soup’s on

by aliceknisleymatthias

Cherry soup. Maybe those aren’t two words you think of together. The cherry can carry a completely different flavor as a soup. A cold soup. It’s the perfect dish for a scorching summer night. This cherry soup, a crisp salad, and a rustic loaf of bread, are a menu you should have in your recipe box.

Cherry soup is a classic staple of Hungarian kitchens. It  features a tart cherry. Like Morello or Montromency cherries. It calls for a considerable amout of sugar. And cream. The soup can be served as everything from an appetizer to a dessert. The large amount of sugar is an effort to offset the tartness of the cherries. If you want to cut the amount of sugar used in the recipe — start with using sweeter cherries.

For this recipe, the cherries of choice are the Bing cherries that are flowing out of their baskets at the market these days.

Begin with some olive oil in a pan. Place a few slices of onion and  a garlic bulb in the pan before you put a flame under it. Putting an ingredient in oil before it is heated allows the flavor to slowly be picked up by the oil. Once the onion looks wilted, remove the onion and garlic, leaving the flavor behind. Remove the pan from the flame and allow oil to cool.

Add the cherries to the pan when the oil is room temperature and stir. Empty contents into a blender and puree. When the mixture is smooth, transfer to a bowl.

The creamy texture of the cherry soup in this recipe does not come from a light or heavy cream. Greek yogurt gives this soup the presence of a creamy texture. It cuts the sweetness of the cherries. Add a bit of kosher salt and lemon juice.

Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours. This allows the ingredients to mingle together and become a chilled soup. The taste of the ingredients becomes more pronounced when they are chilled. Even better, let the soup chill for a full 24 hours.

When the temperature is climbing, the cold cherry soup is a refreshing addition to the dinner menu. The deep cherry flavor mixes with the lightness of the yogurt. A dollop of sour cream adds some zip to the soup. Slice some basil leaves and scatter on top. Want to make sure this soup delivers all its cooling comfort?

Chill the serving bowls several hours before dinner. Beat the heat. Jump in the pool. Dive in a bowl of this soup. See you tomorrow.

cherries and chops

by aliceknisleymatthias

Pork pairs well with fruit. It’s just one of those combinations that works well together. Today, the cherries turn into a salsa for thick, center cut pork chops. With just a few tweaks, the combination that worked for the bruschetta and pound cake can highlight the flavor of grilled pork chops.

An important step when grilling any meat is letting it come to room temperature. Taking meat from the refrigerator and putting on the grill immediately will not give you a tender pork chop. You’re placing a cold item on a hot grill.

Marinate the chops and allow the meat to reach room temperature. Place the chops in a combination of olive oil, orange juice and zest, dijon mustard, and kosher salt. Let the pork chops marinate for about 30 minutes.

When the grill is ready, take the chops from the marinade and place directly on grill. For added flavor, place some sprigs of fresh rosemary on top of the chops. The rosemary will perfume the grilled flavor. The concentration of sugar in the orange juice will help brown the meat.

Turn the meat and place some more rosemary on the other side of the chop. The rosemary will continue to infuse the pork. Cook on each side between 7-8 minutes.

Remove the pork chops and place in a clean platter. Allow some more fresh rosemary to sit on top of the chops as they rest. Here is the key for even more moist flavor. Splash some more orange juice in the dish. Let the pork soak up some more of the orange juice.

The combination of cherries that did us well with the pound cake and bruschetta takes another direction with the pork chops. The smokiness of the chops mixes with the orange flavor and the verdant rosemary. The cherries add another fruity layer for these moist chops.

There are two additions to the cherry mixture. Some finely chopped garlic and red onion. When adding garlic, in something like this combination, it’s important to finely mince it. There are a handful of ingredients. Finely mince garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt. Drag the flat end of the knife back and forth over the salt. This will create a paste. Serve the cherry mixture on top of the pork chops.

Tune in tomorrow for more ways to celebrate our love for this stone fruit.

a better bruschetta

by aliceknisleymatthias

Bruschetta is one of the simple pleasures when dining. Chopped tomatoes, combined with garlic, and olive oil. A few leaves of fresh basil. The bruschetta is actually the grilled bread. The topping of tomatoes and other ingredients has come to be known as bruschetta.

This is a variation of bruschetta featuring our food of the moment. More fun with cherries. Their tartness is paired with some creamy goat cheese and fresh herbs.

