Spaghetti and Meatballs All'Amatriciana

For our annual "Mr. & Mrs. E." Christmas dinner, we decided to do something a little bit different this year as we wanted to make sure of the ingredients we had on hand in our home since we will be away for the holidays. Luckily, we still had one final batch of frozen tomatoes leftover from our summer garden. Therefore we decided to forgo the usual Christmas dinner of scallops, bacon, mashed potatoes and chocolate mousse in exchange for homemade pasta and sauce with cookies from our cookie exchange! I made traditional egg fettuccine (I like my noodles thick!) and Mr. E. spent 3 hours slaving away in the kitchen making these delicious meatballs and sauce.... it was worth the extra time! If 3 hours sounds daunting, you could easily spread out the work load by making the meatballs one night and the sauce the following evening. Enjoy!


Spaghetti and Meatballs All'Amatriciana

Ingredients
Meatballs
* 6 ounces uncured applewood-smoked bacon (about 6 slices), diced
* 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
* 2 pounds ground beef (15% fat)
* 2/3 cup chopped drained roasted red peppers from jar
* 2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup coarsely grated onion
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
* 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

* 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice (preferably San Marzano)
* 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
* 6 ounces uncured applewood-smoked bacon (about 6 slices), cut crosswise into thin strips
* 1 tablespoon (or more) extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 cups finely chopped onions
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
* 2 cups dry white wine
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram

Pasta

* 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti
* 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram
* Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
MEATBALLS

*Place bacon in processor. Using on/off turns, grind to coarse paste. Transfer to large bowl. Using garlic press, squeeze in garlic. Gently mix in beef and all remaining ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes.

*Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange meatballs on sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.

sauce

*Puree tomatoes with juice and garlic in batches in blender until smooth.

*Cook bacon in large pot over medium heat until crisp; transfer bacon to plate.

*Add 1 tablespoon oil to drippings in pot and heat over medium heat. Add half of meatballs. Cook until brown on all sides, turning carefully with small metal spatula, about 9 minutes. Transfer meatballs to baking sheet. Add more oil to pot if needed and repeat with remaining meatballs.

*Increase heat to medium-high. Add onions and crushed red pepper to pot. Sauté until golden, about 6 minutes. Add wine; boil until reduced by half, stirring up browned bits, about 8 minutes. Add tomato puree and marjoram. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

*Mix bacon into sauce. Add meatballs; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until meatballs are heated through and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

PASTA

* Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; transfer to large bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil and marjoram, adding more oil to moisten, if desired. Divide spaghetti among bowls. Top with meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and serve, passing additional cheese separately.

Bon Appetit Magazine, January 2010.

Focaccia

I think focaccia can make any sandwich taste delicious. When Mr. E. and I were in Italy this summer we ever had pizza (not very similar to American pizza) that was made on focaccia bread.. delicious! Focaccia topped with pesto... Focaccia topped with sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella! Yum... so when I received the new cookbook I mentioned in my last blog post, I was happy to read how easy focaccia is to make at home. There is also a recipe for focaccia dulce that I may attempt in the coming weeks...

Focaccia

Ingredients:
peeled Yukon gold potato cut into 1 inch chunks (about 1 cup)
2.5 cups water (55-65 degrees F)
4.5 cups Bread flour
2.5 tsp instant or active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 cup EVOO or grapeseed oil (you can find this at a Wegmans, World Market and sometimes TJ Maxx)

1. Cook the potato until the chunks fall apart when pierced with a fork or knife (I cooked it in the microwave for 7 minutes)

2. Use a food processor to puree the potatoes and water until smooth. Bring the water and potato mixture to 120 degrees (once again, in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes).

3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar and half the salt. Add the potato puree and using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have a wet stick dough, about 1-2 minutes. Cover the bowland let sit at room temperature until the dough is tripled in size, 2-3 hours.

