Caprese Salad

Summer's astronomical start doesn't officially arrive for another week, however, meteorologically it has already steamrolled in. If this midwestern 'heatmageddon' continues at its' current pace, it is going to be a very long, hot summer. Let the whining begin! Admittedly I am what you might call a heat wimptress. The little beads of sweat covering my nighttime face as I lay in bed in a room without a cross breeze in our un-air-conditioned house remains one of my still retrievable childhood memories. Somehow I managed to survive living in house where the fan was faced to the outside (supposedly to draw the heat out). Although the remains of my aversion to hot, humid weather is now reflected in my adult beet, or rather tomato red face. The visible battle scar from my days growing up in a 'hot' house.  

Summer's seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs are amongst my absolute favorites. One of the upsides of having to endure brutally hot and humid days is having access to the some of most incredibly flavorful bounty Mother Nature has to offer. High up on my list of summer food favorites are tomatoes.

If there was ever a dish requiring absolutely no culinary prowess, it would be a Caprese Salad. Essentially a four ingredient dish, if you don't count kosher salt and freshly ground pepper that is. However, if there was ever a salad requiring the best, freshest, ripest ingredients available, it would be, yes you guessed it, a Caprese Salad. SeriousEats wrote a great article on "How Not to F*ck Up a Caprese Salad". In case you don't want to or have the time to read the whole article, let me share with you the down and dirty short version of this great, wickedly entertaining, yet informative article. "Get the best damn tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil you can find, put 'em on a plate, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, drizzle them with the best damn olive oil and stop right there. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200, and step away from the balsamic vinegar." Yes, you read that correctly. No balsamic vinegar. Because this may cause your head to spin just a bit, I will let that thought sink in and come back to it later.

Depending on where you live, it may be one of those salads you can, or rather should be, making for only a couple months of the year. The Caprese Salads made in the summer or early fall tastes very different than the ones made in the winter or spring months. Unless, of course, you have a fondness for those mealy, tasteless, genetically engineered things sold in grocery stores or appearing on restaurant menus (falsely) labeled as tomatoes in the middle of the winter or in early spring. 

Whether you say to-may-to or to-ma-to, nothing comes close to the juicy, delicious, bursting with flavor taste of a freshly picked (from the farm or garden if you are lucky) ripe tomato. Or better yet, an heirloom tomato. Enduring the heat of the summer months just happens to be one the prices we need to pay in order to have access to ripe off the vine tomatoes. 

The tomatoes available at the Farmer's Market last weekend were absolutely, 'be still my heart' beautiful. For the Caprese Salad I planned to make for a dinner with friends, the combination of heirloom and some 'variety unknown' tomatoes would make it one of those best of both tomato worlds salads.

One of the larger Italian stores near my home sells some of the best homemade, fresh mozzarella. And at prices far less than some of the other grocery stores, especially the ones specializing in fresh, organic foods! If possible, look for the fresh mozzarella floating in its' brine solution versus the prepackaged wrapped 'fresh' mozzarella for a Caprese Salad to die for. The taste difference between the two types of fresh mozzarella is akin to the difference between a 30 degree and 90 degree day.

After the tomatoes and mozzarella, you need only two other 'freshest and bestest' you can find ingredients: basil and extra-virgin olive oil. Depending on how often you use basil, grow as much of it as you possibly can! One can never have too much basil growing in one's garden. 

To tear or to cut? That is the basil question. Some will say there is more flavor when you tear the basil (due to the release of its oil). Others will say a steel knife will cause some oxidation to the basil, thus affecting the coloring. But the cut-tear approach may be more about preference than exact science (especially if you use a plastic knife to cut the basil). So just do what feels right for you.

The Caprese Salad calls for thicker slices (about one-half inch) of tomatoes as well as the mozzarella. My mozzarella slices are generally cut a tad thinner than the tomato slices.

