ol' lipton mix and some mexi crema I had. Darn you LW! You got me into a bag o chips!

[mariacarmen]

yum your boighah sounds yummy too.

[linguafood]

Too hungover and lazy to cook tonight, so we went out for ramen. Lovely. Hit the spot.

[LindaWhit]

:::::Sigh::::: Took the Good Ol' Girl in for her annual inspection as well as an oil and filter change this afternoon.....and just as I expected, she won't pass the inspection due to leaks in the power steering pump and a valve cover gasket. Parts are on order; I drop her back off on Wednesday for repairs and inspection. Approximately $1,500 later...... :::::BIG SIGH::::: Somehow, I have to figure out how to afford a decent used car. I sure can't afford a new one!

Anyway - it's almost TOO cool out today! A/C is off; windows are open, breeze is blowing through, and my little toesies are a bit chilly! So perfect timing on me deciding it was a meat sauce kind of day.

I'm back into cooking from the freezer again. I took out ground beef, ground chicken, 3 sweet and 2 hot Italian sausages for making sauce. Opened up a bit of room in the upstairs freezer. That'll be cooked up with some chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped red bell pepper, and sliced mushrooms. Mix it up with a large can of crushed tomatoes, another can of diced tomatoes, some tomato paste, basil, oregano, a bay leaf, salt, pepper, and put it on the flame tamer to simmer away for the rest of the afternoon.

Which means spaghetti with meat sauce is on the menu tonight. Some crusty rolls and a CSA salad alongside with maple-balsamic vinaigrette.

And plenty of meat sauce to go into the freezer alongside yesterday's kale and sausage soup.

[steve h.]

Well done.
Plenty of solid used cars out there. Maybe consider not repairing the Good Ol' Girl and just moving on. They can re-stock the parts.

[LindaWhit]

Can't do it right now. So I'm figuring the GOG will hopefully last me (PLEASE?) another 6-12 months and I can do some additional belt-tightening to try and save for a new GOG. I just hate that expenses like this *always* seem to happen when I'm *this* close to paying off the credit cards. I hate carrying a balance on them, and I just can't seem to catch up. I *was* good this month on both of them - little to no charges - until this expense. A saving grace, however, is that the additional card charges will go on *next* month's bill, due to the card's closing period. So that helps postpone the inevitable for 30 days. :-)

[Harters]

'Tis always a bugger when there's car troubles.

[gingershelley]

LW, I feel your pain. My GOG has been running perfectly for 9 months now, and I am thinking this "luck" can't keep up... but so far so good. That's a really expensive repair bill!

[jenscats5]

Ohhhh LW that sounds delicious!! I have a spicy sausage pasta on tap for dinner this week....

[roxlet]

Sorry about your car woes, LW. Your dinner sounds perfect!

[mariacarmen]

we just had to buy what seems to be a solid used car (13 years old) LW, when we figured we'd have to start putting $$ into our old (16 years old, also bought used) one. sorry about the $$! your dinner sounds comforting and really delicious.

[megjp]

For a busy week I've been eating leftovers, leftovers, leftovers. But the freezer is half-empty and the fridge almost fully save for condiments -- and eggs that won't see the end of the week. I have a few button mushrooms and a roasted red pepper, so perhaps it's time to pick up something green and have a frittata then do proper groceries. And make chicken stock to clear out a bunch more freezer room.

[jenscats5]

So it ends up Friday was my Birthday and instead of going out to eat & risking a silly song being sung to me, I chose to have a cooked on-the-stove seafood bake. Crabs, shrimp, Lobster, clams, sausage, potatoes.......Delicious!!! Decided to go out to eat last night, so tonite's plan will be to use up some of the leftover seafood. So I'm thinking linguine with a white wine & butter sauce with lots of garlic, clams & shrimp. Green salad on the side.

[LindaWhit]

The in-house meal was most definitely the way to go, jenscat! Especially with all of those wonderful items in the seafood bake - a very happy birthday to you! Enjoy the "leftover seafood" dinner tonight as well.

[jenscats5]

Thanks LW!! It was delicious!

[mariacarmen]

Happy Bday, JC5! i love "So it ends up...." - like it sneaked up on you! mine is sneaking up in a week or so too, and I and another bday gal are throwing ourselves a tapas/small plates party for 15 at her house. your seafood bakes sounds awesome! coincidentally, one of our group is doing paella - not so far from seafood bake, eh?

[jenscats5]

Haha MC!! I knew it was coming but as I get older I try to avoid it more & more!! The tapas/small plates sounds great - let me know what you all end up doing!! I love Tapas!! Paella is close I agree!!

What did "end up" is that the lobster I got was a Female lobster......eggs galore!!

[mariacarmen]

wow.... what does one do with lobster eggs??

[Bacardi1]

You eat them!!!!! For me, getting a female lobster chock full of roe is a bonanza. And since my husband doesn't care for the roe, if he ends up with a female, I get the roe from his as well.

Some folks also save the cooked roe & add it to butter to use in other seafood dishes or in seafood dips, etc.

Now keep in mind that the edible roe is INSIDE the female lobster. Once they've formed into true eggs & have moved down onto the underside of the tail, it's illegal to catch & eat them.

[jenscats5]

That's interesting to know.....they were actually "inside" the tail........

However, I've never seen this before and didn't know if they could be eaten, etc so I didn't eat them.....

[Bacardi1]

On the outside of the shell of the tail, where you could readily see them, or inside of the tail after cutting into the lobster? They would have been bright red after cooking. Inside the tail is fine, & next time eat away. In fact, in most female lobsters, the roe extends from inside the tail to way up inside the body cavity.

For me it's definitely one of the very best parts of the lobster.

And actually, either way they still would have been edible. It's just that when the egg clusters are on the outside of the shell of the lobster tail & ready to be deposited, like I said before, they're illegal for catch or sale. Not that you're at fault if you're sold or served one.

I was once shocked a few years ago when the seafood manager of our local Giant supermarket, during a lobster sale, waved a big female with huge egg clusters stuck to the underside of her tail, & asked if I wanted her. I can only surmise that she came in unknowingly with the rest of the sale shipment. What a sad, sad shame.

Female lobsters carry their roe/eggs inside for around a year; then on the underside of their tails for yet another year. And after hatching, the larvae/youngsters are pretty much dinner for pretty much everything in the water. It's amazing we get to eat any lobster at all! (But the roe is delicious, & next time you find it in a lobster, try it. If you don't like it - do offer it to others at your table. I know I'd be willing! :) )

[gingershelley]

I learned something today... thanks Bacardi. I don't have a lot of lobster knowledge since in SEA, we usually stick with crab since it's in our backyard.

lobster roe sounds great!

[mariacarmen]

ok, i'm a total ignoramus - isn't that the same thing you find in the inside of the crab shell, the crab "butter"? if so, YUM.

[gingershelley]

MC, actually, in a crab, the 'crab butter' is the digestive gland or 'hepatopancreas'; a fat-filled organ that has gotten the name of 'crab butter' over time:)

[mariacarmen]

AH.... see how little i know? thanks gs! i won't let the sound of that deter me, i love the stuff.

[nomadchowwoman]

Happy Birthday! Good call on the at-home seafood extravaganza. Yum.

[Bacardi1]

Used up the last of last week's farmers market goodies by making one of my favorite Eggplant Parmegian recipes using two lovely violet-striped globe eggplants (I suspect they were "Rosa Bianca"), & LOTS of shredded mozzarella & parmesan. Served with buttered Rotini pasta, a green salad, & a wonderful loaf of freshly-made local/artisinal crusty French bread.

