garlic scape season is really short...want a recipe for white bean & garlic scape dip?

what a treat to find a bunch of garlic scapes in my weekly CSA box.  are you familiar with scapes?  if not, go immediately to your farmer's market and ask for them.  they are a soon-to-flower stalk that grows at the top of the garlic plant from between the leaves.  these "flowers" have to be cut off to ensure the bulb receives the necessary energy required to grow into the garlic we know and love.  this process is sort of like pinching the flowers off herb plants to aid in their growth. i love the clean, organic look of scapes...they curl into very interesting shapes...and make lovely casual floral arrangements which i use for a day or two prior to turning into a delicious treat.

many people discard the garlic scapes when harvesting...if you grow garlic do not let this happen. they are an amazingly tasty vegetable that can be used wherever you use garlic, green onions or chives. they taste like a milder version of fresh garlic with a bit less bite while still retaining tons of flavor. they can be chopped up and added to stir-fry, frittata, pasta or sautéed and added as a topping for pizza or bruschetta. you will find many ways to use...

garlic scapes are in season for only 3-4 weeks...one of the issues you deal with when trying to eat only local, in season, organic food...short harvest time frames. you have to be aware each week of what is ready ...and then snap up the items before the season is over. i ate scapes every day for a week....and wished i had bought more.

if you google garlic scapes, you will find loads of recipes for pesto.  trust me...pick one...any one.  then make it and serve with pasta or spread on toast/bruschetta.  garlic scape pesto is delicious but i did not think the world needed another version....so instead of my pesto,  i decided to share a recipe for a dip made with scapes, white beans, extra virgin olive oil and seasonings.  easy, quick, delicious, healthy and versatile...how great is that?

i made this dip a couple of weeks ago when some friends decided at the last minute to come for drinks...they called and said "we have wine...we know you will have food..so we are coming over".  good friends can do that.  i had all the ingredients for the dip so i grilled some bread and drizzled with olive oil then added olives, preserved lemons, cheese and a crudités platter to the offering.   everyone was happy!    

white bean and garlic scape dip
6-8 garlic scapes, cut in large pieces
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

add the scapes to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.  add the beans, lemon juice, half the olive oil and the red pepper flakes. pulse until chopped and mixed.  with machine running, slowly pour the remaining oil in through the tube, stopping when you reach your desired texture (i.e. stop when still a bit chunky if you like texture...or keep whirring away until very smooth...whatever you like).  add a pinch each of salt and pepper...taste and adjust seasonings as needed. place in a serving bowl and drizzle with additional extra virgin olive oil.

serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, crackers and/or a crudités platter.  delicious spread on bruschetta.  try as a sandwich spread with roast beef or chicken.

what is your favorite "gone in a blink of an eye" fruit or vegetable?  asparagus? garlic scapes? fava beans?  something else?  please share with me in the comments section...and tell me your favorite way to prepare...

best,
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "


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ecstatic for eggplant? a recipe for grilled, marinated eggplant sandwiches

summer fest starts off this year with eggplant...and i could not be happier.  when i was a kid, my mom used to make eggplant parmigiana...remember the 70's version? thick slices of eggplant dipped in seasoned breadcrumbs and fried?  then layered in a casserole dish with tons of cheese and red sauce?  i thought it was the greatest thing ever.  it wasn't until years later that i ate grilled eggplant and realized the eggplant parmigiana dish did not actually allow you to taste the eggplant.  breadcrumbs, cheese and red sauce yes...eggplant no. you know what?...eggplant is delicious...and a lighter touch is best.    now i grill,  roast, or marinate my eggplant and my "eggplant parmigiana" recipe consists of thinly sliced eggplant baked until tender and then layered in a casserole dish with fresh tomatoes, a little bit of fresh sauce, fresh basil, a sprinkling of cheese and topped with homemade breadcrumbs.  lighter, fresher, delicious...

eggplant belongs to the nightshade family of vegetables, which also include tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes. eggplant peel contains an anthocyanin phytonutrient called nasunin. nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage.  eggplants are a rich source of phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. eggplant also contains many vital nutrients and are low in calories as illustrated in the following chart:

(all nutrient facts and chart courtesy whfoods.com)

so eggplant is delicious and healthy...what could be better?

