Tonight's Dinner - Local Swordfish topped with Just Picked Tomato and Local Corn Salsa, Slow Roasted Eggplant, and Just Picked Grilled Pole Beans

Both the tomato and corn crops have been amazing this year. I took my favorite swordfish recipe and added a topping of grilled corn (removed from the stalk after grilling) and diced local tomatoes. The swordfish here is served alongside Chloe's favorite slow roasted eggplant wheels and just picked grilled pole beans.

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What you need:
Swordfish Steak
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic
Butter
Honey
Juice from half a lemon
3 ears of corn
3 tomatoes

Grill the corn in the husk for 15 minutes (turning over after 7 minutes). Set aside. Dice the tomatoes and add to a medium size bowl.

Season the fish and either grill or saute for about 10 to 12 minutes depending on the thickness of the cut of fish (turning after 6 minutes).

While the fish is cooking make your sauce. Brown the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan. Be sure not to let it burn. Remove from heat and whisk in about half a teaspoon of honey and about a teaspoon or so of balsamic and lemon juice. Set aside.

Remove corn from husk and cut kernels into the bowl of tomatoes - toss corn and tomatoes with a large spoon.

Top the swordfish with the corn and tomato mixture and then add the sauce over the top.

Chloe's Favorite Eggplant Wheels
My daughter loves eggplant prepared this way. She eats about 6 or so wheels each time I make it. She prefers the eggplant with the light purple skin and the white skin as opposed to the most common eggplant with a deep purple skin.

Set oven to 350 degrees (convection if you have it). Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds. Add to a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a lot of olive oil, and then add salt and pepper. Cook for 20 or so minutes turning over and adding more oil if necessary after about 10 minutes.

Tonight's Dinner - Seared Local Tuna topped with Just Picked Fresh Tomato Sauce, Farm Fresh Zucchini, and Sticky Rice

I usually make an asian inspired meal when I buy our local tuna steaks. But tonight I really wanted to use a lot of our farm fresh tomatoes and I can never think of an asian tomato recipe.

This year the tomatoes from the farm are really good and quite sweet actually. The green tomatoes are the favorite this year at our house. Each day when Chloe gets home from camp she requests a tomato sandwich. I toast a slice of bread for her, then she drizzles olive oil on it, we pile on a bunch of sliced green tomatoes, and then she seasons with salt and pepper. She has asked for this snack for the past 10 days - but only with the green tomatoes.

Seared Tuna topped with a Just Picked Fresh Tomato Sauce

This was a fabulous sauce (quick and easy to make) and paired really nicely with the fresh tuna.

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What you need (serves 4):

5 or 6 fresh tomatoes (I used red and green) and chopped them into large pieces

2 cloves of garlic minced

Handful of Basil

Small Handful of Oregano
1 cup of white beans (I used an organic can of beans that has no BPA in the lining)

Salt and Pepper

Tuna Steak (1 per person)

Add olive oil to the pan. Sautee the garlic on medium heat until tender, add in tomatoes, basil and oregano and stir. Initially this will be a very liquidy sauce, keep stirring over medium high heat for about 15 minutes until sauce reduces and thickens a bit.

At this point heat your pan for the tuna to a high temperature and season tuna with salt and pepper.

Then add the rinsed beans to the sauce and stir.

Next sear tuna over high heat in a lightly oiled pan for a few minutes per side (until you get a nice brown color) and then transfer tuna to the sauce. Turn the heat off under the tomatoes. And top each tuna with the sauce and let the tuna rest here until you plate (dont wait too long if you like a medium rare tuna steak).

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Yesterday's Harvest

We are so lucky to have Quail Hill Farm right down the road from us! Becoming a members in 2009 changed the way we eat and the way we live. Appreciation of the seasons and what is able to grow each month has real meaning for our family.

Each harvest day is still exciting for us and brings new joys! Yesterday's was particularly bountiful.

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Tonight's Dessert - Zucchini & Dark Chocolate Cake

Just when I had lost all creativity for zucchini recipes, I came across this recipe from another local food blogger - Sag Harbor Days. Thank you, this cake was delicious!

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What you need:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the pan
1 cup pecan halves or walnut pieces
1/2 cup sour cream (not low- or non-fat)
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan (or 2 cake rounds) and then dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool and then coarsely shop.
2. Whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a large glass measuring cup. Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl.
3. Combine the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat, alternating flour and sour cream mixtures and ending with the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Stir in teh zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Tonight's Dinner - Grilled Iacono Chicken, Tex Mex Squash Casserole, and Just Picked Grilled Pole Beans

More than halfway through the summer and the zucchinis and summer squash are still coming!

We have made breads, muffins, fritters, grilled them, sauteed them, fried them, and grated them for a slaw. What's next? In search of the next squash recipe, I came across an amazing dish from the Homesick Texan - Tex Mex Squash Casserole.

