TRY THIS!
More or less unusual recipes for all months - all guaranteed delicious!

You've probably seen lots of items in our store that looked interesting - but what to do with them in your kitchen? Or what could we tell you about a new product?

Here, we'll introduce you to some new ways with new things - or maybe a different spin on an old favorite. We'll feature food in season, and new and exciting products we know you will love!

If you want to send us a comment, please do so!

Spring

We can't let the season close on Rhubarb without at least one recipe in our files! Here's a cheerful melange of old-fashioned desserts: is it a bread pudding? A fruit crisp? A variation of Ambrosia? Maybe just a great dessert in its own right!

RHUBARB AMBROSIA BETTY

2 1/2 lbs rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces (about 6 cups)
1 3/4 c sugar
1 T all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
grated rind of 1 orange
1 orange, peeled, sectioned, white pith removed, and diced
4 c fresh bread cubes, cut small (1/2" max0
4 T butter, melted
1/2 c unsweetened dried coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix together rhubarb, sugar, flour, salt, half the orange peel, and all the diced orange pieces. Add half the bread cubes and half the butter and mix well.
Pour into a well-greased 8" baking dish. Combine remaining bread cubes with remaining butter, orange rind, and coconut, and sprinkle over top of rhubarb layer. Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbly and brown.

Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.

serves 6-8

March

Fennel is a much-underappreciated vegetable. But in Italy, it's known for its remarkable affinity to seafood. Try this lovely swordfish recipe, that uses not only fennel, but the citrus that's in peak season right now!

SWORDFISH WITH CITRUS-FENNEL SAUCE Fennel

1 bulb fennel, (trimmed and feathery fronds reserved), sliced paper-thin
1/2 c leeks, washed well and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 16-oz can Italian plum tomatoes, undrained
zest from 1 half lemon
zest from 1 half orange
1/2 t fennel seeds
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 4 swordfish steaks, 6-8 oz each 4 each paper thin lemon and orange slices for garnish

Preheat broiler to 400 degrees.
Heat oil in an ovenproof pan over medium heat. Add fennel and leeks and saute until tender, stirring often to avoid browing. Stir in garlic and saute one minute longer.
Add tomatoes with liquid, citrus zests and fennel seeds and boil, stirring constantly and breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Simmer for about 10 minutes, till reduced slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange fish over sauce in pan. Brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Broil 5 inches from heat, until fish is opaque - about 5-8 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.

To serve, garnish with reserved fennel fronds and citrus slices, on a bed of rice or angel hair pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

January/February

Kiwi Crisp

Kiwi Crisp?!?! If you've only used Kiwis, those fuzzy, overgrown Kiwigooseberry- looking fruits originally from New Zealand, as a garnish or a splash of color in fruit salads, you owe it to yourself to give this quick dessert a try!
Kiwi Jam (brilliant green with little black flecks) is common in New Zealand, juice stands on the streets of European cities offer fresh Kiwi Juice - so here's a dessert to give some color to a January meal.

for topping:
1/2 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c cold butter
1/2 c granola

for filling:
10 or so kiwis, not too soft (enough to make 4 c sliced fruit)
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c quick-cooking tapioca
grated peel of 1 lime
1 t lime juice

Preheat oven to 400°.
Butter an 8" baking dish. With your hands, work together the topping ingredients until crumbly; set aside. Peel kiwi and cut out the hard core, if necessary (some kiwis have a tougher core than others). Slice fruit and mix gently with sugar, lime zest and juice, and tapioca pearls. Pour fruit mixture into prepared baking dish, spread the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and continue baking for 15 - 20 minutes longer, until the topping is crisp and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream if desired.

makes about 6 servings

December

Braised Spinach with Thai Flavors

In spite of ingredients not found in traditional Western holiday sides, this dish will work perfectly alongside a piece of roasted salmon or halibut, sauteed turkey cutlets or medallions of pork tenderloin.

