Dinner - The Polyphonic Food Blog

[Pat]

Salad of baby arugula and baby romaine, with tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, and radishes; creamy buttermilk chive dressing

Baked chicken breast (lemon juice, salt and pepper)

Green beans with caramelized shallots and Meyer lemon-shallot vinaigrette

Buttered medium egg noodles with grated Romano

Onion rye bread with butter or soy spread

[monavano]

Center-cut pork chops with a carmelized onion, sour cherry and balsamic sauce (a little chicken stock to thin). Scalloped potatoes and honey-mustard-ginger carrots.

Caboose cafe anise biscotti with tea for dessert.

[rkduggins]

Oven roasted salmon

Grapefruit basil relish

Spicy cucumber mint relish

Sauteed zucchini with lemon and herbs

Almond scented buttermilk lemon loaf with balsamic strawberries

[Pat]

grilled provolone and tomato on onion rye

cabbage soup* with onions, pancetta, proscuitto and rice; simmered with a parmigiano reggiano rind and topped with some grated parmigiano

*as per Dean's description in the Whole Foods thread, with liberties taken

[zoramargolis]

Salad of roasted beets, blood oranges, feta cheese. slivered roasted almonds and pickled sweet onions on frisee with evoo and tamarind verjus

Charcoal-grilled, spice-rubbed rack of lamb

Charcoal roasted portobello stuffed with mashed elephant beans, mozzarella di bufala and pecorino romano for the Veg-ster

Farro with crimini mushrooms and porcini powder

Spinach sauteed with garlic and Meyer lemon

2005 Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvee Terroir (Kermit Lynch import)

[monavano]

I went to Safeway to pick up a few essentials and saw roaster chickens @ .99/lb.I bought an almost 8 pounder an roasted it. I stuffed it with lemons, rosemary, thyme and sage (all dried) and garlic powder. The skin was rubbed with evoo and butter, then generously S&P'd. Roasted @ 425 over carrots, celery and the nasty bit. I allowed the vegetables to caramelize a bit, but kept adding water to the drippings so it would not go dry.

While the chicken rested, I made gravy from the pan juices using flour, homemade chicken stock and a bit of butter.

Served it with leftover scalloped potatoes and last year's Toigo corn which was taken off the cob and vacuum sealed and frozen.

Corn silk in your teeth.....ahhhhhhhh.

[Xochitl10]

Leftover pork curry rice and a green salad with ume and shiso dressing. Dessert was mochi stuffed with whipped cream and a baked custard.

[ashipley]

Handmade orecchiette tossed with shaved serrano, peas, onion, and tomato. I followed this recipe to make the orrechiette - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/242012. Topped with grated pecorino and served with a mixed salad of lettuce and arugola (which is starting to bolt and has gotten very spicy!). Washed it all down with a cheap Argentinean malbec.

[monavano]

Keswick Creamery Basil and Tomato Feta and Cherry Tomato Tart.

[zoramargolis]

Baked cod with chick peas, olives, tomato, garlic and red pepper

Charmoula (a spicy Moroccan salsa)

Sauteed beet greens

Cucumber slices dressed with the leftover tamarind verjus that had been used to pickle onions

Marvy Market baguette

Strawberries and fresh pineapple

2006 Epifanio

Sparkling water with tamarind syrup

[legant]

The easiest coconut shrimp soup ever! And, with a few modifications, pretty darn tasty.

Lindemans South Africa Sauvignon Blanc 2007

[Pat]

guacamole and tortilla chips

smoked turkey drumsticks and baked beans

[Xochitl10]

Shouga-yaki -- ginger-glazed pan-fried pork, plated with shredded cabbage and sliced yellow pepper

Fukinoto -- butterbur sprout stir-fried with soy sauce and mirin

Steamed rice

Giant bottle of Sapporo Black Label beer

[zoramargolis]

Pork shoulder ragu

Arborio rice

Leftover mac and cheese for Veggie-teen

Haricots verts with Meyer lemon olive oil

2005 Zardini Valpolicella Vino Ripasso

[Pat]

summer rolls with teriyaki dipping sauce

grilled pork sirloin chop

rice noodles

It was the first time I tried making summer rolls. Once I got a good feel for how long the rice paper needed to be soaked and how to manipulate it quickly to fill, this was pretty easy to do. I like adding new dishes to my repertoire. The filling was grilled pork (marinated with soy sauce, sake, garlic and mustard), shrimp, scallions, cilantro, thai basil, radishes, carrots, rice noodles, and mushrooms.

