Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[Pat]

Butter lettuce with shredded carrot, button mushrooms, garbanzo beans, and sunflower seeds; sesame ginger vinaigrette

Sherried mushroom soup (button and shiitake)

Mini penne with cauliflower and bacon

Butter lettuce, carrot, and shiitakes came from outside vendors at Eastern Market today.  Some of the carrot also went into the soup.

The pasta recipe was from a blog and came out okay in the end but was a bit frustrating to make.  Among other things, the cauliflower didn't pan roast enough to be done before it was in danger of getting burned, so I had to microwave it for a couple of minutes to get it cooked through.  Overall, a satisfying meal, though.

[TrelayneNYC]

Gambas al ajillo ("garlic shrimp").

[Pat]

Leftover roasted eggplant salad with butter lettuce leaves and whole wheat pita bread for serving

Pan-seared mustard-soy salmon

Spring potatoes with tarragon and garlic chives

Roasted brussels spouts with bacon

The potatoes were a simple preparation from Mark Ruhlman's blog.  I had bought the little red new potatoes, sprouts, chives, and butter lettuce outside at Eastern Market on Saturday.  (Tarragon came from inside the market.)  The salmon was bought frozen from Whole Foods months ago and had just been sitting in the freezer, waiting to be eaten.

[lperry]

Easing back into solid food for dinner after a 15 day juicing adventure.  Mr. lperry says he wants to go every other day with the juicing for a while, so light and vegan is on the menu.

Cider-glazed carrot and quinoa salad from the March 2013 Bon Appetit.  This is a delicious salad, especially with homemade pickled beets that are made with cider vinegar.  Hacks:  no dill in the garden, so no dill, no onion on hand, so a half cup or so of minced chives, and I used Meyer lemon, which didn't work.  I ended up squeezing some lime on it to get the acidity it needed to counteract the sweetness of the carrots.  A definite make again, and I look forward to trying it with the dill this summer.

[Pat]

Red and green leaf lettuce, sliced radishes, avocado, garbanzo beans, feta; ranch dressing

Leftover meatballs with anchovies, reheated in Rao's marinara sauce

Broccoli rabe and caramelized shallots (Bobby Flay recipe)

[TrelayneNYC]

Oeufs mayo.

David [Lebovitz] calls for tomato in the salad, but I subbed French breakfast radishes instead; while greenhouse tomatoes *are* available at USGM, I didn't have those on hand.

[zoramargolis]

pan-roasted duck breast with sour cherry sauce

mushroom risotto (cremini, oyster, porcini)

braised lacinato kale

chocolate-orange cake with Trickling Springs salted caramel ice cream

2012 Curlew Vineyards RRV pinot noir

[zoramargolis]

sauteed shad roe with brown butter shallot and herb sauce

spring strata: leftover baguette slices, butter, fresh fava puree, asparagus, parmesan and romano, custard mix

roasted carrots with butter and honey

2013 Drylands sauvignon blanc

[TrelayneNYC]

6 leeks, after about 30 minutes of steaming.

Mustard-bacon vinaigrette.

The amount of bacon here is about 3 rashers worth, chopped into not-quite pea size lardons, but close enough. The ratio of bacon to mustard is probably off by a little a lot, but that's okay; I need only satisfy myself. David's recipe (page 88) calls for 2 cups, but that serves approx. 4-6 people. I was fine with the reduced amount.

Poireaux vinaigrette í  la moutarde et aux lardons ("leeks with mustard-bacon vinaigrette").

[Pat]

Steak, cheese, and mushroom pita sandwiches

Quinoa salmon salad

Steamed asparagus topped with bacon and toasted breadcrumbs

 

The steak was leftover prime rib from Christmas that had been in the freezer.  The cheese was Swiss.  The mushrooms were sauteed in butter.  After an open freezer door mishap  , I had to pull some things out that started to thaw and toss or cook/use them.  That's how we ended up with steak sandwiches last night.  I also cooked some chicken that had started to thaw, and we'll have that tonight. 

