Have you ever seen the bags of dried chiles in the grocery, the ones in the Mexican foods aisle, and wondered what to do with them? There are so many different varieties to choose from, and each has its own flavor profile and heat level which can make experimenting fun and/or painful. We keep several bags on hand for different cooking projects, including guajillo chiles, which are dried mirasol chiles.

Harissa sauce is a traditional condiment from North Africa, and there are many different recipes for it depending on where you go and whom you ask. The basic recipes is dried chiles + cumin seeds + coriander seeds + caraway seeds + garlic + salt + olive oil. Types of chiles and amounts of any of the ingredients is up to your imagination and how much heat you can stand. I like to mix up ancho and guajjillo chiles in my harissa. The mild guajillo chiles give sauces a glorious red color and a bit of mild heat, which combines nicely with the slightly hot and sweet ancho. I’m not a fan of caraway, so we skip it.

Harissa pairs very well with lamb, chicken, beef, fish, couscous, chickpeas, and root vegetables, so let your imagination run wild. And prepare your taste buds for an amazing treat.

HARISSA SAUCE

Makes about 2 cups.

Equipment

medium saucepan
8-inch skillet
spice grinder (or repurposed coffee grinder)
food processor
clean 8 to 12-ounce jar with lid

Ingredients

8 guajillo chilies
4 ancho chilies
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
8 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil

Preparation

1. Remove the stems and seeds from the chilies. Soak them in boiling water for about 20 minutes, until they are plump and soft. Drain well.

2. While the chilies soak, toast the cumin and coriander seeds in the skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant. Allow to cool, then grind to a fine powder.

3. Add the drained chilies, cumin, coriander, garlic, salt, and olive oil to the work bowl of the food processor, and pulse until the mixture is a smooth paste. Transfer to a clean jar with lid and top off with a little more olive oil. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

More Recipes From the Pantry

More Recipes with Dried Chiles From Around the Blogs

Cooking on the Side – Chocolate Cream Pie with Cinnamon & Ancho Chile

Soup Chick – Black Bean Soup with Ro*Tel

Humble Recipes – Grilled Pork Chops with Ancho Guajillo Chili Dry Rub

Menu in Progress – Homemade Chorizo, Oaxacan Style

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Back in May I had the chance to attend a culinary event at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington D.C. It’s one of those events that I kind of stumbled across online and immediately signed up for the next demonstration because it looked so interesting. All of the events in the Mexican Table series are led by their chef, Pati Jinich, who is absolutely delightful and has her first book coming out in 2012. That night the theme was Festive Mexico with dishes for special occasions, and the special guest was Fany Gerson, the very talented pastry chef whose books on Mexican desserts (My Sweet Mexico, Paletas) are a worthy addition to any collection, including mine.

The demonstration table was set up in an open, airy space with gorgeous tiled walls, which renewed my wish to put in a Mexican tile backsplash in our kitchen, and maybe get a table with Mexican tile top. I can dream big, can’t I?

And Pati and Fany were wonderful. They are so warm and inviting it’s easy to be swept up in their excitement. The round guest tables seated six each, and everyone at our table to seemed to feel the excitement and enjoyed the food and meeting one another.

The food was so delicious. Pati and Fany started us off with a refreshing agua de limón con chía (limeade with chia seeds), both sweet and a little filling. L.A. Cetto provided the wines for the evening, which were paired with gorditas de frijol refrito (corn dough patties, reminded me of arepas), pipián verde (a tomatillo and pumpkin seed sauce, with chicken), pipián rojo con camarones (a tomato, chile, and pumpkin seed sauce with shrimp), arroz verde (green rice made with poblano chiles), ensalada tricolor con queso fresco (red, white, and green salad), Opereta Mexicana (Mexican Opera cake), paletas (Mexican popsicles) and pistachio marzipan. I went home that night and couldn’t go to sleep until I had told Michael all about it. In fact my eyes kind of rolled back in my head as I just typed all of that.