How many times have you ordered a Caprese Salad in a restaurant having at least, if not more, than a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on it? Hint: They probably are not making it with the best and/or freshest tomatoes and mozzarella available. Well, contrary to a widely held mis-conception in the United States. a genuine Italian Caprese Salad is not served with any vinegar. It is simply dressed with a high quality extra-virgin olive oil and the juices from the tomatoes. Anything more will mask the flavor of the tomatoes and mozzarella. If, for any reason you or your friends/family happen to like balsamic vinegar with your Caprese Salad, well, serve it on the side. But don't tell anyone I told you that. I do not want the Caprese Salad purists to come looking for me.

After mint mojitos and some appetizers, this Caprese Salad was the prelude to a meal of Lasagna Bolognese and Florentine Style Peas (both upcoming blog posts). And in keeping with an Italian themed meal, it ended with Honey and Pistachio Panna Cotta. If there was ever a dinner menu to both tantalize and satisfy one's visual and taste senses, this would be it. Whether or not I serve this meal again over the course next several months, I will definitely be making this Caprese Salad as often as possible. And always with the Balsamic vinegar, the one my sister brought me back from Italy, on the side.

Recipe
Caprese Salad
Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients
4-5 large ripe heirloom or vine ripened tomatoes, cut into half inch slices
3 six ounce balls of fresh mozzarella, cut into slightly less than half inch slices
10-12 basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional to serve on the side: A good quality balsamic vinegar

Directions
1. Alternately layer tomatoes and mozzarella on large serving platter.
2. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.
3. Generously drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over tomatoes and mozzarella.
4. Top with torn and/or cut slices of fresh basil.
5. Serve immediately.

Over the river and through the woods. Wilbour Woods, Little Compton, RI. Calm, cascading, and rippling water images.

Honey and Pistachio Panna Cotta

Consciously or subconsciously we all have our creature of habit tendencies. So whether or not 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence' has any assembly of truth (yes, there are skeptics living amongst us) depends in part on how often we venture outside of our comfort zones. Revisiting a recipe for something we have made for years (the ones permanently memorized, the ones we could easily make in our sleep) can feel like either a gut-wrenching or liberating experience. While I consider myself to be someone who values loyalty, I have never really extended or generalized that concept to a recipe. So when planning a menu for this past weekend's small dinner party I thought maybe the time had come to make a new Panna Cotta recipe instead of making my go-to Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries. Even though it was nearing the end of the strawberry season, the fresh picked strawberries at the farmer's market looked perfect.

My only trepidation was making another new recipe for the first time (there were two other first time recipes on the dinner menu). Particularly a dessert recipe, the last thing everyone eats, or in other words, the last thing their palates and eyes remember. But once I decided on what the Plan B dessert would be, I started on my Panna Cotta recipe reconnaissance. Ultimately I decided I would make some minor tweaks to Gourmet's (1997) recipe and add honey and pistachios.

If, after the person who shall remain nameless tasted the Honey and Pistachio Panna Cotta and declared it simply 'good' or whatever might be worse than 'good', then the finishing touch to the Italian themed meal would be an affogato. After the first bite he said "I think everyone should just give me their desserts now" in a way we all instantly knew it was better than 'good'. Later that evening, the person who shall remain nameless said it was the best Panna Cotta I had ever made. 

Apparently this culinary 'risk' came a 'reward'. Sure, you might be thinking, it wasn't much of a risk. All I will say is 'when was the last time you swayed from one of your always go to recipes?'

Panna Cotta, the Italian version of creme brulee and flan, is a softly set, creamy, rich dessert. It may just be one of the most perfect, most luxurious desserts to make. One of the ingredient variabilities in a basic panna recipe is the liquids used. Ranging from all heavy cream to cream and half-and-half to cream and milk in varying ratios. Other variations involve the type of sugar (granulated, brown, caster, agave, etc) an the flavoring (vanilla (extract, paste or seeds), mint, etc.). This Honey and Pistachio Panna Cotta is made with two parts heavy cream (the higher the fat content the better) and one part half-and-half; caster sugar; and, vanilla extract.