 

The salmon already had a soy-mustard glaze, so I went with a sesame ginger vinaigrette over the salad, which also had sliced shiitakes and chopped scallions.

 

The asparagus was from Safeway.  The bacon and breadcrumbs were leftover from a pasta dish several days ago.

[lperry]

Sun dried tomato hummus with toasted tortilla chips. 

[lperry]

A very quick and early dinner for one.  Penne in a roasted red pepper sauce, a glass of a cheap but quite enjoyable Piquepoul, and a piece of a dark chocolate/ginger bar. 

[Pat]

Baby spinach salad with dates and almonds (from Jerusalem)

Clam chowder (white)

The salad continues a streak of hits from that cookbook.

[zoramargolis]

eco-friendly lamb shoulder stewed with white beans, carrots, red potatoes, celery root, kohlrabi, leek, haricots verts, and lots of aromatics.

garlic toast

2009 Fessy morgon

[TrelayneNYC]

Boneless lamb shoulder.

I wasn't able to get bone-in lamb shoulder, but I imagine that's not going to be a huge issue. This was stuffed with slivers of heirloom garlic and oil-packed anchovy fillets, then rubbed with sea salt and black pepper. It sat in the fridge overnight and will be roasted later today.

This is 3 lbs., about $38 worth from Eataly.




1 tablespoon black cumin seeds and 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted in a dry pan over high heat until fragrant...





...then ground in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until it's a coarsely-textured powder.



Each time I make chermoula, I almost always vary the green ingredients a little bit. There is not one recipe for this sauce, so feel free to come up with your own combinations. Clockwise from right: heirloom garlic, scallions, mint, arugula, cilantro.

Combine garlic, scallions, mint, arugula and cilantro in a food processor or blender, along with a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper (or minced fresh or dried chiles; how much depends on how spicy you want your sauce). Other ideas include but are not limited to: preserved lemon, preserved orange.

Pulse until you have a rough-textured purée. Transfer the purée to a bowl, then pour in about 1/2 cup olive oil and add the cumin powder. Mix well.



Chermoula.

This is best the day it's made; its potency will diminish over time.

Along with the lamb, you can use it for just about anything imaginable -- with roast beef sandwiches, over pasta, stirred in scrambled eggs like so:



Creamy scrambled eggs, with French breakfast radishes and chermoula.

To be continued...

[TrelayneNYC]

it's funny that Zora and I posted about the same thing.  LOL.

[TrelayneNYC]

Roast lamb, braised vegetables, chermoula.

[Pat]

Multi-grain batard and butter

Leftover mesclun salad with orange segments, cucumber and radishes; ranch dressing

Leftover clam chowder

Eggplant Parmesan with leftover meatballs

 

The eggplant Parmesan was a last minute addition to a menu that was going to be mostly leftovers.  I had bought two eggplants on Thursday to make a recipe for Sunday.  They were beautiful, unblemished organic eggplants.  Back at home, I looked again at the recipe and it said two eggplants, totaling one pound.  EACH of these was one pound.  I figured I'd use one right away, so it didn't sit around until sometime later next week getting wrinkly. The four meatballs were cut in half and put in the middle layer of the eggplant casserole. 

[lperry]

Roasted tomato (freezer), leek (freezer), and dandelion (take that, weeds) risotto, finished with some goat cheese

Roasted cauliflower

[zoramargolis]

it's funny that Zora and I posted about the same thing.  LOL.

Oh but your lamb shoulder was much more elegant than mine. I just had a couple of lamb shoulder blade chops that I cut into chunks and cooked along with the cleaned pieces of bone. In the finished stew, which was made in sequences in a pressure cooker, there was a little bit of lamb and a lot of beans and vegetables. Some of the cannelini beans had broken down and made the braising liquid (veal stock, dry marsala, Better Than Bouillon beef base and water) thick and creamy. It was very savory and hearty, but was a rustic, peasant stew.