So if it was all so fantastic, why didn’t I write about the experience earlier? Because I’ve been waiting, not always patiently, but waiting nonetheless for our tomatillo plants to bear fruit so that I could make that wonderful pipián verde. And my patience has been rewarded.

I can’t describe how much I adore those little lantern-like shapes that hang from our tomatillo plants. As always, we have both green and purple tomatillos in the garden, and like every year, the plants take all summer to grow, then they finally start bearing fruit around the end of August. It’s so hard to wait, but so worth it in the end.

The sauce is fantastic. Michael raved about it and the boys all went back for seconds. I served it with a garlic sautéed shrimp and the arroz verde. When you purchase your pumpkin seeds, you may find them raw or roasted still in the shell, raw shelled, or shelled and toasted. I happened to find them raw shelled at Wegman’s in their bulk foods section, which was easy, and I used two full cups of them. To toast the seeds, you can dry toast them in a skillet on the stove or toast them in the oven, your choice. The chiles are meant to add just a little heat, mostly flavor, but if you want a spicier version, just leave some of the seeds in the sauce.

And for goodness sake, if you live in the DC area, treat yourself to one of these culinary events at the Mexican Cultural Institute. You won’t regret it.

TOMATILLO AND PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE WITH SHRIMP (PIPIÁN VERDE CON CAMARONES)

Adapted from Patricia Jinich.

Makes about 2 quarts.

Equipment

large skillet or baking sheet
4-quart saucepan with a lid
food processor or blender

Ingredients

SAUCE
2 cups (5 ounces/142 g) raw pumpkin seeds (the meaty part, minus the shells)
1-1/2 pounds (681 g) green tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
4 cloves garlic
1-2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed
1/3 cup chopped white onion (about 1/2 a medium onion)
2 cups cilantro leaves, loosely packed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 quart (1 l) chicken broth, homemade or purchased low-sodium

SHRIMP
2 pounds (908 g) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 41-50 per pound)
3 tablespoons canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Preparation

1. SAUCE: Toast the pumpkin seeds in the large skillet over medium heat (or in the oven on the baking sheet at 350° F/175° C), stirring and tossing, until they being to smell fragrant. Remove from heat and cool.

2. In the 4-quart saucepan, add the whole tomatillos, garlic, and chiles and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the tomatillos are cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. In the food processor, grind the pumpkin seeds until you have a coarse powder. Add the cooked tomatillos along with the garlic, chiles, and cooking liquid. Add the onion, cilantro, and salt, and puree until smooth.

4. In the saucepan, warm the canola oil over medium heat, then pour in the tomatillo puree and add the chicken broth. Stir well and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Let the sauce simmer until it has thickened and changed color, about 35 minutes.

5. SHRIMP: About 5 minutes before the sauce finishes, warm the remaining canola oil in the large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté just until it releases its fragrance, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook while stirring, until the shrimp turns pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t let them go much longer or they’ll be tough. Transfer to a serving bowl and squeeze some lime over it. Serve with the pipián verde.

More Recipes with Tomatillos

More Recipes with Tomatillos From Around the Blogs

Sass & Veracity – Chocolate Chipotle Cakes with Tomatillo Sauce and Cream

Food Blogga – Healthy Baked Halibut Tacos with Pineapple-Tomatillo Salsa

We Are Never Full – Shredded Chicken Sopes with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

Homesick Texan – Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

The week before I went to the International Food Blogger Conference (IFBC) in New Orleans, I had some serious cravings for Cajun and Creole food. I had gumbo, jambalaya, and pralines on the brain and needed to take care of that situation. Since the kitchen counters were overrun with ripe tomatoes and more were hanging out in the garden waiting to be picked, it had to be a recipe that called for lots of tomatoes, and this shrimp creole was it. The flavors are so good that even my pickiest eaters all had second helpings. It went fast.