[roxlet]

Having bought a new computer and having returned said new computer when it soon became clear that I had gotten a lemon, I haven't posted many dinners this week.
One of the best I made was crab cakes. My husband had bought a can of crab from Costco that had hung around in the refrigerator for far too long. I kept on looking at it suspiciously, but then I decided to open it and try it out. It was actually fabulous crab, and I used the recipe from The Best Recipe, which I love. It's extremely simple and uses very little bread crumbs in the mixture, so the cakes have a pure crab taste. I paired that with a simple pasta using the same herbs (parsley and tarragon) that were in the crab cakes, and added extremely thin asparagus to the pasta.

The following night, we had spicy shrimp and zucchini tacos with red beans and rice, avocado, and chorizo.

Today, my husband is providing BBQ for my son's intensive physics final review brunch, so last night we had a taste of some of his offerings. For the first time, he smoked Italian sausage, which was fabulous. We also polished off a rack of ribs among the three of us, and had some wonderful butter and sugar corn from our local farmer's market. For the brunch for some 60 kids, teachers, TAs and assistants he is making pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and sausage. I made slaw and potato salad yesterday. This class has been insanely difficult (each day covers an entire week of work, and there is a quiz, homework, and lab every day, plus three major exams every two weeks, which comprise a trimester), so we wanted to do something special for the kids. The teacher is providing for the few vegetarians and kosher kids, as my husband doesn't do vegetarian or kosher food. I imagine we will likely have leftovers for dinner tonight.

[LindaWhit]

Oh WOW, roxlet! That's an amazing brunch today for the kids and teachers - and the class sounds way beyond my pay grade! LOL Good luck - and enjoy the brunch food.

[roxlet]

Thanks, Linda, but I am just sending my husband and son with all the goodies, and they will get some others to help with the carrying in and setting up. I plan on watching the Olympics and working on a surprise needlepoint wallet for my son's birthday!

[PHREDDY]

I am sure this will go a long way in your son's memory bank of real good stuff!!!!! I hope they all do well.....what school is he atttending?

Pulled pork? special receipe?...I have a whole brisket on the cue now for diner to night....slaw is made, as well as a big pot of red beans.....will add some small red potaotes to roast along side the brisket.....not too hot here today, so it will be an ice cream bar for all....

[roxlet]

My husband does the BBQ. We have a huge smoker in our backyard that he designed and had made in Texas and that could feed between 150-200 people depending on the menu. My son is a rising junior at Horace Mann. Yes. That school.

[PHREDDY]

Hey Ro I am only one person so if you cue for 149 persons, I will fill in for # 150 and will eat any leftovers they sound great! Horace Mann school is one of my customers , so I am real familiar with them.

[emu48]

Big batch of the world's easiest pasta salad: Boil a mess of fusilli. Drain and toss, while still hot, with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir in diced ripe tomatoes, skin and seeds included. Cool to room temp, then chill in fridge. At serving time (or before chilling), throw in chopped basil and lots of grated parmesan or pecorino or similar. Stir one more time and serve. Cooling time can be shortened a bunch by parking the warm pasta, in a stainless steel bowl, on a trivet in front of a fan for 15-20 minutes. Delicious with anything else you'd care to eat on a hot summer day.

[Harters]

We've been to the farmers market and come away weighed down with goodies.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/860799

But it's still just pizza and salad for dinner.

[LindaWhit]

Oh wow - just read everything you got - What a wonderful-sounding market, Harters!

[GretchenS]

Some fabulous shopping you and the Mrs did!

[mariacarmen]

quite a delicious score there, Mr. H.

[nomadchowwoman]

Good haul from what sounds like an incredible market.

[eal20]

Earlier in the week we marinated then grilled boneless chicken thighs. ( equal parts balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a clove or two of grated garlic). Threw a few dried figs in the marinade and grilled those too.

We spent today making peach chutney and canning so dinner was the last of the cold chicken thighs, a couple of cold grilled figs and the little bit of peach chutney that wouldn't fill a jar.

[ChristinaMason]

Nice! Welcome to WFD. Chutney sounds delicious.

[eal20]

Thanks. First time making it. Was secretly hoping some of the cans wouldnt seal so we'd have an excuse to pop one in the fridge and eat it again tomorrow with something! And thanks for the welcome. Sort of wish I hadn't found this thread. Trying to loose 30 pounds. This is not helping :-)

[mariacarmen]

welcome indeed, eal20. alternate this thread with this one:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/856206

it helps!

[LindaWhit]

I enjoy reading about those of you who home-can and put up preserves. The most I'm able and willing to do is make plum ketchup or rhubarb-ginger jam that goes into the freezer for use later. Thankfully I have that chest freezer and extra fridge/freezer in the garage!

Welcome to WFD - you'll find lots of good meal ideas here!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Last night was a quick, early evening dinner of (you guessed it ) pizza. Dough brushed with a bit of pesto, then the sauce, then some good old mozzarella. Tomato-olive salad with balsamic dressing on the side. Then we went on a crabapple-picking expedition and came back with a bag full of perfectly ripe crabapples.

So today I've been boiling crabapples. I'm making a couple jars of lavender-crabapple jelly, and a huge pot full of spiced crabapple sauce, some of which will be served tomorrow with pork chops for dinner.

Tonight's dinner, however, is spaghetti and meatballs.

[ChristinaMason]

You should make some hard cider, too!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Crab apple hard cider?! You wouldn''t be able to point me in the direction of a recipe, would you?

[ChristinaMason]

I would go with a French-style cidre with champagne yeast. This website looks promising: http://byo.com/stories/article/indice...

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Thanks for the link -- that looks really, really interesting! I don't have all the supplies right now (or the money to buy them) but now that I've got the idea in my head, I might just have to save up... Prime crabapple season will be over, but there seem to be plenty of regular apple trees around here too, and they won't be ready for another month or so.

[nomadchowwoman]

Have been lazy and indecisive today, but I guess I'll make trout picatta from the COTM tonight, and a caesar salad w/white anchovies. Maybe I'll toast some breadcrumbs with garlic to jazz up steamed asparagus. I've got tomatoes, basil, and a baguette to use up so looks like a bruschetta app. A martini should round things out.

We've entered the dead period at the FM--only a handful of vendors were there this morning as most of the summer veggies are done. And got the bad news that this was the last week for the peach people (who drive in from Alabama). Unusually short season this year, they told me. Bummer.

[LindaWhit]

Wow. So very different farmers markets time frame as compared to New England - your summer veggies are done and ours are just starting their upswing. Many of our FMs don't get started until mid-June/early July since many farmers don't grow greenhouse veggies. Those of us doing CSA veggies got them a bit earlier (greenhouse raised). But I'm still looking for local corn in my CSA (although I have seen it in local supermarkets).

[ChristinaMason]

Tonight I'm cooking solo and making use of various things needing using (again). On the menu:

-Italian-breaded fried veal chops
-Eggplant marinara (slices of eggplant layered with caramelized onions, sauce and Italian-blend cheese, a little herbed cottage cheese, and a few fistfuls of orzo and baked until bubbly.)
-some kind of salad w/ Romaine, or maybe just sliced tomatoes.

I've love some wine, but that requires a trip to the store. Maybe, if I can talk myself into buying ice cream, too.

I have a ball of no-knead pizza dough (which I in fact did need) slow-rising for tomorrow. Love the weekend!

[nomadchowwoman]

Love your dinner!

[ChristinaMason]

Thanks! It turned out decent, despite overcooking the orzo a bit. I'm joining your martini with a rye and lemonade. Cheers!