[TrelayneNYC]

Bread, butter, radishes, herb mayonnaise, salt

The mayonnaise is the same as that served for the oeufs mayo from a few days ago.

Mesclun and herb salad -- baby mesclun, edible flowers, sorrel leaves, parsley leaves, mint leaves, tarragon leaves, oregano leaves, stonecrop leaves, shaved Appalachian cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice and black pepper.

Spaghetti with ramps, ramp pesto and breadcrumbs

[Pat]

Multigrain batard and butter

Leftover baby spinach salad with dates and almonds

Pan-seared NY strip steak (medium rare)

Leftover asparagus topped with bacon and toasted crumbs

Leftover fried new potatoes

[bettyjoan]

Fettucini with meat sauce

Arugula, beet, apple, and goat cheese salad with balsamic vinaigrette

Crusty French loaf

All elements of the meal procured at the FreshFarms Dupont market this morning.  Yum!

[zoramargolis]

quickie cook-out for K, her bf, and three friends who drove up from NC this afternoon for an early (7 pm) show at Dirty Bar in Dupont --a DJ named Omar S. Her friends are couch surfing here tonight, and heading back to Chapel Hill tomorrow on the bus. Ah youth, when it's fun to do a ten-hour round trip to go to a bar to listen to a DJ play recorded music.

charcoal grilled bison burgers and Nathan's hot dogs on brioche buns

grilled sweet onion

Number One Son sauerkraut

tomato

avocado

Next Step Lettuce

fresh pineapple coleslaw

potato and egg salad

craft beer selection

halawa dahinyya

coffee

[Pat]

Easter Dinner:

Pan-crisped deviled eggs on French lettuces*

Roasted leg of lamb with raspberry sauce

Roasted asparagus

Eggplant pilaf

Chocolate chip angel food cupcakes with strawberries and whipped cream

 

I knew I hadn't made the lamb recipe in a long time, then, thinking about it, realized I'd never made it in this oven, which we got in late 2005.  I'd forgotten how wonderful it is.  The red wine-raspberry sauce is just fabulous.

 

The cupcakes were more meringue than angel food, but still good.  I'd macerated the strawberries earlier, so they were extra juicy.  And whipped cream... <Homer Simpson drool>.

 

 

 

*That's the name of the recipe.  I used mache, dandelion greens, butter lettuce, and pre-mixed mesclun.

[Ilaine]

Risotto primavera and lemon chicken fricassee.

Lemon chicken fricassee- cut up a whole chicken, brown the pieces, a few pieces at a time so it doesn't get crowded.  I browned in the removed and rendered body cavity fat.  I did not pour off the rendered chicken fat afterward.  Layer into the pot (a Dutch oven) two thinly sliced white onions, a pound of thinly sliced baby Bellas, stems reserved for the risotto broth, and three Mayer lemons thinly sliced, deseeded.  Some crushed garlic, some sprigs of thyme, then the chicken, salt to taste, pour over all one cup  pinot grigio.  Bake with the lid on at 325, about one hour.

Risotto primavera - ramps, asparagus, sliced baby Bella mushrooms, stems removed, freshly shelled peas.  I cut up the white part of the ramps and sauteed them before I sauteed the sliced baby Bellas, the sliced stalks of the asparagus, and the peas.  Remove and start the risotto. The pea shells and mushroom stems were simmered in the broth for the risotto.  The ramp leaves, thinly sliced, and the asparagus tips were stirred into the risotto when it was almost done, and the cooked vegetables when it was done.  I did sprinkle grated parmesan and stirred in some cream, but, in retrospect, they overwhelmed the ramps, which were not as pungent as their reputation.  First time cooking with ramps.  For wine, half a cup of the same pinot grigio.

Serve with pinot grigio.  Tastes like spring.

For dessert, Game of Thrones and a Cadbury caramel egg.

