Pasta a Picchi Pacchi

A few weeks ago one of my friends shared the menu for a luncheon she was having for her staff. She was looking for another side dish to serve so I had suggested she make a Tortellini Pasta Salad. Everyone loves pasta was my thinking. However, if it were possible for me to time travel backwards to that moment of pressure when she was 'making' me go through the recipe rolodex I store in my head, I would tell her, not suggest to her, to make the Pasta a Picchi Pacchi for the luncheon. Not that the Tortellini salad isn't delicious (it is, really), but this pasta dish is a different kind of feast for both the eyes and the stomach. If I had to guess, many of my friend's staff would never think she would serve them anything other than a homemade dish. Without any doubts, if she had made the Pasta a Picchi Pacchi this perception would have been solidified. And perception, as they say, is reality (I can't believe I just wrote one of my least favorite, most self-serving of all time colloquialisms.)

But a few weeks ago I didn't even know what Picchi Pacchi was, so I wasn't holding out on her (this time). I happened to be in Barnes and Noble last week and just had to walk through the cookbook section to take a closer look at a few of the new cookbooks I had been thinking about buying. When I saw that Gale Gand had a new cookbook (Lunch) and there was one autographed copy left on the shelf, I knew I had to buy it (without spending any time going through the book because what is not to trust or love about a Gale Gand recipe). And it was in her new cookbook, a book containing recipes making you rethink how to turn this mid-day meal into the 'new dinner', I learned what Pasta a Picchi Pacchi was. I also learned how to pronounce it (Pee-key Pah-key).

Picchi-Pacchi, a specialty from the island of Sicily, simply means a quickly made, fresh, raw or barely cooked sauce. Usually always including olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, some salt and pepper, a Pasta a Picchi-Pacchi often includes whatever else one might have on hand in the refrigerator (like Parmigiano-Reggiano, fresh mozzarella and/or anchovies). It is meant to be a very simple sauce. This Picchi-Pacchi is as simple as it gets.

I had served the Pasta a Picchi Pacchi as a side, but it is substantial enough to be served as the main dish for lunch along with some fresh bread. And oh, let's not forget the wine. The combination of the Pasta a Picchi Pacchi and the wine might actually be enough to make you think for a millisecond you have been transported to an outdoor cafe, the patio of a villa, or on a blanket sitting in a vineyard in Italy. If this feeling lasts longer than that, you probably had too much wine.

The wow factor of the Pasta a Picchi Pacchi is not only in the flavors of the fresh, raw tomato sauce but in the pasta. The variety of imported pastas at the grocery stores these days are enough to make your head spin (so many choices, which one to choose?). The Fusilli Lunghi (a long, thick, corkscrew shaped pasta) was so beautiful your eyes are immediately drawn to it (and the eyes never lie). If you can't find Fisilli Lunghi, you can use linguine regatta, fusilli lunghi bucati or even angel hair pasta (think long and lean when searching out pasta for this recipe).

I must not have been paying attention when I was reading the recipe because I made the entire one pound (500 g) package of the fusilli lunghi. If there was any mistake to be made in the making of this dish, this would be have been the one to make. I had not yet mixed in the Picchi Pacchi so I could have just divided the cooked pasta and tossed with the sauce. Instead I quickly put together another marinade and I was glad I did as a half-pound of the pasta would not have been enough to serve 4 people (as a main dish) for 6 people as the side dish to the muffalattas I had made for our concert picnic meal. So depending on how many people you are serving, consider doubling the recipe. You won't be sorry.

There are generally two kinds of fresh mozzarella balls: bocconcini and ciliegene. The difference between the two is generally in their size. The bocconcini is the size of a small egg while the ciliegene is closer to the size of a cherry tomato. Gale Gand's recipe called for the use of bocconcini, however, I thought their size was 'too' big, so instead I used the ciliegene mozzarella balls as I liked that their size was more consistent with the baby heirloom tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes are flavorful year round but seem even sweeter, tastier in the summer. The sizes of cherry tomatoes can vary, especially the heirloom varieties. For this dish, the tomatoes are cut in quarters, halves or both quarters and halves (choose whichever cut will ensure the tomatoes will remain in tact when tossed with the pasta).

Anyone who says all extra-virgin olive oils are the same is someone who may have never tasted a really good olive oil. In other words, not all olive oils are created the same. Some are better for sautéing and others are better for sauces or just dipping warm bread in. Because of the simplicity of the sauce, use the best extra-virgin olive oil you can.