[zoramargolis]

Eco-Friendly chicken sausage with fresh herbs

Hot cabbage slaw with leek, caraway, honey and riesling vinegar--made from Tree and Leaf Farm's mini cabbages

Stewed borlotti beans

Homemade ricotta made with Clear Spring Creamery whole milk

Marvy Market Parisian baguette

Salad with avocado, tomato, cuke, roasted beets and sherry vinegar-verjus-avocado oil vinaigrette

B&J's Karamel Sutra Ice Cream

2006 Gobelsburger Gruner Veltliner

[MelGold]

popcorn

[monavano]

Flank steak grilled on the cast-iron grill. Oven-roasted asparagus and cherry tomatoes with parmesan. Dill and parmesan gnocchi fried up in butter.

Neighbor's prune bread for desset.

[qwertyy]

Baguette slices with Mt. Tam cheese and rhubarb chutney

Arugula salad with shaved organic parm reg

Bushmills, rocks

O, bless you Penn Quarter market and Cowgirl Creamery; it's been too long!

Now I just have to figure out what to do with that kale and sweet Italian pork sausage...

[mktye]

popcorn

One of my favorite dinners!

Chips & Salsa

[zoramargolis]

Charcoal grilled spice-rubbed rib eye

Grilled asparagus with Meyer lemon

Grill roasted spiced new potatoes

Marinated cucumber salad

2006 El Felino Malbec

For Veggie-teen:

Spiced carrot puree with dukkah

Armenian string cheese

Sparkling water with tamarind syrup

Blackberry-marzipan tart flavored with creme de violette and Meyer lemon with B&J vanilla ice cream

[youngfood]

Armenian string cheese

Nice where'd you grab that?

[Xochitl10]

Aburaage (deep-fried sheet of tofu) split open and stuffed with seasoned ground pork, sliced shiitake, rice noodles, and julienned carrot and burdock root, then simmered in dashi/sugar/soy sauce stock

Petit vert (a kale/cabbage hybrid) parboiled and dressed with ground sesame, sugar, and soy sauce

Takuan

Steamed rice

[zoramargolis]

Nice where'd you grab that?

I bought the Armenian string cheese at the Mediterranean Bakery in Alexandria. But I have also seen it at Rodman's in Friendship Heights.

[Pat]

Steamed pork and shrimp dumplings with teriyaki dipping sauce

Apple, Parmesan, and mixed green salad with mustard vinaigrette

Baked chicken legs

Asparagus risotto

I think I steamed the dumplings too long. They fell apart (probably also due to shoddy construction ). The components all still tasted good, though.

[Pat]

leftover apple, etc. salad from last night

leftover asparagus risotto

red nightfall beans (Rancho Gordo) cooked in the crockpot with onions and garlic; simmered near the end with sliced turkey andouille sausage and a little maple syrup

[MelGold]

Last night for girls' night:

Brie & crackers

Chicken Diablo (honey-mustard-curry glazed chicken)

Big spinach salad

rolls

Boxed chocolate chip cookie brownies with Haagen Daaz vanilla (from the one girl in the group that doesn't "cook")

One bottle of Guner Veltiner & 2 bottles of Linden Claret (2003 & 2004 vintages)

[synaesthesia]

Packet of roasted sliced zucchini, squash and red potatoes with salt and pepper dipped into Crisp & Juicy's delicious spicy mayo

[zoramargolis]

Lasagna* with homemade ricotta, mushrooms and braised kale

Salad of frisee, avocado and blood oranges

2005 Begali Valpolicella

*During my last trip to Costco, I found "fresh" (semi-dried) lasagna noodles from Italy, a product I hadn't previously seen. They worked well. No-boil.

[monavano]

Chicken thighs braised with ramps, morels, thyme, marjoram and white wine. Finished the sauce with cream. Last night, served over egg noodles. For breakfast, I minced the meat and served in a ramp crepe with sauce spooned over top.

Totally worth the splurge. Wow.

Moreover, Mr. MV is changing his tune about 'shrooms.

Diced fresh pineappe for dessert.

