Nothing ensures a recipe's success as much as using farm-fresh ingredients. Ramps are pictured above.

Southland Farmers' Markets Association

Recipes

The City of Santa Monica

Cooking Show

with Amelia Saltsman

Recipes:

Meyer Lemon Ice Cream

1/3 cup Meyer lemon zest (3-4 lemons)

2/3 cup Meyer lemon juice

1 ½ cups water

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

In a small saucepan, stir together the lemon zest, juice, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil, uncovered over medium heat and boil for two minutes. Strain the syrup into a bowl. Finely chop two tablespoons of the cooked zest and add it to the syrup. Chill the syrup thoroughly.  

Stir the cream into the syrup and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.   

Makes 8 servings.

Adapted from Marcella’s Italian Kitchen by Marcella Hazan (Knopf, 1987)

Beans, Greens, and Pork Stew with Chipotles

and Smoked Tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound pork stew

kosher salt

1 large red onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, peeled

2 chipotle chiles, divided

3 smoked, dried tomatoes, snipped in small pieces

8 ounces dried beans, such as Windrose Farms Anasazi, Dos Mesas, or Indian Woman Yellow

2 large bunches cavolo nero or swiss chard, about 1 ½ pounds, cleaned, stemmed and coarsely chopped

½ pound hot Italian sausage, cooked and cut into 1-inch slices, optional

              In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the meat about 5 minutes. Season the meat with salt, remove it to a plate and set aside. To the same pot, add the chopped onions and whole cloves of garlic and turn the heat to medium. Cook until onions are tender and garlic lightly browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return the meat and its juices to the pot and add one chipotle, the smoked tomatoes, and one cup of water. Turn heat to low and simmer covered until meat is tender, 1-2 hours, adding more water as needed to keep a little sauce going.

Meanwhile, place beans and the remaining chile in a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring water to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer beans covered until tender, 45-60 minutes. Add salt to taste, turn off heat, cover beans and set aside.

Cook the greens in boiling salted water for 5-10 minutes (kale takes longer to cook than chard), drain and set aside. When the meat is tender, add the greens to the pot, and the beans along with some of their cooking liquid. Add sausage if desired. Cook over medium-low heat to blend flavors, about 15 minutes, adding more bean liquid as desired. Season to taste with salt. Serve with grilled thick slices of country bread.

Makes 4-6 servings.

©2003, Amelia Saltsman.

Winter Salad of Mandarins, Dates, Aged Cheese and

Arugula

5 mandarins, with few or no seeds, such as Satsuma or Clementine

½ cup chewy dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise

4 cups arugula, about ¼ pound

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher or sea salt

Black pepper, optional

2 ounces aged, salty cheese, such as Winchester Super-aged Gouda

Peel and section 4 of the mandarins. Place them and the dates and arugula in a salad bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and the juice of remaining mandarin to taste. Shave cheese over salad and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

©2002, Amelia Saltsman.

Recipes from Southland's archive:

Zucchini: No Surrender

By Michelle Scicolone

Michele Scicolone is the author of Italian Holiday Cooking published by William Morrow.

[Reprinted with permission of the author and The Washington Post.]

When I moved to the suburbs years ago, newcomers like me were jokingly advised not to leave our car windows open on a summer night. If we did, we should be prepared for the consequences. Some backyard gardener, blessed with too much of a good thing, might leave us an anonymous gift—a sack full of overgrown zucchini.

Personally, I can never have too many zucchini, as long as they are fresh, crisp and, most of all small. The best zucchini are glossy with bright skin and firm flesh. They smaller ones seem to have the most flavor too. Enormous zucchini make useful doorstops and win prizes at state fairs but are not very interesting for eating.

Zucchini in all its varieties and other summer squashes have so many culinary uses it is hard to decide how to cook them. They can be baked, fried, sautéed, braised, stewed, stuffed and grilled. They are good in soups, pasta sauces, frittatas and stir-fries and even raw in salads or with dips. Grated, they make tasty muffins and quick breads. (Remember always scrub zucchini with a stiff vegetable brush to remove any grit that may be embedded in the skins.)

When zucchini are at their best, you can count on the basil to be peaking too. One of my favorite summer soups is a simple version of pistou, a vegetable-based soup common along the French and Italian Rivieras. When I stir in a big helping of fresh pesto at the end, the hot soup releases the aromas of the garlic and basil, and their perfume fills the air. On hot summer days, I serve pistou warm, not hot, with a loaf of good bread.

