Heirloom Tomato and Beet Salad

2 medium beets (about 1 pound total), scrubbed
2 tsp plus 3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 medium beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves

1. Preheat oven to 425. Place beets on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet. Top with 2 tsp oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold foil around beets and crimp ends to form a packet. Roast beets on sheet until tender when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove beets from foil and let cool, then peel and cut into 1/4-inch slices.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tsp oil, shallot, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. On a large platter, arrange beets and tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with fresh oregano leaves.

Source: Tiny's Organics Newsletter, August 29, 2012

Try #1 - August 2012
I love roast beets.  This was a delicious, simple salad.  I omitted the shallot (didn't have any), so my dressing was a simple vinaigrette.  Very pretty with the fresh oregano leaves sprinkled over top.

Chicken Kale Casserole

Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 lb large pasta shells
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bunches kale, tough stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken (from 1/2 rotisserie chicken)
1 container (48 oz) part-skim ricotta
3 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
3/4 cup Parmesan (2 1/4 oz), grated, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large pot of boiling slated water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return to pot.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add kale, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.
3. Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish; top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until top is golden, 30 minutes.

Source: Tiny's Organics Newsletter, August 29, 2012

Try #1 - August 2012
This was pretty good, although I only used 16 oz of ricotta cheese, which to me is the standard size ricotta container.  There are 32 oz containers, but I've never seen a 48 oz container.  However... 16 oz was not enough.  Probably 32 oz would be fine, but with just 16 oz it was too dry (although I also increased the amount of pasta to 1 lb...).  In addition to the kale, I also added some coarsely chopped beet leaves.  An overall decent dish, but I would definitely add more ricotta next time.

Blackberry BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup blackberry preserves (or blackberry jam)
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp mustard powder
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Use to baste pork or beef ribs while grilling.

Try #1 - August 29, 2012
I actually made blackberry jam in order to make blackberry BBQ, because we were roasting a chicken and I wanted something reminiscent of cranberry sauce.  Basically I wanted a sweet accompaniment... and this was good, because it was sweet and tangy!  Very easy to make.

Blackberry Jam

4 cups blackberries
1 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp lemon juice

1. Mash blackberries in a saucepan with a potato masher. Stir in sugar until juices form; place about 1 Tbsp blackberry juice in a small bowl and stir in cornstarch. Pour cornstarch mixture into saucepan.
2. Bring berries to a boil, stirring often, until jam is thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and allspice. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer jam to a bowl (or directly to a jar), cover, and refrigerate until chilled. Stir in lemon juice.

Try #1 - August 29, 2012
This was very good, and had the added bonus of not needing pectin!  Since I am a jam-making newbie, I don't normally have pectin lying around, but cornstarch is always in my pantry.  This thickened well, and tasted great!

Roasted Eggplant Ratatouille

1 lb eggplant, sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds
Olive oil
1 lb zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 tsp salt
3 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 400.
2. Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 2 Tbsp olive oil in a small bowl, and brush onto the eggplant. Flip the slices and brush the second sides as well, taking care that each has a thin coating of oil. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through, until soft and lightly browned on each side. Remove from the oven and cool. Cut into rough 1-inch pieces. Set aside. (You can do this a day or two ahead, refrigerating the eggplant until you're ready to use it.)
3. Warm 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven, or a large, deep skillet. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove it from the pan, taking care to leave behind any excess oil, and set it aside.
4. If there is no oil left in the pan, add about 1 Tbsp. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, thyme, and bay leaf and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini, stir to incorporate, and cook until everything is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes more. Taste, and adjust the seasonings as necessary. Discard the bay leaf, and stir in the basil.
5. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with additional salt for sprinkling.

Source: A Homemade Life

Try #1 - August 2012

Tomato, Basil, and Cheddar Soup

2 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup basil, chopped, loosely packed
2 tsp of oregano
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. Add the chopped onion and allow to cook until tender, about three to four minutes. Add in chopped garlic and cook for an additional two minutes.
2. Pour in the two cans of tomatoes (juice and all) and the vegetable stock. Stir in the basil, oregano, sugar, and salt and pepper. Place the lid back onto the pot and allow to simmer ten minutes.
3. At the end, stir in the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until well blended. Use either an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup if you prefer a smooth texture. Garnish with chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese if desired.

Source: Let's Eat!