[Pat]

*During my last trip to Costco, I found "fresh" (semi-dried) lasagna noodles from Italy, a product I hadn't previously seen. They worked well. No-boil.

What part of the store were they in? With the dried pastas or the deli type products (or somewhere else)?

[monavano]

What part of the store were they in? With the dried pastas or the deli type products (or somewhere else)?

I was at Costco yesterday (Springfield) and would have bought them if I'd seen them! Actually, fresh pasta is sold at the Alexandria market and I hear the lasagna noodles are awesome (the woman from Buster's gave me that tip!)

[zoramargolis]

What part of the store were they in? With the dried pastas or the deli type products (or somewhere else)?

They were in the refrigerated deli case, next to the salamis and such.

[monavano]

They were in the refrigerated deli case, next to the salamis and such.

OK, now that rings a bell. Are they from Italy with like, all Italian writing?

I bought them last year and loved them. I was bummed when they stopped carrying them.

I used them for lasagna and also cut them up into fettucine noodles.

[Pat]

They were in the refrigerated deli case, next to the salamis and such.

Thank you. I have not noticed them. I'll keep an eye out.

[Anna Blume]

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. When The Mushroom Lady hands you a bag of a whole lot of mushrooms, make cabbage.

Gourmet Greens is still selling beautiful Savoy cabbages and I remembered seeing a recipe in Lidia Bastianich's family cookbook that was easily modified to accommodate supplies at home.

Sliver as many garlic cloves as you've got and cut up bacon (1/3 lb., thick-cut proved plenty enough). Add half a chopped onion since it's in the fridge anyway and toss all of these into a Dutch-oven sort of pan where you've warmed up about 4 T EVOO. Let that go for around 8 minutes, not letting garlic turn brown or bacon crisp, so sort of medium lowish on the flame.

Meanwhile, or if you're smart, beforehand, quarter your cabbage, gut its core and mix a few more metaphors while you're at it. Slice 1/3-in. thick (LB says) and wash. You'll have tons. Not to worry.

Take about a pound of mushrooms (mine were a wild sort w mundane buttons, lovely pale yellow Japanese-looking funghi and lots of little beady ones on slender stalks looking like eyes at the end of antennae). Make sure they're clean and chop, slice, whatever.

Oh, and keep about 1-2 cups of light broth (or mixture of water and poultry-based stock) nearby w t salt and 1/2 t red pepper flakes.

Now, toast the pepper flakes in the pan for 1/2 minute and toss mix of cabbage and mushrooms in the pan. Stir to coat w oil and add all the salt. Cover for 3-4 minutes. Uncover. Keep doing this so the whole lot (except broth) fits into the pan and everything is all mixed up, wilting and exuding moisture.

Cover. Cook on low heat for half an hour. Check midway through to monitor liquid. Add a little broth or water if too dry. Continue doing this for another 25 minutes. Why 25? Because Lidia says one hour and bless her dear heart but after all that labor, when the timer went ding for the second time, the "fond" (cabbage mostly) was starting to scorch and I had to swear and transfer stuff to another pan. Fortunately, end result was fine and I lost only a little.

More than fine, really, which is why I bother with all this. Keep uncovered and stir regularly as you're doing other things for about another 45 minutes until rich mush. Smells wonderful. Tastes wonderful.

Eat w dried pasta, polenta, risotto or grilled meat.

[zoramargolis]

Veggie-teen requests fewer too-fattening lasagna dinners and more salads. No meat. Jonathan dislikes most salads and especially hates arugula, loves pasta and meat. Horns of an ongoing dilemma. Last night's solution:

Pan roasted bosc pears, marcona almonds, and Keswick Creamery Blue Suede Moo over mache/baby romaine with sweet onion pickled in tamarind verjus, sherry vinaigrette

Charcoal grilled Eco-Friendly 100 day dry-aged chuck eye (not as tender as the previous chuck eye, which was aged 50 days)

Marvy Market Baguette

2005 Nicholas Rossignol Volnay

[edenman]

Eco-Friendly 100 day dry-aged chuck eye (not as tender as the previous chuck eye, which was aged 50 days)

Interesting...I don't know much about dry-aging beef, but I assumed it was mostly done on more traditional steak cuts (sirloin, filet, etc)...I would think that the extra fattiness of the chuck would go rancid more quickly? No? At any rate, interesting...