[ChristinaMason]

oops, "need" not "knead". lol.

[LindaWhit]

A few errands done today, along with a few of my Honey Do's....although not enough of them. Never enough of them get done. But the dishwasher has been run and emptied, the bed has been changed and a load of laundry thrown in, up-and downstairs vacuumed, kittehs Furminated, and a new outdoor thermometer installed on the new deck railing. The rain started a bit earlier, so it's time to cook.

A pot of Kale and Sausage Soup will be made to tuck into containers for freezing. Meanwhile, I made the firecracker marinade for some sirloin steak tips tonight, which will be done on the grill pan. Roasted CSA red potatoes in the convection oven (tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, freshly minced rosemary, and minced GAHLIC!). Grilled CSA zucchini planks (also brushed with some additional firecracker marinade) will also be done on the grill pan.

http://tinyurl.com/Firecracker-Marinade

I had planned to make a nectarine and plum crisp, but time got away from me. Perhaps that'll be dessert tomorrow. I've got ice cream or TJ's Triple Gingersnaps should have a need for sweet. Or both. :-)

[nomadchowwoman]

Interesting. I have a recipe for "Firecracker Chicken," but the marinade is pretty different--no maple syrup, ginger, hot bean paste. Yours sounds good, though.

[LindaWhit]

I've been using this marinade for awhile - I think from the early 2000s?. SO good on beef. Mine is the only review on Country Living's website. But I've given it to several friends, and they all like it. The lime and maple syrup are really a nice combo. Add the red pepper flakes and it gives a nice "bite".

[gingershelley]

LW, nice menu and thanks for sharing the marinade!
I LOVE those TJ's 3xgingersnap cookies...... just had the idea that THOSE should go into the next batch of peach/ginger ice cream too. Thanks for reminding me of those cookies!

[LindaWhit]

Those cookies would be wonderful in the next batch of peach ice cream, gingershel!

[sisterfunkhaus]

Not quite sure. I may make a roasted veggie and quinoa salad. I'm also thinking about throwing together one of those old fashioned chick'n (fake chicken) spaghetti type of dishes.Then again, I found a splendid recipe for veggie laksa that is fast and looks divine.

[GretchenS]

Tell us more about the veggie laksa, sounds very interesting....

[twodales]

Invited for a walleye fish fry with friends tonight. They caught the fish in the Great White North so should be quite a treat. Spuds on the grill are so yummy. Might bring some peach ice cream if it turns out okay.

[twodales]

Peach, nectarine and apricot ice cream is done. Added a bit of peach schnapps too. Yum!.

[gingershelley]

twodales, I must remember the schnapps for my next batch of 'stoned' (fruit) ice cream. Would up the peachyness I am sure...

[chefathome]

Roast Leg of Lamb with Moroccan Spices

Persian Rice with Pomegranates

Grilled Eggplant with Fresh Sheep Cheese and Mint

Double Chocolate Truffle Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

Am already looking forward to the leftovers! :-)

[ChristinaMason]

Those all sound amazing. Special occasion?

[chefathome]

No - we bought a local lamb so wanted to use it fresh. :-)

[nomadchowwoman]

Wow!

[chefathome]

Thankfully I have the time to be able to cook like this 5 or 6 days of the week. It is my passion. And I sure am grateful for the fresh gorgeous lamb! It was absolutely succulent. Hopefully the other cuts are as wonderful!

[gingershelley]

Oh, yum! My stepmom and I used to share a lamb every year. Must start doing that again..... Nice menu!

[chefathome]

Tonight it is being re-purposed as Shepherd's Pie. I'll also make a lime cabbage slaw (tastes far better than it sounds!).

[scubadoo97]

Just an excellent menu cah

[chefathome]

Thanks. It was absolutely packed with flavour! I am a lamb fanatic.

[mariacarmen]

sounds absolutely amazing. i love persian rice. lamb too, of course! i think i see a leg of lamb in my future.

[chefathome]

Oh, do. It has been so worth it! We have lamb about once a week, actually.

[mariacarmen]

alas - the BF does not LOVE lamb, the fool, but if i space the occurrences far enough apart.... AND i've never made leg of lamb for him, in all these almost 10 years... just things with ground lamb, or lamb chops, and the moroccan spicing may be just enough of a disguise for him....

[chefathome]

That's funny. Maybe make it and just tell him it's a standing rib roast!

[Njchicaa]

Having some family over for dinner tonight. Lobsters, littleneck clams, shrimp cocktail, corn on the cob, and red potatoes... all thrown on the grill. (except the shrimp)

[ChristinaMason]

drool. nice spread!

[JungMann]

It rather felt like I was channeling Uncle Bob and mamachef for last night's dinner:
Bourbon + peach shrub........
Lobsters, steamed..........
Macque choux..........
Zucchini fritters smothered with cucumber labneh..........
D-zert....... more bourbon and peach.

The lobsters shells yielded enough meat to mix with the macque choux for a spicy lobster salad for lunch this afternoon. Bisque will have to be on the menu very soon.

[linguafood]

Yowzah.

[LindaWhit]

Oh. My.

[nomadchowwoman]

Indeed!

Did you make the shrub yourself?

[JungMann]

I don't know if shrub is commercially available. Luckily it is a pretty simple process for me, just soaking peaches, cinnamon and star anise in vinegar for a week. The hardest part is the waiting since we finished nearly a liter of shrub in 2 days.

[LindaWhit]

I purchased some ginger shrub awhile back from some place online - very good stuff! They don't have peach shrub, however. :-)

http://shop.taitfarmfoods.com/Fruit-S...

And I'm glad to see they're being sold at a cocktail/shaker shop in Somerville, MA - will have to stop by and get some more!

[ChristinaMason]

Can you share a few more details/directions re: your shrub? I just bought a crap-ton of peaches.

[JungMann]

I followed directions I found on the Boston board: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8011...

I'd replace the rice wine vinegar with white to soften the edges of the drink. After trying a few cocktails, I found grated cinnamon and star anise were a perfect addition to the peaches, so I'm going to try steeping them in my next batch as well.

[ChristinaMason]

Thank you!

[mariacarmen]

oh. my.

[linguafood]

After a short break from the consistent monsun that has been a sad excuse for summer here, temps went up to HOT AS HELL for the last 2-3 days, so naturally...... we'll be getting some nasty thunderstorms today and tomorrow.

Seems like a great evening to stay in & snack on Kleinigkeiten, which once again will consist of various Greek sundries: tarama, tzatziki, melitsanosalata, mushroom salad (which is really more like a spread), red beets & feta spread, gigantes in tomato sauce, a big fat choriatiki to go on the side, and some toasted pita bread. Which is *nothing* like what is sold as pita (e.g. pockets) in the US.

Donut peaches for dessert. Possible thunderstorms on the big window screen (non-plasma :-P).

A small variety of party treats, likely accompanied by various bottles of white. I think it'll be a long night.......

[JungMann]

Linguafood, do you make your own taramosalata or do you buy it? I just had freshly made taramosalata at a restaurant for the first time and it was incredible. Nothing like the jarred stuff I thought was taramosalata.

[linguafood]

I have yet to make my own. The Greek stand we found makes a very nice version, potato-based, I believe. I haven't seen the roe in stores that you need to make it.

I'd love to make my own, as it is probably one of my favorites. I have had excellent restaurant versions, which indeed have nothing to do with the stuff in jars.

[Harters]

Classic - roast beef, roast spuds, Chantenay carrots, gravy, horseradish sauce.