Pluot Cake

 3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup pluots, sliced and pitted
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat over to 375. Grease and flour one 9-inch tube pan.
2. Separate the eggs. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks and lemon zest.
4. Stir together the flour and baking powder and then beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Gently fold in the egg whites.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. There will be only a little over an inch of batter. Arrange the pluots, skin side down, attractively over the batter. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Before:

After:

Source: Tiny's Organic Newsletter, August 22, 2012

Try #1 - August 23, 2012
Honestly not the best tasting cake (a little dry), but it sure was pretty!

Julia Child's Eggplant Pizzas (Tranches d'aubergine á l'italienne)

1 globe eggplant, about 8 oz and 9-10 inches long
About 1 Tbsp salt, for drawing water out of eggplant
About 2 Tbsp olive oil, for brushing eggplant before roasting
About 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, for sprinkling on eggplant before roasting
10 large basil leaves, cut in chiffonade strips
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup finely grated mozzarella

Sauce ingredients:
2/3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 large can (28oz) diced tomatoes with liquied (or 3 cups peeled and diced fresh tomatoes)
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp dried oregano (Greek or Turkish)

1. Cut off both ends of the eggplant, then cut it into 3/4 inch-thick slices. Put the eggplant pieces on a double layer of paper towels and sprinkle both sides generously with salt. Let the eggplant sit with the salt on it for about 30 minutes to draw out the liquid.  After about 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 375.
2. While the eggplant sits, make the sauce. Heat 2-3 tsp olive oil and saute the finely chopped garlic just until it becomes fragrant (don't let it brown). Add the tomatoes, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, and oregano and let the sauce cook at a low simmer until it's thickened, breaking up the tomatoes with a fork as it cooks.
3. After 30 minutes, wipe the eggplant dry with paper towels. Spray a roasting sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray, lay eggplant slices on, brush the tops of the eggplant with olive oil, and sprinkle with dried Italian seasoning. Roast the eggplant at 375 for about 25 minutes (but not so long that the slices become mushy and lose their shape).
4. While the eggplant roasts, thinly slice the fresh basil leaves and combine with Parmesan and mozzarella. After 25 minutes or when the eggplant pieces are done, remove eggplant from the oven and turn oven setting to broil. Spread a few tablespoons of sauce on the top of each eggplant slice, sprinkle with basil, and top with a generous amount of cheese. Put pizzas under the broiler until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Serve hot.

Source: Tiny's Organic Newsletter, August 15, 2012

Try #1 - August 16, 2012
Yummy yum yum yum!

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger

6 Tbsp (3 oz) unsalted butter
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or chop up a bar of chocolate)
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (from about 3 large ripe bananas)
1/4 cup well-stirred whole-milk plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350. Grease a standard-sized (about 9 x 5 in) loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.
2. In a small bowl, melt butter in microwave or oven. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate chips and crystallized ginger and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla and stir to mix well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir gently with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides as needed, until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick and somewhat lumpy, but there should be no unincorporated flour. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top.
5. Bake until the loaf is a deep shade of golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. If the loaf seems to be browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
6. Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then tip it out onto the rack, and let it cool completely before slicing.

Note: Fully cooled, this bread freezes beautifully. To protect it from frost, wrap it in plastic wrap and then again in aluminum foil.

Source: A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg

Try #1 - August 20, 2012
I made a few changes to this recipe, some on purpose, some accidentally... I used 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour, an undetermined amount but approximately 3/4 cup sugar (Abby dumped the first 1/4 cup in before I had a chance to check), and nonfat Greek yogurt.  I didn't have any crystallized ginger (which, I realize, is a key ingredient since it's in the title of the recipe, but oh well...), so I used chopped walnuts instead.  My pan is 10 inches, and it took about 55 minutes to bake all the way through.  All those changes still produced a delicious loaf of banana bread.

Try #2 - January 12, 2012
I used all whole wheat flour this time, and it still turned out great!

Confetti Orzo Salad

3 cups cooked orzo, cooled
1/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts, chopped
1 small zucchini, grated or chopped
1 carrot, grated or sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

1. Put all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well.
2. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Note: Add or substitute mushrooms, olives, cucumbers, or any other vegetable you like.

Source: Costco Connection, August 2012

Try #1 - August 2012
This was yummy!  I added red onion and cucumber.  I also used Israeli couscous instead of orzo.  Fresh, light, delicious!  (Although not really a hit with the kiddos...)