The Picchi Pacchi sauce marinates for thirty minutes before it is tossed with with the cooked pasta.

The pasta is cooked in accordance with the directions on the package. Once drained (and not rinsed) the pasta is immediately tossed with the tomato marinade, allowing it to better absorb of its' flavors. After stirring in the fresh mozzarella balls, the entire dish is topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Buon appetito!

Recipe
Pasta a Picchi Pacchi (Pee-key Pah-key) (inspired by Gale Gand's Vita's Pasta a Picchi Pacchi recipe in her cookbook 'Lunch')

Ingredients
10-12 ounces cherry tomatoes (heirloom mixture or mixture of red and yellow), halved or quartered 
1 -2 cloves garlic, minced
10 -12  fresh basil leaves, julienned, plus additional whole leaves for finishing and presentation
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound fusilli lunghi (or linguini rigatti or angel hair pasta) 
1/2 to 3/4 pound ciliegene (fresh mozzarella balls, small cherry size), halved (or use bocconcini mozzarella balls)
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and pepper (to taste), and olive oil. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. Drain cooked pasta and toss with tomato marinade.
4. Mix in ciliegene mozzarella balls.
5. Grate Parmigiano-Reggiano over top and serve.
Notes: 
Pasta a Picchi Pacchi can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. But it most likely will be devoured well before then.
Encourage you to double this recipe when serving at least four people for lunch or as a side for more than 6.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Only I would choose to bake cookies on a 90 degree day (nothing like a rather melodramatic, martyr-like start to this blog posting). My sister, niece, two of her friends, and I are all headed to the One Republic (outdoor) concert at Ravinia this week and well, I thought Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies should be in the picnic basket (along with the cheese/crackers, a baguette, grapes, guacamole, muffalettas, a caprese pasta salad, some wine (for the adults only of course), and whatever else will manage to find its way in the basket). Because if one had to choose between having homemade versus store bought cookies, even if one of the choices meant someone had to bake on a sweltering hot day, hands down homemade always prevails (or at least in my world it does).

The inspiration for these cookies came from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. Years ago I was of the thousands that stood in line for cupcakes at their New York bakery (it was time well spent). I have had their cookbook for years and thought the time had finally come for me to see if their cookies were as good as their cupcakes. Their Peanut Butter Cookie (with chocolate chunks added), one crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and a rich peanut flavor complimented by some chocolate, was definitely a cookie I would bake again on a 90 degree day and quite possibly just might stand in line for. More important, after eating just one of these cookies, I am not sure I will ever eat a peanut butter without chocolate in it again. Seriously.

What is it about the sweet/salty combination of peanut butter and chocolate that is so addictive, so satisfying? 

Others have made and shared their experiences making Magnolia Bakery's Peanut Butter Cookie. Some bloggers used a smooth (versus crunchy) peanut butter, some used an equal (versus disproportionate) amount of semi-sweet and peanut butter chips and some used peanut butter chips only. I had used a generous cup of semi-sweet chocolate chunks (instead of chips) and about 1/3 cup of Reese's peanut butter chips. Next time I will likely increase the amount of chocolate chunks to 1 1/2 cups but keep the peanut butter chips at 1/3 cup. And I will definitely continue to use chunky (versus smooth) peanut butter as a way to pay homage to Magnolia's original recipe.

Before shaping the dough into balls, I decided to chill the dough for about a half hour. Although chilling wasn't recommended, it was an added step I would repeat again. Using an ice cream scoop to form the balls of dough prevents the dough from 'melting' (as sometimes happens when hand rolling) has an added benefit of creating uniform size/shape cookies. My favorite ice cream scoop for making cookies is from Williams-Sonoma (1 1/4 inch in diameter size) and perfect for making these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Sitting each cookie dough ball in a plate of sugar and spooning the sugar over the top/sides of the cookie (instead of rolling the dough ball in sugar) is yet another way to avoid having the dough 'melt' before baking.

Some peanut butter cookies are topped with a traditional criss cross pattern. For this cookie, lightly pressing a fork (only once) gives the cookie a finished look and lets everyone know 'this isn't your traditional peanut butter cookie'.