Maybe lemon sorbet (bought) for afters.

[twodales]

Beef Stroganoff over noodles and a veg. A few glasses of red.

Having lived and worked in London for a while, it was quite nostalgic to see the opening ceremonies of the Olympics tonight.

I'd love to hear your thoughts Steve h. but I know we are not allowed to discuss such things here.

[Harters]

We stopped watching when Paul McCartney came on and went to bed. Thought the ceremony was excellently done, although a bit odd in what I thought was too much concentration on our past and not enough about our present.

With it being mid- late evening, it was too late for snacks.

[JeffW]

Ziti with three cheeses! Thanx for askin' :)

[LindaWhit]

Ahhh, but *which* three cheeses, Jeff? Gouda, Stilton, and Feta? ;-)

[gingershelley]

Well, it was going to be Mu Shu pork for dinner - had a massive craving; thawed out a nice thick pork chop to sliver up, got in some napa cabbage, and had everything in pantry needed, but darn it - 2 places I tried were out of bean sprouts, and it's just not mu shu without sprouts for me, so leaving it for tomorrow. Darn! I could JUST taste it!

So, now I am home late, hungry, and I guess it will be frozen shrimp goyza to tide me over. And some apricot/ginger ice cream to console me during the opening ceremony. Oh well....

[steve h.]

I cobbled together a simple cold plate: sliced hardboiled eggs (one minute on the boil, 12 minutes in the covered pan); boiled ham that I rolled to make it look pretty; sliced plum tomato; sliced peppers (both yellow and red); pepperoni. Condiment included a French mustard and a goat cheese. Delivery mechanism was Stoned Wheat Thins. A California pinot noir (La Crema) washed it all down. Yanks are playing Boston in the Bronx. Granderson just launched a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 10-3. I tried to watch the opening ceremonies at the London Summer Olympics but the pc stuff just didn't work for me.

[nomadchowwoman]

A cold plate? Sounds like Deb's still not back. ; )

I, on the other hand, was surprised at how much I enjoyed the opening ceremony--esp. the Queen as Bond Girl.

[LindaWhit]

I didn't watch the opening ceremonies, but just heard on tonight's news about the Queen allowing the unprecedented access to her private quarters and nailing the first take on her introduction to James Bond. Love that this was filmed back in March with over 100 crew members and it remained secret until now!

[twodales]

Loved it! I noticed that her eyes lit up when she turned around to look at "Mr. Bond". Daniel Craig did a marvelous job too.

[LindaWhit]

Well, it's not often you have Daniel Craig in your private quarters. That could be said of most people. My eyes would light up as well. :-)

[Chocolatechipkt]

Dinner with friends tonight: fresh caught baked salmon, Israeli couscous with green beans/zucchini/corn/goat cheese, cream biscuits, sun gold tomatoes, and cherries.

[LindaWhit]

I had all good intentions to pick up wild caught Coho salmon that was on one-day sale at Whole Foods today....and they were sold out when I got there. :::::Big sigh:::::

Oh - that's OK. I was actually craving shrimp! Not on sale, but buying enough of the jumbo shrimp kept the price of tonight's dinner within reason. Especially considering what it would cost in a restaurant. :-)

I'm probably just going to peel them and season with salt and pepper, and then pan-sauté them with white wine and lemon juice (what's left from what I didn't use in the souvlaki last night). Sides will be basmati rice and sauteed sugar snap peas with minced shallots and thyme.

And wine. It's Friday. Most definitely wine. Especially since I woke up this morning thinking it was Thursday. Thankfully THAT wasn't correct! So wine. Most definitely wine. (Did I say wine? Why, I don't mind if I do!)

[mariacarmen]

i'm really hoping you have some wine, LW, really.

[LindaWhit]

I did. Just a tad. :-)

[nomadchowwoman]

Isn't it funny that WF in Boston and WF in New Orleans have the same stuff on sale?? I did manage to snag some of that Coho in mine yesterday, LW, though I had to put it in the freezer. But guess what they were demo-ing and sampling as I shopped? Why, the very patna rice that I had never heard of until Harters mentioned it upthread.
Glad you had a sip of wine.

[LindaWhit]

Interesting that we both had the same salmon on sale. A friend asked me if I had asked for a raincheck. Do'h!!! No, I completely forgot to ask. Oh well - I was very happy with my shrimpies!

And I'll have to check for the patna rice - thanks for the heads-up!

And a sip. You're funny, ncw. :-)

[scubadoo97]

Wifey is out of town this weekend. Spares are on the smoker.

[scubadoo97]

Spare ribs with cabbage slaw and smoked corn

[LindaWhit]

Come to Mama.....

[mariacarmen]

putting aside the turkey necks tonight in exchange for going out to dinner to a newly discovered place that is sadly closing - not an issue with quality, the property is just being razed for *ack!* condos! so asian-fusion in an old KFC building will be WFD tonight. great stuff.

tomorrow will be the necks over pasta and i think some sort of beet salad thing, ala EIP....

[gingershelley]

MC, I would take dinner out over a turkey neck most days - enjoy!

[mariacarmen]

hey, love me some turkey necks, but i'd have to agree with you!

[nomadchowwoman]

Last night I pulled a ramekin of pate from the freezer, and we had that before I threw together a batch of mussels w/black bean sauce (from COTM). We ate both with slices of WW baguette (from a wonderful baker at the FM). The scallions tossed atop the pate and the herbs in the mussel dish stood in as veggies.

Currently working on the smorgasbord we'll have tonight as we're having a few people over to watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony (my mom lives for this kind of thing); it will be an eclectic mix of things--pulled pork (marinated in "Latin flavors" and slow-roasted) will be the centerpiece. Folks can make either tacos or sliders from that and then fill their plates w/devilled eggs, prosciutto-wrapped shrimp, asparagus and lemony mayo, fennel salami, cherries, grapes. I'm also making both fresh tomato and wild mushroom toppings for bruschetta. Mom's bringing chocolate chip cookies, and I'm awaiting my niece's decision, the child's equivqlent of Sophie's choice--will the ice cream I make be chocolate or vanilla?

Carbs 'R' Us.

[gingershelley]

Sounds like a great "schmorgasbord' NMC! I am excited for the Olympics. Just signed up online to watch all the live stream stuff.... should be a great show tonight!

[steve h.]

What a great spread.

[ChristinaMason]

yum, what a party!

[Njchicaa]

Grilled pizza here tonight. Nothing fancy, just homemade sauce and mozzarella on top.

[tcamp]

Before the house heats up too much, I'm making a spicy lentil vegetable soup right now to use up miscellaneous carrots, peppers, potatoes, squash from my veggie plot. Heading to a going away party for dinner so soup will be used up for lunch over the weekend.

[Berheenia]

We are using up the leftovers and going home tomorrow. sniff. I made a big portuguese scrambler for breakfast with the last of the linguica, a sweet little red pepper from the farmstead and the rest of the eggs. We got a loaf of really good sliced sourdough from the farmstead for toast- there is a new french bakery that is selling bread everywhere on the Cape. I want to bring home some of their olive rolls and buy some more linguica. Just having the bread makes using up the leftovers pleasanter. Maybe a plowmans lunch today. Still have lots of cheese and pickles. Tempted to get a pizza for the last supper here. I need to go walk off breakfast!

