5 End-Of-Summer Peach Recipes

by staci on September 1, 2010 · 0 comments

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With fresh peach season coming to an end, now is the time to stock up on homegrown peaches — to use, can or freeze. These five recipes are a great way to take advantage of what little time we have left with fresh summer peaches:

Quick Peach Chipotle Salsa
Use not-quite-ripe peaches to lend some sweet-tart tastes to this smoky, spicy salsa.

Peach Cream Cheese Tart
Cinnamon sugar-coated peaches make a nice topping for these pretty cheesecake-like tarts.

Peach, Basil, & Escarole Pizza
The bitter escarole balances out the richness of the mozzarella and the sweetness of the peaches. Flaky sea salt and a good grind of pepper give this pizza some edge.

Yogurt Peach Muffins
A great way to use up scratch-and-dent or overripe peaches, these muffins come out moist and fluffy.

Grilled Peaches
Labor Day and tail-gate parties beg for the grill, and these peaches, topped with brown sugar and cinnamon, are sweet, juicy and melt-in-your-mouth good.


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5 Salads For The Summer

by staci on August 6, 2010 · 2 comments

mesclun greens - cookthink

These five flavorful summer salads show that you can eat light and still eat well.

Summer Cherry Tomato Salad
Yellow cherry tomatoes are the star of this bright dish. Beans, basil, and balsamic vinaigrette bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes.

BLT Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
Think of this as a BLT in a bowl — fresh summer tomatoes with a bright vinaigrette, toasted croutons and crispy bacon.

Shrimp, Cucumber and Mango Salad
This refreshing salad, which requires nothing but a fridge, brings together zesty, crunchy, sweet and spicy flavors.

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken
A spin on the classic chicken caesar, this salad has Tabasco as an added kick.

Caprese Salad
The salad that never gets old. The better the mozzarella, the better the salad.

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St. John – More Than Offal

July 29, 2010

Among the multiple pleasant dining surprises I had in London was the discovery that St. John, famous for its subdued celebration of meat dishes from nose to tail, also impeccably pairs and prepares vegetables.
The vegetables bring brightness and color to bold meat and seafood dishes, which are simply and elegantly named: Braised Veal, Butterbeans & [...]

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Traditional English Breakfast in London

July 23, 2010

I was in London last week for a wedding, and managed to fill several days sampling the once food-uninterested city’s now inspired food scene. It had been almost ten years since I’d been to London, so I was excited to see how things had changed — and ultimately came back inspired myself, with bunch of [...]

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5 Easy Recipes To Beat The Summer Heat

July 19, 2010

These simple recipes will keep your body hydrated and refreshed during summer’s hottest stretch.
Iced Watermelon Drink
Watermelon, which is 94% water and packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals, is the ideal ingredient for this delicious summer drink. This recipe is kid-friendly but also has an adults-only option (ie, gin).
Homemade Fresh Fruit Popsicles
These easy-to-make popsicles are made [...]

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Corn Salad: Because It’s July

July 9, 2010

Because it’s July and hot, I’m craving this corn, tomato, cucumber and feta salad.

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How To Cure Salmon Into Gravlax

April 20, 2010

Scandinavian-style cured salmon, or gravlax, is easy to prepare at home in a day. The basic formula for gravlax looks something like this:
gravlax = raw salmon filet + sugar (white, light brown) + salt (sea, kosher) + fresh chopped herbs (dill, parsley) + ground spices (coriander, white pepper) + citrus zest (lemon, lime.

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The Flavorful Economy of Cooking Dried Beans

March 12, 2010

Canned beans are one of the best pantry staples to have on hand, no question. But dried beans are so inexpensive, available in so many varieties, and cooking them is such an easy, almost inactive process that they’re great to incorporate into your home cooking repertoire.
If you can remember to soak the beans overnight in [...]

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What Is A Marinade And How Do I Make One?

March 10, 2010

The acid-and-salt combination of marinades was once used to preserve meats and fish. Now, we use marinades more for flavoring, tenderizing and moisturizing.
Though any marinade could be made from more or less of any of its parts, here’s a basic formula for making one:
acid (vinegar, wine, yogurt, citrus juice) + oil (olive, vegetable) + aromatics [...]

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Lentil Soup With Chorizo and Potatoes

January 27, 2010

When you’re in the mood for a hearty, warming and healthy one-pot dish, this stew-like soup hits the spot. The combination of beans or legumes, pork and a starch is classic. A bright splash of lemon juice at the end of cooking adds a tart acidity to the dish — a great tip for just [...]

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