I decided I wanted to have honey and pistachios on both the top and bottom of the panna cotta. I thought that if I put the honey in first and then sprinkled on some coarsely chopped pistachios, the pistachios would all adhere to the honey. As some of the floated into the panna cotta when it was poured into the glasses, I learned I was mistaken. Definitely not a deal breaker, but next time I would sprinkle the pistachios in first, then drizzle on the honey. For added 'stick to the bottom' security, I might stir the pistachio/honey mixture. How much honey you drizzle on is a factor, the less honey the more likely the pistachios will float up; the more honey, the less likely they will. The diameter of the base of the glass or ramekin you use will have some affect on how much honey you use.

After the gelatin and water are mixed together and allowed to set/soften for a minute, the mixture is heated over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved. Once this occurs, the pan is removed from the heat. In a medium or large saucepan the cream, half-and-half, and sugar are heated until the mixture just comes to a boil. Stir constantly to avoid any scorching on the bottom of your pan, because burnt milk tastes terrible! I decided to use caster versus granulated sugar due to its' higher meltability factor. 

Once the cream/milk/mixture reaches the just coming to a boil point, remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture and vanilla. Pouring this mixture into your glasses/ramekins is much easier if you pour it into a large (heat proof) mixing cup with a spout.

Depending on which size of container you use as well as how much of the mixture you pour in, this recipe will make 6 to 8 panna cottas. While it will set up in about 6 hours, I would recommend you allow the panna cotta to chill covered in the refrigerator overnight. Finish off the panna cotta with a drizzle of honey and some pistachios when you are ready to serve it.

I absolutely loved the honey and pistachios with this panna cotta! But I also think I would love it served with balsamic strawberries. The texture of this panna cotta is silky smooth with the right amout of firmness. The taste is beyond sumptuous. To say that I was deliriously happy from crossing over the proverbial panna cotta fence would be an understatement. Hope you take a few recipe leaps of faith in the days, weeks, and months ahead too! P.S. There wasn't a drop of the Honey and Pistachio Panna Cotta in anyone's glasses. 

Recipe
Honey and Pistachio Panna Cotta (inspiration from the Gourmet 1997 Panna Cotta recipe)

Ingredients
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (recommend Knox)
2 Tablespoons cold water
2 cups heavy whipping cream (17-19% fat)
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon caster sugar (or use granulated sugar) (Recommend India Tree Caster Sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla
4-6 ounces honey (Recommend Savannah Bee Wildflower Honey or any other high quality honey)
1/2 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. Sprinkle chopped pistachios on the bottom of 6 glasses or 8 (1/2 cup size) ramekins. Drizzle a generous tablespoon of honey over pistachios (try to cover all of the pistachios with the honey). Set aside
2. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand for 1 minute to soften.
3. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved. Immediately remove pan from heat.
4. In a medium or large sized saucepan, bring cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat.
5. Whisk gelatin mixture and vanilla into cream/milk/sugar mixture until blended. Note: Stir gently as more vigorous stirring will create alot of bubbles in the mixture.
6. Pour mixture into prepared glasses or ramekins. Cover and chill at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
7. When ready to serve, drizzle more honey on top of panna cottas and sprinkle with pistachios.

Note: This may be my new most favorite panna cotta recipe. Feel free to interchange the honey and pistachios with balsamic strawberries as another variation.

Free range chickens in Rhode Island.

Sheila's Rhubarb Pie

For the past couple of weeks, my real life got in the way of my blog life. Somehow between running and traveling I didn't seem to have the time to make anything new or blog worthy. Before going on this three week pre-summer hiatus I considered putting together a Memorial Day menu using some of my favorite holiday cook-out friendly recipes already posted to the blog. You know, like in the spirit of those mid-season reruns we either love or hate. However, I didn't even have the time to put that together. So I am hoping you will love this idea when I put together a Fourth of July holiday weekend posting later this month.

