Zucchini Pizza

I gave James a break from the diet detox with this crisp crust zucchini pizza.

I stretched the dough thin across an oiled baking sheet and covered the crust with bits of prosciutto, thin slices of mozzarella, and chopped garlic. In a separate bowl I sliced two zucchini into thin strips (avoiding the seed in the center) with a vegetable peeler, mixed in a good dose of olive oil with oregano, crushed red peppers, salt, pepper, and freshly chopped mint. I spread the tangle of zucchini across the waiting dough, drizzled on a bit of olive oil and sprinkled on a handful of shredded parmesan cheese. Twenty minutes at 500º was all it took and James' dinner was served. For now, I'm sticking with soup.

After The Battle

Even though I can't declare battle squirrel 2010 an outright victory we had a large enough pile of small white peaches to share some with friends have a bowl in the fridge, and make a batch of this delicate white peach and lavender jam. I got the idea from Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard's Complete Book of Small Batch Preserving, a worthy kitchen companion. But, the ladies' recipe calls for pectin and I prefer a more cooked thick old-fashioned style jam. So I combined my usual recipe with some of Topp's and Howards' ideas and came up with this floral scented golden jam.

I pitted and coarsely chopped enough peaches to fill a 6 quart container and covered the fruit with 6 cups of sugar and let the fruit sit overnight in the refrigerator. The next day I covered 12 tablespoons of dried lavender flowers with about 1 1/2 cups boiling water and let sit for 20 minutes (the dogs got a quick walk while that was steeping). Into my largest pot went the fruit mixture, the lavender water (strained of the flowers), and 6 TBs of lemon juice. I brought the pot to a boil and let it simmer until the fruit was soft and a drop placed on a plate left in the freezer for 15 minutes firmed up to a consistency I liked for our latest batch of jam. I poured the mixture into sterilized jars and sealed as usual.

Preserving the taste of spring, one jar at a time.

Chicken and Broccoli

I've been doing a week long detox -- more on that later -- and James have been very supportive. trying to look earnest as he shares my soup dinner saying -- "I don't feel deprived at all." Last night grilled chicken and steamed broccoli was on my menu so I tried to spice it up just a little for James without, honestly, making too much more work in the kitchen. I breaded his chicken cutlet in panko bread crumbs, S&P, and parmesan cheese and pan fried it in a mixture of olive oil and butter. When the chicken was crisp I quickly sauteed some corn kernels in the fat remaining in the pan to use as a combo sauce/ salsa on top. That, along with some butter on his broccoli, was James' "share my diet" dinner.

Zucchini Goat Cheese Soup and Le Bootcamp

Here's a refreshing summer recipe that wasn't in any way my idea. I try to keep it a secret --especially from myself, but I have gotten really fat. It's no secret to James who has always been thin. Last week while flipping through Bon Appetit magazine I happened on an article about an internet subscription program called Le Bootcamp, devised by French "celebrity coach" Valerie Orsoni with recipes developed by her father, chef Edward Orsoni. Chef Orsoni may not be a household name but the recipes printed with the article actually looked good, and -- even better -- seemed like things James might like too so I could think about trying the plan without facing the chore of making two separate and, worst of all, totally unequal dinners every night. I did a little investigating when I got home and decided to give the subscription plan a try.

I just finished day 6 of the week one detox -- mostly fruits vegetables and a surprising amount of yogurt. This pale green soup was my dinner recipe.

I coarsely chopped up 4 zucchini and one onion, added a pinch each of thyme and oregano (my additions) and covered everything with about 4 cups of chicken broth (my variation also) and brought the pot to a boil. I allowed the vegetables to simmer covered for about 20 minutes until very tender. I them combined the cooked vegetables with their liquid and 4 ounces of herbed goat cheese in the blender and pureed. Done.