2 T neutral oil (we like grapeseed or canola) - don't use olive oil!
1 c coconut milk
1t fresh grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or mashed
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into very fine julienne strips
8 cups fresh spinach, stems trimmed, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, white and green parts, slivered or sliced thin
salt to taste
lots of freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a deep skillet and sautee ginger and garlic until just fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add coconut milk and jalapeno; cook for another 5 - 7 minutes or until just starting to thicken slightly. Add washed, chopped spinach (don't blot off any water clinging to spinach) and toss until spinach is coated with sauce mixture. Sprinkle salt over.
Cook, covered, for another 3 - 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted and brilliantly green. Toss with slivered scallions and serve.

Serves 4.

November 2008

For the best-tasting butter, use a small sugar or cheese pumpkin: but in a pinch, you can use plain canned pumpkin as well!
This spiced butter is great on toasted whole-wheat English muffins or raisin toast.

PUMPKIN CIDER BUTTER

1 small pumpkin (about 3 pounds) OR 2 cans plain cooked pumpkin
1 c sparkling apple cider (like Martinelli's)
3/4 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t ginger
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of salt

If using a fresh pumpkin:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut pumpkin in quarters through stem end, remove seeds. Place in baking dish, skin side down, in a single layer, add 1/2 c cider, and cover tightly with foil. Bake until pumpkin is very tender, about one hour.
Scrape pumpkin flesh into food processor and puree.
If using canned pumpkin, skip the above steps.

Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees.

For both canned and fresh pumpkin:
Put pumpkin into heavy pan, add spices and remaining cider, (use entire cup of cider for canned pumpkin); mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Taste and add a little more sugar if desired.
Transfer mixture to a baking dish to hold it comfortably, spreading evenly.
Bake at 250 degrees, stirring after one hour, and continue to bake until thick and spreadable (canned pumpkin will take a little longer): about 30 minutes more.

Stir well. Spoon into hot sterilized jar(s) to 1/4 inch from top; place lid on jar and seal tightly.

Cool. Refrigerate for up to 4 months. Delicious!

makes about 4 1/2 pints

October

PUMPKIN BAKLAVA WITH WALNUT-HONEY TOPPING

1 sugar pumpkin, seeded, peeled and grated (you should have about 7 cups) - or use butternut squash
1/3 c light brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
about half a package of phyllo leaves, thawed according to package directions
2 sticks butter, preferably unsalted, melted
1 c walnut meats, toasted in a dry skillet and chopped fine
1/2 c raisins, preferably golden, soaked in 1/2 c warm wine or brandy for 1/2 hour

Topping:
1/2 c mild honey
1/2 c walnut meats, toasted in a dry skillet and chopped fine

Grate pumpkin (or squash) and toss with 1/2 t salt; place in a colander and let drain over the sink for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Toss every once in a while, and press down on pumpkin with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much moisture as possible.

Put drained pumpkin into a large bowl, add brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon, and mix well.

Butter a baking pan, 13" x 9" works well and it's what we tested, but similar sizes, even rounds, can be used.

Place a sheet of phyllo directly onto the pan; if it overlaps, let the edges hang over. Brush phyllo with some melted butter, and repeat layering until 10-12 sheets of phyllo have been used. (If you are using a round pan, rotate each sheet of phyllo slightly, so that the overhanging edges are surrounding the pan).

Spread pumpkin mixture evenly on phyllo and sprinkle with drained raisins and walnuts. Place another sheet of phyllo on top, brush with butter, and repeat until another 10-12 sheets of pastry cover the filling. (if you were using a round pan, fold the overhanging edges over the top of the pastry and brush with a bit more butter).

With a very sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond shapes or rectangles, to make a total of about 18 pieces.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake baklava for about 40 minutes, then lower the heat to 325 degrees and bake for another half an hour, or until the pastry is golden.

Put on a cooling rack.

For topping: warm honey in a small saucepan until liquid, then stir in walnuts. Drizzle over baklava, cool slightly, and serve (or keep at room temperature for up to 2 days)

makes about 18 pieces

September

Tomato-Papaya Salsa

This unusual combination is a winner! Try it with grilled tuna or swordfish, or spoon on top of a serving of black beans.

3-4 tomatoes, diced fairly small
(if possible, use plum tomatoes, they don't papaya have as much juice as the round types, and make a less messy salsa; it's the preferred variety for paste or sauces in Italy)
1 medium ripe papaya, seeded, peeled, and diced small
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and slivered
3 T mint, chopped fine
1/2 red onion, diced very fine
1 lime, juiced
1/2 t salt

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Let the flavors blend for at least half an hour before using.