The ingredients are all widely available and in terms of cooking techniques, it’s pretty simple. If you’ve never made a roux, this is a good recipe to learn with because it calls for a golden roux, which doesn’t take as long as a dark roux, and it’s not a huge batch, so if something goes wrong and the roux burns, you won’t lose a bunch of ingredients. If you’re out of fresh tomatoes, you can substitute a 28-ounce can plus a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes.

The recipe is adapted from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden, one of two cookbooks from Renee Shepherd, the immensely talented and knowledgeable owner of Renee’s Garden. I bought both of her cookbooks because they have so many great recipes for homegrown produce, and all the recipes are organized by the main vegetable or herb. If you have a vegetable and herb garden, I highly recommend Shepherd’s books.

And in the meantime, enjoy a little taste of New Orleans.

SHRIMP CREOLE

Adapted from Recipes From A Kitchen Garden, by Renee Shepherd & Fran Ruboff.

Serves 4.

Equipment

6-quart Dutch oven or stock pot with lid

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup (30 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-1/2 pounds (1.135 k) fresh tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 (8-ounce/227 g) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 small bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) chicken stock
salt, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
2 pounds (908 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined

SERVE WITH
brown rice
chopped parsley, for garnish

Preparation

1. In the Dutch oven, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the flour turns golden brown and has a nutty taste, about 10 minutes. Transfer the flour mixture to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the remaining canola oil in the Dutch oven and add the onions, celery, peppers, and garlic. Sauté until they are softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Return the flour mixture to the pot.

3. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, brown sugar, and chicken stock. Stir and bring it all to a boil. Reduce heat and cook covered at a simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste, then remove the bay leaf.

4. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately in bowls over rice, and garnish with the chopped parsley.

More New Orleans Style Food

More Good New Orleans Food From Around the Blogs

Nola Cuisine – Andouille Sausage

Hedonia – Jambalaya

What We’re Eating – Ooey Gooey Warm King Cake

The Perfect Pantry – Gumbo Ya Ya

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Ranchera. Say it. Try flipping the “r”. I still have trouble making that sound, even after living in a Spanish-speaking country for two years and developing an accent that could almost pass for a native. The Rs always gave me away. When I first moved to Colombia I couldn’t speak any Spanish except for the numbers I’d learned from Sesame Street, and to further complicate matters I’d recently finished a semester studying Japanese. Add that to my high school German and all the languages I used to sing in at college, and my early Spanish was a mess. I’d try talking with locals at the shops, asking for certain things, and instead of Spanish a mix of English/German/Japanese/Spanish would flow forth. I got some very confused looks those first couple months.

Even if I can’t quite say it like a native speaker, I still love ranchera sauce. It’s the classic sauce for eggs in Mexico, but there’s no one right way to make it. This version, which was inspired by a recipe from Chef Roberto Santibañez, is my favorite because the fresh tomatoes are roasted and then cooked with onions, garlic, chiles, and a stick of cinnamon. Sublime, I say. Chef Santibañez broils the tomatoes whole and removes the skins after roasting, whereas I halve the tomatoes before roasting on high heat and leave the skins on in the sauce because they add a bit of smokiness, which I like. My sauce is a little bit thicker, but not too much. If you use a Mexican cinnamon stick as Santibañez recommends, make sure to wrap it in cheesecloth because it tends to fall apart. Other kinds of cinnamon sticks remain intact while cooking.

After I made the sauce, Hockey Guy got in the kitchen with me and helped cook the eggs for Sunday brunch. He even plated up the dish for the photos, not bad for an 8-year-old food stylist. The sauce is easy to make, just have the older kids help with halving the tomatoes and be sure an adult is around to supervise all the cutting and blending.

Many traditional recipes for huevos rancheros have you briefly fry the tortillas in oil to soften them, but instead I dunk the tortillas in the hot sauce. Less mess and one less pan to clean.

To serve, dunk each tortilla into the sauce just long enough to soften it, about 30 seconds or so, then stack two on a plate. Pour on more sauce, add a fried egg, then top with a little more sauce and eat with your favorite Mexican rice, beans, and some avocado.

Make sure to visit The Kids Cook Monday for more recipes to cook with your kids.

