Potato Latkes

It’s potato latkes for Thanksgiving this year, and not only because it’s Hanukah…but because they’re really good.  While they’re is nothing like a crispy latke right out of the hot oil, because of the logistics of putting out a huge holiday meal it is possible to fry them beforehand and reheat uncovered in the oven before serving.  Start by heating up a quarter inch of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet before peeling six baking potatoes, enough for 20 latkes.  Using a hand grater or Cuisinart coarsely grate the potatoes along with an onion and carrot before stirring together with a third of a cup of flour, three lightly scrambled eggs, a tablespoon of salt, and teaspoon of black pepper.  When your oil is hot take a quarter cup of the mixture with a slotted spoon and squeeze out as much water as you can using the palm of your hand before sliding the flattened mixture into the oil.  Cook two to three minutes per side until golden brown then transfer to a paper bag to drain.  Serve with sour cream.  And one more thing, don’t forget to turn your exhaust fan on high.

Brussel Sprouts with Slivered Almonds

This one is all about the crunch, and perfect for a casual dinner or your Thanksgiving meal.  Start by finely chopping a shallot and a couple of cloves of garlic while you heat up some butter or extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan.  Shred your brussel sprouts by holding the base of each sprout and carefully cut into 1/8 inch slices.  When you’re well on your way sauté the shallot, garlic, and slivered almonds until they just begin to brown then add the sprouts.  They don’t take long, five minutes tops, and be sure to flip a couple of times while cooking.  Before serving add salt and pepper to taste along with a squeeze of lemon.  You could also serve it as a cold salad but don’t cook the brussel sprouts, skip the shallot and garlic, toast the slivered almonds, and add a bit of shaved parmesan.

Salmon Burger

Salmon is a great go to fish and serving it up as a burger on a perfectly toasted bun is an easy way to change things up.  You can chop everything by hand but it’s much easier to use a Cuisinart.  Start with the green ends of some scallions, fresh ginger, and lemon juice, then run until finely chopped.  Add a pound of cut up skinless salmon and pulse until coarsely ground.  In a bowl combine the salmon mixture with a lightly scrambled egg, a cup of breadcrumbs or panko, and salt and pepper.  Form into patties and cook in a medium hot frying pan with just enough oil to keep them from sticking.  This time around I served them with some grilled onions and cilantro pesto but nearly anything goes, a caper mayonnaise, aioli, some hoisin or Sriracha sauce, or simply lettuce and tomato. 

Puttanesca

What I love about a puttanesca sauce, besides being an extraordinary combination of flavors, is that the ingredients are all in the pantry or the fridge…or at least should be.  While you bring your salted pasta pot to a boil sauté four chopped garlic cloves and a healthy pinch of dried chili flakes in some extra virgin olive oil.  When the garlic starts to brown add three to four anchovy filets or a generous squeeze of anchovy paste, and stir until “melted.”  Next, add three tablespoons of capers, some chopped kalamata or cured olives, and after a few minutes, your favorite marinara sauce.  Let simmer, then toss with your drained pasta and top with some grated parmesan and serve.  I highly recommend including the anchovies, but if you’re not willing to give them a chance it’s still pretty good without them.

Roast Beets with Pine Nuts and Feta

For me I find the easiest ways to cook beets is to peel them with a knife and roast them, no need to scorch your fingertips peeling boiled beets.  Preheat your oven to 375 while you cut off the ends, peel, and cube your beets and toss them with a little bit of oil and place them in your roasting pan.  While they’re cooking toast a handful of pine nuts in a medium hot sauté pan until golden, no need to oil the pan.  You could also toast them on a sheet of tin foil, either way be careful not to burn them.  Give your beets a toss after twenty minutes and test with a knife after forty, they should be soft.  Mix in some chopped scallions, maybe a squeeze of lemon, and leave in the oven for another ten minutes.  Remove and top with crumbled feta before serving.

Leek and Barley Soup

It’s soup season and there’s still a lot of fresh local veggies around.  This one is all about the leeks, quarter and slice at least six and sauté on medium low heat until they’re very soft and mushy being careful not to let them brown.  Add some chopped garlic, ground black pepper, and a sliced carrot and sauté another five minutes before adding a pound of ground turkey or pork and a few pinches of dried chili flakes.  It’s best to break up the ground meat while it’s cooking, about five minutes.  Add a cup of dried barley, stir around, and then fill up half the pot with water before mixing in several tablespoons of condensed chicken stock, I prefer, Better Than Bouillon.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for forty five minutes or until the barley is tender.  Add some fresh shucked corn, or frozen if you can’t find it, and when it starts to simmer add some more stock and salt to taste.  And there aren’t many soups that won’t benefit from some grated parmesan over the top before serving.

