Deviled Eggplants

Have you ever wondered why we call them eggplants when they don't really look like eggs?  We may be more familiar with the dark purple aubergines that tend to grace grocery store shelves, but there are indeed some that are truer to their namesake.  These 'Ghostbuster' eggplants from my garden are a great example, with some shorter varieties appearing even more egg-like.

I may hate eggs, but I sure do love eggplant.  When all of the other summer produce is crying out to be eaten fresh, eggplant is full of opportunities to bake, saute, grill, and broil to your heart's content.

These 'deviled eggplants' are simply delicious.  Though baked and filled with rich lamb meat, the flavor profile keeps them summery.  Be sure to pick smaller eggplants with tender skin: go for the pale purple, marbled, or white eggplants instead of the deep purple.  With their thinner skin and lack of bitterness, they didn't require any special treatment.  If shopping in a grocery store where only dark purple are available, look for the smallest, youngest eggplants.

Ingredients (Serves 2-4, depending on sides):
- 2 eggplants (about 6-8" long)
- 1/3 c. died sweet onion
- 1/4 lb. ground lamb
- 1/4 c. chopped parsley
- 1 egg
- 1/2 c. greek yogurt (nonfat)
- dashes of salt, black pepper, and cumin to taste (1/4 tsp each, to start)
- panko bread crumbs
- olive oil

Directions:
- Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the interior, leaving about 1/4" around the edge.
- Dice the scooped out eggplant and set aside.
- In a large skillet, add a scant drizzle of olive oil and the onions.
- Sautee until the onions for about 3 minutes, then add the lamb and seasonings.
- Stir to break up the lamb and brown it, then add the eggplant.
- Sautee the mixture for about 5 minutes, then add a few tablespoons water to deglaze the bottom.
- Continue to cook until the eggplant is tender.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg together with the yogurt and parsley.
- Stir the yogurt mixture into the meat mixture until evenly combined and cook just another two minutes.
- Sprinkle the inside of the eggplant shells with a dash of salt then spoon the mixture into them, mounding it a bit on top to use it all.
- Sprinkle the top of the eggplants evenly with the panko and add a very light drizzle of olive oil.
- Bake the eggplants in the oven for 30 minutes at 350.
- Serve immediately.

I served this with a light simple salad of tomato, cucumber, and onion flavored with fresh parsley, dill, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Easily multiplied to serve a crowd, these can be prepared earlier in the day for easy hosting.  Simply make the filling, stuff the eggplants, cover, and refrigerate.  Add the panko and put them un the oven, allowing a little extra time since they are now chilled.

Enjoy!

Pork Loin with Sweet Onions and Fava Beans

Is that plate smiling?  Maybe it's because it knows it's delicious.

This is a very easy and relatively quick dish, though it does require a bit of forethought to prepare the beans and let things marinate.  It's easily multiplied to feed any number of people and much of it can be made in advance.  For the meat I used a pork loin strip but a boneless pork chop would work nicely, too.  I chose to keep the fava beans simple, barely cooking them and serving them chilled in a light dressing.  They'd also be wonderful sauteed with a bit of butter.

Fava beans are a spring treat that can be hard to find sometimes.  With canned and frozen beans of all kinds so readily available, it may not seem worth the effort to seek out and prepare fresh beans.  I encourage everyone to give it a try, however.  They really are a different experience, both in preparation and flavor.  Personally, I enjoy the novelty of sitting in front of a pile of bean pods and popping the tasty bits out of their shells.

For the fava beans:
- Shell the beans from their pods.  When buying, keep in mind that there are only about 5 beans per pod so you will need quite a lot.
- Bring a pot of water to boil.
- Blanch the beans for 2-3 minutes, then drain the water and cool the beans.
- When they are cool enough to handle, remove the waxy 'jacket' by gently peeling it away.
- Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and chill for one hour.