How Adults Can Help the Kids

• Demonstrate and assist with any tasks that might be new: cutting, blending, using the oven.
• Onions can be a little tricky to grasp while chopping, so let an adult or older child take on that job if you are making the salsa with young children.

Safety Tips

• Make sure an adult is present at all times.
• Young children should not handle sharp knifes. Teach older children knife safety, such as keeping fingers back from the blade, and laying the knife down on the board when not in use.
• Wear protective gloves while working with hot chilies. Keep chilies and gloves away from your face.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS

Inspired by Rosa’s New Mexican Table, by Roberto Santibañez. (review)

Makes about 4 cups.

Equipment

baking sheet
blender
3-quart saucepan with lid
cheesecloth (optional)

Ingredients

3 pounds (1.36 k) ripe plum tomatoes
2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 Mexican cinnamon stick wrapped in cheesecloth (or other cinnamon stick)

SERVE WITH
corn tortillas (see below)
Mexican rice
beans
fried eggs
avocado slices

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 475° F/250° C. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds and juices. Arrange them cut side down on the baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake until the skins are evenly black all over, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan. Discard the skins and transfer the tomatoes and the juices to the blender. Blend with the chiles and garlic until smooth.

2. While the tomatoes roast, heat the canola oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook while stirring until the onion is soft and translucent, and 4 minutes. Add the tomato puree, cover, and bring to a boil. Stir in the salt and cinnamon stick, reduce heat, and cook uncovered at a simmer. Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. If sauce thickens too much, like a paste, reduce the heat slightly and add water a tablespoon or two at a time.

3. Taste for seasoning and add more salt to taste.

4. TORTILLAS: Dunk each tortilla in the sauce for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to warm and soften, then lay each tortilla on a plate.

5. SERVE: Spread some sauce on the tortilla, then lay a fried egg on top and pour some more sauce on the egg. Serve with Mexican rice, beans, and sliced avocado.

6. Sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

More Kids Cook Monday Recipes

More Mexican Style Eggs Recipes From Around the Blogs

Gluten-Free Goddess – Santa Fe Huevos on Polenta aka Eggs Rancheros

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Mexican Baked Eggs with Black Beans, Tomatoes, Green Chiles, and Cilantro

Pinch My Salt – Butternut Squash Hash with Mexican Chorizo and Eggs

The Perfect Pantry – Black Bean, Green Chile and Tomato Frittata

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

One of our favorite things to do during our German honeymoon 10 years ago was to try local specialties in each city: Kölsch beer in Cologne (Köln), lebkuchen in Nuremberg, schneeballen in Rothenburg, and brezels in Munich. Currywurst is certainly a memorable local specialty, a favorite of Berliners for over 60 years. It’s simply a German sausage topped with tomato-based curry sauce, and they sell tens of millions of these in Berlin every year. The popularity of the dish spread throughout the city and now there are currywurst stands everywhere and even a currywurst museum that opened in 2009. Apparently this is fast food that anyone can learn to love, even if the combination doesn’t sound quite appetizing at first.

The story goes that a certain enterprising Berlin housewife traded some alcohol for curry powder from British troops in the time after World War II when the city was still in ruins, and she began selling sausages topped with a spicy tomato-based sauce to local construction workers in 1949. The price was right and the spicy dish sold fast.

There is no such thing as a definitive currywurst recipe because it’s different all over the city, and the locals are passionate about the subject. If you want to start a casual conversation with a Berliner and don’t know what to say, ask about their favorite currywurst stand. Sausages might be fried or grilled, with casing or without, and the variations on the curry sauce are limitless. You could theoretically visit every single currywurst stand in the city and taste a different dish every time. Our recipe is simple, relying on the curry powder and sautéed onions for flavor. I am particularly fond of S & B Curry Powder, which seems to have a bit more punch than other brands, and you can find it in most Asian grocery stores or online. The amount of curry powder can vary depending on how much spice you like.

GERMAN CURRYWURST

Makes about 2 cups of sauce, serves 8.

