Zucchini Linguini

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Do you guys have zucchini coming out of your ears yet? I know in a couple of weeks we will, so I thought it would be a great time to share one of my favorite ways to prepare them. This is a recipe that I’ve been making for several years now, looking forward to it every summer. This is another recipe that my sweet neighbor Janie shared with me a couple of years before she passed. She always loved gardening, and sharing her bounty – including zucchinis! I’ve tweaked it a bit over the years, and it’s open to substitutions, depending on what looks good from your garden (or CSA share) that week.

This pasta couldn’t be simpler to make. While the pasta is cooking, you do a quick saute and sauce with the veggies – then toss everything together and top with breadcrumbs. Meals like this are a lifesaver when the weather climbs to 100+, and the idea of slaving over a hot stove makes you want to cry for mercy. I made a few changes to the recipe over the years – adding tomato and white wine to the mix, as I felt the dish was a bit dry without them. Have made this dish with yellow squash as well, and it was great.

Zucchini Linguini

Coarse salt
1 pound linguine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced very thinly crosswise
1 large tomato, diced (about 1.5 cups)
20 black olives, halved
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine (I used Vermouth)
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat oven to 425. Toss the breadcrumbs with 1 tsp olive oil and garlic powder. Place on a cookie sheet, and toast in oven until golden brown; about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Fill a 10-quart stockpot with 7 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons coarse salt. Add pasta, stir until water returns to a boil, and cook pasta, according to package directions, until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add oil and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, oregano, and red pepper flakes; season with salt to taste. Add white wine and simmer for a about 5 minutes.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Add pasta to skillet and toss to combine. If pasta seems dry, add reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing between each addition. Transfer pasta to a large platter, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with bread crumbs; serve immediately.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

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Macaroni salad was always one of those things I bought pre-packaged at the deli (blech, I know!). The concept seemed simple enough; pasta, veggies, mayonnaise based sauce. But, somehow it always went horribly wrong – managing to be a clumpy gloopy mess, but also still dry. I had given up hope, until I came across a recipe from a source I can always trust.

In Hawaii, where macaroni salad is a staple when it comes to plate lunches, it’s been a long known secret that you intentionally overcook the pasta – to make it “fat”. It helps it to really soak up the sauce, and keep the pasta moist and delicious. It makes a large batch that is perfect to take to a cookout. Or, for a simple dinner at home with some grilled barbequed chicken. Leftovers were great too! With a little grilled tuna or chicken, and some diced fresh pineapple tossed it – made for an awesome lunch.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups mayonaise
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 celery rib, chopped fine

To make dressing, whisk 1-1/2 cups milk, 1 cup mayonnaise, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a bowl.

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and pasta and cook until very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add vinegar and toss until absorbed. Transfer to a bowl. Cool pasta 10 minutes,then stir in dressing until pasta is well coated. Cool completely.

Add scallions, carrot, celery, remaining 1/2 cup milk and remaining 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to pasta mixture and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Serve.

Source: Cook’s Country, June 2009

Herbed Veggie Dip

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I know it’s kind of lame to post a veggie platter, but I get so many rave reviews on the dip, I thought it was worth sharing. It’s creamy, cool, herby, and delicious. I always make this for pretty much every cookout we have, and because of it’s portability, it’s great to take to a friend’s house for a potluck as well.

I’m sure lots of you folks are planning to do a little get-together in the backyard for Dad, so trash that overpriced store-bough plastic tray nonsense, and make a gorgeous platter yourself. My standard veggies to use are baby carrots, sliced cucumber, broccoli florets (blanch them for a minute), celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, and radishes. If you happen to have any leftovers, it makes for an awesome chopped salad!

I hope everyone has a lovely Father’s Day weekend with plenty of quality family time. We’re hoping to get some boat and beach time in. Haven’t made it out to the sandbar (a little strip of land off the coast only accessible by boat. Mostly locals, and a lot less crowded than Assateague Island beach) yet, had had some boat issues, which were taken care of this week. So, we’re hoping to get out there on Sunday and relax. I feel very blessed to have both a great dad, and a great husband in my life. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Herbed Veggie Dip

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped scallions (about 3), roughly chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Pulse 10 to 12 times, until just blended, but not pureed. Serve at room temperature.

Source: Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

Chile Rellenos

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As a girl who used to turn her nose up at Mexican food, I’m a million miles away from where I started. One of my very favorite things to order at a Mexican restaurant is chile rellenos. A pepper that’s been stuffed with potato and cheese, then fried? Sign me up. Now that summer is upon us, and in another month or so I’ll be picking a basket full of poblano peppers every couple of days, I figured it was only prudent to buckle down and come up with my ideal relleno recipe.

A big misconception is that chile rellenos are super spicy. Not the case, so don’t let the word “chile” scare you off. We don’t mind a little heat, but if you’d like them even milder – just remove all of the seeds from inside the pepper before filling. I fried this batch to keep it authentic, but often I skip the batter entirely and just stick the stuffed peppers under the broiler for a few minutes. Shaves some time and calories, which is always a good thing! When paired with some Spanish rice, these make a delicious and satisfying summer meal. Enjoy!

Chile Rellenos

4 poblano peppers
2 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheese (Monterey jack, cheddar)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
vegetable oil, for frying

For the sauce:
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly, place in a large bowl, and set aside.

To make the sauce; combine the onion, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cumin; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.

Make a slit down one side of each pepper. Place them in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning them frequently until the skins blister. Place the chiles in a Ziploc bag and seal closed to steam peppers. Set aside for 20 minutes, then carefully peel off the skins and remove the seeds, if desired, keeping the chiles whole. Dry the chiles with paper towels and set them aside.

Put the cream cheese and shredded cheese in the bowl with the potatoes. Add salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Spoon some of the potato filling into each chile, and squeeze it back closed.

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites to firm peaks. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale, then fold in the egg whites. Scrape the mixture onto a large, shallow dish. Place the flour in another shallow dish and season it with salt.

Add 1/2″ oil to a heavy bottomed skillet and heat to 375. Coat a few chiles first in flour and then in egg before adding carefully to the hot oil. Fry the chiles in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve on a bed of chile sauce, with some sauce drizzled on top as well.

Source: adapted from The Complete Mexican, South American & Caribbean Cookbook