Yum!!!

July/August

Farro (also known as Spelt in North America) is one of the ancient grains of Europe. A forerunner of today's wheat, it was the 'grain of the army' in ancient Rome. It's naturally high in fiber, contains significantly more protein than wheat and is also higher in B complex vitamins, and both simple and complex carbohydrates. Many people that are sensitive to gluten can enjoy Farro in their diets.

Try this lovely salad on a hot summer evening: turn it into a main dish meal with the addition of some strips of grilled chicken or flank steak, chopped hard-boiled egg or shrimp!

FARRO SALAD WITH GRILLED VEGETABLES AND WATERCRESS

1 c farro

Grilled Vegetables:
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 3 thick slices through the center
1 large zucchini squash, cut into 1" slices on the diagonal
1 summer squash, cut into 1" slices on the diagonal
1 red pepper, left whole

1 c watercress sprigs (or more to taste)
1 small head radicchio, shredded
1/2 c feta, crumbled

Dressing:
2 T olive oil
3 T raspberry or other intense, fruity vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Bring 2 c water to a boil in a small saucepan, add farro and bring to a boil again. Cover tightly, lower heat as much as your stove allows and cook grain for 30 - 45 minutes, or until chewy-tender and water has been mostly absorbed. Drain well in a colander and pour grain into a large salad bowl.

While farro is cooking, make a medium-hot fire in your grill and grill the red pepper, left whole, until the skin is charred all over. Place pepper in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rest while you grill the remaining vegetables. Brush onion, zucchini, and summer squash with good olive oil and grill until crisp-tender, turning once or twice. Place in a bowl to catch any juices.

Toss farro with 2 T olive oil and 3 T vinegar. Cut grilled vegetables into small bite-sized pieces and add to farro. Pull the charred skin off the red pepper, discard the seeds, and cut pepper into strips; add to salad. Add crumbled feta cheese and shredded radicchio, toss well. Add watercress sprigs and toss again. Taste for salt and pepper and serve at room temperature as part of a grilled feast!

(serves 4 - 6)

 

June 2008

It's National Seafood Month!

Vietnamese-Style Fisherman's Soup

The ingredients in this soup may seem unusual, but they work very well together, and we urge you to give it a try. It's light, surprisingly filling, and very delicious! (a version with Chicken is below).Vietnamese Fisherman's Soup

1 leek, well washed and sliced thinly (white and light green parts only)
1 stalk celery, cut into strips on an extreme bias
1 tomato, not too ripe, cut into 8 wedges
2 c fresh pineapple, cut into chunks (it's important to use fresh pineapple here, the canned variety just doesn't measure up!)
1 T lemongrass pulp, chopped very fine (or use 1 each teaspoon lime and lemon juice)
2 c fresh bean sprouts
1 carrot, cut into thin slices on the bias
5 c light chicken or fish stock
1 lb cod or other meaty white fish, cut into 2" chunks
1/2 lb peeled and deveined medium shrimp, uncooked
1 - 2 t Sriracha or other hot sauce, to taste (or use crushed dried hot pepper)
2 T Vietnamese fish sauce (don't leave this out!)
a good handful fresh cilantro, chopped
a handful Thai basil or regular basil, torn into leaves
a handful mint leaves
lime wedges, for the table

Bring the stock to a simmer over medium heat, and add leek, lemongrass, celery and carrot. Simmer, covered, for about 4 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
Add tomato wedges, pineapple, hot peppers or sriracha sauce and fish sauce and return to a simmer; cook for about 20 minutes then taste for seasoning.
Add fish chunks and shrimp, return to simmer and let cook for 2-3 minutes longer. Stir in about half the cilantro and the beansprouts and distribute in large soup bowls. Pass the remaining herbs at the table, for each diner to add to taste. You can also add extra bean sprouts with the herbs, and lime wedges to squeeze over the soup.

Vietnamese-Style Soup with Chicken:

Follow the recipe above, using chicken or light vegetable stock and adding 1 - 2 c cooked chicken in place of cod and shrimp.

Serves 4 as a light main course.

 

A lovely, light vegetable stew with the flavors and colors of spring: try it just as it is, or serve over couscous or with angel hair pasta!

