Living in New England, we have an abundance of fresh fish at our markets. I especially am partial to swordfish, a mild white fish that lends to so many flavorful recipes. Swordfish is so easy to bake, nestled in a bed of colorful cherry tomatoes and Castetrano olives. Texture and color are so important when you are cooking, adding to the visual presentation. Top with a lemon garlic olive oil dressing for outstanding flavor.
1 cup rainbow cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup pitted Mezzetta Castetrano olives 2 8 ounce swordfish 2 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Preheat over to 400F. Place tomatoes and olives on a baking pan. Add swordfish on top. Place the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour over tomatoes, olives, and swordfish. Bake for 30 minutes until tomatoes are bubbly and swordfish are golden.
Cooking and good food is in my blood. Both my grandmother and mother were accomplished cooks who could combine a few ingredients into a memorable feast that you would never forget. I learned from both these exceptional women that their love of cooking for family and friends was their secret ingredient that flavored their dishes better than any expensive seasoning or ingredient. Being of Italian heritage, tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and pasta were the basis for many of the meals they cooked when I was growing up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. The Delaware Valley before all the housing developments was rich land with farms that went for miles. My grandmother and mother’s summer season gardens overflowed with the most beautiful fresh produce perfect for making Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto Sauce. I’ve attempted to create the flavors from one of their signature dishes. Both women never used a recipe they just added a pinch of this, a dash of that magically creating breathtaking food!
Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto Sauce
1-pint cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup pesto sauce*
12 oz of fresh linguine
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven 425F. Place the first six ingredients in a baking dish ad roast for 20 minutes until tomatoes are hot and bubbly. Cool. Add pesto sauce to tomatoes; stirring until combined. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup water from the pasta. Place pasta in large bowel toss with 1 tablespoon butter and reserved water. Add tomato/pesto sauce and toss again. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Pesto Sauce
4 cups packed fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Combine basil, oil, pine nuts, and garlic in a blender. Blend until paste forms, stopping often to push down basil. Add both kinds of cheese and salt; blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. Freeze unused pesto.
1 9-inch uncooked deep dish pie crust, frozen then thawed, refrigerated pie crust or homemade
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
15-20 large basil leaves, chopped, about 1/2 cup
2 cups sliced petite multi-colored heirloom tomatoes, save a few to add last
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk, whole milk preferred
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch of Pink Himalayan salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In uncooked pie crust, evenly sprinkle half (1/4 cup) parmesan cheese in the bottom. Next, add tomatoes, saving a few to place on top of the pie. Place mozzarella cheese over tomatoes then add chopped basil.
Top with remaining (1/4 cup) parmesan cheese over the tomato slices. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, cream, garlic, salt, and pepper together. Pour into the pie crust. It should cover all ingredients and fill to the top of the crust. Place remaining tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with pink Himalayan salt.
Place on a cookie sheet in case of spillage. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and soft set.
My town like many towns has a wonderful weekly farmer’s market each week where local farms sell fresh produce. Beautiful ripe heirloom tomatoes glistening with morning dew, the deepest aubergine eggplant, plump zucchini along with a red, orange, and yellow peppers just beckoning to be grilled.
3 red peppers
3 orange peppers
3 yellow peppers
2 large eggplants
2 large zucchinis
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh french thyme, finely chopped
Remove stems and seeds from peppers then slice in quarters. Slice eggplant and zucchini horizontally. Place vegetables in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, basil, and thyme. Pour over vegetables then toss. Let sit for 30 minutes to marinate flavors. Preheat grill. Grill vegetables turning every five minutes until tender. Arrange on a platter. Serve at room temperature. You can grill a day ahead and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Watermelon is synonymous with hot summer days, infused with sun-kissed flavor. I remember growing up waiting – not patiently- for my mother to cut an enormous watermelon for us to enjoy when we returned home from a day spent at the pool baking in the sun. (we didn’t know about sun protection then) Instantly cooling and so refreshing.
I still slice up watermelon to serve for family and friends on hot summer days. Perfect after a barbecue or here in New England, we’re fond of clam bakes. I love to splurge, for parties or picnics, making a watermelon salad adding tomatoes, red onion and feta cheese with a sweet and salty dressing: fresh mint and a pinch of Himalayan pink salt just the perfect finishing touch.
