Poached Swai with Bruschetta Style Tomatoes

Yep, it's summer. And it's hot. And our garden has completely exploded with tomatoes of all shapes and colors. We canned all weekend last weekend, and the last thing I wanted to make was a complicated dinner. 

This one is super simple, and really highlights the fresh tomatoes from the garden. And, with the house so warm from all the canning, I was happy I could do most of it on the grill. I "poached" the fish by putting the filets in foil packets, technically "en papillote" if you use parchment paper in the oven. Cooking the swai this way leaves it very tender and moist, and it cooks very quickly. 

Poached Swai with Bruschetta Style Tomatoes 

For the tomatoes: 

3 very fresh Roma tomatoes, diced 

1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced 

2 cloves garlic, finely diced 

1/2 cup fresh basil, cut chiffonade 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

Mix all ingredients together gently in a bowl, and set aside. 

For the fish: 

4 six ounce swai filets 

1 lemon, thinly sliced 

1 small onion, thinly sliced 

Olive oil 

Salt 

Pepper 

Old Bay Seasoning 

Preheat grill to approximately 400 degrees. Lay out one piece of aluminum foil for each filet. Layer lemon slices and onion slices on each piece of foil, then place one piece of fish on each one. Drizzle olive oil on fish, and sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and Old Bay Seasoning. Seal foil packets loosely around fish, and place on grill. Grill for 12-15 minutes, no need to turn the packets. Remove from grill, and cut open, letting steam release. Serve fish on top of rice or greens, and top with bruschetta tomatoes. 

Hawaiian Venison Tacos with Ground Cherry Salsa

I love ground cherries, but they sure can be difficult to find ! I discovered them last year, and made a really excellent chutney with them, but I wanted to do something different this year. 

To me, they taste a lot like mango, so I decided I could sub them into any recipe where I would normally have mango, so here I made a sweet and spicy salsa to top my "Hawaiian" tacos. I call these Hawaiian because of the soy based marinade for the steaks, and I used pineapple in a previous version as a topping. They still have that tropical feeling, with the ground cherry salsa, and the flavor combination is stunning. 

Hawaiian Venison Tacos with Ground Cherry Salsa 

For the Salsa; 

2 cups ground cherries, husked and sliced in half 

1/2 cup purple onion, diced finely 

3 small jalapenos, diced finely 

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 

1 teaspoon salt 

Mix all ingredients together, and let rest while you prepare the rest of the tacos. 

For the meat: 

1 1/2 pounds venison steaks 

1/4 cup soy sauce 

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 

1/4 cup honey 

1/4 cup water 

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 

Mix all marinade ingredients together, and immerse steaks. Let marinate overnight. Remove from liquid and pat dry, and let come to room temperature before cooking. Heat grill to high, and cook 3-5 minutes on each side, until steaks are medium rare. Remove from heat and let rest 3-5 minutes, then slice thinly and assemble tacos. 

For the tacos: 

Flour tortillas 

Grilled, sliced venison steak 

Ground cherry salsa 

Crumbled queso fresco 

Assemble tacos as you like. Enjoy ! 

Grilled "California" Vegetables with Carrot Green Pesto

I think everyone has tried that frozen bag of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. I throw it in soups sometimes in the winter, when fresh vegetables are scarce here in the frozen north. But, I happened to have all three fresh in my refrigerator this week (rare, I know!), and decided it would be interesting to make something with my own "California" blend of vegetables. 

It has been relentlessly hot here this week, so cooking anything inside has not been appealing. Grilling is really the only way to go. And who doesn't love grilled veggies ? Topping these with some pesto made with the carrot tops means I didn't waste anything, which I totally love ! I got the idea for the pesto from a recent issue of Bon Appetit magazine, and I just used what I had on hand to create it. Simple, easy delicious, what's not to like about that ? 

Grilled "California" Vegetables with Carrot Green Pesto

For the pesto: 

2-3 cups of fresh carrot greens (tops) 

1/2 cup fresh basil 

3-4 cloves garlic (depending on size and how much you like) 

1/4 cup almonds 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan 

1 teaspoon salt 

Place all ingredients in food processor, and blend until smooth. 

For the vegetables: 

3 large carrots, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces 

1 head broccoli, just the tops 

1 head cauliflower, cut into pieces 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon salt 

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat grill to medium high. Toss vegetables with olive oil and salt. I use a grill pan, and grill vegetables on medium high for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Remove from heat, and toss with pesto and goat cheese while still warm. Serve with your favorite grilled meat, or it is a robust main dish on its own. 

Garden Veggie Pasta

I was out of town for a week, and Ray didn't use any of the vegetables that we had stacked up from our CSA and garden, so I needed a recipe that would use up a bunch of them, and FAST ! 