[TrelayneNYC]

Spaghetti with broccoli rabe and bottarga

[dcandohio]

Flat iron steak marinated in red wine, wine vinegar, garlic, black pepper, olive oil, rosemary. Cooked on screaming hot cast iron grill pan.

Roasted sweet potato "fries."

Slaw of cabbage, carrot, sweet pepper with lemon juice, olive oil, dill.

Cantaloupe

[Tweaked]

Sunday I made a mishmash of Mediterranean rim food.

Shrimp Spicy Tomato Sauce with Saffron (Claudia Roden recipe from Arabesque)

Roasted Eggplant Pilaf (also from Arabesque, not finding an online recipe)

Asparagus Revuelto

Za'atar Roasted Potatoes

All came out really tasty, with perhaps the shrimp dish my favorite.  But all are keepers.  We ate it all before thinking about taking any food porn!

[MsDiPesto]

Sunday evening dinner was a boneless Leg 'o Lamb (Legolam, wasn't he a character in the Hobbit?)¹ Said lamb was done in the Julia Child style larded with garlic cloves and covered with a paste of dijon, soy sauce, olive oil and rosemary. It was accompanied by white rice and roasted asparagus. A friend brought a bottle of a temparnillo/cabernet blend. And immediately after dinner, Game of Thrones.

¹Well, he was in the parody "Bored of the Rings"

[Pat]

Roasted Eggplant Pilaf (also from Arabesque, not finding an online recipe)

The eggplant pilaf I made yesterday was from Tess Mallos' The Complete Middle East Cookbook.  The eggplant was pan-fried and it also had onion, tomato, parsley, and mint. Was the Roden recipe significantly different, other than roasting the eggplant?  Or was the entire dish done in the oven?  This was all stovetop.

Curious.  Thanks.

[TrelayneNYC]

Crudités plate -- French breakfast radishes, asparagus, hard-cooked farm egg w/ anchovy, herb mayonnaise

Poached wild sea bass, lemon butter sauce, side salad

[porcupine]

shirred duck egg on baguette and a cumin-scented carrot salad

[dcandohio]

Skirt steak sandwich with cucumbers, horseradish and mayo, made with left overs from Sunday.

Cantaloupe

[Pat]

Multigrain toast with butter

Leftover pan-crisped deviled eggs on lettuces

Leftover baked chicken thighs

Leftover eggplant pilaf

[Tweaked]

The eggplant pilaf I made yesterday was from Tess Mallos' The Complete Middle East Cookbook.  The eggplant was pan-fried and it also had onion, tomato, parsley, and mint. Was the Roden recipe significantly different, other than roasting the eggplant?  Or was the entire dish done in the oven?  This was all stovetop.

Curious.  Thanks.

Cooked on the stove top.

Eggplant was cubed and roasted until soft.  Ingredients for the pilaf (as far as I can remember) were onion, tomato, pine nuts, currants, cinnamon, allspice.  Cook the pilaf, mix in the eggplant at the very end, finish with parsley and cilantro.  I believe it was from the Turkish section of the cookbook.

[Pat]

Cooked on the stove top.

Eggplant was cubed and roasted until soft.  Ingredients for the pilaf (as far as I can remember) were onion, tomato, pine nuts, currants, cinnamon, allspice.  Cook the pilaf, mix in the eggplant at the very end, finish with parsley and cilantro.  I believe it was from the Turkish section of the cookbook.

Thanks!

[zoramargolis]

eco-friendly pork blade steaks, trimmed and cubed and made into carnitas, using Pati Jinich's recipe, which was a bit on the sweet side. Also I browned the meat under the broiler before serving, a step she doesn't call for. Carnitas are supposed to be "twice-cooked" IMO.

refried pinto beans

rajas de poblanos

guacamole

pico de gallo

corn tortillas

Pacifico

[TrelayneNYC]

Pan-seared asparagus salad, with baby mesclun and fried farm egg

Adapted from: http://goo.gl/Nq9lvS

I probably added the mesclun a touch too early since it's a little bit wilted. Tasted great though.