The baking time for these cookies is 10 to 12 minutes. My baking time was 12 minutes (not a second more). You may be tempted to bake the cookies longer, but in doing so, you risk over baking them. Once the cookies have baked, they remain on the cookie sheet for one minute before being transferred to a cooling rack. I promise, they will set up beautifully (provided your oven temperature is 350 degrees ). If your baking times vary significantly from any recipe you follow, having your oven checked and calibrated is well worth the time and cost (speaking from the experience of having overcooked and undercooked foods involving a significant investment of time and money).

I am going to go out a bit of a limb here and say I think this could be my absolute favorite peanut butter cookie. Definitely one of those what I call a 'throw-down worthy' cookie. It might even be the cookie my sister and I agree on. Wish me luck.

Recipe
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies (inspired by Magnolia Bakery's Peanut Butter Cookie recipe)
Makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup chunky style peanut butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar (plus more for sprinkling on cookies)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 Tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 very generous cup of semi-sweet chocolate chunks (or chips)
1/3 cup peanut butter chips (recommend Reese's peanut butter chips)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the peanut butter and butter until fluffy.
4. Add the granulated and brown sugars, mixing until smooth.
5. Add egg, mixing well, before adding in the milk and vanilla.
6. Add flour mixture and mix thoroughly.
7. Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chunks and peanut butter chips.
8. Chill dough for 30 to 60 minutes (optional step)
9. Using a small ice cream (1 inch diameter) scoop, place cookie balls on plate of granulated sugar. Spoon sugar over the cookie ball until completely coated. Transfer each cookie ball to baking pan lined with parchment paper.
10. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes (my make time was 12 minutes). Note: Cookies may look underdone, be careful not to over bake. 
11. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for one minute before transferring to cooling rack.

Lemon Curd

I had bought more than enough lemons to make both Lemon Bars and Lemon Curd last week. I had every intention of making a Pavlova over the weekend, one being topped not only with some freshly whipped cream and blueberries, but also with a creamy, tart Lemon Curd. However, something happened to the Lemon Curd. That something was actually a someone, a someone who thought it was fair game and ate more than half of the jar. If I said I was disheartened upon discovering the half-empty jar of Lemon Curd, that might not adequately capture my initial reaction. My second reaction was thinking maybe I was going to have to resort to putting post-it notes on foods in the refrigerator. Note options ranging from 'pretty please, don't eat this' to 'there will be dire consequences if you eat this' swirled in my head. Somehow I managed to regroup, take a deep breath, and realize this was not the end of the world. Just a temporary delay in the making of a Pavlova.

The first Lemon Curd I had tasted came from a jar bought at the grocery store. Slathered on a thin ginger cookie, the tartness of the curd combined with the spiciness of the ginger was an experience leaving a permanent impression on my palate. Relatively expensive at the grocery store (and not nearly as good), I discovered making homemade lemon curd was relatively easy to make, much less expensive, and so much better tasting. And with lemons not being a seasonal fruit, Lemon Curd could be made year round. 

With what was left of the half-eaten jar of Lemon Curd, I decided to open a box of thin Triple Ginger Cookies from Trader Joe's and make a few sandwich cookies. With the making of the Pavlova 'delayed', I thought I might as well at least enjoy some of the Lemon Curd before it was completely gone. The taste of the chilled, creamy, tart Lemon Curd on the crispy, gingery cookie was the equivalent of a much needed 'Calgon take me away moment'. For those of you too young to have ever seen the Calgon commercials and for those of you who can still remember (either vaguely or vividly) this vintage commercial, it is just a click away.

Sugar, eggs, lemons, butter and a just a pinch of sea salt.

This is a curd flavored by both the juice of the lemon and the zest of three lemons (or the number of lemons you use to get a half cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice). This may seem like a lot of zest to you and you might even think you can omit it, but I would urge you to resist this thought until you first try it.

Making a Lemon Curd is similar to making a custard or a pudding. If you don't have a double boiler, you can make it using a glass bowl set over simmering water.

The butter, sugar, and pinch of sea salt all go in to the top of double boiler at once. As soon as the butter has melted, the lemon juice and zest are whisked in (this helps to slightly lower the temperature of the butter/sugar mixture). Immediately whisk in the three lightly beaten eggs and continue to gently whisk until the curd has thickened (approximately 20-25 minutes). Note: If your mixture is too hot before you add the eggs, if you do not quickly whisk in the eggs or if your water is boiling (not simmering), you will end up with bits of cooked and curdled egg. 