Or I use zucchini in a tian, a dish of sliced vegetables typical of Southern France. Some cooks finish the tian with eggs, making a kind of baked omelet, but I usually just sprinkle it with cheese. A tian is perfect for picnics too and even tastes good or better the next day.

I have been making zucchini sticks sautéed with garlic and herbs for years as a side dish though lately I have found that it makes tasty bruschetta that I can serve as an appetizer or lunch dish. I also serve it with poached eggs and grilled sausages for brunch or toss it with some freshly cooked penne pasta for dinner.

My final zucchini suggestions: a “carpaccio” that I serve as a salad, lunch or appetizer. The vegetables are sliced as thin as possible, about 1 millimeter thick, using a mandoline slicer or food processor and tossed with a dressing of fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Thin curls of Parmigiano Reggiano complete the dish.

Armed with these recipes, you may want to risk leaving you car windows open at night.

Zucchini Pesto Soup

(4 to 6 servings)
If you prefer a creamier soup, cool the soup slightly, then puree it in patches prior to serving.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 dams zucchini (about 1 1/4 lb. total), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1-inch dice
2 cups chicken stock or broth
4 cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cup spaghetti broken into 1-inch pieces
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup lightly packed basil
1/4 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup (about 2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano, plush additional for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Add the zucchini and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the stock or broth and water, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add the spaghetti and simmer until the pasta is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile in a food processor, process the garlic, basil and parsley until finely chopped. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. Processing constantly, slowly add the extra-virgin olive oil in a steady steam and process until the mixture forms a thick paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Scrape the pesto into a large bowl.

Carefully pour about 1 cup of the soup into the pesto and stir vigorously to combine. Return the soup-pesto mixture to the remaining soup in the pot and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Taste and season accordingly.

To serve, ladle the soup into individuals bowls and garnish with additional cheese.

Per serving (based on 6 servings): 304 calories, 10 gm protein, 33 gm carbohydrates, 15 gm fat, 9 mg cholesterol, 4 gm saturated fat, 232 mg sodium, 4 gm dietary fiber.

Zucchini “Carpaccio”

(4 servings)

This simple, elegant appetizer makes a terrific starter for anything from a sit-down dinner to a backyard barbecue. Leaving the peel on the zucchini adds a touch of color to the dish.

2 to 3 small zucchini (about 8 ounces total), scrubbed
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2-ounce chunk Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

Using a mandoline, food processor or very sharp knife, cut the zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Arrange the slices, overlapping slightly, on a platter; set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the zucchini. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese into think slices. Scatter the slices over the zucchini. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 193 calories, 7 gm protein, 3 gm carbohydrates, 18 gm fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 5 gm saturated fat, 324 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber.

Zucchini Bruschetta

(Makes 8 bruschetta)

The combination of herbs accents but does not overwhelm the mild flavor of the zucchini.

4 to 6 small zucchini (about 1-1/2 pounds total), scrubbed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 crostini (thinly sliced French or Italian bread, lightly toasted)

Preheat the oven to 4000 degrees. Cut the zucchini into 2 by 1/4-1/4-inch sticks (about the size of French fries.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, parsley, basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Remove from the head.

Place the bread on a baking sheet. Pile the zucchini onto the bread and cover with 1 to 2 slices of cheese. Bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Per bruschetta: 110 calories, 3 gm protein, 15 gm carbohydrates, 4 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 gm saturated fat, 190 mg sodium, 2 gm dietary fiber.

Zucchini Tian

(6 servings)

A tian, typically a Provencal-style gratin of various vegetables, doubles as a hearty side dish for grilled or roasted meats or as a light entrée when served with rice or couscous.

4 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for the baking dish
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, basil or oregano
3 medium zucchini, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-by 2-inch baking dish.
In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 12 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the onion mixture evenly in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the herbs. Arrange alternating slices of zucchini and tomato, slightly overlapping, on top of the herbs. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Bake the tian until the zucchini is tender and the juices are sizzling, 40 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Per serving: 151 calories, 6 gm protein, 11 gm carbohydrates, 10 gm fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 3 gm saturated fat, 233 mg sodium, 3 gm dietary fiber.

Photos by David Karp

© 2002 Southland Farmers Markets Association
All Rights Reserved.

Website design and development by

Organic-Design.net