Creamy Tomato & Caramelized Onion Bisque

Still getting summer tomatoes?  Make soup.  Didn't plant tomatoes this year?  Still make soup.

You can use fresh tomatoes, or canned crushed  tomatoes very well for this soup - this year was too busy for me to plant tomatoes so I used canned.  Either way, you can filter through a sieve, especially if you want to remove sends from fresh tomatoes.
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil plus 2 Tbsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 quart favorite broth (I used turkey broth)
1/4 cup cream sherry
1 cup heavy cream

Caramelize the onions in the oil and butter over medium-low heat for about 12-15 minutes, stirring often. The browner the onions, the ricer the soup. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and broth, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Add the sherry and return to the boil. Reduce heat and allow to cook another 10 minutes.

Add the cream and homogenize the soup with an immersion blender. If you wish, you can strain soup through a fine sieve. Serve garnished with mint.

Serves 6 as a soup course.

Dilly Cream Cheese Omelet with Field Mushrooms

We've been really busy at work lately, but that's no excuse for not eating well.  Whip up a simple omelet anytime you're crunched, and you'll be happy you did.  Remember, the French consider an omelet a lunch or dinner dish - they would never consider it for breakfast.  So you're cool having it for dinner.
10 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used mixed field mushrooms)
1 Tbsp butter

4-6 eggs, depending on size and hunger level
2 Tbsp cold water, divided
6-8 slices or wedges cream cheese, about 4 oz
Dash dried dill, about 1/4 tsp in total, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

First brown the mushrooms in a hot wide skillet. Allow them to sizzle loudly and release any water they will. Add the butter, turn down the heat and allow them to brown and flavor nicely. Set aside in a bowl.

Meanwhile, work on omelets. You can do both together (if you are skilled) but you should probably do one at a time. For each omelet, whisk 2-3 eggs in a small bowl to blend well. Add the salt, pepper and half the dill and mix well.

Heat an 8-9 inch non-stick skillet to high heat and spray with oil or add a tab of butter. Let the pan heat almost to smoking and then pour in eggs. Quickly swirl the eggs about the pan to distribute evenly to let eggs set just a bit; you should see a cooked ring form around the edges. Gently tilt the pan and pull edges in towards the center with a plastic spatula. Allow uncooked eggs to fill in the empty spaces you create. Work your way around the omelet to create many, many folds. Keep the medium heat high and work attentively. Never walk away from a cooking omelet!

When most of the egg liquid has been used up you should still see a very wet top surface. Turn heat down to the lowest possible setting. Lay half the cream cheese wedges on one half of omelet. Top the omelet half with the cheese with half the mushrooms. Cover and cook undisturbed for one minute.

Remove from heat and uncover. Tilt omelet half without the topping uphill from other half. Slip a thin plastic spatula underneath the top half and quickly fold over the filled half. This is a deliberate action and should not be done meekly, or you could end up with a half-folded omelet. Be bold, you'll do fine. Then with gentle shaking, slip the omelet onto a plate.

Makes two omelets.

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Whip this up and you'll be a rockstar, at least to those you serve this to.
1 5-oz bag fresh baby spinach leaves
1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, drained
2 green onions, chopped

1 8-oz brick cream cheese
1/4 cup good real mayonnaise
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp favorite hot sauce, or to taste
4 oz monterrey jack (or pepper jack) cheese, grated
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Sauté the spinach leaves in a dash of olive oil until completely wilted. Press in a colander to remove any excess water. Add spinach to a food processor. Add the artichoke hearts and green onion and pulse a few times to chop.

Add remaining ingredients and pulse just to mix well. Turn dip into a shallow baking dish (or multiple smaller ramekins) and bake until browned and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve with favorite chips, crackers or veggies.

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Horseradish Cheddar Pub Sauce

To me, horseradish sauce is the perfect match for grilled steak or prime rib.  Here's a cheesy version made with yogurt, though you certainly could use sour cream instead.
2 ribeye steaks

Cheddar Pub Sauce:
2 oz feta cheese
2 oz excellent, aged sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp strong horseradish
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

Heat grill to high. Mix together the pub sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Season the steaks with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Grill steaks over as high a heat as you can get, turning once.

The time will depend on your heat source and the thickness of your steaks. I cooked these steaks (3/4-inch thick) on a good gas grill for about 3 minutes a side for medium-rare.

Serve steaks with pub sauce on the side, next to a nice Cesar salad. Serves 2.

Cook’s Note: I slather the steaks with olive oil using a brush before grilling. This incites a flame and gives a nice bit of char, even when cooking the steaks for so short a time as for medium rare.

Cauliflower Squash and Fresh Pea Salad

This is a dish celebrating the fantastic deep yellow squash of summer.  Cool, colorful, crispy.  Happy summer.
2 yellow squash, sliced (I crinkle cut them)
1 Tbsp kosher salt
4 cups cauliflower floweretts
2 cups fresh peas
2 Tbsp fresh dill weed, minced
2 green onions, sliced

Dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper

Toss the squash with the kosher salt and allow to macerate for about 30 minutes in a colander. Toss every 10 minutes.

Meanwhile bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium pot. Add a tablespoon kosher salt and then the cauliflower and peas. Bring back to a gentle boil and cook for only about another minute. The idea is to cook the veggies only to crisp tender. Drain the veggies when cooked and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking.

Tip the veggies into a sale spinner and spin to dry.

Rinse the squash briefly, to remove the salt - taste to see if you rinsed sufficiently so that the squash are only nicely seasoned with salt. Turn squash out to a long sheet of paper towels. Pat the squash dry.