(Note: Instead of fresh morel mushrooms, you could use reconstituted dried ones, or use chanterelles, enoki, or crimini)

SPRING VEGETABLE RAGOUT WITH FIDDLEHEADS, MOREL MUSHROOMS AND FRESH PEAS

1/2 lb fiddleheads, cleaned Fiddlehead Fern
1/2 lb baby pattypan or other baby squash, trimmed
1/2 lb baby carrots, trimmed
3/4 c fresh peas, shelled
1/4 c unsalted butter
1/2 lb pearl onions, blanched in boiling water for 1 minute, peeled, and trimmed (frozen is ok...)
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 t dried
1 bay leaf
1 c chicken broth
1/4 lb fresh morels, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
3 T fresh parsley, minced
1 T fresh mint, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced

Boil the fiddleheads in salted water for 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge in ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, drain in a colander. Repeat the process of boiling and cooling with the squash and the carrots. Boil the peas for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just tender, and drain.

In a large heavy skillet combine 2 tablespoons of the butter, the onions, thyme, bay leaf and 1/4 c of the broth and simmer the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the morels and 1/2 cup of the remaining broth and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the morels are tender.

Add the fiddleheads, the squash, the carrots, and the remaining 1/4 cup broth and simmer, covered, for 1 minute. Add peas, parsley, mint, and garlic and simmer, covered, for 1 minute.

Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stirring until the butter is just melted. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6

April 2008

This bright mayonnaise complements grilled fish (try it with meaty swordfish!) or chilled shrimp, and makes a wonderful light salad dressing.

GRAPEFRUIT MAYONNAISE

3/4 c fresh grapefruit juice grapefruit
2 large egg yolks
2 T dijon mustard
pinch of salt
1 c neutral oil (we like grapeseed)
2 dashes angostura bitters
tabasco or other hot sauce to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer the grapefruit juice until reduced to 2 tablespoons; about 7 minutes. In a food processor (using a food processor will keep the texture much lighter and thinner than traditional mayonnaise) combine the reduced grapefruit juice, egg yolks, mustard and salt by pulsing for 15 seconds.
Slowly add the oil in a steady stream, then add the bitters and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
This will hold under refrigeration for about 5 days. The thinner textuer allows spooning over the salad or fish, unlike regular mayonnaise.

Makes 1 1/4 cups.

March 2008

Curried Chicken Soup with Bananas

This sweet and spicy soup will fill your kitchen with the scents of Tanzania, where it originates. We like it with pieces of Afghani Bread, available in our bakery department, warmed in the oven and torn or cut into chunks. Don't let the large amount of pepper scare you off - you can always cut down the amount.

6 - 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighsBananas
2 T neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
1 large onion, chopped small
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 c spinach or other tender cooking green
1 baby cucumber (or about 1/3 English cucumber), cut in half, seeded and sliced very thin
2 T good curry powder
cayenne pepper to taste (in Tanzania, cooks use up to 1 Tablespoon!)
1 t black pepper
6 - 8 c chicken stock
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or use 1 can diced tomatoes)
1 c unsweetened grated coconut
2 bananas, ripe but quite firm, cut into 1/2" slices
3 T fresh mint, chopped
1 c thick yogurt (we like the Greek style), for topping

Remove all visible fat from chicken thighs and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. In a large heavy soup pot, brown the chicken in the oil.
Remove chicken (it won't be fully cooked) to a bowl and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and saute until softened (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally..
Stir in the , the curry, and the black pepper and cook for 2 more minutes. The mixture will be very aromatic.
Add the tomato, stock, cucumber and coconut and bring to a boil. Add the reserved chicken to the soup, and when it returns to a boil, turn the heat to medium/low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the banana chunks to the pot and simmer 10 minutes longer. Add the spinach and cook for just a minute longer, until wilted.
When ready to serve, ladle into bowls. Top each bowl with chopped mintt and a dollop of yogurt, passing more yogurt on the side. (The yogurt will also tame some of the heat of the hot pepper!)

serves 4-6

February 2008

French Lentil SoupFrench Lentil Soup

This soup uses the small green 'Puy' lentils you may have noticed in our dried beans section: they keep their shape better than the more familiar brown ones, and give a little texture to this wonderful soup. Chopped bacon and ham add a smoky taste. Serve as a main dish dinner, with some crusty bread and a salad, if desired - or with a hunk of cheese and a glass of Pinot Noir!