The reward for time spent slowly and continuously whisking will be a rich, thick, silky, smooth perfectly tart Lemon Curd. Once cooled and chilled, it is delicious spread on ginger cookies, shortbread, scones, English Muffins, as a filling for a cake, or mixed into your yogurt. And if you are able to keep it safe for several hours or even several days, it is (and will be) perfect on a Pavlova.

This may be the one thing that I really do have to put a post-it note on. Fair-game will be one of the options. For the moment, I will keep the other note options to myself.

Recipe
Lemon Curd (Lemon Curd inspired by a recipe in Bean Blossom Dreams: A City Family's Search for a Simple Country Life)

Ingredients
Lemon Curd
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
Zest from 3 lemons
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (taken out of the refrigerator for at least an hour, just enough time to take the chill off it)
3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
pinch of sea salt

Directions
Lemon Curd
1. Place butter, sugar, and sea salt in the top of a double boiler with simmering water in lower portion of the pan. Stir until butter has just melted.
2. Stir in lemon juice and lemon juice. Immediately whisk in the lightly beaten eggs. 
3. Continue to whisk mixture over simmering water until the curd thickens (approximately 20-25 minutes).
4. Pour curd into a bowl or jar(s). Cover and allow to cool before placing in the refrigerator.
5. Curd will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Two Salsas: Mango and Strawberry

One of my favorite perfect Saturday morning start scenarios is getting up early to walk through the French Market (aka Farmer's Market), seeking out some of my favorite vendors, and being able to buy some of the freshly harvested fruits and vegetables of the season. This past weekend, fresh strawberries from Michigan, some beautiful English cucumbers, a baguette, a loaf of raisin pecan bread, a dozen eggs, baby heirloom tomatoes, Jalapeño peppers, and a bunch of cilantro all made it into my favorite oversized market bag (a find from Martha's Vineyard). There was also a beautiful piece of pottery that managed to find its' way into my bag. 

Everything that went into the bag was rather predicable, with two exceptions: the Jalapeño peppers and the cilantro. For quite awhile now I have insisted I am not a big fan of the flavors of either of them. However, like they say, be careful about how strongly you frame an opinion, as it may be susceptible to being revisited. Skewing to the other end of the like/dislike food continuum, I think I may have just become a big fan of Jalapeño peppers and cilantro. In matters of foods there is no true middle ground, no absolute neutral position to be taken, it is a more black/white than gray world (okay, this might be on the strong side of opinions).

So here's the thing about this tale of two salsas. I had given myself an hour to make and photograph both the Mango Jalapeño Salsa and the Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa. Time was getting away from me, my ability to multii-task was pushed well beyond its' limits, and my unfamiliarity with cutting a mango had me a little unsettled. The good news is that I finished making both salsas in time for dinner. The not so good news was that I didn't capture as many photos as I would have liked.

The Mango Jalapeño Salsa and the Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa share many of the same ingredients, yet they each had their own distinct sweet/savory flavors. The combination of the champagne mango and the Jalapeño pepper created a wonderfully sweet, mildly hot Mango Jalapeño Salsa. All of the flavors from the strawberries and other ingredients came through in each bite of the Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa, however, the use of a whole Jalapeño (without the seeds) created more heat than I thought it would have. Next time (and there will be a next time) I might only use half of the Jalapeño pepper, pay attention to its' characteristics, or use the whole Jalapeño pepper if I know a salsa with 'heat' is one everyone at the table would enjoy.

We all know that we are taking some risks when we make assumptions. Had I watched the Whole Foods video on how to cut a mango, I wouldn't have completely destroyed one of them in the process of making the Mango Jalapeño Salsa (and I wouldn't have been so mad at myself for going into something having made an assumption). As hard as it may be to believe, up until now I have never cut a whole fresh mango. Amazingly the 'king of all fruits' have never found their way into my shopping cart or refrigerator (the mango in Noosa's Mango yoghurt doesn't count).

For the Mango Jalapeño Salsa I used a ripe Champagne or Ataulfo mango. It has a rich, sweet flavor; a beautiful deep yellow color; buttery flesh not as fibrous as other mangoes; and, adds a bit of tanginess to this savory salsa. With my rather limited mango eating experiences, I can't say how it might compare to other mangoes. If you cannot find a Champagne mango, choose a variety you know to be on the sweeter/tangier side when making this salsa.