1 small watermelon (about 3 – 5 lb.)
1/2 c. fresh mint, finely chopped
1/4 c. red onion, thinly sliced
12 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. pure honey
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup Crumbled feta
pinch of Pink Himalayan salt
Remove the rind from watermelon and cut the flesh into 1/2 inch-thick cubes; arrange on a platter. Top with fresh mint, red onion, cherry tomatoes. Combine olive oil, fresh lime juice, pure honey, kosher salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Spoon over watermelon; top with crumbled feta. Sprinkle with a pinch of Pink Himalayan salt.
If you are taking on a picnic or to a party assemble salad at your location.
Blueberries are my favorite fruit! If I can stop eating all the fresh blueberries long enough, I love to make blueberry pies. I love so many wonderful blueberry pie recipes, but this one is perfect for the 4th of July! Perfect for a backyard barbecue or to take along to a family reunion, just so wonderfully delicious! If you are short on time or just don’t want to make your own crust, use store-bought refrigerated pie crust, which you can find in the dairy section of your grocery store. I like Pillsbury.
Fabulous All American Blueberry Pie
Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sweet butter (love my Cabot!)
7 tablespoons cold water
Filling:
6 cups blueberries, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon sweet butter, cut into small pieces
Glaze:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon whipping cream
Crust: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt with a pastry blender, cut in shortening, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle water over the top and mix it together with a pastry blender or fingers until it comes together to form a ball. Shape dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Filling: Place rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 F. (I like to put a piece of aluminum foil down or a baking pan on the bottom of the range to catch any drips and keep my oven clean.) Place blueberries in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except for the butter. Add dry ingredients to blueberries and gently toss.
Divide pastry in half. On a floured surface, roll one of the pastry halves into a 12 inch round. Fit into a 10-inch pie plate, letting the pastry hang over the edge. Fill with blueberry mixture. Dot with butter. On a floured surface, roll out the remaining dough to 12 inches round. Place over pie. Seal edges and crimp to form a decorative rim.
Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and cream. Brush the top of the pie with glaze. Cut vents into the pie top. You can use mini cookie cutters for a more decorative top.
Bake pie for 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Bake pie for 35 or 40 minutes longer or until nicely glazed. Cool on rack.
Sheet pan meals are all the rage now in the magazines and on cooking shows. So I created this large quiche which is perfect for a brunch or an extensive buffet. Mushrooms, asparagus, and goat cheese are a familiar combination for my quiches. Next, I added Gruyere cheese, a smoky french cheese that melts beautifully and pairs wonderfully with eggs and goat cheese. Thyme fresh or dried is another go-to ingredient for me. In the summer, I grow all thyme varieties with French thyme, my particular favorite. You can use any combination of veggies and herbs. Experiment and have fun!
1 (14.1-ounce) package Pillsbury refrigerated piecrust, room temperature
8 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1(3.5-ounce) package shiitake mushrooms
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
4 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 stalks asparagus, trimmed and shaved
Position rack in bottom trim of oven, and preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 13×9 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet wit cooking spray.
On lightly floured surface, unroll 1 piecrust. Lightly brush with water, and top with remaining piecrust, pressing gently to seal. Roll into a 15×11-inch rectangle. Transfer to prepared pan. Trim edges as need, and crimp as desired.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Stir in mushrooms, Gruyere cheese, goat cheese, garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Pour into prepared crust. Top with asparagus, pressing gently into filling.
Bake until filling is set 30-40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
I usually made a hearty Pot Pie in the cold winter months when the snow and wind blanket my home in wintery New England. However, this spring, I lightened up my Pot Pie by making an all-vegetable version, and I went crazy with a flaky puff pastry topping.
Puff pastry is easy to use, turning you a master pâtissier. It is magical how flat sheets of dough puff into golden pastry in the oven.