[zoramargolis]

Interesting...I don't know much about dry-aging beef, but I assumed it was mostly done on more traditional steak cuts (sirloin, filet, etc)...I would think that the extra fattiness of the chuck would go rancid more quickly? No? At any rate, interesting...

The whole animal or side of beef is hung and aged, rather than just the already-butchered primals or steaks.

[edenman]

The whole animal or side of beef is hung and aged, rather than just the already-butchered primals or steaks.

Ah, gotcha. Is that standard dry-aging protocol? I guess my only real exposure to dry-aging is seeing the cuts hanging at WF.

[bettyjoan]

Monday night (and this morning): Frittata with roasted asparagus, caramelized onions, canadian bacon, and gruyere. I really wanted some mushrooms in there, but boyfriend does not like, so I sauteed them and ate them on the side.

Tonight: Eggplant parmesan. Though, I use more mozzarella than parmesan, so I suppose I should call it eggplant mozzarella. In any case, cheesy veggie goodness.

[zoramargolis]

Last night:

Fresh pea soup with fennel, mint and Meyer lemon garnish

Charcoal grilled Eco-Friendly chicken, herb-brined, spatchcocked and Tandoori spice-crusted

Mache/baby romaine salad with avocado, cuke, tomato, feta and pine nuts, sherry vinaigrette

Garlic toast

Fresh mango

2007 Ch. Suau Bordeaux Rosé (our first rosé of the season--1/2 cab sauv and 1/2 cab franc--a winner, dry and delicious with watermelon and strawberry flavors--Kysela import)

[Anna Blume]

Last night:

Fresh pea soup with fennel, mint and Meyer lemon garnish

So, what's your opinion on English peas worthy of the bother of shelling them? Of the high cost as compared to frozen ones? I know the B's are into these green things, too, and I saw folk loading up on them at WFM this past weekend, but:

Anna Blume: Fresh English Peas = George HW Bush: Broccoli

Every time I've tried cooking them lately, they've been grainy, hard pellets. Developed a preference for snap, snow or frozen peas as a result.

* * *

Dinner Monday: Simple braise of chicken w lemon juice and white wine to accompany a gratin of new white potatoes and ramps. This followed by a salad of Boston lettuce that was swished around in the sticky stuff left in the braising pan, then squirted with lemon.

I still maintain that ramps are not half as stinky as everyone claims, but a little does go a long way. Monavano recently bragged that she had a few left over after stretching a bunch over two meals. I should have paid heed. I added my entire bunch to a dish of five medium-sized potatoes when I should have reserved some for pasta or eggs.

* * *

Tonight's dinner inspired by Al Dente who alerted me to the wonderful Tuscan kale at Sunnyside Organic this past Sunday. I'm sautéing slivers of the greens w crisp pancetta and just a few red chili flakes. Maybe some red onion. Otherwise, leftover Zuni chicken and gratin.

[Waitman]

Last night:

Fresh pea soup with fennel, mint and Meyer lemon garnish

Charcoal grilled Eco-Friendly chicken, herb-brined, spatchcocked and Tandoori spice-crusted

Mache/baby romaine salad with avocado, cuke, tomato, feta and pine nuts, sherry vinaigrette

Garlic toast

Fresh mango

2007 Ch. Suau Bordeaux Rosé (our first rosé of the season--1/2 cab sauv and 1/2 cab franc--a winner, dry and delicious with watermelon and strawberry flavors--Kysela import)

Where'd you get fresh peas?

[zoramargolis]

Where'd you get fresh peas?

I used sugar snaps, got a bag of nice crisp sweet ones at Costco. There are many problems with English peas--expensive to buy enough to make a pot of soup, a pain to shuck, and the biggest of all--they lose their sugar very quickly after picking, and you cannot get them fresh enough unless you grow your own. By the time they get to a store, they are starchy and awful.

I sweated onion, leek, a bit of parsnip and half a fennel bulb in olive oil, added light chicken stock and white wine and cooked that until the veg were very soft, then threw a mess of sugar snaps into the pot, cooked until they were just done, then blended everything in my Vitamix blender and forced it through a sieve. Then I added some heavy cream, heated it through and served with chopped fresh mint and Meyer lemon zest. A most excellent soup, if I do say so.