The original recipe called for Boursin cheese. Aside from the fact that Boursin harkens back to days of giant shoulder pads, melba toast and episodes of Dynasty better off forgotten, our store doesn't carry it. I glanced at the Alouette (maybe today's version of the spreadable cheese) and finally decided that fresh goat cheese (about the same fat and calories) was a better substitute and shuttled away from the brand/name processed food section of the store. The goat cheese gave a subtle summer tang and the kind of creamy mouth feel usually reserved for recipes loaded with cream and butter. It's a genius idea I'm going to try with other soups and sauces. This soup, although maybe didn't inspire the same enthusiasm James exudes for pizza or his favorite spaghetti with clam sauce, along with a side of vegetable rice and toast my detox recipe passed muster with the big man. Might even make a return appearance for company.

The Real Freezer Dinner

This time we had to have the real freezer dinner. Our fridge just suddenly died and as things were slowly melting, in spite of the bags of ice sweet James keeps bringing home, it seemed better to eat the stores than throw them away. With his wife out of town, our friend Eric was happy to come and help whittle down the freezer stores -- and to take home the leftovers since we had no fridge and no where to store them.

I didn't cook at all. I popped the semi frozen empanadas on a baking tray and popped them in the oven along with a couple bags of frozen fries (yes now you know, even I have them around sometimes). I thought chili might be a nice side so I took out a freezer container of black bean chili and heated it up. Dinner, such as it is, was served. The new refrigerator comes today.

Thanks for the photo Eric!

Battle Squirrel 2010 A Draw

Each spring the peach tree in our yard becomes a battlefield. As the flowers turn to young green fruits I ready the arsenal -- bird netting, shiny cds, plastic barn owls. And still they come. My fuzzy tailed adversaries jump from our fence into the heart of my prized tree, take one bite from each young peach they find somehow more alluring than another and leave the fruit to spoil on the branches. This year team squirrel was joined by my dog Lucy who loves to run down to the tree, pick a low hanging peach and run back to the comfort of her upstairs dog bed and happily chew. At least she eats the whole peach.

When I could battle no more, rather than declare a full retreat, I picked the not yet fully ripe peaches off the tree and let them ripen in the sun close by the house in slightly less rodent friendly territory. A draw at best.

My Problem With Descoware

I have a pretty good sized collection of Le Creuset enamel dutch ovens. I love the way the heavy pots heat evenly and slowly so stews simmer and conduct heat as effectively as cast iron without the extra care worries of the black frying pans (I have a few of those too). Besides, I liked that Julia and I have the same pots, the signature flame orange.

I've always thought Julia loved Le Creuset best.

Not too long ago James told me about a friend who had been collecting Descoware, gathering up little treasures on ebay. Descoware, I found after a little on-line investigation, is the American brand name for Bruxelles Ware the Belgian version of the heavy enamel cookware. Descoware, the online histories claim, was actually Julia's choice.

Although it does seems Julia used Descoware on her TV show (and it's on her stove in the Smithsonian), I do wonder which she chose first since Julia and Paul Child lived in France before Descoware was imported to the US and it seems just as likely that she could have happened onto Le Crueset, the cookware company started by two Belgian inventors. Which company had flame first, we may never know. I do know that the heavy enameled pots are unsurpassed for slow cooking of stews and braises and make me happy every time I see them.

I guess all new collectors, here in the digital age, have gotten into a little bidding trouble on ebay. It's way to easy to bid on too many things and win too many pieces. There was a pretty steady stream of boxes coming into the house for quite a while. I learned to look at all the pictures before bidding -- we got one with a pretty big chip inside. I learned that Descoware had more than one yellow. I learned there are many sizes of small covered casseroles and it's rarely the individual size I'm trying to gather. even after we had a few more bright orange pots than any normal cook would need (doesn't mean I've stopped looking at the listings mind you) I couldn't resist this strange and oblong fish cooker. I had to bid and I had to win.

Then once I had it what to do with it?

I cut some fingerling potatoes from our garden in half and tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano and popped them , in a a single layer, in a 400º oven for 15 minutes. When the potatoes were tender I moved them to the sides and laid in cubes of halibut I'd mixed with a zesty charmoula sauce (the same one I use on kebabs) and baked for 15 minutes more. A one dish dinner for my new dish.

"What came first," James asked. "The dish or the recipe?"

Hmm, he may never know for sure.