4. Lightly oil a 13 x 18 inch rimmed baking sheet. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough onto the baking pan, it will still be loose and sticky so if put some EVOO on your hands to keep from sticking. Gently pull the dough and stretch it across the surface of the pan, then oil your hands and press the dough evenly out to the edges. Drizzle with 3 T of the oil and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Use your fingertips to create dimples all over the surface of the dough. Let the dough rise in a warm draft-free spot until it has risen just over the edges of the pan, about 45 minutes to an hour.

5. 30 minutes before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 400 degree with a rack in the center.

6. Gently place the focaccia in the oven on the center rack (the risen dough is delicate; a bump going into the oven could collapse it) and back for 30-45 minutes until the top is evenly golden brown. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool and give it at least a few minutes before slicing and serving warm or at room temperature.

I ended up making a sandwich with fresh avocado and bacon on the focaccia... delicious!

Basic No Knead Bread

One of my goals for the New Year is to learn to make my own bread. In our small town, the local grocery store has the best bread but unfortunately it is brought in from San Francisco and it is quite pricey. We LOVE the sourdough bread in particular. However, I would like to learn to make all kinds of bread at home without a bread machine. I would also like to grow my own starter (which will continuously be fed) so that I have a constant supply in the refrigerator for sourdough bread! To begin... Mr. E's grandmother gave me the cookbook "My Bread" by Jim Lahey. This week I made my first batch and it was delicious!

Ingredients:
3 c. bread flour
1.25 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp instant or actie dry yeast
1 1/3 c. cool water (55 to 65 degrees F)
cornmeal or flour for dusting

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the four, salt, and yeast. Add the water and usin your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Make sure its really sticky to the touch, if its not, add water 1 T at a time. Cover the bowl with a plate, tea towel or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours and dough is doubled in size.

2. When the first fermentation is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a spatula to scrape the dough onto the work surface in one piece. When you begin to pull the dough away from the bowl it will cling in long, thin strands and it will be quite loose and sticky-do not add more flour. Use lightly floured hands to lift the edges of the dough in towards the center. Nudge and tuck the edges of the dough to make it round.

3. Place a linen tea towel on your work surface and generously dust the cloth with wheat bran, cornmeal or flour. Fold the ends of the towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm draft free spot for 2 hours until the dough is almost doubled. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. It you gently poke it with your finger and make an indentation about 1/4 inch deep, it should hold the impression. If it doesn't, let it rise for 15 more minutes.

4. 30 minutes before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees with a rack in the lower third position and place a covered 4.5 t0 5.5 qaurt heavy pot (Le Creuset works great!) in the center of the rack.

5. Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the towel and lightly dust the dough with flour, lift up the dough and quickly but gently invert it into the pot, seam side up. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep, chestnut brown but no burnt, around 15-30 minutes. Carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly. Don't slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes about an hour.

MMMM, enjoy! We savored this bread in the form of a cuban sandwich with homemade aioli, roasted pork, ham, and gruyere cheese!

Lahey, Jim & Flaste, Rick (2009). My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method.

Brown Sugar Pecan Sticky Buns and Streusal Topped Chocolate Cranberry Bread

The sticky buns combine my dad's two favorite ingredients... sticky caramel and pecans! We will definitely be making these for our breakfast on Christmas morning... I was not as fond of the Cranberry Bread because it did not rise as I had hoped... But one of my friends here in town sampled it when it was fresh and offered positive praise so perhaps I will have to try again.

The sweets were created using one spiced dough recipe which I then divided in half (also dividing the two bread recipes in half) in order to make both breads on the same morning. If you like sticky rolls, you will LOVE these and they are actually a lot easier to make than the length of the recipe would indicate.


Spiced Sweet Dough
Use this recipe to make either Brown Sugar-Pecan Sticky Buns or Streusel-Topped Chocolate-Cranberry Bread. Or double it and make both.
makes enough dough for 30 sticky buns or 2 streusel-topped chocolate-cranberry breads.