Equipment

small saucepan

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 to 3 tablespoons curry powder, depending on how spicy you like it
1 (15-ounce/425 g) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
8 bratwursts, cooked and sliced

Preparation

1. Warm the oil in the saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onions until they are soft. Add the curry powder and stir until the powder absorbs the oil and the heat releases the fragrance.

2. Add the tomato sauce and sugar and stir. Continue cooking at a simmer until the sauce is heated through. Spoon over the sliced bratwursts, sprinkle on some more curry powder if you like, and serve hot.

More German Recipes

More German Recipes From Around the Blogs

Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate – Vollkornbrot, German Whole Rye Sourdough

Mowielicious – German Pflaumkuchen

Delicious Days – Zwetschgenknödel

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook – Venison Landjaeger

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

This is our first year growing arugula, and I have to say I’m impressed with how easy it is to grow. We planted it a box in early September, and within three days we had sprouts. It required little maintenance, just watering. One thing we’ve learned in the process is that arugula gets more peppery as it matures. The leaves had a mild peppery flavor early on, but now some of the larger leaves are downright bitter, so balancing the feisty flavor with spinach seemed the way to go for this pesto. The original recipe at Epicurious.com calls for serving on top of grilled hamburgers, which we did, and the combination of the peppery arugula, garlic, and crushed red pepper makes a great topping for hamburgers or vegan burgers paired with grilled onions and Swiss cheese.

The original recipe calls for quickly wilting the spinach in the microwave, though you could do it in a steamer basket, too. For a time saver, I think the recipe still tastes good when using raw baby spinach.

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page. Submissions for this round are due on October 30, and you can send your information and photo to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com.

Other Pesto or Condiment Recipes

More Arugula Recipes From Around the Blogs

Simply Recipes – Toasted Turkey Cranberry Arugula Sandwich

80 Breakfasts – Arugula and Apple Salad

Apartment Therapy – Egg, Arugula, and Herb Tartine

Panini Happy – Red Dragon, Roast Beef, and Arugula Panini

Equipment

food processor
large microwave safe bowl or large pan and steamer basket

Ingredients

8 ounces (227 g) baby spinach leaves, rinsed and well-drained
2 cloves garlic, peeled and ends trimmed
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups (packed) (~2.5 ounces/71 g) fresh arugula leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup (80 mil) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt, to taste

Preparation

1. Cook the rinsed spinach in the microwave for about 60 to 90 seconds, or steam for about 2 minutes in a steamer basket over hot water. Drain well, squeezing all the liquid out with your hands.

2. Process the garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper in the food processor until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the spinach, arugula, pine nuts, and lemon juice, then process until you have a coarse puree.

3. Gradually add the olive oil, pouring in a slow stream while the machine runs. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and salt to taste. Serve as a topping for grilled hamburgers or vegan burgers.

************************************************************

Source: adapted from Epicurious.com

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

My fondness for chimichurri started back in the early 90s when I was teaching in Colombia. There’s this great restaurant called Andres Carne de Res north of Bogota, and I remember having chimichurri with a steak there. First of all, the steak was one of the best I’d ever tasted (still), the stuffed grilled tomato on the side was fabulous, and the chimichurri just seemed to bring it all together. I seem to remember plenty of cilantro in their chimichurri, which is probably what drew me to it.

Chimichurri has its origins in Argentina but is popular throughout South America. The basic ingredients are herbs, garlic, olive oil, paprika, and vinegar, but there many variations and it seems that no two families make it the same way. Some people like to use just parsley, or combine parsley with cilantro or oregano, and the amounts of garlic and liquid ingredients vary. Some recipes have a little heat in the form of pepper flakes, and I’ll toss in a few every now and then. Roasting the garlic is another delightful variation that lends a subtle buttery flavor.