Did you know that the FDA has lowered the recommended temperature to which pork should be cooked?  Formerly 164 degrees, the official recommendation is now 145.  No need to worry about a bit of pink in the middle!  In fact, I prefer it that way.

For the pork and onions:
- Combine 2 tsp. white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and about 1 tbsp roughly chopped sage.
- Lay the pork on a piece of plastic wrap, spoon the mixture over, turning once, and wrap the meat tightly.  Let it marinate on the counter for 30 minutes or in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Heat a skillet to medium high and place the pork in the pan.  Cook on each side about 2 minutes, depending on thickness.
- Thickly slice a sweet onion.  For a fresher taste, place the slices in the skillet whole and turn once to sear each side.  For more caramelized onions, break the slices into rings and toss them often as they cook.

Enjoy!

Baby Back Ribs... in the oven?

Today marks the official start of barbecue season so how could I resist cooking up some baby back ribs.  Thanks to Stillman's Farms, I picked up an especially lovely rack at the farmers' market.  The ribs weren't bad, either!  (bah-dah psh!)  I can't help but be a little *saucy* when talking about barbecue...

A side note and one of my favorite bits of CPI (that's Cocktail Party Information, for those not in the know): according to my French friends, (and, of course, the French are always modest when it comes to their language), barbecue originates from a French phrase.  Referring to a whole pig being roasted on a spit and the path of that spit, it's either from 'barbe a queue' or 'barbe au cul' depending who you ask, translating to either 'beard to tail' or 'beard to ass'.  Yummy.

Back to my ribs.  Despite all of this talk of barbecue, I actually made my ribs in... the oven!  Don't yell at me!  I know there are purists out there who are clutching their pearls spatulas, but it works and it's delicious.  Besides, my downstairs neighbors moved this weekend and took the grill with them.  Not that I was ever a grill master.  I'm allowed *one* flaw, right?

In addition to being downright delicious, this method for cooking ribs is quick and easy.  Baby back ribs are ideal for this method as they are already tender and cook pretty quickly, but I did make these about two years ago with beef ribs with success, (and a bit more cook time).

First we're going to make a rub and let the ribs marinate a bit:
- Start by trimming up your rack.  Remove any excess fat and that membrane on the one side if it's there.
- In a bowl combine the following:

• 2 tbsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp whole grain mustard
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar

- Mix the ingredients together and spread evenly on both sides of the ribs.

- Wrap in plastic wrap and let refrigerate a minimum of four hours, (longer is better).

While the meat is marinating, you can go ahead and make your sauce.  I made an awesome sauce the first time around, but I didn't write it down.  I think this is a pretty good approximation.  I want to stress that barbecue sauce is very personal for preference.  This one is quite tangy with a nice little sweet kick on the side and just a bit of background heat.  Taste it as you go and adjust the seasonings accordingly.

- In a small pot, combine the following:

• 1/2 c. ketchup
• 2+ tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1/4 c. blackstrap molasses
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1+ tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar

- Stir continuously over low heat until the sauce is hot and the flavors begin to develop, about 10 minutes.

- Adjust from here.  I didn't stray too far from these proportions and I thought it was pretty tasty.

- Allow the sauce to cook a full 20 minutes, stirring to prevent burning, then remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 375 about two hours before you want to eat.

-  Line a pan with foil and place the ribs on it curved side down.

- Cover the ribs with another layer of foil, shiny side down, and press down to seal the edges.

- Bake ribs for one hour.

- After one hour, take them out and remove the top layer of foil.  They should already look pretty tasty.

- Brush the sauce on thickly, flip them over, and brush it on the other side.

- Return the ribs to the oven for 10- 15 minutes, then repeat brushing the sauce on.  I thought two coats was perfect, but you could go another round if you like really saucy ribs.

- Cook the ribs another 10-15 minutes.  If you want them to blacken a bit, you can pop them under the broiler but I didn't find it necessary.  You could probably also do this stage on an actual grill if you were so inclined.