[Bacardi1]

Since husband was going to be home late from work yesterday, & I'm still trying to use up my farmers market purchases from last Sat., last night I threw together a frittata. In a cast-iron pan sauteed up one chopped onion, 2 sliced baby green zucchini, 2 sliced baby gold zucchini, & 3 sliced baby yellow pattypan squashes in some extra-virgin olive oil until tender, then gently folded in some sliced boiled baby new red potatoes, chopped flat-leaf parsley, & 2 chopped canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. Added in 8 beaten eggs & covered till everything was almost set, then sprinkled some grated cheese on top & ran it under the broiler for a few minutes. Cut into wedges & served with a green salad.

[twodales]

Sounds great B1!

[ChristinaMason]

That definitely appeals. The chipotle is an interesting touch!

[Bacardi1]

Thanks. That's the first time I've added chipotles to a frittata, & they did give a nice kick. While I do enjoy summer squash (especially the baby ones), they are on the bland side & definitely need help - lol!

[scubadoo97]

Last night I was in the mood for something light. Seeing I had a few cooked fingerling potatoes in the fridge gave me an idea. Made a salad nicoise subbing sugar snaps for green beans and had to sub other olives for the nicoise ones. Light, tasty and visually appealing

[twodales]

Love Nicoise!. I sub chicken for my dh and I stick with the tuna. I use Julia Child's recipe for the French potato salad. It is visually appealing as you say, & light and satisfying too.

[gingershelley]

salad nicoise is one of my favorite summer meals. Like the idea of sugar snaps for green beans, which somehow are not one of my favorite veggies. I will have to try that!

[Harters]

Dinner tonight will be meatballs of some form.

Probably beef mince, grated onion, garlic and a smidge of pimenton (a big smidge, of course - so I suppose that's a smadge). Simple tomato sauce, although I've half a red pepper and half a yellow one that I'll bung in as well.

Rice will probably feature as the carb. I am desperate to cook something with the patna rice we got a couple of weeks back.

There's a little story. We were having dinner at a nearby Iranian restaurant and commented to the waitress how really good the rice was. She launches into a long spiel about how it's a special rice and gives us very precise instructions about how to cook (part boiled, part steamed). Next thing, chef is out of the kitchen telling us a much simpler way (just boil, drain, leave to stand). And he'd be glad to sell us a kilo. Well, I dont think I've ever bought something direct from a chef before

[LindaWhit]

VERY nice of that chef to sell it to you and the Mrs., and to give you detailed cooking instructions. And interesting - it looks as if this Patna rice is what is called Carolina rice in the States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patna_rice

[Harters]

Simply not available in the supermarkets. I'm going to have to go on a trawl of the south asian shops in the city.

[LindaWhit]

I'm wondering what about the Patna that is different than our American long-grain rices. Looks like most of the long-grain rice in the U.K. is imported from the U.S., Italy, Spain and Thailand.

http://www.riceassociation.org.uk/Abo...

There is basmati hybrid rice from Louisiana called "popcorn rice" for the fact that it smells like the popcorn you get in movie theaters and has a great nutty flavor. Floored me the first time I cooked it.

[Harters]

Yep, I think most standard long grain comes from the US (mainly in the form of Uncle Ben's). Our main premium rice is basmati which, I think, mainly comes from the Indian sub-continent. Now, I'm a big fan of basmati but this patna was in a class of its own. Enormous grains and really, really tasty. I'd heard of it but had never knowingly come across it. I really am going to have to find a regular supply.

[LindaWhit]

I just did a Google search for "patna rice in Massachusetts" and look what comes up first - a link that directs you to either ASDA or Tesco. Either of those near you?

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/#/tesc...

[Harters]

Yeah, we've got both of them nearby. Really surprsied to see Asda there, as it's one of the bottom end supermarket chains. Definitely not the place I'd think of for a premium product.

[jmcarthur8]

I've been getting Carolina gold rice here in Georgia for a year or so. It looks like it may be the same thing. I have boiled it, then drained it and baked it for a few minutes in the oven. It has a rich nutty flavor and chewy texture done that way.
Picked up a two pound bag in Charleston last weekend. I think that would be good with whatever's for dinner tomorrow night.

[mariacarmen]

i've always loved persian rice. enjoy!

[Klary]

It's hot and humid here, and last night I was craving spicy food. I made a stirfry of yster mushrooms and steak, with soy sauce, samabl, sesame oil, and lots of garlic. Served scooped into baby gem lettuce leaves, this was delicious spicy saucy food to eat on the balcony, red chili juices dripping down our arms.
I also made a pasta salad of whole what macaroni, with cubes of zucchini that were fried very breifly in a very hot pan, and halved cherry tomatoes. The dressing was a pesto-ish kind of thing - toasted sunflower seeds, smashed in a mortar with olive oil, lots of lemon zest, a bit of lemon juice, and a bit of basil. This was an excellent creamy and zingy dressing for the pasta. I was hoping for left overs for lunch today, but we ate it all...

[ChristinaMason]

Mmm, that's got my mouth watering, especially the pesto.

[mike9]

I had some left over grilled rib eye and was in the mood for a pasta so I made a "Mock Bolognese" with penne. I sauteed red onion, red pepper, garlic & crushed red pepper till soft. I added a 14oz can of cherry tomatoes, and a 14oz can of crushed tomatoes and the rib eye that I had sliced thin. To that I added a chopped fresh basil & parsley, a shot of balsamic, a dash of white truffle oil some grated parm and Celtic sea salt to taste. After @ 30 minutes I put my immersion blender to it. Then I mixed that into drained penne that was treated with evoo and some shaved parm and served it with a baked garlic bread. It was delicious.

[LindaWhit]

That's one helluva mock Bolognese, mike9!

[gingershelley]

Well, I made the small pork roast this am while things were cool out, and I was busy working at the computer...

Then as the day went on, GF's had things to keep them away (sick child, late breaking project.. life!). So, I am home with a lovely patio, flowers, wine, a nice breeze, and Pork Tonnato ala SOLO! I Did make the roasted broccolli salad, and will probably put a few spinach leaves under the rich pork slices and sauce. A wedge of lemon!

Sometimes, these things are arranged by the universe. I can read more of my "Magical Feasts 60 years of writing for Gourmet" (any one ELSE miss that magazine?), eat my tasties when I feel like it, and enjoy the quiet. Sometimes, that is divine:)

Perhaps, even, a late pedicure with a soak in the foot paraffin bath with a movie.... Sometimes, being single does NOT suck:)!

[ChristinaMason]

More fridge/pantry clean-out meals in our household this week. Tonight we tackled a bag of frozen Ikea meatballs and 1/4 bag of white rice. DH caramelized some onions and browned some mushrooms and added those to the canned golden mushroom and cream of mushroom soups we'd bought when I'd conceived of this as a no-fuss crock-pot meal. He made this on the stovetop instead and added lots of fresh herbs and a bit of white wine and Maggi sauce. We stirred in sour cream at the table.

It was pretty darn good, considering the pedestrian ingredients. I don't think I'll ever buy these meatballs again, as they're on the rubbery "filler-y" side, but in a pinch, they work. Tonight was one of the rare nights I've eaten white rice, and, oh baby, how I've missed thee.

Pinot noir for afters.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Super simple dinner tonight to offset the richness of last night's dinner. The last tiny bit of lamb, chopped up and sauteed with a touch of lamb fat and a bunch of mushrooms. A big pile of greens added and cooked until wilty. All tossed with a gingery, garlicky, vinegary peanut sauce and served over rice. Apricot ice cream for dessert.

[Klary]

ooohh, I think I want gingery galicky vinegary peanut sauce tonight! Probably tossed with rice noodles. Mmmmm.

[mariacarmen]

damn i need some lamb!

[LindaWhit]

Poet, don't know it.

