Monthly Archives: September 2011
Cavatelli with Creamy Broccoli
My inspiration for this brilliant recipe came from perusing an old cookbook, “Red, White and Greens,” by Faith Willinger. I met Faith Willinger while I was apprenticing at Po Restaurant. She was a good friend of Mario’s and when the … Continue reading
Quinoa with Zucchini and Basil
This is another example of summertime on a plate! Sweet zucchini and onions are sauteed until tender and slightly caramelized, then cooked quinoa is folded in with a handful of basil leaves. The basil is what makes this dish taste so … Continue reading
Kale with Tomatoes and Onion
Kale is local and plentiful, and tomatoes are at their peak. I would only make this dish when tomatoes are at their best because I want very red, meaty pulp with as little water and seeds as possible. The dish should be moist, but … Continue reading
Italian String Bean Salad
String beans are abundant in my neighbor Beppi’s garden this time of year, particularly a variety of long bean that he grows, which produces beans as long as 18″. I love these long beans because they’re thin and delicate (almost … Continue reading
Farro with Kale and Leek
This meal falls on the eve of a very special occasion–four out of the six diners at my table are competing in a triathlon tomorrow (myself not included). The main goal of this meal is to get as many vitamins, … Continue reading
Pasta with Cauliflower and Sausage
There’s a gorgeous variety of yellow cauliflower at my farm stand that intrigues me. I don’t know that there’s any difference in flavor between yellow and the traditional white, but (they claim) it’s richer in vitamins (beta carotene) because of … Continue reading
Mom’s Eggplant Fritters
These are straight from my mother’s home town in Calabria and straight out of my own childhood. I never liked eggplant as a child, but I always liked these fritters–probably because they’re as much cheese and breadcrumbs as they are … Continue reading
Papardelle with Chicken and Peas
Even I am amazed at the bounty that a pot of chicken broth produces–that’s why I make the effort to have it in my freezer at all times. As I stated in my last post, I made broth last week for risotto. It … Continue reading
Chicken and White Bean Soup
This is a dish inspired by a dark, rainy day-after labor day that feels more like fall, even though we’ve barely said goodbye to summer. I’ve raided my pantry and freezer to make this soup and it’s a good, hearty one-pot dinner. About a week … Continue reading
Pasta with Shrimp and Zucchini
I’m still enjoying the super-sweet zucchini at my farm stand and the perfect way to accentuate its sweet flavor is with some briny shellfish and sweet scallions. The scallions at my farm stand were deep purple and particularly beautiful–they inspired … Continue reading
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