You can experiment with different veggies; I used a traditional mix. Have fun with your cooking!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (8-oz.) package sliced baby bella mushrooms
4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and rinsed (about 2 ½ cups)
½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
3 cups vegetable stock
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons greek yogurt
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, divided
1 [17.3-oz.] package), frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 ounces fresh English peas
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third position. Heat butter and
oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high until butter is melted
and foamy. Add mushrooms in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown and crispy on bottoms, about 5 minutes. Toss mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid releases and evaporates, about 4 minutes. Add carrots, leeks, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are just beginning to soften and leeks are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are fully coated and flour smells nutty and turns golden brown, about 1 minute. Add stock; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid starts to thicken, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in whipping cream, yogurt, mustard, and 2 teaspoons of the thyme. Set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, roll pastry sheet out onto a lightly floured work surface into a 12-inch square. Cut evenly into 3 (4-inch-wide) strips. Cut each strip evenly into 6 triangles. Repeat with second puff pastry sheet. Stir together egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl.
3. Stir peas into warm vegetable mixture in skillet. Arrange pastry triangles in a circle pattern over mixture, leaving a slight (about ½-inch) overhang around skillet edges and slightly overlapping triangles. Brush pastry with egg mixture; sprinkle with flaky sea salt and remaining thyme.
4. Place a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil on oven rack; place skillet on sheet. Bake in preheated oven until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly around edges, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
Blueberries and lemons are a favorite flavor combination that I love. Lemon is a fresh scent that reminds me of spring. This cake is delicious any time during the year. Adding candied lemons is a nice decorative touch.
I make this loaf cake often because it is moist, flavorful, and easy to make.
Ingredients
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
1/3 cup (80g) sour cream (or plain yogurt/Greek yogurt), at room temperature
2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk, at room temperature
3 Tablespoons (45ml) lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 cups blueberries
1 teaspoon flour
GLAZE
2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
optional: candied lemon slices
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and granulated sugar together until combined. Whisk in the oil, sour cream, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk to completely combine. Avoid over-mixing.Pour/spread the batter evenly into prepared loaf pan.
Take 1/2 cup blueberries and mash with fork. Place remaining blueberries in bow and toss with flour. Fold mashed and whole blueberries into cake batter.
Bake the bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour, covering loosely with foil about halfway through to help the loaf bake evenly. Poke the center of the bread with a skew and if it comes out clean, the bread is done.
Cool bread completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
Drizzle with glaze and decorate with candied lemon slices
Slice and serve.
Cover and store leftover plain or glazed bread at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Glaze
Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice together.
Candied Lemon Slices
1 small lemons
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup water
Cut lemons into 1/8-inch-thick rounds; discard seeds. Stir together sugar, lemon juice, and water in a large skillet over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon slices, and simmer gently, keeping slices in a single layer and turning occasionally, 14 to 16 minutes or until slightly translucent and rinds are softened. Remove from heat. Place slices in a single layer in a wax paper-lined jelly-roll pan, using tongs. Cool completely (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 2 hours to 2 days.
Easter deserves a special cake, and I make a basic chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting decorated with Cadbury Mini Eggs. These delightful candied chocolate eggs are only available during the Easter Holiday.
I eat all the mini eggs before I can decorate the cake, and I run out to search for one last bag to use on the cake.
Easter Chocolate Milk Layer Cake
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 cup cake flourKing Arthur
1/4 cup dried nonfat milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder Ghirardelli Chocolate
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces milk chocolate, melted
1 cup whole buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Chocolate Fudge Frosting (Recipe below)
Crushed Cadbury Milk Chocolate mini eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 9-in round cake pans.
2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat in a bowl butter, sugar, oil and eggs at medium speed until well combined about 2 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, dried milk, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk in thirds starting and ending with flour. Beat until well combined. With mixture at low speed add chocolate, vanilla and almond until chocolate is combined. Ddivid batter between prepared pans.
4. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. remove from pans, and let cook completely on wire racks. Spread Chocolate Fudge Frosting between layers, sprinkle with half crushed chocolate eggs. Place remaining cake layer on top, frost top and sides. Garnish with remaining crushed chocolate eggs.
Milk Chocolate Frosting
12 ounces mild chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1.Combine chocolate, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl.
2. In a small sauce pan heat cream over medium heat until just boiling. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture; whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate for one hour.
3. Beat chocolate with whisk attachment of stand mixture at medium speed for 3 minutes.
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