Recipe by Dorie Greenspan
December 2009
Ingredients

* 1 cup warm whole milk (105°F to 115°F) {I used 2%}
* 2 envelopes active dry yeast
* 1/4 teaspoon plus 2/3 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
* 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 large egg
* 1 large egg yolk
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Preparation
*Stir milk, yeast, and 1/4 teaspoon sugar in small bowl. Let stand until mixture bubbles, about 6 minutes. Stir again.
*Mix remaining 2/3 cup sugar and orange peel in medium bowl.
*Add flour, cinnamon, salt, and ginger to bowl of heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; mix on low speed. Add yeast mixture; mix on medium-low speed until dry shaggy mass forms, scraping down bowl occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk; beat on medium speed until well blended. Add sugar mixture; beat until moist soft dough that resembles thick batter forms, about 3 minutes.
*Add butter by 1 1/2 tablespoonfuls; beat on medium-low speed until almost incorporated before adding more, about 2 minutes (dough will be sticky). Beat dough on medium-high 2 minutes longer. Let dough rest in bowl 10 minutes (dough will become less sticky).
*Scrape dough out onto work surface; gather together. Place in large buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Follow directions for Brown Sugar-Pecan Sticky Buns or Cranberry Bread.

Brown Sugar-Pecan Sticky Buns


Ingredients
topping

* 1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
* 3/4 cup honey
* 3 cups pecan halves

filling

* 1/2 cup sugar
* 6 tablespoons golden brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
* Spiced Sweet Dough (click for recipe)
* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, warm room temperature

Preparation
topping

*Butter two 13x9x2-inch glass baking dishes. Whisk sugar, butter, and honey in small saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth and bubbling around sides. Divide hot syrup between prepared baking dishes, allowing topping to cover bottom of each dish. Place pecan halves, rounded side down, in syrup, dividing equally. Cool.

filling

*Whisk both sugars and cinnamon in small bowl.
*Turn cold Spiced Sweet Dough out onto floured surface; sprinkle with flour. Divide dough in half. Roll out dough to two 15x12-inch rectangles. Using fingers, spread 2 tablespoons butter evenly over each rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over each. Starting at 1 long side of each dough rectangle, tightly roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large knife, cut each roll crosswise into fifteen 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange 15 dough slices, cut side down, atop cooled syrup and pecan halves in each baking dish, spacing evenly apart. Cover with waxed paper; let rise in warm draft-free area until buns are puffy and doubled, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
*Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment; place dishes with sticky buns on baking sheets. Bake buns until deep golden brown and filling is barely bubbling around edges, about 25 minutes. Let buns stand 2 minutes. Cut around sides of buns to loosen. Place large rimmed platter atop each baking dish. Using oven mitts, firmly hold baking dish and platter together and invert buns onto platter. Cool at least 45 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Streusel-Topped Chocolate-Cranberry Bread

Ingredients
bread

* 2 3 1/2-ounce bars bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
* 1 1/3 cups dried sweetened cranberries (about 5 ounces)
* 4 tablespoons sugar
* Spiced Sweet Dough (click for recipe)

streusel

* 1/4 cup all purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons finely chopped nuts (such as pecans, walnuts, or blanched almonds)
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* Pinch of salt
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Preparation
bread

*Mix chocolate, cranberries, and sugar in medium bowl. Place Spiced Sweet Dough in large bowl. Sprinkle chocolate mixture over dough and knead just until incorporated. Transfer dough to large buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours. Punch dough down; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
*Butter two 9x5x2 3/4-inch metal loaf pans. Turn cold dough out onto work surface. Divide dough in half. Using hands, form dough into 2 compact logs, each about 9 inches long. Place dough logs in prepared loaf pans. Cover pans with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 3 to 3 1/4 hours (dough will not fill pans completely).

streusel

*Mix flour, nuts, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture forms some small and some coarse crumbs. Cover and chill while bread is rising.
*Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Brush tops of risen bread loaves with egg glaze. Sprinkle streusel evenly over top of each loaf, dividing equally and pressing gently to adhere. Bake breads until top crust is deep brown and tester inserted into center of each loaf comes out clean, tenting with foil if top is browning too quickly, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let loaves rest in pans 5 minutes. Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen breads. Using spatula as aid, ease breads out of pans. Place breads, streusel side up, on rack and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Wrap in foil, enclose in resealable plastic bag, and freeze. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature.