[mariacarmen]

hahaha - oh i knows it!

[eight_inch_pestle]

Heading out for a beer in a bit, so we shall see if frothy cool goodness saps my initiative. At the moment, though, the plan is a big plate of roasted beets with truffled goat cheese and lots of fresh thyme. The beets and thyme are both more than ready to be harvested, and the cheese needs to be used up. That might be it, just dumped on a big plate of beet greens and either mizuna or arugula with a drizzle of honey and maybe a squeeze of lemon.

[gingershelley]

Sounds Great! Let the beer inspire you, rather than stop you down:)...

[eight_inch_pestle]

Thanks! We were walking out of the pub and leaning toward Calva takeout when your reply gave me the push I needed.

Ended up thinly slicing the beets and cooking them quickly on the stove for speed and (house) temperature's sake. Also added sage flowers and thyme flowers. And bacon. Because, well, bacon and flowers.

Changed my mind and wilted the beet greens in bacon fat with a touch of lemon juice and fresh tarragon. Below are some rather homely before-and-after pics. The brighter beets are ones I left extra-thin and raw, mostly because they looked pretty that way. Can't see the greens 'cause they're underneath.

[nomadchowwoman]

Lovely.

[mariacarmen]

homely? that is gorgeous!

[mariacarmen]

sounds like heaven on a plate.

[LindaWhit]

Tonight's late dinner was a modified pork souvlaki with tzatziki sauce. Found this recipe http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/po... and used a couple of deboned pork chops to use for pork strips. Did a quick marinade with the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and garlic. It all got tossed on the grill pan with a thin-sliced CSA pattypan squash to cook up.

One of the 6 CSA cukes was used for the tzatziki sauce, and made some rice to serve with the pork and onions. Ended up being pretty good all tucked into pita bread.

[scubadoo97]

Sounds delish

[LindaWhit]

It wasn't too shabby. Now I need to figure out how to use 5 more cucumbers. :-/ (I did send myself links to recipes I found at home.)

[twodales]

On those cukes: Greek salad? Cucumber soup? Cucumber sandwiches? Pickled cukes with Thai or Swedish food?

[LindaWhit]

Don't like pickling. I've found recipes for the tzatziki sauce posted above, a cucumber-herb vinaigrette, a pea and cucumber salad (I'm leaning towards this one for the weekend), a chilled cucumber soup with roasted salted shrimp, and a cucumber-grapefruit-crab salad (that I was thinking use the leftover navel oranges from last weekend's sangria and some fresh grilled tuna).

[marietinn]

Do you like chickpea salads? The one I usually makes has cucumber in it and it's lovely, especially for summer time.

[LindaWhit]

I'm not sure I've ever had it, marietinn. I either cook the chickpeas in a vegetable stew recipe I have, or make hummus.

[mariacarmen]

one of my first "foodie" endeavors as a teen was a salad I "invented" of chickpeas, cubed muenster cheese, cubes of cukes, and italian dressing (Good Seasons - the stuff you used to mix up in a cruet with oil & vinegar). I loved it! more than anyone else did, but i was very proud of it.

[LindaWhit]

You're too cute. :-D

I wish I could remember the first thing I cooked. Although I do remember I started baking pretty early on - maybe when I was 13? An instant success with pie crusts and that became my holiday "job" - apple and pumpkin pies. :-)

[mariacarmen]

wow, a natural!

[twodales]

Roasted salmon with rosemary and evoo, roasted veggies and couscous.

I am craving Singapore noodles but feeling too lazy to make them. Soon.

Will attempt nectarine ice cream in the next day or two.

[tiffeecanoe]

Sausage and peppers tonight. We'll also have a huge green salad like we seem to have most nights! (-:

[JungMann]

It's hot everywhere, so I'm happy I picked up a container of Chinese roast pork during my last trip to Flushing. Rather than eating it on its own, I've taken to stir frying it with red curry paste, fish sauce, sugar and garlic chives for a one wok meal. Tonight, however, one of those unique dishes that makes both Filipinos and Carolinians sigh with memory: pimento cheese and bacon sandwiches. On the side: gazpacho to make good use of the tomatoes that have infiltrated the market on the early side of the summer this year.

[weezieduzzit]

Tonight will be a little of this, a little of that of all of the things I'm making for the weekend. We're headed to the Barona Drag Strip for the King Of Clubs Rockabilly Road Trip- vintage cars, drag racing, music and burlesque all weekend. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgsIiB... The second car, the Purple People Eater is one of the cars we travel with, the third car- the blue and aluminum roadster is my honey. You can see in the backround why the food can't be overly fussy or fancy... it's dusty brushy desert- and there are bees that carry off pieces of chicken!

)

The whole group we are traveling with loves good food and its looking like food is my job but yumminess has to be balanced with reality due to the lack of facilities (and a limited budget.) In addition to the bottles and bottles of mojitos I am making, Friday lunch will be fried chicken, potato salad, green salad, pasta salad, etc. Saturday breakfast will be a variety of baked goods (I couldn't think of anything easy for 10 people but I am making these breakfast muffins with sausage, cheese, herbs, good bread, eggs and milk so I'm not totally taking the easy way out.) Saturday lunch will be pressed caprese sandwiches and any left over salads, Saturday dinner will be pollo asado, tortillas, salsa, Spanish rice (I plan on making ahead and reheating in a foil pan.) Sunday morning everyone can fend for themselves with what's left over until we get on the road where we can stop for something else. There will be fruit and snacks, drinks, etc. for all weekend.

I still need a dinner for tomorrow night that isn't chicken. Any ideas??? I will have a propane grill at my disposal but everything has to go there in ice chests and there isn't anywhere to wash up pots and pans so those need to stay at a minimum unless there is a disposal alternative to use.

[LindaWhit]

VERY cool, weezie!

Would tacos be an option for tomorrow night's dinner? Marinated flank steak, cooked on the grill, then sliced up with all the fixings?

[weezieduzzit]

I think it might be too much like Saturday night's chicken with tortillas, etc. If at all possible I'm trying to avoid anything resembling carne asada because we ALWAYS have carne asada whenever there is a barbeque. (At least when I'm in charge of it there are condiments and sides, when the guys bring it it's just carne asada and tortillas- sometimes salsa if they remember and the guy who always takes over the barbeque duties cooks it to absolute death which is why I'm developing an aversion to eating it anywhere but home.) I do appreciate the suggestion, tho'!

[steve h.]

Nice.

[PHREDDY]

How about shish kebabs with either lamb or beef? A big pot of wild rice and some grilled veggies.. The meat can be prepared before and marinaded prior. It is also easy to portion out.

[weezieduzzit]

If it were 2 of us or 4 of us I would LOVE to do lamb kebabs but with 10 it's cost prohibitive. What cut of beef do you use for kebabs?

[JungMann]

Quality and affordable lamb was the primary reason I joined Costco. At $5 per pound, the Australian legs have proven versatile for kebabs, stews, kibbeh and more.

[weezieduzzit]

I will mention to the mother-in-law that I want to go with her to Costco some time so I can check it out- that's a great price. Unfortunately there isn't time for that before we go since they live about 45 minutes from us. Thanks for the tip.

[PHREDDY]

Iike either sirloin or top round. I prefer to cut it up myself rather than buying precut packaged beef chunks. I think the top round is about $ 4 / lb

[PHREDDY]

With kebabs 4 to 6 ounces per person is fine, we load up on veggie kababs and make them seperately because they cook at a different rate than the meat.

[weezieduzzit]

You've never seen these guys eat! I've watched them polish off 20 pounds of carne asada in the blink of an eye and look for something else.