Mix the squash, cauliflower and peas in a large mixing bowl. Add the dill and green onions.

Whisk together the dressing and add to the salad. Mix well and tip into a serving bowl.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Cook's Note:  Here in the US Mid Atlantic, we get the most fantastic fresh yellow squash in summer - I'm sure other regions do too.  But my colleagues bring in the excesses of their gardens and I am in awe.  What we get year round in the grocers pales in comparison to what we get fresh in the summer.  This is what the squash I am talking about looks like.

While summer fresh peas are sweet and tender, refreshed, thawed frozen petite peas work well here as well.  The real actors are squash - and if you can get fresh cauliflower from a friend or local farm - grab it!  It's much harder to find.

Haddock with Tomato Caper Cream Sauce

A simple delicious cream sauce fortified with capers and fresh tomato makes humble haddock sing.
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 doz grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise, about 1 to 1-/1/2 cup
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp capers, drained

1 lb fresh haddock fillet
1 green onion, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Cut haddock into 4 serving portions.

Heat oil in a large skillet and sizzle the tomatoes over high heat for about 3-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and add the shallot and garlic to the skillet. Add a dash more oil if necessary.

Sauté the aromatics for about 3-4 minutes and add the cream and capers to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil.  Nestle the haddock fillets into the sauce and spoon sauce all over fillets.

Cover and cook about 5 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Remove cover and cook another 2-3 minutes until the cream sauce is slightly thicker and the fish is just cooked through. Serve fish generously with sauce, garnished with green onion and parsley.

Serves 4.

Korean BBQ Wings

Brining wings adds a wonderful depth - plan ahead and enjoy.
14 whole wings, about 3 lbs

Brine:
4 cups water
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar - I used brown Turbinado sugar

1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic
palmful mint

Gochujang Sauce:
1 Tbsp gochujang chili paste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp molasses

fresh mint leaves and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Mix brine ingredients in a large bowl. Pulse garlic, pepper and mint in small food processor until minced. Add to brine. Add wings to brine and cover well. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator at least 24 hours.  Whisk together the gochujang sauce.

When ready to cook, remove wings from brine onto a rack on a rimmed baking sheet.

Heat grill to high. When hot, turn right side of grill off. Lay wings on right side of and cover grill. Cook for about 15 minutes.

Now turn on right side of grill to medium and flip wings. Grill wings for about another 10-15 minutes, until cooked through.

Pour gochujang sauce into a large bowl and toss the wings to coat with the sauce.

Place wings on a serving platter and garnish with mint leaves and toasted sesame seeds.

Makes 14 whole wings.

Curried Coconut Lamb with Pumpkin Seeds

You take the lamb and the coconut and... whatever you come up with afterwards should be fantastic!  Nuts and seeds are used extensively throughout Indian cuisine and here I've augmented a lamb coconut curry with roasted pumpkin seeds, something I love.
1 onion, sliced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, minced
1 lb ground lamb
1 tsp powdered turmeric
1 tsp powdered cumin
1 tsp powdered fenugreek, or favorite curry powder
1/4 tsp (or to taste) cayenne pepper
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
4 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
1 cup coconut milk

Heat a dash of canola oil in a skillet and sauté the onion and carrot for about 8-10 minutes, to caramelize and sweeten. Add the garlic, ginger and pumpkin seeds and cook another 2-3 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.

Add the lamb to the skillet and brown - add a dash more oil if necessary. Brown well.

Add the turmeric, cumin, fenugreek and cayenne. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and bring heat to high. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

Return the carrot mixture to the lamb and the spinach.

Cook until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved tomato juice and the coconut milk. Heat through.

Serve with rice and garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.

Serves 4.

BBQ Chicken with Mint Pesto

Think summer.  Think fresh mint.  Think BBQ chicken.
Mint Pesto marinade:
3 cloves garlic
2 cups fresh mint leaves
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

1 chicken, quartered

Pulse the garlic in a small food processor to mince. Then add mint and pepper flakes. Pulse several times to mince again. Add vinegar and salt and pule to mix well. Add the oil and process to form a rich puree.

Coat the chicken pieces with about two thirds of the pest. Cover and allow to marinate at least an hour, or overnight. When ready to cook, bring chicken to room temperature, if necessary.

When ready to cook, return the chicken to room temperature if necessary. Heat a grill to high. When grill is hot, turn right side of grill off and place chicken skin-side up on the right side of the grill. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Now turn the left side to medium-low and baste the chicken with some of the reserved pesto marinade. Flip the chicken onto the left side, skin-side down.

Grill, covered, another 10 minutes, watching carefully for flare-ups. Baste the chicken and flip skin-side up.

Baste skin side now, and grill another 10 minutes or so, until the chicken is just cooked through and nicely browned.

Serves 4.

Greek Pasta Salad

This is a bright, fresh salad, which is just the ticket on a hot summer day.
8 oz favorite pasta shape
8 oz favorite marinated olives
palmful fresh basil leaves
1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 large fresh ripe tomato, diced
4 oz goat cheese

Dressing:
juice of 1 lime (or lemon)
1/4 cup olive oil
dash salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Drain, toss with a dash of olive oil and allow to cool to room temperature.

When pasta is cool, mix together with the olives and basil. Gently fold in the artichokes and tomatoes.

I used Trader Joe’s olive marinated in lemon and herbs and tossed the whole package in, including the marinade. So I used only a dash of the dressing. If you don’t have a marinade, you can dress the salad with the dressing. Don’t use olive brine as a dressing - too salty.

Gently fold mixture together and dot with the goat cheese.
Serves 4 as lunch or 6 as a side salad.