Prepare the cherries the same way we did for the previous recipes. You want to chop them into fairly small pieces after they are rinsed and pitted.

Take the goat cheese out of the refrigerator when you begin to work with the cherries. This will bring it to room temperature. The cheese will spread easily when you are ready to work with it.

Slice the baguette on a bias. This allows for more surface area when you begin to add the ingredients for your topping. Drizzle some olive oil on the surface of the bread. Turn over and do the same for the other side. You can use your less expensive olive oil here. Save the really good stuff for being mixed with the cherries as a topping.

Heat the grill and begin to toast the slices of baguette. It takes a matter of seconds to toast. Just after you place the last slice down on the grates, go bak and check the first slice. This cooking time goes quickly. Rub with garlic when the toast slices are still warm from the grill. Allow the slices to cool.

In a bowl, combine the cherries with some good quality olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar.The pucker of the cherries and balsamic vinegar are balanced by the fruity flavor of extra virgin olive oil. It may sound odd to add a pinch of salt. It brings these bold flavors into balance. Slice some ribbons of basil and add to the bowl.

The pots of basil sit right next to the grill for all our summer menus. Both basil and cilantro thrive in heat. They get the best of everything. The sun during the day, and the heat of the grill, when it’s time for dinner.

Spread the goat cheese on the toasted bread in an even layer. Top with the cherry mixture and some extra basil. Makes a great appetizer for a summer dinner menu. The crunchy toast layered with goat cheese and the zing of the cherries and vinegar. The basil lends a sweet flavor in the background.

Tomorrow some marinated pork chops get paired with the cherry mixture for another menu idea. Be sure and stop back and read all about it.

cheery cherries for dessert

by aliceknisleymatthias

Maybe you don’t think of using your grill for dessert. You should. There are all sorts of irresistible combinations that only get better on the grill.

Take a classic combination of pound cake with a fruit compote on top. Perfect for a summer night of outdoor dining. A compote is made when fruit is stewed in a type of sugar water with other flavors. When making this compote, change the ingredients according to the seasons. In the colder months, use nutmeg, anise, or cinnamon, with some fruit.

In warmer months, you can make a compote to combine a seasonal fruit, like cherries, with notes of citrus. The use of fresh juice from lemons, or oranges, brightens the mixture. Also, adding some of the zest of the rind. This compote can be spooned over yogurt, granola, or ice cream, for a serving of fruit on a warm morning or evening.

For this dessert, you want to use plain pound cake. This is a great way to use pound cake that has been sitting around for some time. The idea is that you soak the pound cake in a liquid before you grill it. So, if it has started to get a little stale, this method will rehydrate the cake.

Pierce some holes in a piece of pound cake with a fork. Place the cake in a shallow dish with a splash of orange juice for about 5 seconds each side. You don’t want the cake to get too soft. Remove and place on sheet. Dust with some brown sugar.

In a pot, add remaining orange juice and allow to come to a boil. Cook until the orange juice reduces to half the original amount. This will take about 6-10 minutes.

Add cherries at the end of the cooking time. Stir in honey and mint leaves that have been finely chopped. 

Heat your grill and place the pieces of pound cake on the grates. Place the side with the sprinkled brown sugar face down on the grill. You can now dust the other side of cake with some brown sugar. Each side of the pound cake should take about 10 seconds.

 

When the cake is done, arrange on a plate and spoon the compote over the top. You can garnish with another sprig of mint. The garden is exploding with fresh herbs right now. Take advantage of it. Tomorrow will highlight one of my favorite combinations of cherries and goat cheese. Stay tuned.

The Guys’ Cheery Cherry Compote

4 pieces of plain pound cake

4 tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons orange zest

brown sugar for dusting

the juice of 4 to 5 oranges 

3/4 cup cherries pitted and chopped

2 tablespoons honey

handful of fresh mint, chopped

1. Pierce holes with a fork in the pound cake slices and soak briefly in orange juice.

2. Dust with brown sugar.

3. Bring orange juice to a boil and reduce by half.

4. Add cherries, honey and mint leaves. Allow to cool.

5. Place pound cake on grill with the sugar dusted side down. Sprinkle on other side. Grill other side.

6. Arrange grilled pound cake on a plate and spoon compote over the top.

june is busting out all over

by aliceknisleymatthias

There’s your musical theater reference to kick off the month. Do you know what show has that song in the score? (Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” in case you’re wondering.)