In addition to the diced Champagne mango, the other ingredients in the Mango Jalapeño Salsa were a diced english cucumber (unpeeled), diced red onion, diced Jalapeño pepper, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, and some freshly ground pepper. I served it with two kinds of tortilla chips, but I could have just as easily eaten it off a spoon. 

Salsas are pretty versatile and this one is no exception. The Mango Jalapeño Salsa would be a great on fish tacos or grilled fish.

After making both salsas I am pretty certain I will no longer be so dismissive of recipes or dishes containing cilantro, Jalapeño peppers, and/or mangoes any more. Having finally learned how to cut a mango (yippee), I thought I should probably add to my Jalapeño peppers knowledge base. Operating with a little bit of information might help me figure out why the Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa ended up being 'hotter' than the Mango Salsa when there wasn't a significant difference in the ingredients between them (neither one of them had the seeds from the peppers mixed in). 

Turns out can Jalapeño peppers do have varying levels of heat. Factors affecting the heat level are their age (the older the hotter); their color (the heat index goes up as they change from green to red); and, their texture (the smoother, the milder). And at least now I have a better understanding why the Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa had a significant amount more 'heat' than the Mango Jalapeño Salsa. The next time I am at the French Market or the grocery store, I will be paying a little more attention to the peppers I am putting into the bag.

In case you need a reason to make a pitcher of margaritas or buy your favorite beer, I have two of them for you: Mango Jalapeño Salsa and the Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa

Recipes
Mango Jalapeño Salsa
Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa
(source of inspiration was the mango salsa recipe created by Ellie Krieger)

Ingredients
Mango Jalapeño Salsa
1 cup diced champagne mango (or other variety of mango if not available)
1 cup diced, unpeeled English cucumber 
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 small Jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
Juice from one lime
Freshly ground pepper

Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa
18-20 strawberries, diced
1 cup diced, unpeeled English cucumber 
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 small Jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (or 1 whole small Jalapeño pepper if you like heat in your salsa)
Juice from one lime
Freshly ground pepper

Tortilla Chips

Directions
Mango Jalapeño Salsa
1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or as a side to grilled fish.
Note: Can be prepared several hours ahead to ensure the flavors come together.

Cutting the mango: To dice a mango, cut down the broad side of the fruit, slightly off center, from the stem end to the tip end. The knife should slide down against the flat side of the pit/spine. Repeat on the other side, cutting as close to the pit/spine as possible. Cut the flesh from the sides of the pit/spine, following its' curve. Lay each half on your cutting surface and score with the tip of a knife in a crosshatch pattern, down to but not through the skin. Life the mango half, and press the skin with your thumbs to turn it inside out. Little cubes of mango will pop out on the other side. Cut them into the size dice you need.

Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa
1. Combine all ingredients. 
2. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips
Note: Can be prepared 1-2 hours ahead to allow flavors to come together.

There might actually be a reason why I have intentionally avoided making and serving most foods falling in the hot and/or spicy category. Years ago I participated in a charity golf outing. I was not then and am still not now a golfer. Even though this outing was organized as a scrambler (meaning my golf inability didn't matter as much), I wanted to make a contribution to the foursome I was on (fearing my lack of golf abilities were destined to prevent us from having any remote chance of having a respectable final team score). My idea of a contribution was to pack everyone a lunch of beef tenderloin sandwiches (thinking this would be a better option than the golf clubhouse ham or turkey sandwiches being served), a couple of sides, and some roasted cashews. I was feeling pretty good about the lunch (and the baggies containing a wet, semi-frozen washcloth) and feeling, like at the end of the golf outing, they wouldn't really care if we came in in last place.

The roasted cashews were made with Chinese Five Spice Powder. If I had to describe them, I would characterize them as a 'tad' on the hot and spicy side. Everyone else's version would describe them very, very, very differently. Now, there wasn't actually anything wrong with these hot and spicy roasted cashews. Except for the fact they were served on a sunny day in August where temperatures reached the mid-90s and the only breeze to be found on the golf course came when someone swung their golf club. Had I not made the beef tenderloin sandwiches and put together baggies with icy cold washcloths, I am pretty certain the golf cart would have taken off without me, leaving me somewhere in the middle of the golf course without a course map. And the only reason they didn't care where we placed at the end of this golf outing was that they were just happy to be alive at the end of it.