2 - 3 slices good smoky bacon, chopped
1/2 c chopped ham or prosciutto or pancetta (optional)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 leek, cleaned and sliced thin

2 c small French green lentils
2 bay leaves
1 c chopped tomatoes (canned is fine)
6 - 8 c chicken stock or water
1 c heavy cream

In a heavy soup pot, cook chopped bacon and ham until the bacon has rendered its fat and is beginning to brown.
Pour off most of the fat, leaving the meat in the pot. Add the chopped vegetables and saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are beginning to soften and brown in spots. Add lentils, tomatoes and bay leaves and stir.

Pour in 6 c of the stock or water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to maintaina steady simmer, and cook soup, stirring now and then, for about one hour or until lentils are soft and soup is beginning to thicken slightly. Add heavy cream and cook for another half hour. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more stock or water to taste.

Serves 4 - 6 as a main course

January 2008

POMMELO-CHICKEN SALAD

You're sure to have seen Pommelos (sometimes called pumelos, or Chinese Grapefruit) in the store: like a huge grapefruit, with a somewhat pointy end, these ancestors of our common grapefruit are originally from Malaysia, where they can grow up to a foot long and 25 pounds in weight!

For dressing:

2 c water
1/2 c rice vinegar
3 T chopped garlic
1 c sugar
1 - 3 T Sriracha sauce or red chili flakes (to your taste)

For salad:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 3/4 pounds)
1 pommelo
2 scallions, sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 head crunchy lettuce (yes, iceberg!)
1 c fresh beansprouts
¼ cup roasted peanuts
2 T Asian fish sauce
1 lime
2 T each chopped fresh cilantro, mint, and Thai basil (you can use any of these herbs by themselves as well)

Make the dressing: (Be sure you do this first, as the dressing will need to cool a bit before you make the salad).
Poach the chicken at the same time. This will make more than you need, but it keeps for weeks, even without refrigeration)
In a small pot, bring water, rice vinegar, chopped garlic and sugar to a boil. Cook at a fast simmer for about 5 minutes, or until starting to thicken slightly.
Stir in Sriracha sauce or red chili flakes.

Poach the chicken:
Put chicken into a pan with water to cover, add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cook at a gentle simmer for about 12 minutes, or till cooked through.
Remove chicken from broth and let cool enough to handle; reserve broth for another use.
When the chicken has cooled slightly, pull it into bite-size pieces and place into a bowl (of course you can cut the chicken too: but we prefer the more interesting texture of torn pieces).

Assemble the salad:
Peel the pommelo and pull it into segment; cut each segment into 3 pieces and add them to the bowl with the chicken.
Add beansprouts. Slice scallions and add. Toss with fish sauce and the juice of 1 lime; add half the chopped herbs and 3 - 4 tablespoons of the garlicky dressing and toss again.
Taste for sweet/sour/hot flavors.
Chop the peanuts medium-small. Shred lettuce and make a bed of it on a large serving platter. Top with chicken/fruit mixture, the rest of the herbs and the chopped peanuts. Garnish with extra lime wedges, if desired.

makes 4 - 6 servings

December 2007

Braised Spinach with Thai Flavors

In spite of ingredients not found in traditional Western holiday sides, this dish will work perfectly alongside a piece of roasted salmon or halibut, sauteed turkey cutlets or medallions of pork tenderloin.

2 T neutral oil (we like grapeseed or canola) - don't use olive oil!
1 c coconut milk
1t fresh grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or mashed
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into very fine julienne strips
8 cups fresh spinach, stems trimmed, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, white and green parts, slivered or sliced thin
salt to taste
lots of freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a deep skillet and sautee ginger and garlic until just fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add coconut milk and jalapeno; cook for another 5 - 7 minutes or until just starting to thicken slightly. Add washed, chopped spinach (don't blot off any water clinging to spinach) and toss until spinach is coated with sauce mixture. Sprinkle salt over. Cook, covered, for another 3 - 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted and brilliantly green. Toss with slivered scallions and serve.

Serves 4.