Last Saturday we were bundled in the stands watching big brother’s track meet. Today, one week later, it was 93 degrees in the shade of the stands.

The month of June will feature a post a day on the blog here. It’s part of a blogathon over at the Word Count site run by Michelle Rafter. http://michellerafter.com/

We’ll focus on dining ideas, recipes, and cooking tips. It’s also time to celebrate farmers’ markets. And the garden season is in full swing. 

We’ll get things started with this photo of a genius piece of kitchen equipment. Do you know what this is?

June is the month for cherries. Bing cherries start arriving in the farmers’ market. They’re delicious for dinner ideas and desserts. Before you get to enjoy them, the pits need to be removed. And that’s when a cherry pitter is your go-to tool.

The cherry is placed in the pitter. A simple squeeze of the handle and the spike is driven through the fruit. The pit is extracted. Be sure and check the cherry, when you remove it from the pitter, to make sure the pit is gone. Sometimes it can get left behind.

When selecting cherries, look for plump cherries with a firm outer skin. If the cherries are slightly mushy, they’re past their prime. The tangy flavor makes it a favorite fruit to use for a topping for grilled pork chops. The cherry is the symbol of summer, in a pie, with a lattice top. 

Here’s your helpful tip for working with cherries. The beautiful ruby color of the cherries will make for a colorful warm weather dish. But, it will stain your wooden cutting board.

Remove your cherry pits over a dinner plate. And cut them on the plate too. All the juice stays on the plate and is easily rinsed off.

This is the season for buying cherries. Extend your time working with them. Rinse and dry some cherries and place in a plastic bag. They can be frozen and used when the calendar no longer says June. Don’t limit the cherry season in your kitchen. More ideas for working with cherries tomorrow. Stay tuned all month. Here we go!

baseball, dandelions, and croissants

by aliceknisleymatthias

I can remember some soggy Memorial Day weekends. But a cold holiday weekend? This was a first.  My little guy and I shivered at his brother’s track meet. We tried to duck the winds and clutched our styrofoam cups of hot chocolate. It rained on and off.

After big brother won first place in the 100 meter dash, we all dashed to the car. We put the heat on to try to dry our clothes. There were no thoughts of opening the pool this Memorial Day weekend.

We woke up for the early game of catch-and-pitch baseball this morning. At least the sun was out. Maybe kids were inside too long yesterday from the rain. All the six-year-olds kept getting out of the dugout. It’s my job to keep them in there. My little guy single-handedly weeded one part of a back lawn. Picking dandelions. See him out there?

I saw a great cartoon in the paper on Mother’s Day recently. It said you know you’re a mom when you have dandelions in a vase. Kids see beauty in what is a weed. There’s my Mom vase.

The early ball game means we have breakfast after the game.  As we played, the aroma of coffee filled the air. It mixed with the smell of bacon being cooked on the grill in the snack bar. Parents sat in the stands with egg and bacon sandwiches wrapped in aluminum foil. When the game was over, I headed to a local Italian bakery.

 The guys were hungry and this bakery makes huge croissants. I’m also planning on making croissants myself with the help of this recipe: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/bakers-croissants-recipe

The waft of bread-y smell is there when I open the paper bag. I made the right choice for a post-game bit of breakfast. The croissants are still warm from the oven.  The dog knows to park himself next to us. These croissants are very flaky. Dog gets an endless shower of flaky bits that hit the floor. 

These croissants have a firm outer shell. The interior is airy and light. The guys like to pull back the layers. It slowly reveals the inside where the croissant is doughier. Sometimes we have the croissants with our homemade berry jam. Today, we are  enjoying every buttery, rich layer all on its own. Just a cup of tea for me.

The guys headed off to go fishing. I caught up on the newspaper. The house was quiet. Just the sound of the birds outside, and the dog snoring, as he napped at the foot of my chair.

That’s hard work cleaning up after croissants. Check out our family recipe for berry jam.

The Guy’s Berry Jam

1 pint of blueberries

1 pint of raspberries

1 pint of strawberries

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

a few sprigs of fresh mint, leaves chopped

Directions

–Wash and prepare fruit.

–Cut the strawberries into bite size pieces and discard stems.

–Put all ingredients in a pot on a low flame.

–Boil down for about 30 minutes or until mixture is thickened. (Add the fresh mint towards the end of the cooking time to preserve the freshness and flavor.)