It’s a great all-purpose sauce that goes well with beef, chicken, and fish. Chimichurri is quick and easy and quite healthy with all the vitamins and minerals from the herbs and garlic. The parsley provides loads of vitamin C, which helps our bodies to absorb the iron in meat. We enjoy the freshness of the parsley and oregano from our garden. I usually add cilantro, but my plants are very slow in producing right now, so no cilantro this time.

This is my contribution to this week’s edition of Weekend Herb Blogging, a weekly event founded by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. This week’s hosts are Amy and Johnny of We Are Never Full, so check out their blog next week for the round-up.

Equipment

food processor

Ingredients

large bunch of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, thick stems trimmed
handful of fresh cilantro leaves and stems
leaves from 2 to 3 stems of fresh oregano
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 to 1-1/2 cups (237 to 355 mil) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (119 mil) red wine vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Put the parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, and about 1/4 cup (59 mil) of the olive oil into the food processor and pulse until the leaves are coarsely ground.

2. Add the red wine vinegar, paprika, salt, and pepper and pulse. Continue to pulse while drizzling in more olive oil. The sauce should have a fair amount of liquid, though some people prefer it to be a little more dry, so check for consistency to meet your preference.

3. Serve immediately. Store in a lidded jar for up to one month in the refrigerator. If the olive oil thickens up, just allow the chimichurri to come to room temperature before using.

References

Wikipedia – Chimichurri

Wikipedia – Parsley

Other Recipes with Fresh Parsley

More Chimichurri Recipes From Around the Blogs

Je Mange la Ville – Grilled Halibut with Chimichurri

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Once Upon a Feast – Chimichurri Meatloaf

No Recipes – Steak with mint chimichurri sauce

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

A few days before we left for vacation, I picked five pounds of San Marzano tomatoes and a dozen bell peppers from our garden and had to do something with them fast. I had planned all along to turn those beautiful tomatoes into sauce, but now that the task was at hand and I only had a few short hours, I knew this would have to be a quick and easy freezer sauce.

This sauce is inspired by a couple recipes from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, by Marcella Hazan, my go-to book for Italian cooking. We used all five pound of the San Marzanos (which I forgot to photograph before chopping), six bell peppers, a whole head of garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and tossed in some fresh basil from the garden at the end. The recipe made about three quarts/litres of sauce, and we froze two of them. You can use Roma tomatoes instead, though they have a lot more juices. If you want to limit the juices, try seeding the Romas before cutting into small pieces. Many sauce recipes call for blanching the tomatoes and removing the skins, but we never bother with it.

As fortune would have it, we’re glad we hurried and made the sauce before vacation because when we returned we discovered some animal had been eating away at the ripe San Marzanos and leaving the half-eaten tomatoes lying on the ground under the plants. Heartbreaking, truly. At least we still had some green San Marzanos, and to increase chances of survival we purchased a garden net and carefully wrapped it around the plants. Fortunately that has kept the critters away and our tomatoes are thriving again.

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Our host for this round is Wiffy of Noob Cook, so visit her blog for more information on how to participate. Entries are due September 15.

[Updated August 20, 2011.]

SAN MARZANO SAUCE WITH PEPPERS

Inspired by Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, by Marcella Hazan.

Equipment

6-quart pot with lid

Ingredients

5 pounds (~2.3 k) San Marzano tomatoes, cut into small pieces
6 bell peppers, cut into small pieces
1 whole head of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup (~120 mil) olive oil
1s2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup (~20 g) torn fresh basil

Preparation

1. Put all the tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in the pot. Turn the heat up to medium high and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the oil floats free from the tomatoes.

2. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the torn basil. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pasta. Will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Variations

Skinless seeded tomatoes: Blanch them first and then peel. Cut out the stem, then cut a little X on the bottom of the tomato. Put into boiling water for about 1 minute, then remove quickly. Put into a cold water bath. When the tomatoes have cooled, peel the skin away starting at the X. To seed the tomato, cut it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. The tomatoes are now ready for the sauce.