[Xochitl10]

Grilled cotton tofu topped with seasoned miso and sesame seeds

Miso soup with potato and sliced naganegi (Japanese bunching onion; looks like a leek)

Soy/dashi steeped mitsuba, topped with crushed nori

Steamed rice

Takuan

[monavano]

Marinated and pan-seared lamb chops (Costco-the same cut that I wanted to get from Eco Friendly, but skulked away after spending $21 on morels and ramps. $7/lb!!! at Costco!! and very good) with wine reduction sauce.

pecorino and ramp (Spring Valley Farm) gnocchi pan fried in a pat of butter.

dandilion greens (Tree and Leaf) and thinly sliced red onion with a warm bacon vinaigrette.

Fresh pineapple.

[Anna Blume]

Z: Soup does sound delicious, especially w garnish. Can't wait until fava beans are here and we can all dig into a bowl of vignarola.

X: I had to look up "cotton tofu"--your meals always intrigue, even when they taste like spoiled milk. I learned it's best to eat tofu at lunch since it's started each day around 3 or 5 am and best consumed within 4 hours once ready. I wonder what citizens of Kyoto would think about the "SELL BY" dates on our sealed plastic containers.

M: Lovely. Recent market demos turn my fancy to lamb, too.

* * *

That young Tuscan kale was so delicate, I didn't even bother w the pancetta. Just thin slices of garlic, a little sprinkle red chili flakes w salt and water to braise once slivers of leaves wilted in the olive oil. While blanching the leaves does wonders for the greens when they're mature, these didn't need it. Big squirts of lemon. Wonderful.

[Pat]

Monday and Tuesday were lamb burgers that had kalamata olives and dried oregano in the mix. They were served with a mint gremolata on sesame wheat buns. The first night they had no accompaniment, but the second were served with leftover asparagus risotto.

Last night turned out a little differently than I had planned. We had

salad (romaine, radishes, cucumber, tomato, kalamata olives, and thin slices of cheddar, with homemade creamy buttermilk ranch)

baked potatoes (split, topped with cheddar and run under the broiler)

broiled rockfish fillet (brushed with a miso-mayo sauce 20-30 minutes beforehand and sprinkled with smoked paprika just before going under the broiler)

I had intended to make a Mark Bittman recipe from last week's NY Times that called for thick white fish pieces to be wrapped in lettuce leaves and poached in a butter-wine mixture. I stood at the fish counter and couldn't decide between cod and rockfish, both of which were suggested for the recipe. The cod was the right thickness and I was about to ask for it, but at the last minute changed my mind and bought rockfish, even though it was more expensive. It was fresh, from VA, they said at the counter. All was fine until I opened the fish at home and d'oh!--I hadn't paid any attention at all to the thickness of that, just the cod. The rockfish was not going to cut into the right sized pieces for the lettuce wrap .

So I called an audible and started pulling things out of the refrigerator, figuring I'd mix something up to brush on the fillet before cooking. This is the point at which I realized that I'd never prepared rockfish at home before . The mixture ended up being

light mayo

lemon juice

minced garlic

red miso

Dogfish Head Fort Raspberry Ale

I won't give my proportions, which I wrote down quickly as I did this, in case it worked.* They were of the 1 lg. serving tablespoon of this, 2 soup spoons of that variety, which would probably be meaningless to someone else. The amount of ale was very small (2 soup spoons!) because of its enormous strength. I'd bought a bottle of the stuff months ago and when I finally opened it earlier in the week, I discovered that we don't like high ABV fruit ales. It was awful to drink. I have lots of left, getting flat in the refrigerator. I don't know what else I'll find to do with it, but it worked nicely in the miso-mayo concoction.

*It did work. The fish came out well.

[Xochitl10]

X: I had to look up "cotton tofu"--your meals always intrigue, even when they taste like spoiled milk. I learned it's best to eat tofu at lunch since it's started each day around 3 or 5 am and best consumed within 4 hours once ready. I wonder what citizens of Kyoto would think about the "SELL BY" dates on our sealed plastic containers.

Thanks, Anna. We were fortunate to have some gift takuan in the house, so we enjoyed that with dinner, rather than the awful, wretched daikon from the pickle bed.

At dinner one night, we actually did try to explain to some locals that in America, you can get everlasting tofu in aseptic packaging. Did not compute.