It's one week into March now, and I wish I could say it was warmer and springyer (?) in Minneapolis than it is. Regardless, I can't help but dream of spring and summer and all that the new warmth brings. I was reminded today of the joys of farmers market produce and cooking fun, new things just because you have so much of a certain ingredient in the house. I can recall last summer looking up "tomatoes", "corn", "zucchini" and "cucumbers" in the indexes of my cookbooks just to find enough inspiration to use up all my produce! What a wonderful problem to have. I spent days cooking and baking up countless variations on cornbreads, fritters, cucumber tomato salads, potato salads, lemon cakes and zucchini breads. Here are some of my favorites. I know it's super early (and probably not very practical) to post these recipes right now, but I have spring fever, darnit. So I'm going with it.
Stuffed Tomatoes with Parmesan, Garlic and Basil
6 large firm, ripe tomatoes, 1/8 inch sliced off stem end, cored and seeded
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup coarse bread crumbs (homemade work best)
1 tsp plus 3 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
ground black pepper
Sprinkle the inside of each tomato with salt and place it upside down on several layers of paper towels; let stand to remove any excess moisture, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss the bread crumbs with 1 Tbsp olive oil, Parmesan, basil, garlic and pepper to taste in a small bowl; set aside. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position, and heat the oven to 375 degrees; line the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with foil.
Roll up several sheets of paper towels and pat the inside of each tomato dry. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer in the casserole dish. Brush the cut edges of the tomatoes with 1 tsp oil. Mound the stuffing into the tomatoes; drizzle with the remaining 2 Tbsp oil. Bake until the tops are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Fresh Corn Fritters
4 ears of corn, husks and silks removed
1 large egg, beaten lightly
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp cornmeal
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 large shallot, minced
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup vegetable or corn oil, more if needed
Cut the kernels from 2 ears of corn. Transfer the kernels to a medium bowl. Grage the kernels from the remaining 2 ears of corn on the large holes of a box grater, then firmly scrape any pulp remaining on the cobs with the back of a knife. Transfer the grated kernels and pulp to the bowl with the cut kernels.
Mix the egg, flour, cornmeal, cream, shallot, salt and cayenne into the corn mixture to form a thick batter.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet (not non-stick!) over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the oil (half the batter, or six fritters, should fit in at once). Fry until golden brown, about 50 seconds, then, using a thin spatula, turn the fritters and fry until the second side is golden brown, about 50 seconds longer. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate. Add more oil to the skillet if necessary and heat until shimmering. Repeat to fry the remaining batter. Serve immediately.
Summer Potato Salad
1 pound small white boiling potatoes
1 pound small red boiling potatoes
2 Tbsp good dry white wine
2 Tbsp chicken stock
3 Tbsp Champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 Tbsp good olive oil
1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
2 Tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp julienned fresh basil leaves
1 6-ounce can Italian tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup capers, drained
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
1/2 pound haricots verts, stems removed, blanched, immersed in ice water, and drained.
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.
Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Gently add haricots verts, tuna, capers, cherry tomatoes, red onion and hard-boiled eggs and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Lemon Cake
this recipe courtesy Ina Garten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.