Butternut Squash Risotto

My mom and I first made this recipe together when she and my father were living in Tucson, AZ while he was on sabbatical a few years back... I don't think my dad is the biggest fan of squash so the two of us were able to enjoy this yummy, yet healthy meal and I still enjoying make it each fall and winter. This time I made a double batch for my cooking co-op here in town. If you are interesting in learning more about that group, pleas check out the blog at http://fearlessfoodies.blogspot.com/

Butternut Squash Risotto (makes 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:
2 c. chicken broth
3 c. water
2-3 T EVOO
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1 c. Arborio rice
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan
3 C. shredded butternut squash (uncooked)
1/2 c. dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste

To Do:
1. Heat broth and water to slow simmer.
2. In a separate pan, heat EVOO, add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. The add squash and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
3. Add rice and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Add wine and cook until liquid is absorbed. Continued in 1/2 c. increments until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (about 25 minutes).
5. Stir in parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Adapted (by me!) from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Mushrooms

Lately, I have been craving all things pumpkin... typical for this time of year right? So when I caught an episode of Martha Stewart during my final week of fall travel... AND she was making a pumpkin entree, I knew I had hit the jackpot.
Mr. E and I had this for dinner on Saturday night along with an argula salad with toasted pumpkin seeds (from the whole pumpkin I baked for the pumpkin gnocchi) and it was delicious... and luckily we have leftovers!

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

* 1 small sugar pumpkin (2 pounds), stem removed, halved lengthwise, and seeded
* 2 cups flour, plus more for work surface (I ended up using about 3 cups total)
* Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon nutmeg, plus more for serving
* 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
* 2 shallots, finely chopped
* 20 medium chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed or regular white button mushrooms
* 8 fresh sage leaves or 1 Tablespoon dried sage
* 1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
* 1 cup half and half
* 2 T cornstarch

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pumpkin halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet and fill each with 1 tablespoon water. Cover each half with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Transfer to oven and roast until soft, about 45 minutes. Let cool. Scrape pumpkin flesh from skin; discard skin.

2. Mound flour in center of a large work surface; add 1 tablespoon salt and the nutmeg. Using a fork, mix until well combined. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add 2 cups pumpkin and 1 cup grated cheese to well. Slowly incorporate flour, beginning with inner rim of well. When flour is incorporated, gather dough together to form a rounded mass; knead mixture until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a cylinder about 1 inch in diameter; cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Transfer gnocchi to a baking sheet and cover with a clean, damp towel. Repeat process until all the dough has been used.

4. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Generously salt water and return to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook until they rise to the top, about 4 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat and add butter and shallots. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until shallots are golden. Add mushrooms and sage; cook, stirring, for about 10 seconds. Add 1/4 cup pumpkin, chicken stock, heavy cream, and 1/4 cup grated cheese; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper and add cornstarch slowly until sauce begins to thicken.

6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to skillet and toss to combine. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan and nutmeg.

From The Martha Stewart Show, November 2008 but altered by Mrs. E, October 2009 (Having made this once as a lower fat version from what Martha proposed, I think I could make it again but even lower fat--use 2% milk and only 1/2 cup of butter to saute the shallots and mushrooms)

Molly's Pumpkin Crunch

A few weekends ago Mr. E. and I participated in our first progressive dinner (i.e. there are five courses and each one is served at a different house) and it was a success! Our course for the evening was the dessert--probably my favorite part of the meal. The theme was "Autumn" and we went with a pumpkin dessert with a kick. It was a big hit!

Molly's Pumpkin Crunch

Ingredients:
24 oz can pureed pumpkin
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 stick melted butter
1.5 cups sugar
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (3 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 T powdered sugar
1 T vanilla

To Do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease bottom of 9x13 pan.
2. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt and pour into pan.
3. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture and top with pecans and the melted butter.
4.Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden. Cool completely in refrigerator.
5. Mix up homemade whipped cream--combine the heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until thick whipped cream like consistency. Do not overmix or it will turn into butter.
6. Serve each piece with a generous dollop of whipped cream!