Thomas Wolfe once wrote 'you can't go back home to places in the country....back home to the old forms and systems of things...back home to the escapes to Time and Memory'. Apparently he never spent any time in the east coast town I had the good fortune to call home for a couple of years. A place I feel more connected to than any other place I have lived or visited (the mountains of Colorado are a close second). For five 'moving way too fast' days I tried to savor and take in as much of this 'so bucolic you almost want to cry town' as I could. From walking the beach at the ocean, to running on two lane highways, to hiking in the woods, to spending time with friends, to making s'mores over a crackling fire, to capturing as many of my favorite views with my camera, my body and soul transcended to a place of pure bliss.

Like many towns out east, handcrafted, standing the test of time stone fences form the boundaries between properties. Sheila and her family lived on the west side of 'my' stone fence. More than a neighbor, she become one of my most endeared friends. And unbeknownst to her, I often felt as if was/am an extended member of their family. Maybe that's because Sheila has a way of making you feel incredibly welcomed and at ease in her home. As luck would have it, when I had stopped by to drop off some cookies and ice cream for her children she was making a Rhubarb Pie. Having never made or even tasted a rhubarb pie before (which is crazy), I was beside myself when she offered to cut some of the rhubarb out of her garden for me before I returned back to the midwest. Her rhubarb and the fresh eggs I picked up on the roadside were the 'best ever' souvenirs I brought back this time. And they both traveled well. Although I can't help but wonder if the bundle of cellophane wrapped rhubarb was why the TSA decided to inspect my luggage this time. 

Rhubarb season here in the midwest seems to be nearing its' end, but out east it was just coming into season. Between seeing the landscape filled with the most glorious Rhododendrons and having access to a garden of rhubarb, I timed my 'back home' trip perfectly.

The rhubarb is cut into one inch pieces. Sheila's handwritten family recipe called for 4 cups of rhubarb but I could have swore Sheila cut 8 cups of rhubarb for the pie I watched her make. So my first attempt at Sheila's Rhubarb Pie was made with 8 cups of rhubarb. If she reads this post, she will know whether or not I was really paying attention or was just being a rhubarb glutton making this pie.

The batter for the pie is made with three large eggs, 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, 3 (but I used 4) tablespoons of all-purpose flour, freshly grated nutmeg, and a pinch of kosher salt. Some rhubarb pie recipes call for the use of cinnamon, however, the grated nutmeg compliments the sweetness-tartness of the baked rhubarb perfectly.

Once the batter ingredients are mixed together, the cut rhubarb is added. That's it. The assembly of this pie could not be easier.

If you don't want to make your own all-butter pie crust (I did because, well, just because), the boxed Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts work perfectly. After lining a nine inch pie dish with dough, the rhubarb filling is poured in.

Before topping the pie with the lattice crust style of your choice, dot the top of the batter with two tablespoons of butter. This pie is meant to look 'refined rustic', however, feel free to fancy finish the edge of the pie!

Finish the pie crust with an egg wash. Normally I use a small egg and some milk to make the wash, but I learned a new egg wash trick from Sheila. She made the egg wash in the bowl used to mix together the pie filling! So don't be quick to put that bowl in the dishwasher or sink! Or you can do what I did and just scrape any of that remaining pie filling into your egg and milk mixture.

In a preheated 450 degree (F) oven the pie bakes for 15 minutes. Without removing the pie from the oven, oven temperature is reduced to 350 degrees (F). My baking time at that temperature was somewhere between 60 and 70 minutes. And it varied significantly from recommended 30 minutes on the handwritten recipe. Whether this was because I used a ceramic pie dish instead of a glass pie dish or whether it was because the amount of rhubarb increased from 4 to 8 cups or whether it was a combination of both, the increased baking time resulted in the most tender rhubarb and a perfectly set filling.