I omitted the garlic/anchovy paste in the recipe, instead opting for shallots in the vinaigrette and shallots in the pan along with the asparagus spears.

Fettucine with morel mushrooms, crimini mushrooms and radish greens

Littleneck clams with heirloom potatoes and ramps

Clams: steamed with white wine and water; meat removed and shells discarded; clam juices and broth reserved

Potatoes: peeled, cut into chunks, then seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and olive oil; roasted at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Ramps: fried in unsalted butter, to which were added the clams and potatoes. sea salt and black pepper to taste, and some reserved clam broth. snipped chives for garnish.

[lperry]

Salad of romaine, Pink Lady apple, and manchego in a tarragon vinaigrette.

[Pat]

Soft tacos made from leftover leg of lamb:

• Guacamole
• Flour tortillas
• Chopped scallions, cilantro, and chives
• Black beans
• Sour cream
• Leftover eggplant pilaf

[zoramargolis]

Mediterranean seafood soup, tomato base made with shrimp shell stock, white wine, fennel, onion, garlic and aromatics, mussels, monkfish, manila clams, bay scallops

Fresh Baguette baguette with homemade cultured butter

2012 Royal dry chenin blanc

[porcupine]

"green" tuna salad with romaine on toasted baguette (tuna, celery, picholine olives, capers, tarragon, mayo made with a little arbequina olive oil)

Gordy's sweet pickle chips

roasted asparagus with Aleppo pepper and shaved Queso de Mano

[Pat]

Multigrain toast with butter

Fettuccine with cream sauce, bacon, and peas

The cream sauce was the last of a container of heavy cream, a big spoonful of sour cream, a tempered egg, and Parmesan.  I got home later than I planned and needed to throw something together.   It was good.

[dcandohio]

Red swiss chard and cannellini beans stewed with fresh chopped tomatoes, garlic, red wine, herbs and olive oil; served on penne and topped with shaved grana padana. This came together quickly as a tasty and filling vegetarian dinner. Oh, and brownies...

[lperry]

Breakfast for dinner as an attempt to counteract someone's bad day.  Arepas with scrambled eggs, shaved manchego cheese, and a smear of either homemade tomato jam or chipotle salsa negra.

[Tweaked]

Spaghetti with Garlic Breadcrumbs and Anchovies - Came out ok, when everything was mixed together the breadcrumbs become sort of clumpy.  Flavor was good, execution not so much.

Asparagus with roasted artichokes and mushrooms dressed with pesto - A Tweaked original which I must say was very tasty.

Domaine les Aphillanthes Côes du Rhí´ne Rosé 2013 - Solidly decent for a mid-week bottle.

 

[porcupine]

chopped romaine lettuce topped with

warm lentil salad topped with

shaved queso de mano topped with

an over-easy egg

warm lentil salad = lentils du puy, fennel, celery, carrot, bacon, tarragon, late harvest zinfandel vinegar, really good olive oil, enough salt and lots of pepper

[dcandohio]

Celebrating the end of the semester:

Brined and smoked whole turkey breast

Stuffing (from a stash in the freezer)

Giant salad of everything in the refrigerator: red swiss chard, spinach, arugula, radish, bell pepper, cucumber, celery, avocado

Strawberry shortcakes

While the turkey breast smoked (225 for about 4 hours) I painted some mis-matched patio furniture a lovely antique white and enjoyed hoppy IPA. Awesome day.

[zoramargolis]

grilled golden cauliflower salad with fava beans, roasted red pepper, feta, on mixed greens (baby lettuce leaves, mache, young kale) with capers and dill vinaigrette

biscuits made with homemade cultured buttermilk, served with homemade cultured butter and New Zealand rata flower honey

2013 Alexander Valley Vyds. rosé of sangiovese