Lemon Thyme Roasted Grapes

Growing up our Sunday dinners were not dinners at all. They were instead Sunday lunches as we usually ate somewhere between noon and one o'clock in the afternoon. There was very little waivering on the meal time start tradition, even on holidays. How my father managed to put together holiday dinners on the table by one in the afternoon remains a mystery to me. In retrospect, maybe this explains in part why we grew up having all meats served rare. I have absolutely no idea why we ate this early, however, nowadays anything served at that time of the day on a Sunday is usually a combination of breakfast and lunch. Sunday dinner has now moved to a meal served anytime after four o'clock, making for a great end to the weekend and an even better start to the hectic week ahead. It also has the added benefit of giving me more time to put something together and still have time to run errands, go to the health club or now that summer is here, get a little sun.

And for dinner this Sunday, I knew I wanted to make the Grilled Chicken, a spinach salad with thinly sliced red onions, sugared pecans, and Point Reyes Blue Cheese tossed with a Champagne Vinaigrette, and the Blueberry Crisp served with Ben and Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream. All tried and true things I had made before. In feeling a little adventurous and ambitious, I also wanted to make a few new things too. Like homemade onion rings, a couple of salsas, and Lemon Thyme Roasted Grapes. With dinner not until after five o'clock I had more than enough time to get all of this done and get a workout in at the health club.

Lately, I have been trying out new recipes for the first time when having friends for dinner. This is a rather significant shift for someone who has had an underlying desire to make and serve a perfect, memorable meal. While some of these risks aren't exactly meal deal breaker ones, not every one of the new recipes I make would score higher than a 5 or 6 on the mythic food rating scale of 1 to 10 I have created for myself. So when I tasted the Lemon Thyme Roasted Grapes I so wanted to declare they were a 10, a really really strong 10. Instead I am giving them a really, really strong 9 (too many 10s and one might begin to trust the judgment of this home cook, heck I would begin to trust my own judgment!).

I wasn't prepared for the Lemon Thyme Roasted Grapes served with some softened Delice de Bourgogne cheese on a water cracker to be this good. I was simply roasting black seedless grapes. Yet, as we all know, simple can sometimes get a really bad wrap as the more complex, multi-/hard to find ingredient dishes seem to generate more culinary accolades or grace the covers of the food magazines (I too can be at times guilty of jumping on the complexity bandwagon). If there was ever the opportunity to reverse this trend, the Lemon Thyme Roasted Grapes should be the first recipe to change what we love, appreciate, and savor about food (and don't we all love and remember firsts?)

If roasting vegetables transforms and enhances their flavor, the roasting of black seedless grapes takes them to such a level of sweetness and deliciousness they should be put on the 'last meal' short list. If you have never tasted a roasted black grape before, it will be a memorable first, one you are not likely to ever forget. And one when experiencing for the second, third and hundredth time should only get better and better.

And if there was ever a reason to add white balsamic vinegar to your pantry, this would be 'the' one. The marinade for the grapes is simply extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper and lemon thyme.

The black seedless grapes and all of the marinade are poured onto a heavy bottomed rimmed baking pan and baked in a preheated 425 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes. When the seedless black grapes lightly soften and, oh so, slightly shrivel, you know they are done.

Even though the cooking time on these grapes is relatively short, it is important to shake the pan several times during the baking process. This will ensure the grapes do not stick to as well as ensure all of the liquid does not completely solidify on the pan. The liquid on the pan and the liquid that will continue to ooze from the grapes is nothing short of 'liquid gold'.

The baked black seedless grapes should be put in the bowl or dish you plan to serve them on and then allowed to come to room temperature (or cool for at least an hour). Served warm or room temperature over a creamy cow's milk cheese on a water cracker and you have the most impressive, most 'like a party in your mouth', and best sweet/savory appetizer to begin a meal or to serve simply with wine or champagne. If I describe the Lemon Thyme Roasted Grapes as insanely or wickedly delicious, those words would only serve to give added oomph to my very, very strong 9 rating on the flavor scale. They do not, however, give you a sense of the incredible combination of flavors the creamy, melt in your mouth, mild, buttery flavor of the soft cow's milk cheese and the sweetness of the roasted black seedless grape served simply on a water cracker have on your palate. I suppose you will have to make the Lemon Thyme Roasted Grapes to experience for yourself how simplicity is able to disguise itself as complex.