–Allow to cool and store in a jar. Jam keeps, in a refrigerator, for about a week.

chimichurri in a hurry

by aliceknisleymatthias

Another busy weekend. My older guy ran for the track team and did his first 800 meter for the season. That probably had something to do with him asking for steak for dinner. The botanical garden, in the neighborhood, was having their annual plant sale. The guys wanted to “surprise” me for Mother’s Day.

When it’s plant sale time, we get our red Radio Flyer wagon and head to the botanical garden. We walk back along the slate sidewalk as the plants bounce around in the wagon. The guys came back with some herbs for the herb garden we made last year.

We decided to use our herbs and make a chimichurri sauce for flank steak. They love to have chimichurri on grilled meat. It works well with grilled chicken or pork too. Drizzled on grilled vegetables, this blend of fresh herbs and olive oil is a favorite for dinner by the pool.

Chimichurri is a condiment for grilled meat. There are varying stories of how the name originated. It’s a mix of fresh herbs with an acid like red wine vinegar. Sometimes I use lemon juice. I thought for sure my Meyer lemon tree would be ready to give me some juicy lemons. Sigh, no.

Even worse. One of the still-green lemons got knocked from the tree, when the dog was convinced he would catch THIS squirrel, skittering along the fence.

We used the little green lemon. The wonderfully gentle tartness of the Meyer lemon juice still came through in flavor. We used chives, thyme, rosemary, chopped garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice. The grilled steak flavor is mixed, with the fresh herbs in the chimichurri, and the brightness of the vinegar or lemon juice. We also added some lemon thyme which helped boost the lemon flavor.

I made the potatoes my guys like with steak. Red potatoes get a coating of olive oil and some kosher salt. The dish goes in a hot oven set at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. When a knife easily slides through the potatoes, they are cooked. After a few minutes to cool, the potatoes are cut into pieces and grilled. It gives you a potato that is creamy on the inside with a crunchy outer layer.

Chimichurri is one of those recipes that calls for fresh herbs. No dried spices. When the herbs are the force of the flavor – fresh is the only way to go. I was almost ready to serve when my older guy pointed out we forgot to add some basil. Nice save.

corny april treats

by aliceknisleymatthias

Play ball! As April is known to do, it teases us with warm weather one moment, and then changes in an instant. My guys get tired of the “Do-I-need-a-jacket-today?” morning check-ins.

April means it’s time to get the fishing gear out. The guys like to head off to some of the local ponds and see what they can catch. And release.

It’s also the time of year to kick off the beginning of baseball season at our local little league. My grill in the backyard is exactly a block away from the fields. One of my favorite sounds of spring and summer happen when I am at the grill. A Mike’s Hard Lemonade sits on the ledge as I make dinner. Ping! You can hear when a batter sends a great hit to the outfield. The roar of the crowd explodes.

My guys wanted hamburgers and French fries with the aioli dipping sauce they crave. I can make this dinner on the grill in any season.

They had a specific request though, for Mexican corn. April isn’t the best time for corn. But then again, when corn is at its sweet peak in the summer, is when we like corn with the faintest bit of good, creamy butter. Nothing else.

I did find some corn at the market. It’s not going to be like what I can get in the summer months. So, maybe this is the perfect time to make Mexican corn since it gets covered with a layer of flavors.

The method is simple. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, a mix of cheese, like Pecorino Romano and Asiago, and a dash of kosher salt and chili powder. The corn gets shucked. The husks are left on to act as a handle to turn the corn on the grill.

I like to lightly coat the corn with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil. The oil gets a small amount of honey. It adds a sweet note and helps caramelize the natural sugars in the corn.

The corn chars quickly. This is not something to put on the grill and walk away. This is when Mike’s Hard Lemonade is at its best. Take a sip, rotate corn, continue.

When the corn is still warm, brush the mayo, sour cream, and cheese mixture on the ears of corn. Squeeze  lime wedges over the corn and sprinkle with chopped cilantro or chives. 

The natural sugars of the corn, with a little pucker-punch of the lime juice, is enhanced by some saltiness from the cheese.

Cue the roar of the crowd.

paas – itively delicious easter brunch

by aliceknisleymatthias

There’s the dining room table. It tends to get buried under a blizzard of school notices that come home in backpacks. Really buried.

We decided that brunch worked well for everyone for Easter. We would go with Eggs Benedict with the “Holidays” sauce. You read the last post, right? As I said before, I was hoping my Meyer lemon tree would be ready to celebrate with us. But, the tree that grows in the dining room is making me w-a-i-t for the rewards.