I love this recipe, and use it over and over because you can put almost any vegetables in, and it is always delicious. All it requires is some chopping and a little cooking time, and you have dinner ! I usually call this Irish Veggie pasta, only because it was inspired by a dish I originally had on a visit to Ireland many years ago. Technically, there isn't anything truly Irish about it except that name. So, now it's just Garden Veggie Pasta. Enjoy ! 

Garden Veggie Pasta 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 large onion, diced 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 cup purple cabbage, shredded 

1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into one inch pieces 

1 green pepper, diced 

2 small zucchini, sliced thinly 

3 large tomatoes, diced 

2 cups beet greens, cut into strips 

1 fifteen ounce can garbanzo beans, water and all 

2 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or less, to taste) 

3 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into thin strips 

Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Fresh linguine, or your pasta of choice

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add cabbage, and saute until it starts to become soft. Add other vegetables one at a time, ending with the garbanzo beans. Add seasonings and simmer over low heat 10-15 minutes until everything is cooked through. Start your pasta water while you are simmering your sauce, and cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, drain and toss with sauce. Serve, topped with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.

Grilled Beet and Purslane Pesto Pizza

Exciting things have been happening at the Zara household this last week, so I haven't been posting on my blog lately ! So I have some catching up to do, and this seemed like a good way to do it. 

When we got our new CSA box, there was this little bundle of strange greenery I couldn't identify. I checked through the list of what was supposed to be included, and realized I had purslane. Purslane is technically a weed, but is is edible, and has a lemony and somewhat salty flavor. I wasn't really sure what to do with it, so I decided to make a pesto. Why not ? And, we received multi-colored beets, which I love on pizza, so I made this really beautiful pizza, almost entirely from our CSA box. Very cool ! 

Grilled Beet and Purslane Pesto Pizza 

For the pesto 

2 cups purslane (I remove the thick stems, but everything else is usable) 

1/2 cup fresh basil 

4 cloves garlic 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 ounce shaved parmesan cheese 

Handful of almonds or pine nuts 

Salt to taste 

Place all ingredients in the food process, and blend until smooth. 

For the pizza crust: 

3/4 cup luke warm water 

1/2 teaspoon yeast 

2 cups flour 

1 teaspoon salt 

Sprinkle yeast over the water and let sit for 5 minutes. Mix together salt and flour, and slowly mix in water mixutre. Blend together until it forms a ball, and knead for 5 minutes. Split into two, and roll out into a crust. If baking, roll onto parchment paper. If grilling, spray a piece of aluminum foil with non-stick spray and roll out. 

Preheat grill to high or oven to 500. 

Toppings for the pizza: 

1/2 cup purslane pesto 

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

3 medium beets (any color) grilled and sliced 

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled 

2 scallions, sliced 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Spread pesto on top of pizza crust, and top with mozzarella cheese. Arrange other toppings on pizza. Place on grill, and cook on high heat until crust is browned and cheeses are bubbly, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, slice and serve. 

Tuscan Kale and Bean Soup

I realize summer doesn't seem like it should be soup weather, but with this nice, fresh kale to cook with, I wanted to make this traditional Italian soup. It is both light and comforting,  and my Italian husband thinks it tastes very much like something his grandmother would have made. For me, that's a high compliment. 

I used some of the curly kale in this, but any variety would work. You could also substitute spinach, if you don't have kale, but this is closer to the traditional recipe. 

Tuscan Kale and Bean Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil 

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, diced

4 carrots, thinly sliced

8 cups vegetable  or chicken stock

1 teaspoon dried basil 

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 cup ditalini pasta or orzo

1 pint chopped tomatoes

1 small can canellini beans

3 cups kale, chopped

Pesto and freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a large stock pot, saute onions and garlic until onions are soft. Add carrots, and cook 5-7 minutes until carrots begin to soften.  Add stock and bring to a boil. Stir in spice and pasta, and boil until pasta is cooked, 5-7 minutes.  Add tomatoes, beans, and kale, and simmer until kale is tender, another 20-30 minutes. When ready to serve, drop a spoonful of pesto into the bowl, and top with parmesan cheese. 

Kohlrabi Kimchi Slaw

I think I have a new favorite condiment. And it's so pretty and pink ! And super easy to make. 

I was a little stumped about what I was going to do with this kohlrabi we received in our CSA basket. I knew I could make slaw with it, but it was pretty small, so that wasn't going to be much of an option. The Bossy Acre's girls had a kimchi class the week before that I was unable to attend, so I decided to make my own. 

Now, this isn't a classic kimchi by any stretch of the imagination. It should more properly be titled "in the style of kimchi:, but hey, it works ! I added some radish for extra crunch and kick, and we have been eating it on burgers, brats, and straight out of the bowl. 

Kohlrabi Kimchi Slaw 

1 small kohlrabl, peeled and shredded 

1 large radish, peeled and shredded 

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1-2 teaspoons sriracha (depending on your tastes) 

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and refrigerate up to an hour before serving. Will keep in the refrigerator for several days.