To make this appetizer as memorable and delicious as possible, serve the Lemon Thyme Roasted (black seedless) Grapes with a great soft cow's milk cheese like Delice de Bourgogne. If you are unable to find this cheese, St. Andre, any double-cream Brie, or even a homemade ricotta would be great substitutes. 

Recipe 

Lemon Thyme Roasted Grapes

Ingredients
2 generous cups black seedless grapes
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
Juice of a small lemon (3-4 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons lemon thyme leaves plus additional thyme springs and leaves more for serving (If lemon thyme is not available, use regular thyme)
Pinch of sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Delice de Bourgogne cheese (or other creamy cow's milk or triple cream cheese) - Allowed to sit out at least 20 minutes before serving
Water crackers or whole wheat crackers (Carr's makes a great whole wheat cracker)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Mix grapes, extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper in medium sized bowl. Pour mixture over heavy bottomed rimmed baking pan.
3. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, shaking pan at least 4 times during baking.
4. Transfer roasted grapes and all pan juices into a serving dish.
5. Allow to come to room temperature before serving with a creamy good quality cheese and crackers 
Hint: Make roasted grapes several hours before serving. Cover and keep at room temperature.

My herb garden these days is comprised of several different stone and antique containers. The front of the house gets full sun but the backyard is more shady than sunny so growing anything that thrives in full sun is a bit of a challenge. Over the years the large locust tree has been pruned (a little too much for my liking), however, there is now a little more sun to nurture the herbs and flowers. With regular watering, everything planted several weeks ago is (thankfully) thriving. Several weeks ago I received an email from the woman who owned the farmhouse I had rented out east. In it she shared the news that 'my herbs' were doing well. The email made me both wince and smile. Wince, because what I would do to have my hands on all of those herbs I had planted, herbs that thrived in the Rhode Island farm dirt and sun. The chives, the rosemary, the sage (oh the sage bush was huge), the oregano, the mint, and the different varieties of thyme flourished. Surprisingly they were never destroyed by my neighbor's chickens and the overprotective rooster who frequently wandered into my yard.

But I smiled as I read the words insinuating these herbs were 'mine', even though the house and the property it sat on were in her husband's family for more than eighty years. Odd as it may seem, it felt as if I too had lived a lifetime in that house, in that town (could there be such a thing as past lives?). Whatever it was that had me feeling connected to this house and the land it sat on, also had me taking care of it, planting those herbs, bushes and flowers that would continue to grow for years and years to come. I have always said and believed that houses 'talk'. This one wanted to be filled with antiques, surrounded by beautiful blue hydrangeas and its' gardens filled with herbs. I was happy I had the chance to listen and more importantly, to oblige. Maybe a part of my soul, part of spirit remains there, and maybe in a odd kind of way, those herbs really are still 'mine'. At least in my heart I know they always will be,

Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread

Every year we hear there will be a shortage of some fruit or vegetable which invariably leads to unpredictable levels of scarcity, panic, and, of course price increases (or gouging depending on where you live or where you shop). Last year the fruit in the shortage spotlight was lemons, this year it is limes. I suppose this means the mojitos and margaritas will be a little more expensive to make this year. Someone once said 'when life gives you lemons make lemonade'. Nothing against lemonade, but why not make Lemon Drops, Lemon Curd or Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread instead? Especially when they are in abundance at the grocery store.

In times of abundance and in times of scarcity, there is always at least one lemon in my refrigerator. I now buy them one or two at a time as there had been a few occasions when I allowed a few bags of lemons go to waste (something I promised myself would never happen again). But this past week bags of lemons were on sale at one of the grocery stores I frequent. To buy or not to buy was the question I was asking myself. After giving it some thought (and trying not to be impulsive), the answer was 'buy', but only on the condition I would make either Lemon Bars or Lemon Curd. Having a plan with options in place, the bag of big beautiful lemons went into the shopping cart.

Arriving home, I decided to use the lemons to make Lemon Curd, however, that meant finding a book I had read almost twenty years ago, one having a recipe for a most amazing Lemon Curd in it. Only I couldn't remember the name of the book and wasn't exactly sure where this book was. I was pretty confident I would remember it, if I could only see it. After searching through most of the places where books are displayed or stored here, this needle in the haystack book was miraculously found (Bean Blossom Dreams: A City Family's Search for a Simple Country Life). Yet, after all of the time spent searching, I ended up deciding to save making the Lemon Curd for when I was going to make a Pavlova (a foreshadowing of a future blog posting). Not all was lost. Lemons Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread wasn't such a bad second option use for the bag of lemons.