I have worked out a system for making my poached eggs ahead of time. They swirl in the boiling water and get dropped in a cold water bath. When I am ready to serve, the eggs are brought to temperature in warm water. 

My older guy wanted to know how to make the poached eggs. I put him on swirling duty. Bringing a pot of water to a boil, I had him add the salt. And then, a good splash of white wine vinegar. I explained the vinegar helped the egg whites coagulate and wrap around the yolks. My son cracked an egg against the counter. He took the two egg shells and rocked the yolk back and forth. The egg white separated and he placed the yolk in a ramekin.

He took the thin wooden spoon and started to swirl the boiling water. Tilting the ramekin, I lowered the yolk into the water. It disappeared and immediately rolled over. It continued rolling as he kept the water moving.

He watched as the strings of egg white began to appear. And the fluttering ribbons slowly wrapped themselves around the yolk. Another few seconds, and he lifted the puffed pillow of egg out of the pot and into a cold water bath. “That was cool!”

As children are known to do, he displayed his awe at this technique. When told there were eleven more eggs to poach – he said I could do the rest.

The English muffins were crisped in the oven with the Canadian bacon. I grilled asparagus and caramelized shallots. The Hollandaise stayed warm on a double boiler.

We had our egg hunt with thirty colored eggs hidden outside. I assembled plates of crispy muffins and smoky ham. Then, potatoes and asparagus with their sweet shallots. The ham was topped with the eggs and Hollandaise spooned over the top.

Some fresh chives on top and we all sat down to brunch. And the dog slept under the table.

Hoidays Hollandaise

1 1/2 stick of butter    (America’s Test Kitchen named Cabot the best butter and I agree.)

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

pinch of cayenne

3 tablespoons lemon juice

-Gently melt butter.

-In a blender, mix egg yolks, salt, cayenne, and lemon juice.

-With the blender running on low, slowly stream in the butter to mix.

Hollandaise can keep for an hour before serving. Loosen with a tablespoon of warm water and serve.

snap goes asparagus

by aliceknisleymatthias

Nothing signals spring like asparagus. Spring was in the air last weekend. We planned a menu with one of the treats of the season. Sometimes we make asparagus with crumbles of hard-boiled egg, with diced red onion, mellowed in red wine vinegar.

We like to dress asparagus in some extra virgin olive oil and a dash of Kosher salt. Then, we head outside and grill the stalks. I’m always amazed when someone asks how I keep the stalks from falling into the grill. You don’t need those vegetable grill baskets. Turn the stalks so they are horizontal on the grates. That’s all.

When those first bunches of asparagus appear in the market, we all want grilled asparagus with Hollandaise. Or what my little guy calls “Holidays.” I usually make Hollandaise for Easter dinner, so maybe he’s right — we should call it “Holidays.”

When I was making it one year my older boy asked why it is called Hollandaise. I explained the reason to both of them. It hails from Holland, which is known as the Land of Butter, and the sauce is made with a hefty dose of melted butter.

They both laughed because they thought I made that up. I got out my copy of Craig Claiborne’s cookbook from The New York Times and showed them his words and recipe. Looking at the recipe, it calls for melting the butter in a double- boiler.

In a double- boiler you run the risk of accidentally scrambling the eggs. I haven’t used that method in years. I use my foolproof process in a blender. Melted butter, a golden egg yolk, a splash of fresh lemon juice, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

We brought home our first batch of asparagus on Saturday. The guys help me prepare the stalks of asparagus. The first time I showed them, that asparagus will naturally break in the right spot, it was like I did a magic trick.

I said I was going to get the asparagus ready  to cook — but not with my chef’s knife. I held the stalks with both hands and started to gently bend it. It snapped and they giggled. “Let me try one!” I had recruited kitchen helpers and they thought it was fun.

The versatile Hollandaise is a creamy topping for the smokey flavor of grilled asparagus. Last year I did a brunch for Easter. The thick sauce of melted butter, with a splash of lemon juice for brightness, makes for a brunch favorite as well. Eggs Benedict with ham, a poached egg, and a shower of fresh herbs, on an a toasted English Muffin. Perfect with a cup of tea. 

We will probably do brunch again after our annual egg hunt. Maybe my Meyer lemon tree will be ready to give me some lemons.  That would make it a “Holidays” sauce for sure.