Glazed Turnips with Garlic Breadcrumbs

The turnips don’t get any sweeter than they are right now and together with the garlic breadcrumbs make a great Fall side dish. Put a cup and a half of water into a sauté pan with a dash of salt and sugar and while its heating peel and wedge your turnips.  Add the turnips to the simmering water and let cook covered for five minutes, then uncovered until the water has evaporated and they’re tender, another fifteen minutes or so.  Follow with a quarter stick of butter and sauté over medium heat for another five minutes.  In a separate pan heat some extra virgin olive oil and add a chopped garlic clove, after a minute add a half a cup of breadcrumbs and with a spatula stir well so the oil is evenly absorbed.  Before serving add the breadcrumbs to your turnips and mix well.  This preparation would also be great for parsnips, leeks, or fennel. 

Fried Eggplant with Honey Sriracha Sauce

Vermont honey and Sriracha, an unlikely combination but the perfect two minute sauce for anything fried.  And this time of year eggplant is a great way to go…peeling isn’t necessary but salting is.  Slice and salt each piece and let sit for at least five minutes before patting off the bitter juices that appear with a paper towel.  While your oil is heating, a 1/16 to an 1/8 of an inch is all that’s required, prepare three bowls for breading, flour, eggs, and panko or breadcrumbs.  In that order bread each piece of eggplant before placing in the hot oil for about three to four minutes a side then set on a brown paper bag to drain.  For the sauce stir the Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce into the honey and form a puddle on the bottom of your serving plate.  Place the eggplant slices in the puddle, salt and serve.  In this case I added some crumbled blue cheese and chopped arugula but the dish is very tasty on its own.  Note that you can fry your eggplant ahead of time and reheat them in the oven before serving.

Pan Roasted Tomatoes

It’s October and the tomatoes are still coming.  They’re not as sweet as they were a month ago but with a little heat they still have the power to Wow!  I threw last nights’ crop of Sun Golds into a sauté pan for about seven minutes with a little extra virgin olive oil and garlic.  Once they split I added some coarse salt and white pepper then served them alongside a piece of chicken.  They would have been great tossed into a pasta with some olives, a risotto with some arugula, or into a couscous with feta and scallions.  I also could have easily turned them into a great side by adding a can of white beans.  The oven works just as well, especially for larger tomatoes.  Cut them in half, toss in a little olive and salt and place them on a baking sheet for an hour at 350.  They won’t be around for long, get them while they’re hot.

Coffee Spice Rub

Despite the leaves starting to drop here in Vermont there’s still a lot more grilling to be done and adding a bit of espresso to your spice rub adds a richness that you’ll never get with a marinade.  If you have a rub mixture you like simply add a quarter cup of ground espresso.  If not, start by combining four tablespoons of white or brown sugar with two tablespoons of salt in a bowl.  From there add varying tablespoons of the following depending on what it’s in your cupboard, chili powder, paprika, mustard, ginger, black pepper, oregano, cumin, coriander, or granulated garlic…it’s hard to go wrong....don’t forget the espresso.  Rub the mixture into your meat and grill as you would on the barbeque, it also works just as well in a cast iron skillet on high heat for a few minutes a side and then into the oven for five to ten minutes depending on your desired doneness. 

 

Kale Pesto with Caramelized Onions

The kale pesto would have been amazing enough on its own, but combining it with the sweetness of the caramelized onions put it over the top.  To start, slice a couple of onions and sauté on medium high heat with some butter or oil, and a teaspoon of sugar.  Stir the onions occasionally so they brown evenly. In the meantime heat a large pot of salted water while you’re deveining your kale, I like to use the same water for both blanching the kale and cooking the pasta.  Blanch the kale for a minute then scoop it into a colander and drain thoroughly by squeezing it like a sponge once it has cooled down a bit. 

While your pasta is cooking start the pesto in the Cuisinart with two cloves of garlic, some kosher salt, and a handful of pine nuts.  Once minced add your drained kale and with the motor going drizzle in your extra virgin olive oil until you get the desired consistency.  Grate in some fresh parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, one final pulse, and you’re ready to combine all of your ingredients for the perfect late summer pasta.

Pickled Onions

Pickled onions are great to have around as they’re adaptable to so many dishes and last for weeks in the fridge, and without a lot of fuss you can be eating them in just a few days.  For this quick pickling method you need only add two tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of salt to a bowl of malt, cider, or white vinegar, and stir until dissolved.  I often add a pinch of cayenne or dried chili flakes for a bit of spice.  Slice an onion, stuff it into a mason jar, then fill to the top with your vinegar mixture, seal, and refrigerate.  They’re okay after a few days, and better after a couple of weeks.  Try them on a burger, in a tomato or beet salad, with pork, salmon, tacos, or on a grilled ham and cheese sandwich….they’re not so bad with vodka either.