one of my favorite summer sandwiches includes grilled marinated eggplant.  i use a technique i learned from my twitter friend judy witts francini a.k.a davina cucina...salting the sliced eggplant to remove the bitterness and avoid soaking up a ton of oil.  then you simply grill and marinate in a mixture of e.v.oo, garlic, red pepper flakes and black pepper.  when you are ready to make the sandwiches, you will use that delicious, flavorful oil to brush on the bread prior to gilling.  imagine golden brown toasted bread, garlicky spicy eggplant, melted cheese and fresh basil.... amazingly good and easy to make.  you will serve this dish all summer!

grilled eggplant slices marinating in the e.v.o.o. mixture

grilled marinated eggplant sandwiches
(note, gilling times are approx. depending on how hot your coals are...experiment the first time keeping careful watch to see how long it takes you)

1 globe eggplant
sea salt
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1-2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
fresh cracked pepper
sourdough or french boule or loaf
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
fresh basil
(optional, fresh heirloom tomatoes in season)

cut eggplant into slices approx 1 inch thick.  place in a large colander and sprinkle generously with sea salt.  let sit for 1-2 hours. 
prepare grill.  i prefer wood charcoal for this recipe, but a gas grill works well also. ( alternatively, you can make this using a grill pan indoors.)

use a towel to blot off all the liquid which accumulates on the eggplant (it is very bitter).  brush slices with olive oil to prevent burning and grill approx 4 minutes per side.  remove from grill and layer in a baking pan.  cover eggplant with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, crushed red pepper (i use 2 teaspoons, but go with one if you want it less spicy), garlic and cracked black pepper.  allow to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour...but longer if possible...up to 4 hours.


cut bread into slices approx 1 inch thick.  create sandwiches by layering a couple slices of eggplant and 1 slice mozzarella cheese between two slices of bread.  brush some of the olive oil from the eggplant dish onto the outside of both sides of each sandwich.  grill 3-4 minutes per side, just until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has begun to melt.  remove from grill, carefully remove the top piece of bread (sandwiches will be hot) and add some fresh basil and a slice of tomato if using.  replace the bread slice and serve immediately.

here is my tip regarding using the grill for the eggplant sandwiches.  i make this the same day i grill chicken or a large piece of meat.  i grill the eggplant first and start the marinating process. then, i grill the chicken or meat...when finished, the coals are ready for the sandwiches.  we either have a big feast, or i serve the sandwiches immediately and have barbecued chicken or steak or ribs prepared for a few days worth of meals. 

now it is your turn to participate in summer fest. simply leave your eggplant tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below, and then go visit foodnetwork.com and do the same same.

the cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the participating blogs. yes, copy and paste them everywhere! that way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.  have fun!

participating blogs:

Food2: Around the Eggplant in Eight Ways
FN Dish: Grilled Eggplant Recipes
What’s Gaby Cooking: Eggplant Chips with a Cilantro Cashew Dipping Sauce
Taste with the Eyes: Indian Eggplant, Lemon Confit, Garlic, Thai Basil
Sassy Radish: Eggplant Caviar
The Little Kitchen: Roasted Zucchini and Eggplant Lasagna
Big Apple Nosh: Baba Ganoush

best,

diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "




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summer fest is almost here!

yeah!  heard from my twitter friend deb puchalla today....summer fest starts next week.  deb has the coolest job ever.  she currently is editorial director of foodnetwork.com, food.com, food2.com and cookingchanneltv.com.  when i met her she was an editor with martha stewart living.  deb, along with margaret roach another former "martha" person, started
summer fest a few years ago.

 it works like this...each week a summer fruit or vegetable is selected and bloggers all over the world post recipes using that ingredient.  they post their recipe on their blogs and as many other participating bloggers blogs as possible.  they also encourage their readers to share their favorite tips, dishes or ways to eat/grow the item.  you end up with a massive amount of ideas...perfect during the growing season when you might have too much produce...too little inspiration.  it has become of of my favorite parts of summer. 

my first contribution was in july 2008 and the topic was zucchini.  we do this each week until summer ends.  last year we kept the fun going until thanksgiving and switched the name to fall fest after labor day.