I do kebobs the same way- both for successful cooking and for those that prefer one over the other.

[PHREDDY]

Well enjoy the races and let us know how you made out.

[mariacarmen]

wowie, you'll be busy... and having fun!

how about snausages? grilled links of some sort, buns, fixings? some slaw on the side?

[weezieduzzit]

Good suggestion- and it's something I can eat without the accompanying bread without feeling left out of left with something unwieldy. I'll have to see if there are any good sausages on sale anywhere.

I'm going to read over your slaw recipe, too.

[gingershelley]

Weezie-sister, you are rockin' a FOOD WEEKEND! This is like me going with my peeps' to Dave Mathews at the Gorge!

So awesome what your making... blessings and goodness on your grill and coolers, really!

What about a pork green chile stew for tomorrow night? You can make ahead and put it in disposable foil casseroles to heat on the grill. Just 1" chunks of pork shoulder (cheap) with chicken stock, fresh green chilies/ roasted Polanski/ canned green chilies (what assemblage you can find-create). Onion, cilantro, garlic, cumin, etc.?

Flour tortillas (for a change) sour cream, cilantro, etc. on the side?

[weezieduzzit]

I know this sounds strange.... especially on this board.... but with the exception of prosciutto, small amounts of pork sausage as an ingredient in other things (though I always try to find another kind of sausage,) and one particular kind of smoked bacon..... I don't like pork. I didn't even eat bacon until I was in my 30s. To me, it tastes like there is something wrong with it, like its rancid. No matter how fresh, how prepared, where prepared or by who.... it tastes like rotten meat.

[Berheenia]

I buy all beef kielbasa when cooking for non-pork eaters. It's good stuff! Also when WF has a sale on turkey or chicken italian sausages you might want to try them too but the casing are kind of delicate for an outdoor grille. The kielbasa is a fast griller as it's precooked. I like it sliced on a diagonal and piled in a bun or on a plate with a spicy mustard.

[mariacarmen]

wow, weezie, i am looking at you in a whole new light!

just kidding! taste buds are very personal.

[nomadchowwoman]

That sounbds like a pretty impressive spread, plenty fancy enough for me! Lucky group.

[JerryMe]

If I need a 'camp' dinner, I rely on chili and cornbread. Two pots max and then you can have sides of onions, cheese, etc.

[mariacarmen]

i put some turkey necks into the crockpot last night before hitting a movie (a screening of Cabaret! love that movie SO MUCH) with quartered onions, garlic cloves, bbq chicken rub, and a little water. took them out not yet done when i got home, and will probably restart them for Friday's dinner (at Oldster's tonight.) I'll take all the meat off the bones, add a can of tomatoes, a bay leaf, and probably serve with wide egg noodles. love the textures.

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Not sure about dinner yet, but I can already tell you what will be for lunch. Lamb sandwiches, that's what! The leftover lamb sitting in the fridge overnight has taken on the consistency of pulled pork, so I'll shred that up a bit and mix it with the juice-soaked stuffing and pile that between a couple slices of homemade multigrain sourdough. Add some mayo, mustard, sliced tomato and pickle, maybe a bit more fig butter, or perhaps a drizzle of sriracha to add some spice to the fig-gorgonzola-caramelized onion stuffing... I'm drooling already and I'm still finishing up the last of my morning coffee!

Dinner, I'll think about later.

[mariacarmen]

your lunch just made me droooooooll..... i may have to go have a lamb sandwich now.... somewhere...

[BananaBirkLarsen]

It was really, really good.

(I ate it early, I couldn't wait.)

[mariacarmen]

ended up having a BLT... but it was on foccacia, with goat cheese...

[BananaBirkLarsen]

That sounds like one heck of a BLT!

[gingershelley]

LAMB SANDWICH! Yours sounds soooo good! Damn you girl, I must cook a lamb breast in the middle of summer, with figs n' gorgonzola. Go figure!

[BananaBirkLarsen]

Don't forget the bread crumbs. Sounds crazy, but they soak up all the juices and are one of the best parts of the whole thing!

[nomadchowwoman]

The lambie sammie sounds incredible.

[gingershelley]

haha - you said 'lambie sammie'... that kind of rhymes...

[gingershelley]

Another nice 'perfect' summer day here in SEA, so making a marinated-overnight (rosemary, dijon, white wine, bay, lots of kosher salt, pepper) small pork loin roast this morning. Will cool down, then chill. I will make tonnato sauce, then slice that roast up and cover with the sauce. Garnish with HB egg, chopped parsley, and lemon wedges.

A gf or two are coming over tonight, so that's WFD, with a cold roasted broccoli salad w/preserved lemon dressing, sliced tomatoes with basil, salt, OO. There will be lot's of rose.

There will be crispy almond cookies and apricot/ginger ice cream if wanted afterwards.

Summery!

[LindaWhit]

Preserved Lemon Dressing. Do tell!

[gingershelley]

LW, I make this all the time - if you peruse the 'preserved lemon' threads on here, we kind of go over it.

To me, it is super simple - I guess having preserved lemons as staples in the kitchen for over 10 years. They just bring a sharper focus of tangy lemon-salt quality to anything I put them it that kind of sings through the food. In dressing/vinaigrette/ that means they cut the oil, and any veggie's they encounter really well.

1/2 a small preserved lemon; rind, plus a bit of mince of the pulp (usually thrown out)

1 lrg clove garlic, flattened with a knife

1 tsp. capers, chopped

1 anchovy (or more, but will have to perhaps up the oil by dribs to balance salt)

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

other herbs of choice for application; sometimes some cilantro, oregano, thyme are right to include... your call.

1/2-2/3 C good flavorful EX 00 that you like. Peppery, fruity - your take on it (your dressing!)

1 small fresh lemon, cleaved vertically. 1/2 to squeeze into dressing as needed, 1/2 to slice thinly and top your salad/veg dish.

Finely chop the lemon rind, and put in a mortar with the garlic, capers, and anchovy if desired. Grind with the pestle for a bit to blend and make the rind pieces and garlic soften and start to disappear. Add Herbs, pound a bit more. Then start to drib in the OO to blend.

This will not make a truly emulsified dressing, and you must stir before using. Add cracked pepper and fresh lemon juice as needed to adjust.

If I put it on potatoes, turnips, kale or wilted chard - I often add a bit of Dijon too.

Whatever you toss this will, be ready with plenty of fresh pepper, and the fresh lemon slices to add for serving. :)

[LindaWhit]

Wow! Thanks, gingershel!

[scubadoo97]

That's excellent

[Eric_Cartman]

Salmon over a bed of pea shoots and peas with ginger soy vinaigrette and a side of wild rice. And a nice bowl of split pea soup. Dinner has been pretty light and healthy this summer.

[scubadoo97]

Sounds wonderful EC. You can buy pea shoots locally. I'm envious

[Eric_Cartman]

Well I live in nyc and i've been seeing them everywhere lately. They're in season and I couldn't help but pick some up while I was at Fairway the other day. Im sure they would be available at any well stocked supermarket like Whole Foods. They're normally by the alfalfa sprouts and broccoli spouts and in a clear square plastic container. I've been eyeing them for a while lately.

[Harters]

Very good, EC. It's great that pea shoots are becoming really easy to find in the supermarkets these days. I like the sound of wild rice with it.