To ensure the crust did not burn, I covered the pie with aluminum foil once the crust browned. Testing a rhubarb pie for doneness is a little tricky, but not difficult (certainly not a rhubarb pie deal breaker). Using a toothpick or cake tester, insert into a piece of rhubarb. You want it to feel tender. To check the filling consistency, dip the end of a spoon into the pie. It should adhere to the spoon versus run off. However, the pie filling will continue to firm up further as the pie cools.

Honestly I never knew how incredibly delicious a Rhubarb Pie was. It is so delicious I think I too need to figure out a way to plant rhubarb somewhere in my more shady than sunny yard. But, as they say, if there is a will, there will be a way. Or maybe I have yet another reason to go back to this magical town next June!

The balanced sweet tart flavor of Sheila's Rhubarb Pie is addictive. Next to a Blueberry Pie, I am thinking this Rhubarb Pie may be my close second favorite. If you have never had or made one before, you have been missing out! Seriously. And if by chance you have never had a great Rhubarb Pie, well now you have the recipe for one.

It is really, really, really important that you allow the pie to cool completely before cutting it as the filling needs some time to set up. While the pie all on its' own is over the top insanely good, served with some vanilla ice cream (my personal favorite), half and half or cream will send you to a state of pie bliss.

There is still time left to find fresh rhubarb at the farmer's markets or grocery store. And probably still time to harvest from the gardens of those of you who are already in the know about rhubarb's sweet-tart deliciousness. If you are lucky enough to have a friend with rhubarb in their garden, maybe they will generously part with some of their harvest.

Fortunately for me, I came back to this home with more than memories from my trip out east. It is somehow reassuring to know that there are still more 'firsts' left to experience in this lifetime.

Sheila's Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients
Dough (Recipe for the All-Butter Pie Crust adapted from Yossy Arefi's Sweeter off the Vine: Fruit Desserts for Every Season cookbook)
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
8 Tablespoons ice cold water
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

NOTE: In lieu of making a homemade pie crust, recommend using the boxed Pillsbury pie crusts found in the refrigerator section of most grocery stores.

Pie
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (or could use quick cooking tapioca)
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 cups of rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
pinch of kosher salt
Egg wash (One small egg and mixed with water, milk or cream and any of the remaining filling adhering to the mixing bowl)
Sanding sugar for finishing, optional
Vanilla Ice Cream for serving

Directions
Dough
1. In a food processor, add flour and salt. Pulse several times to blend.
2. Add butter and process until coarse crumbs form, approximately 10-15 seconds.
3. Mix together ice cold water and apple cider vinegar.
4. With food processor running, slow add water/vinegar mixture in a steady stream through the feed tube. Pulse until the dough holds together. If still too crumbly, add an additional tablespoon of ice water. Dough should not be wet or sticky. Test finished dough by squeezing a small amount of dough together to see if it holds shape.
5. Divide dough in half. Shape into a disk and wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
6. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface.

Pie
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F).
2. Line a 9 inch pie pan with dough. Add filling. Top filling with the 2 Tablespoons of butter. 
3. Use remaining dough to make a lattice top for the pie. Using a fork, crimp edge of pie to seal. 
4. Brush pie crust with egg wash. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (optional).
5. Place pie on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees (F).
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees (F) and continue baking for 60-70 minutes or until juices appear thickened and rhubarb is tender. If crust is getting too browned cover with aluminum foil. Remove from oven. Allow to cool several hours before serving. Note: As pie cools to room temperature, the filling will further thicken.
7. Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream. (Leftover Rhubarb Pie can be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Warm cut slices in the microwave before serving.)

Notes: I made the following baking time changes to Sheila's Rhubarb Pie recipe: (1) Increased baking time at 450 degrees (F) from 10 minutes to 15 minutes and increased baking time at 350 degrees (F) from 50 to 60 minutes. (2) Other than adding a pinch of salt in the pie batter and increasing the amount of flour in the pie batter from 3 T to 4 T and increasing the amount of rhubarb from 4 cups to 8 cups, all other ingredient amounts remained the same.

Roaming and relaxing farm animals at Harmony Home Farm, Little Compton, Rhode Island