squash, fennel & leek gratin

in those last dreary months of winter, i longingly think of summer and of all the fresh abundance that the season produces. now, summer and all of its glory is upon us. its been a hot steamy summer, and as a result i'm drowning (in a good way) in summer squash from my csa.

last week when, in addition to squash, i received leeks and fennel, my thoughts wandered to a lovely potato and fennel gratin a friend had made for me years ago. i thought, why not switch the potatoes out for squash? the result was yummy.

1 lb summer squash (any variety) - sliced

1 medium fennel bulb - thinly sliced

2 leeks, sliced and lightly sauteed in butter

1/2 cup parmesan - grated

1 egg

3/4 cup milk (or cream if you want to be decadent)

1/4 - 1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon butter

salt and pepper

lightly grease a shallow baking dish and place a single layer of squash on the bottom of the pan. sprinkle the first layer with 1/3 of the cheese and add salt and pepper. layer the fennel and leeks, and top with cheese and salt and pepper. add top layer of squash, top with remainder of cheese. combine egg and milk and lightly whisk together. pour mixture over the veggies and lightly spread breadcrumbs to the top. dot the top of the bread crumbs with small bits of butter.

bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until set.

a sneak peak

yesterday wrapped up an eight week summer sewing class that i took with the ladies of sew moni.

i learned lots of great clothing construction techniques and my first real piece of clothing is nearly finished. full pictures to come!

eggs eudora

i'm gearing up for the start of my second season of community supported agriculture (csa) with stoneledge farm. my first pick up is in a week and i can't wait to see what goodies i'll be getting.

to prepare for the new season, i've been cleaning out my freezer. all that remains of last year's bounty is a small bag of frozen and sliced jalapenos and a pack of blanched and frozen greens. the greens sauteed up nicely with bacon and i served them over biscuits with a fried egg. since this is a decidedly southern twist on eggs benedict, i decided to name the dish after one of my favorite southern authors.

this recipe serves four.

1/2 portion of biscuits - baked and sliced in half (yields 4 biscuits)

2 slices bacon - cut into chunks

2-3 large handfuls of greens (any hearty type: collards, swiss chard, etc.) - washed, chopped and blanched (i used pre-blanched, frozen greens)

1 medium onion - sliced and carmelized

4 eggs - fried, sunny side up

cheese sauce (see below)

i generally make the cheese sauce, biscuits and onions before starting the greens and eggs.

heat up a medium-large skillet over medium high heat and add bacon chunks. cook for 4-6 mintues or until bacon begins to crisp. add greens to bacon and toss well. cook another 5-7 minutes over medium high heat until greens and bacon are cooked through. set greens aside, fry eggs (for 4 eggs, i would fry in 1 1/2 tablespoons butter).

for plating: place biscuit, cut in half open on plate (as you would an english muffin), place greens and bacon mixture on top of biscuit, layer carmelized onions on top of the greens, then place one fried egg on top of the onions, and top with cheese sauce.

cheese sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper

3/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup white cheddar

dash grated nutmeg

melt butter over medium heat in skillet. once butter is melted, slowly add flour, stirring as you add. once flour is fully incorporated into the butter, add salt and pepper and stir for another minute. add milk and stir well and cook for 2 minutes or until milk has mixed well with the flour mixture. slowly add cheese, stirring constantly. add nutmeg and cook until cheese has melted and mixture is smooth.

peas and carrots - a spring tasting

a close friend and her husband have been working to revitalize his family's bed & breakfast (the twilight lodge) in the catskills region of new york. they've done an amazing job and the innkeepers they've hired are fantastic.

last weekend, they invited a group of family and friends for their first chef's tasting dinner. using primarily ingredients from local farms and purveyors, they created a fantastic 4-hour taste of spring. each course was wonderful, but my favorite really captured the essence of the season. i was able to work my "in" with the chef to get the recipe for this spring salad named: peas & carrots.

1 lb english peas in the pod

2 large carrots

1/2 lb french green beans

1/2 lb baby bliss potatoes (red & white)

2-3 pheasant eggs

1/4 lb prosciuto (obtained locally from the smokehouse of the catskills)

1 clove garlic

1 sprig thyme

handful parsley

handful peashoots (garnish)

olive oil

shuck the peas, then blanch and shock in ice water. cut carrots and beans into 1 inch batons, blanch until tender but al-dente and shock in ice water.

cook potatoes in water with thyme, garlic and salt until potatoes are done, then blanch in ice water. after the potatoes have cooled, cut into halves.

cook eggs in boiling water for five minues and shock in ice water for three minutes, peel and cut in halves or wedges.

arrange above ingredients on plate with dressing on the side.

dressing:

1 cup mayo

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon chili sauce (preferably siracha)

1 shallot - finely minced

a touch of dijon mustard

12 spanish olives - finely chopped

2 cornichons - finely chopped

handful parsley - finely chopped

1 lemon - juiced

salt & pepper to taste

mix the above ingredients well.

strawberry rhubarb & balsamic jam

a few weeks ago, i attended the spring food and craft fair at the brooklyn lyceum. while there, i tasted a strawberry and balsamic jam made by anarchy in a jar. after tasting their jam and subsequently running into some beautiful rhubarb at the local farmer's market, i pulled together the following recipe.

i'm not typically someone who craves sweets, but this jam has been pulling me from bed in the mornings. its easy to make and oh-so-good!

1/2 pound rhubarb - cut into chunks (approx 1/2 inch)

1 pound strawberries - cut into chunks

1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar

1 lemon - juiced

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

combine the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar and let sit in the fridge overnight (or, if you don't have that much time, for several hours). the sugar will macerate the fruit and bring out their juices.

place fruit/sugar mixture (with all resulting juices) into large saucepan or pot, add lemon juice and vinegar and cook over medium high heat until the fruit has nearly completely broken down and the mixture begins to jell (approximately 45 minutes).** carefully pour into jam jars, seal and let cool. because this recipe yields a small amount (two 4-ounce jars), i did not give these a water bath - i am storing them in the fridge.

**note: both ina and martha use a chilled plate to test whether their jam has jelled.