Kale and Scallion Negimaki

Today we had a Labor Day family cookout and these tender morsels were the perfect, pre-burger appetizers.
They are quite rich (though I gobbled down three).
I'd like to experiment with other cuts of meat. 
I pounded the meat into 2" x 1/2" slices.
Recipe adapted from FoodandWine.com.

1.   2 Tb soy sauce (recipe suggests milder tamari but don't go out of your way to buy it)
2.   2 Tb mirin
3.   3/4 Tb miso (I prefer white but recipe suggests red)
4. 1/2 Tb sugar
5. 1/4 tsp sesame oil
6. 1/4-inch-thick slices of tenderloin steak (3/4 pound or less), pounded 1/8 inch thick
7. 1/4 pound kale, stems discarded
8. green onions 
9. Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, miso, sugar and sesame oil. Spread 1 teaspoon of the mixture on each side of the beef slices. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Reserve the remaining marinade to drizzle over the cooked rolls (so do not contaminate).
2. In a saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the kale until bright green, 2 minutes. Drain.
3. On a work surface, lay out a slice of beef with a long side facing you. Place 3 green onions slice across the lower edge. Top with some of the kale. Roll the meat up over the filling very tightly. Secure the roll with a toothpick or two. Repeat with the remaining meat, onions and kale.
4. Prepare a grill or preheat a grill pan. Grill the rolls over high heat until charred, 2 minutes. Brush the rolls with some marinade and grill for a few seconds more, until glazed.
5. Transfer the rolls to a work surface. Discard the toothpicks. Cut the negimaki into 1-inch lengths (or not, if you use smaller pieces). Transfer to a platter, cut sides up, and drizzle with the remaining marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Corn Salsa

We had a great time at Swedish Car Day!
While Dad was outside installing a new car part and Andrew was busy watching, per his request, the show "Chopped", I got busy in the kitchen with my Allandale Farm treasures: corn and jalapenos.
My version of corn salsa is one I'll definitely come back to!
It is simple and delicious.

Make a vinaigrette:

1 lime, juiced
1/8 cup of your favorite vinegar (tried a mix of cider and champagne)
1/8 cup your oil of choice (I used canola)
salt & pepper (lots of pepper)
a pinch of sugar

Whisk together.

Finely dice 2 jalapenos and add to vinaigrette.

Steam 2 ears of corn for 6 minutes, run under cool water to stop the cooking, lay on towel to dry.

Add a can of rinsed and drained black beans.

The salsa is really good as is but if you'd like, try adding finely diced red onion or snipped green onions and chopped red pepper for color.
I added some chopped pickled red cherry peppers from our garden last summer. Yum!!

Cheese Apple Sandwich

Per Andrew's request, he wants to call this latest creation, "Cheese Apple".

It is so simple and GOOD!

Top 2 slices of whole wheat bread with one slice of mozzarella, cut in half.

Toast in oven until bread is browned and cheese bubbles.

Top one slice with Stonewall Kitchen's Cinnamon Apple Jelly, make it a sandwich, cut in wedges and enjoy!

On a recent trip to Maine and Stonewall Kitchen in York (just off exit 7), Andrew and I tried several jellies. We loved them all but this one definitely stood out as the most original and tastiest!

 A very serious double thumbs-up!

Taco Dip

This is a great taco dip recipe my mom wrote down for me a few years ago.
On a recent trip to my friend's vacation house in VT, I found that I left it there- it was amongst a stack of magazines. I recognized my mom's handwriting! 
I haven't made it yet but when mom did I remember it was *fabulous*! And so she wrote it down for me.
The next time you are tempted to buy one of those pre-made layer dips, try this instead!
Guaranteed it's far better and will be be gobbled up :)
Besides, 'tis the season for ripe tomatoes!

Taco Dip 

1 15 oz can refried beans
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 Tb salsa
1 8 oz sour cream
2 avocados, mashed
1 squeeze lemon juice
1 4 oz. can diced chilies
1 large tomato, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups Monteray Jack cheese
1 can (or preferably from an olive bar) black olives, sliced

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Layer:
 1. beans, taco seasoning, salsa
2. sour cream, avocados, lemon juice
3. chilies, tomatoes, onions
4. cheese, olives

Bruschetta

I love a recipe that is so easy to make! Oftentimes the best way to learn is to watch someone else do it.  In this case I watched my friend Lisa. She worked in a restaurant and has whipped this up many times.

Make the tomato dip:
Dice up 3 cloves of garlic, 4 plum tomatoes and half an onion.
Saute the onion then add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook down a bit.
Drizzle in some balsamic vinegar (white balsamic is also good and won't affect the color).
Remove from heat and mix in some chopped basil.
Drizzle olive oil over slices of baguette, rub with a cut piece of garlic, sprinkle of parmesan and toast them.
Serve with a dollop of goat cheese over the tomatoes and enjoy! 

Confetti Sandwiches

A great way to get some exciting veggie action into your kid's lunch! I had one too :)
Just spread some nice soft bread (in this case, scali) with mayo, grate some veggies of choice (carrots, zucchini, summer squash, etc.) over the bread, top with preferred cheese and voila! Colorful and fun/fast to prepare.

Baked Sole with Spinach, Olives and Tomatoes

This was a special dinner I made for my friend Kerri.
It is adapted from Jamie Oliver's "Happy Days With The Naked Chef."
I definitely give it a thumbs up! 

Here are the olive puree, rosemary skewers and tomato sauce, prepped ahead of time.

The final dish, ready to dig in!

Serves 4

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
• 1 28oz can plum tomatoes
• Fine sea salt to taste
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 large handful fresh basil
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 4 (7-oz) sole fillets
• 5 oz baby spinach 

Make sauce:
Cook garlic in 2 tablespoons oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat (on stovetop), stirring until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, breaking them up with a spoon, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
Prepare fish while sauce simmers:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pulse olives, basil, and anchovies to a paste in a food processor (or chop finely). Add olive oil  to create a more spreadable paste.
Lay fish fillets, skinned sides down, on a work surface and season with pepper. Divide olive paste among fillets and spread evenly. Beginning at narrow end, roll up each fillet. Peel the leaves of the lower end of the rosemary and use to skewer the fillets closed.
Bake fish:
Arrange fish rolls on tomato sauce in baking dish. Drizzle lightly with oil and bake, uncovered, in middle of oven, until fish is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Transfer fish to 4 heated plates. Heat tomato sauce over medium heat, then add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce with spinach alongside fish.