- Remove the ribs from the oven.  Let them rest a bit, then carve them up!

Seriously, one taste of these and you will be an oven rib convert.  The great part is you can easily keep an eye on them while doing other prep work in the kitchen.  No need to worry about setting the bushes around the grill on fire while you're inside otherwise occupied.  That's definitely never happened...

Enjoy!

Cassoulet: the Fancy Chile

Chile... it has some negative connotations. Sloppy, greasy, man food comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, I like chile. When done well it can be very delicious. It doesn't, however, bring to mind fine dining. But call it cassoulet.... well! Now that's different! Suddenly we picture little French villages in the countryside, families sitting together cupping bowls of warming nourishment in their hands. But really, cassoulet is just chile... without the chiles.

Here is my hodgepodge version of the dish. Not exactly traditional, (those French villagers might find offense), but more or less the same in spirit.

• Get yourself a nice pot. Enameled cast iron is great if you have one, but any pot will do.
• Uncase two italian sausages: slice them open and turn the inside out into the pot. Brown the meat a bit, rendering some of the fat, while stirring frequently.
• Add one clove of minced garlic, one chopped onion, and 1/2 tsp each of rosemary, thyme, and salt.
• After 3-5 minutes, add 1/3 to 1/2 c. white wine (nothing too fruity).
• Simmer until the liquid is nearly gone.
• Add 1 cup of beans* and one cup of vegetable broth.
• Cover and simmer on low heat until the liquid has reduced and the beans are cooked, about 1 hour.
• If you have a gruyere or parmesan rind (always save these) lying around, feel free to toss it in. It adds a wonderful creaminess and depth to the stew. You will fish out the rind before serving.
• After the hour, add about 1/2 c. of a thick tomato sauce and 1/4 c. chopped parsley.
• Simmer an additional 10 min. with the lid off.
• Lastly, just before serving, add 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

* Note that I used fresh cranberry beans, not dried. If using dried, I would recommend soaking them first. Other kinds of beans can, of course, be substituted.

Serve and enjoy!

- Rori

Aromatic Lamb over Lentils with Curried Turnips

This is a perfect dinner for a cold, blustery day. It's warm and filling and the spices envelope your kitchen with wonderful smells. The rich lamb is balanced with healthy lentils and the turnips are given some personality with the curry.

Ingredients:

• Lamb chops
• Green lentils
• 1 large turnip (I prefer the larger, greenish variety as opposed to the small purple ones)
• Parsley
• Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Cumin, yellow curry powder, thyme or herbs de provence blend

Procedure:
For Lentils:

• Rinse and drains lentils. Put in saucepan covered with two inches of water and a dash of salt.
• Bring water to a boil and simmer for about twenty minutes. Lentils should be tender all the way through but not mushy.
• Season to taste with a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of cumin, pepper, and salt. Stir in torn parsley.

For Lamb:

• Rub surfaces of lamb chops with salt, pepper, and a generous amount of cumin and herbs.
• Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in the pan with minced garlic.
• When the oil is hot, place the lamb chops in the pan.
• Brown on each side, ideally flipping only once. I used thin lamb chops so they didn't take long. They should be pale pink in the middle when done, not very rare.

For Turnips:

• Peel and cut up the turnip. It's easier if you halve it first to give you a flat surface to stabilize it. It's ok if some peel remains. Cut into french fry shapes or little squares.
• Sprinkle generously with curry powder and a dash of salt.
• I like cooking the turnip in the pan the lamb chops were cooked in. It adds flavor, creates one less dirty pan, and can speed things along. If you do this, precook the turnips in the microwave a bit so it won't take as long (and your lamb won't get cold).
• Add a bit more olive oil to the pan and get it nice and hot (but not smoking!).
• Add seasoned turnips, stirring and turning as they start to brown. They should be completely tender and ideally a bit crispy when they are done.

This makes at least two large servings, and I promise it isn't as complicated as it sounds! Enjoy!
- Rori