Zucchini Cake

Even though Mr. E. and I share a full farm share with one other couple, we find that we still have trouble finishing the bounty from the farm each week. Thankfully, the woman who coordinates the farm share sends out recipes each week specific to the veggies we have received. Usually these recipes us the veggies in stews or stir-fry but last week she sent us a recipe for zucchini cake. Lo and behold we also had cream cheese in the refrigerator and eggs from the farm share that I needed to put to good use!

FANCY ZUCCHINI CAKE
We can’t let carrots be the only vegetable for desert!
If you don’t want to do layers this is good in a simple 9 x 13 pan!

The Cake
3 cups all-purpose fl our
3 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated zucchini

The Frosting
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Lightly grease and flour three 9 inch round cake pans.

In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, white sugar, and salt. Mix well.

In another bowl beat eggs, vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together. Pour into egg mixture into the fl our mixture and mix well. Stir in the shredded zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in pans.

Stack and frost into a 3 layer cake using Cream Cheese Frosting.

To Make Frosting: Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add the confectioner’s sugar, a little at a time. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and mix well.

Spread on cool cake layers.

Three Cheese Mac 'N Cheese

One of my pregnant friends from high school has posted on facebook that she was planning to make homemade mac 'n cheese this past weekend... This was around 5pm on Friday and the idea of homemade macaroni and cheese made my mouth water. I quickly found a three cheese recipe and sent Mr. E. to the store to stock up on the ingredients. Alongside an argula salad from our farm share, this hit the spot on a cold October evening!


Mac 'N Cheese


Ingredients

* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided
* 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon), coarsely chopped
* 1 cup finely chopped onion
* 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/4 cup all purpose flour
* 3 1/2 cups (or more) whole milk
* 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
* 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 8- to 8.8-ounce container mascarpone cheese*
* 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)**
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
* 1 pound orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or large elbow macaroni

Preparation

*
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; sauté until crisp, about 6 minutes. Add onion; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add crushed red pepper and garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in 3 tablespoons butter; allow to melt, then add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 3 1/2 cups milk; simmer until thick enough to coat spoon thickly, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in cheeses. Whisk in more milk by 1/4 cupfuls until sauce is thick but pourable. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool; cover and chill. Rewarm, stirring over medium heat.
*
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and stir until very light golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
*
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Return pasta to pot. Add warm cheese sauce; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over. Bake mac and cheese until heated through and topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

From Bon Appetit, September 2008

Homegrown Salsa

My good friend in town had me over for chili this week at her urban sophisticate apartment and she happened to have some homemade salsa leftover from dinner the night before. She had used the bounty from that weeks farm share. Mr. E and I also had a bounty of veggies from our farm share and from our garden so I decided to make a catch for our beach weekend. Delicious!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (any color)
2 cups cilantro
1 yellow onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 jalapenos (seeded) and minced
juice of 1 lime
salt and peper to taste

Mix together and enjoy immediately!

Strawberry Salad... aka my famous family recipe

Strawberry Salad is something that has been a part of every family holiday on my mom's side since I was born. Thanksgiving, Christmas or simply a drive to Grandma's house or a visit from my mom in college always necessitates this dish. I have made this dish for friends and new family members in the last few years and I always get requests to make it again. This weekend at the beach, my brother-in-law requested "that strawberry stuff" and his daughter (my niece) helped me whip up a batch for our honor evening together before the official summer season concludes.

Strawberry Salad

Ingredients
* 2 cups coarsely crushed pretzels
* 3/4 cup melted butter
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 cups whipped topping (small container)
* 1 lg or 2 small pkg (6 ounces) strawberry flavored gelatin
* 2 cups boiling water
* 1 (16oz) bagfrozen strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Mix the pretzels, sugar and butter and put in a layer in a 9x13x2-inch pan. Bake 8 minutes and then remove to cool.