so here we go! next week's selection is eggplant.  do you want to participate?  read more at  foodnetwork.com.  if you are a fellow blogger, post an eggplant recipe on wednesday...if not, just check back here for my post....and feel free to share your favorite eggplant tips in the comments section...

summer fest 2011...this is going to be good...

best,
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "



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want a recipe for rhubarb & strawberry crumble?

so...what is the difference between a crisp and a crumble?  summer is approaching (although here in napa you would never know it...it has been cold, cloudy and rainy for weeks!) and crisps/crumbles are the perfect, easy, delicious way to prepare the luscious fruit grown at this time of year.   but what is the difference?  definitions vary, but most agree that both desserts start with a bottom layer of fruit, but their toppings are a little bit different. crisp toppings are a mix of butter (or, in my case, olive oil), sugar, flour,  oats and sometimes nuts. crumbles include a butter (e.v.o.o.), flour, sugar mixture called streusel. the three ingredients are mixed until crumbly and then cover the fruit. the finished products are very similar, but crisps have a higher proportion of fat to flour so are usually crisper and a bit richer.  crumbles are more cake-like.  both are delicious.

i posted my crisp recipe last fall and used apples & pears . today i am sharing my "kind of healthy" crumble.  regular readers know i have been on a quest this year to take traditional recipes and make them a bit healthier.  i think i have been brainwashed by my friend laura's quarterly cleanses and want my body to feel good after consuming delicious food...(i.e.  not bloated, stuffed, heavy, too full)...  emphasize delicious in that last sentence.  it does me no good to create a healthy recipe if it tastes bad...or even marginal.  i need to love it or am not satisfied.  this crumble meets that criteria.

i used spelt flour instead of the more traditional white flour.  spelt flour is an ancient whole grain with high water solubility.  this allows its vital nutrients to be absorbed into the body very quickly. it also adds a bit of a nutty taste which i think works really well in crumbles. and, although it is NOT gluten free and therefore not suitable for people with celiac disease, many people sensitive to gluten report they can tolerate spelt flour.   my other substitutes are agave nectar for sugar, extra virgin olive oil for butter and, because i like the taste better, instant tapioca in place of cornstarch or flour to thicken the fruit juices.

it embarrasses me a bit to admit that i have never cooked with rhubarb.  growing up, i don't remember even eating it.  so it was a terrific surprise to find 8 stalks in my csa box last week.  rhubarb and strawberries are so often paired together that i decided this would be the perfect combo for my first attempt at using this fruit. i have heard rhubarb is very bitter so strawberries naturally add a bit of sweetness to balance everything out.  guess what?  i now am quite the rhubarb fan....how did i miss this my whole life?  rhubarb is 95% water and is rich in potassium, vitamin c, dietary fiber and calcium. one cup of chopped rhubarb contains approx 26 calories.  how great is that?  i can convince myself that leftover crumble is a healthy breakfast option  ha!  actually, once in a while, it really is....  so enjoy after dinner, as an afternoon treat...or breakfast...i think even laura would approve....(but probably without the ice cream)

rhubarb and strawberry crumble

topping
2 1/2 cup spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup agave nectar 
zest of one lemon
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

filling
8 stalks rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 quarts strawberries hulled and quartered
juice of one lemon
3/4 cup agave syrup
4 tablespoons instant tapioca
pinch of sea salt

preheat oven to 375°F.  in a mixing bowl combine spelt flour, baking powder, agave, lemon zest and olive oil. mix well.  you will have a dense dough.  set aside while preparing the filling.

add rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, agave, tapioca and a pinch of sea salt in a 12 x 8 baking dish. (my oval dish is approx the same size).  stir to ensure ingredients are well mixed. using your fingers, break topping into small pieces and sprinkle over fruit . cover fruit with topping. place crumble on a foil lined baking sheet (to capture any drips), and bake until crumble topping is brown and crunchy and fruit is bubbling. (approx 40 to 50 minutes.)
let cool for a minimum of 35 minutes to allow fruit to gel.  serve warm, room temperature or cold with your favorite vanilla ice cream

do you have favorite rhubarb recipes?  please share them in the comments section.  i am hoping for more rhubarb stalks in my csa box during the next few weeks.... what should i do with them?

best,
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "

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