[tcamp]

Weather is hotter than hades, kids are away at camp so lots of veggies and low carb the last several nights. Last night, felafel sandwiches with several salads - tomato, basil, and green onion; cucumber, herbs, and yogurt; sweet onions, corn, and more herbs. Hummos from costco and pita from local med. market. Night before, corn and black bean salad, "greek" salad, and herbed garlic bread. Tonight, a big bunch of basil is staring me down so pesto for sure, plus more tomato salad and grilled italian sausages.

[Njchicaa]

Weather is hot, muggy, and cloudy so I'm hiding in the house today. Dinner will be Pasta Pomodoro made from the Carmine's cookbook. Simple and delicious.

I also have a ton of Swiss chard to use up so I'm going to make a quiche. I have some ham and Swiss cheese in the fridge so I figure I can get my husband to eat the quiche as long as there's some meat and cheese in it too. I'm ping to use a great new tip tht I saw in FN mag for the crust--thinly sliced potatoes. Anyway the quiche isn't supposed to go with the pasta. I'm making it today because I have the time but we'll probably have it tomorrow for dinner.

[biondanonima]

Last night I realized that I am leaving town for 6 days and that the fridge was full of produce that Mr. Bionda was never, ever going to cook, so I cranked up the oven and roasted a huge head of broccoli, a big red onion, two bell peppers, a pound of mushrooms and a pint of cherry tomatoes, to serve alongside a simple grilled flank steak. I figured there would be tons of leftovers for him to ignore over the next week or so, but we actually demolished the broccoli as an appetizer and then ate most of the other vegetables with the steak. I felt virtuous!

[Bacardi1]

I'd bought a big bunch of fresh basil at the farmers market Sat., & even though I clipped the ends & had the bunch standing in daily changes of fresh water, it was starting to look less than perky. Thus last night's dinner was "Spaghetti with Pesto". Always have pine nuts in the fridge, so tossed a small handful of those, a few cloves of garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, & some grated Parmesan cheese into my mini food processor. Tossed it with nice hot cooked Barilla Spaghetti & served with extra grated cheese, crusty bread, & a green salad (mixed greens & multi-colored cherry tomatoes courtesy of the farmers market).

[Harters]

Upcoming ......a sort of cheat's paella type thingy.

Onion gets gently fried in oil, as does sliced red & green pepper. And garlic, of course. Paella rice goes in, along with stock. Needless to say, the recipe calls for saffron at this poiint. And, needless to say, I forgot to put this on the shopping list, so I'll be using a smidge of turmeric for the colour (well, it is a cheat's version, innit?)

While that's cooking, a little chorizo is fried till its pretty crisp (that'll get scattered on top to look pretty). When the rice is just done done, a pack of mixed seafood (supermarket pack had mussels, king prawns & squid) goes in for a couple of minutes or so to cook through. Chopped parsley stirred through and scattered on top.

[LindaWhit]

Sounds like a very good cheat paella, Harters!

[mariacarmen]

yum, that'll do the trick.

[JungMann]

I have been craving this lately, but with noodles instead of rice. Rather than frying the chorizo separately, I like to fry them in the cooking pan until crispy, then reserve them while using the flavored oil to saute my sofrito and rice (or noodles) to totally suffuse the dish with porky goodness.

[twodales]

107 with the heat index today...so.....bits and bobs tonight.

Cold courgette soup with a dollop of sour cream, heirloom tomato sliced and drizzled with olive oil and chives from the herb garden. Skagen shrimp with lots of fresh dill for me (lots of peeling on those North Sea devils!), left over skirt steak for the Brit with crisp potato wedges, fresh green beans for both. Blackberry pie (warm) for him with homemade vanilla on top. The last of the white Sangria. All in all, very light and delish.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Sort of a garbage salad nicoise, with shaved chiogga beets from the garden instead of tomatoes, and pea shoots and shredded beet greens for the "lettuce." The green beans were not what I hoped, so seared them fast and hard to try and develop some flavor instead of steaming them like usual.

[kubasd]

It's finals week so eggplant parm is on the menu.... easy, tasty, and most of all... soothing and comforting. I layer sliced eggplant in a casserole with a chunky marinara and bake til bubbly. Then top with mozzarella and back in the oven under the broiler til melted. A green salad with oil and white balsamic on the side... yummmm

[scubadoo97]

Yummm

[scubadoo97]

Tonight I made fish tacos. Picked up 3/4 lb of Mahi. Cubed it up and marinaded it in tequila and dried ancho and guajillos. Made a tomato and tomatillo salsa, shredded white and red cabbage and sliced red radishs. Sauteed the fish cubes while heating fresh corn tortillas on the comal.

[steve h.]

Leftovers.
I'll steam some corned beef in a lidded sauce pan and reheat the peas and the white potatoes in a ceramic dish covered with aluminum foil. There will be brown mustard on the side. I'll wash it all down with some beer from Holland. Yanks won their day game in Seattle so I guess baseball is no longer an option. I'll figure something out.

[herby]

I made an assortment of dishes tonight so that kids and grown ups could pick whatever they like to eat. The main dish was marinated skirt steak on BBQ that everyone loves and on the side was a salad made with farm-fresh cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sprouts, onion and lettuce all tossed with home made lemon-honey dressing; plain brown rice and yellow beets by themselves; brown rice and quinoa salad; and cubed roasted sweet potatoes.

[eight_inch_pestle]

What's in your marinade? Always up for a new skirt steak approach. So fast!

[herby]

I've tried different marinades but it is never better than what we buy at a NJ store callet Market Basket. I do not know how they make it but even kids can't have enough!

[eight_inch_pestle]

I see. Well, thanks anyway!

[mariacarmen]

EIP, I've recently been marinating steak in a miso/gochujang mixture with minced garlic, and sometimes ginger... very tasty...

[eight_inch_pestle]

Oh, tastiness. Thanks, Maria.

[nomadchowwoman]

Last night, it was a poorly executed dish from COTM--sauteed barramundi w/orange-soy vinaigrette (fish ended up w/soggy "crust," not enough vinaigrette)--that should be terrific when the cook's on her game. Also managed to screw up the blistered green beans by trying to crowd too many into the pan, rookie mistake. (DH described them as "chewy," not what one wants in a green bean!). Leftover Vietnamese garlic noodles got a thumbs up.

Tonight should be better. A massive bone-in ribeye (DH came back with two of these a few days ago, claiming they were a "steal"--and sending a not-so-subtle message about all the fish and seafood we've been eating) that has been "dry-aging" in the fridge for a few days will be grilled. Sides will be sauteed wild mushrooms, pan-roasted asparagus, sliced tomatoes, and arugula salad. Dessert will be peach cobbler and salted caramel ice cream.

[LindaWhit]

As for me? Well, I had some of last night's hamburger stroganoff for lunch today, so I won't need anything heavy. But a tuna melt is actually sounding pretty darn good right now, so that might be WFD.

Oh - and how could I forget? There will be a lovingly prepared side dish of ...... POTATO CHIPS.

You know - that extremely time-consuming side dish. They will be artfully arranged on the plate. Perhaps in a heart pattern surrounding the tuna melt.

[nomadchowwoman]

After all that paper-thin slicing, deep-frying, draining, and salting, LW--absolutley no need for the fancy presentation.

[LindaWhit]

Well, I changed my mind. I got some more arugula and beets from my CSA, so I thought Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad. I had beets left from last week, so I'm using those that are already pre-roasted.

I did a quick sauté on some chicken tenders and sliced them up. Also sliced up an Ataulfo mango. Layered all on the washed and dried arugula, added some crumbled goat cheese, a few candied pecans, lightly dressed it with a sherry vinaigrette, and it is dinner.

[scubadoo97]

Love beet and arugula salads. Your dinner sounds delicious