There are many Lemon Bar recipes out there. They generally fall into two camps: bars having a thick lemony filling on top of a shortbread crust and bars having more of a 1:1 lemony filling to crust ratio. My preference and this recipe falls into the second camp. What separates these Lemon Bars from some of the other recipes out there is the brown butter shortbread crust and the use of sea salt in both the filling and the crust. The browned butter adds the right amount of nuttiness to the crust while the sea salt compliments both the crust and filling perfectly.

Browning the butter adds a step to making the shortbread crust, but the time it takes is pale in comparison to the flavor it creates. Browned butter, sometimes called beurre noisette (translation: hazelnut butter), smells like hazelnuts, has a nutty, toasted flavor, and helps make almost any sauce or baked good taste richer. In this recipe the butter is browned, cooled, refrigerated and then allowed to soften slightly. If you have never made brown butter before, America's Test Kitchen put together a great (less than two minutes) YouTube video on how to make it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-eLe2zuTyQ. If you are a visual learner like I am, it is worth watching.

The dough for this crust is made in a standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Once made it is pressed into a 9x13 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and chilled for 30 minutes. In a preheated 350 degree oven, the crust is baked for 20-25 minutes or until it is lightly browned. 

During the last ten minutes of the crust's baking time, the filling is assembled as it needs to be ready to be poured over the hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven. Depending on the size of your lemons you will need at least four, maybe five. Room temperature lemons are always much easier to juice than ones taken right out of the refrigerator. The eggs, milk and sea salt are whisked together in a large bowl. In another bowl the sugar and flour are whisked together before the lemon juice and zest are added. After whisking until the sugar has dissolved, the eggs are added and the entire mixture is whisked until well combined. The entire mixture is poured over the just out of the oven hot crust.

Reducing the oven temperature to 325 degrees, the lemon bars are baked for 20-25 minutes or until the center is set (my baking time was 25 minutes). Once the lemon bars have cooled completely, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill. The chilling makes the bars much easier to remove from the pan and cut.

You can dust the lemon bars with sifted confectionary sugar either before or after you cut them (with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry). After cutting them into bars or squares, place on either pieces of parchment paper or in paper baking cups before putting on a platter or packing up.

How do I love these Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread? Oh, let me count the ways. They hold their shape, they have the perfect crust to filling ratio, the filling is creamy and lemony without being overly tart or sugary sweet, and the richness and nuttiness of the brown butter shortbread crust makes them addictive. 

Recipe
Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread (crust recipe inspired by Martha Stewart and lemon filling recipe inspired by Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients
Crust
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, browned, chilled and brought back to room temperature
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectionary sugar
pinch of sea salt

Lemon Filling
4 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Confectionary sugar for dusting

Directions
Crust
1. Make browned butter using 12 Tablespoons of unsalted butter. Cool slightly, place in refrigerator to chill, then remove from refrigerator to slightly soften.
2. Sift flour, confectionary sugar and sea salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
4. Mix in flour mixture on low speed until combined and a dough forms (be patient here, it comes together).
5. Press dough into a parchment paper lined 9x13 inch baking pan. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or until firm. Note: Dough should come up at least 1/2 inch up sides of pan as you don't want your filling sliding under your crust. Overall thickness of pressed dough will be about 1/4 inch.
6. In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake crust until lightly golden (approximately 20-25 minutes).
Important Note: Prepare filling before crust is finished baking.

Lemon Filling
1. Whisk eggs, milk and salt together. Set aside.
2. Whisk together flour and sugar. Add lemon juice and zest whisking until sugar has dissolved.
3. Blend egg mixture into lemon/sugar mixture, whisking until combined.
4. Pour mixture over hot crust.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is set in the center.
6. Cool to room temperature, cover and chill in the refrigerator.
7. Remove chilled bars from baking pan. 
8. Sprinkle with sifted confectionary sugar.
9. Dip a long, sharp knife (not serrated) into hot water, wipe clean, then cut into squares or bars.
10. Place cut lemon bars/squares on pieces of parchment paper or place in baking cups. Serve immediately. Store bars covered in the refrigerator.