More Tomato Recipes

More Tomato Recipes from Around the Blogs

The Perfect Pantry – Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Simply Recipes – Homemade Tomato Juice

Matt Bites – Tomato & Zucchini Gratin

Laylita’s Recipes – Eggplant and Tomato Appetizer

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

In my view, fresh, ripe tomatoes are meant to be enjoyed in their natural state, and nothing beats the taste of a tomato straight off the vine. When I start gathering the tomatoes from my garden, I’ll often stand near the plants and just enjoy inhaling the wonderful smell. I follow my family’s tradition and eat lightly salted slices or I just bite into one and add a pinch of salt with each bite. Little grape or sungold tomatoes adorn our salads and the boys eat them by the handful.

This summer we are growing San Marzano tomatoes, the classic Roma tomato for Italian cuisine, and I couldn’t resist making a no-cook sauce using these terrific tomatoes and some fresh basil and thyme from the garden. The kitchen was awash with the heady aromas of basil, garlic, and thyme, which also seemed to cling to my hands for a few hours after making the sauce, but I didn’t mind a bit.

We thought the flavor was very good, and it was a no-brainer, easy dish to fix. You just mix together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and let them sit at room temperature for up to three hours, then toss it with cooked pasta. You can make this a quick weeknight meal if you shorten the sitting time for the sauce. Michael and I agreed that there isn’t enough sauce for a pound of pasta, so we would double the sauce next time.

Equipment

large nonreactive bowl

Ingredients
(If you like lots of sauce, then I suggest doubling the ingredients.)

SAUCE
2 pounds ripe San Marzano or roma tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme
1 to 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 pound cooked linguine

Preparation

1. Stir together the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, thyme, garlic, black pepper, and pepper flakes in the large bowl. Set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

2. Toss the sauce together with the cooked pasta and serve immediately.

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Source: adapted from Fine Cooking

I’m certainly not the first food blogger to reference Marcella Hazan, and I think I can safely predict that I will not be the last. She is considered one of the foremost authorities on Italian cuisine, and her book Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking is one that I constantly turn to when cooking Italian dishes. The book was originally published over thirty years ago as two separate volumes, The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, and the combined volume has been revised, updated, and expanded. Of her first book, British food writer Roy Andries de Groot wrote, “Marcella’s book is the most authentic guide to Italian food ever written in the U.S.” No small compliment, to be sure.

According to Essentials, carbonara sauce has it’s roots in Rome during the last days of World War II when American soldiers brought eggs and bacon to local families to make into a pasta sauce. Pancetta is the preferred meat in this dish, although a good mellow slab bacon can be used. The recipe cooks quickly and makes a great weeknight meal.

WARNING: The eggs in this dish do not cook fully, they are simply beaten and tossed with the hot cooked pasta. Hazan notes a salmonella warning in her recipe, so you should take care to use the freshest available eggs and make sure that they are stored properly. If you are really concerned about it, you can use an egg substitute such as Egg Beaters®, which is pasteurized.

Equipment

8-quart pot with a lid
small saute pan
medium to large serving bowl (large enough to allow you to toss around a pound of cooked pasta with the sauce)

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup freshly grated romano cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation

1. Add 6 quarts of water to the 8-quart pot and bring to a boil. Cook the spaghetti to al dente.

***While the pasta cooks***

2. Mash the garlic lightly and remove the skin. Add the garlic and olive oil to the saute pan and cook over medium high heat, until the garlic turns a deep gold. Remove the garlic and discard it.

3. Add the pancetta strips to the pan and saute until they become crisp around the edges. Stir in the white wine and let it bubble for a minute or two, then turn off the heat.

4. Add the beaten eggs to the serving bowl. Stir in the romano and parmigiano cheeses, 3 or 4 grinds of fresh black pepper, and the chopped parsley.

5. Drain the spaghetti and add it to bowl. Toss well.

6. Reheat the pancetta strips for about a minute, then pour the contents of the pan in with the pasta. Toss it all together and serve immediately.

Resources

Wikipedia – Marcella Hazan

Counting Her Blessings

Wikipedia – Pancetta

DolceVita Recipes

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Source: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, by Marcella Hazan