2. Beat sugar and cream cheese together and stir in whipped topping. Spread over cooled pretzels.

3. Mix strawberry jello, boiling water and strawberries together and set aside for 10 minutes. Pour over cheese mixture; chill thoroughly.

Vegetable Lasagna

With the bounty of fresh vegetables from our farm share and our garden, Mr. E. decided that it was time to revive his Sunday evening cooking ritual and make a vegetable lasagna. Lasagna is known as one of those dishes that is easy to prepare... we have yet to create a lasagna that takes less than an hour to prep. However, this one (courtesy of Mr. E's favorite celebrity chef, Giada) was yummy and BIG... aka lots of leftovers!

Individual Vegetable Lasagnas

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis (modified by E)

Serves:
6 servings (we thought it was closer to 8 or 10)

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
* 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
* 1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
* 1 medium summer squash, finely chopped
* 8 asparagus spears, cut into 1/4-inch slices (or spinach!)
* 1 pound fresh plain lasagna sheets
* 2 jars tomato sauce
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
* 3 cups shredded mozzarella
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, halved
* Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and cook for 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash cook for 5 minutes. Add asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat when all vegetables are completely cooked but still have a good crunch. Allow to cool.

Coat the bottom of a 13x9 dish with tomato sauce. Place pasta on the bottom of the dish. Next, a layer of the veggies. Place a second layer of pasta on top and gently press down. Add another layer of sauteed vegetables and top with tomato sauce. Place the third layer of pasta in each ramekin and coat with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and top each with 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Bake in oven for 50 minutes or until brown and bubbling.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Ease of Preparation: Easy

The Fruits of our Labors...

The vegetables Mr. E. planted earlier this summer are finally starting to reward us with their fine fruits... and that yellow tomato was oh, so delicious!

Monkey Bread

After swim meets in college, the parents would often provide the swimmers with home-baked treats. During my sophomore year of college I lived with 5 other swimmers which meant that on swim meet weekends we were bombarded with sweet treats from our well meaning parents. I was first introduced to Monkey Bread (or as we called it “Monkey Balls”) when one of the other mothers left it at our apartment post meet. Although I have never made this myself until now (for a boating weekend with friends), I still have fond memories of that gooey goodness consumed over a good game of post-swim meet game of tetris with the roommates.

MONKEY BREAD

Ingredients:

* 4 cans refrigerated biscuits
* 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar, packed

Pre-heat oven to 350. Pull your biscuits apart and rip into smaller pieces (roughly 4 per biscuit). Try not to eat too much of the raw biscuit dough, like I always do! Mix your biscuit bits with the cinnamon and white sugar and pack into a buttered bundt pan. In the meantime, heat the brown sugar and butter together until melted, and pour over the top of the biscuit mix in the pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, let cool, and invert onto plate. Enjoy!

Reference: www.brokeassbride.com

Bullet Hole Cookies

When I was in college, we would frequently head to the cafe in the student union building after swim practice in the evening. Some of the usual dinner options choosen by my fellow swimmers and me were the pizza bagel, the TBLT (turkey, bacon, lettuce and tomato), veggie burgers and sometimes even their cheese fries--hey, we were collegiate athletes training from 2-3 hours each day! However, no matter what we choose for the main course, we always finished off the meal with 2 or 3 of the Bullet Hole (sometimes referred to as "the butthole") oreo cookies. Just last week one of my friends from college emailed me with the link to a recipe for these fabulous cookies. I made them last night and it took me right back... they did not disappoint!

Recipe - Makes 20 - 30 cookies*
Adapted from AllRecipes

Ingredients:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1 egg
* 1 egg yolk
* 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
* 20 oreos, crushed (I used double stuff!)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.
4. Add in the crushed oreos. Beat on low speed for just a few seconds to break up the oreos in the dough.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.*
6. Bake for 14minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted (important--you want them to be chewy and not crisp if you are looking for authentic bullet hole taste!). Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.**

* I got 30 cookies but I made mine a lot smaller. I scooped by rounded tablespoons. 1/4 cup seemed way too big.
** I baked them for 14 minutes and they were perfect. Chewy, but not underbaked.