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Tex-Mex squash casserole (adapted from the Homesick Texan)

2 yellow squash and 2 zucchini, grated
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 tablespoons of butter
1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained or two cups of diced fresh tomatoes with 1/4 cup of diced green chiles, such as a jalapeno
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of half and half
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
2 cups total of grated pepper jack and cheddar
half a cup of bread crumbs
Sliced tomatoes to place on the top
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the butter in a large skillet on medium heat. When melted, add the squash, onion and jalapeno, and sauté until onions are translucent and the squash is soft, about ten minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, pepper and cook for a minute. Then stir in the flour and cook until a light-brown past forms, about a minute.

Now add the broth and tomatoes and stir until the mixture thickens, which should happen in a couple of minutes. Add the half and half, sour cream and cilantro and turn off the heat.

Added the creamy squash mixture to a greased casserole dish and then cover the whole dish with the grated cheese, sliced tomatoes and bread crumbs.

Cook uncovered for thirty minutes, or until top is brown and bubbling.

Serves 6-8.

Grilled Chicken

I remember reading this recipe in Bon Appetit several years ago. Its so easy to make and is packed with flavor. What I love about this recipe is that you can season the chicken with salt and pepper, toss it on the grill (or on the oven), and make the sauce quickly in a food processor while the chicken cooking.

Sauce

Juice of 4 limes
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
splash of fish sauce
Handful of Basil
Handful of Cilantro
Half a Jalapeno
1 Garlic clove
1/8 cup of Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of local (if available to you) honey

Put everything above in the food processor and blend while the chicken is cooking on the grill and then transfer to a large bowl. When chicken is ready bring the bowl outside to the grill. Add the chicken directly from the grill to the bowl and toss each piece in the sauce. The flavor of the sauce is really transfered into the chicken upon contact. Cover bowl with foil until you are ready to serve. If desired, you can serve each person a small dish with the sauce from the bottom of the large bowl for dipping.

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Tonight's Dinner - Grilled Pizza with Local Seasonal Vegetables and Local Mozzarella

How will I ever go back to oven baked pizza again?

For this grilled pizza I used my favorite recipe for whole wheat crust, rolled it out, and then carried it to the grill on this cutting board and flipped it over on the grill (the grill was about 450 degrees) and then I cooked for a few minutes. Using 2 spatchulas (or one big one) I flipped it over and grilled for a few more minutes. Then I removed it from the grill and added the toppings. Once toppings were added, I placed it back on the grill on a piece of foil until the cheese melted.


Here are a few different variations of the toppings I have been using on pizzas lately:

* Rao's Marinara, Grilled Onions, Peppers, Meatballs, Grilled Baby Zucchini and my favorite local fresh mozzarella Scotto's

* Garlic and Olive Oil (instead of red sauce), Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Fresh Just Picked Basil, and fresh mozzarella & prosciutto

* Garlic and Olive Oil (instead of red sauce), Arugula tossed in lemon vinaigrette, fresh mozzarella, and prusciutto

* Caramelized onions, figs, fresh ricotta, and reduced balsamic vinegar

Tonight's Dinner - Tagliatelle with Fresh Local Corn Pesto and Local Just Picked Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

The August issue of Bon Appetit has so many great recipe and so far this is my favorite one! I had never heard of corn pesto before reading this recipe, and I admit, I was a bit skeptical, but intrigued enough to make the dish. It was AMAZING!


The only thing I did differently was to add in slow cooked cherry tomatoes which brought in great color and a wonderful sweet flavor as well.



Ingredients
4 bacon slices, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces tagliatelle or fettuccine
3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

Preparation
Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add corn, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to small bowl and reserve. Scrape remaining corn mixture into processor. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved bacon. Serve pasta, passing additional grated Parmesan alongside.

BON APPETIT 2010

Tonight's Dinner - BBQ Grass Fed Beef Burger with Local Corn and Local Cabbage Slaw

Tonight I decided to perk up the usual BBQ Sauce I like to use on my burgers (Hoboken Eddie's) with some just picked sweet and hot peppers.

Chunky Spicy BBQ Sauce
What you need:

1 Red or Yellow Onion cut into 4 wedges
1 Sweet Pepper (Any color will do) cut into 4 wedges
1 Hot Pepper (remove seeds if the pepper is really spicy) cut in half

Drizzle with olive oil and grill in a grill pan or grill bowl until tender.

Add to a 1 cup food processor or blender with your favorite BBQ sauce with a splash of soy sauce and blend to desired consistency. Set aside.

Grass Bed BBQ Burger
What you need (this serves 4 people):
1/3 lb of Ground Sirloin for each person (If you can get local grass fed ground beef, I would suggest it. My guy has no more beef left and is raising 2 cows now for slaughter at the end of the summer. Tonight I had to go with grass fed beef from Australia.)
2 Tablespoons of Organic or Homemade Ketchup (reason being - try to avoid ketchup with high fructose corn syrup)
1 Teaspoon of Soy Sauce
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons of BBQ Sauce
4 Shallots
Leaves from 5 sprigs of Thyme
15 Rosemary leaves
Salt
Pepper

Sharp Cheddar
Tomato Slices
Brioche Rolls (or your favorite hamburger roll)

Add everything above listed before the cheddar (except the beef) into the food processor or blender (use your 1 cup processor if you have one). Blend until herbs and shallots and totally ground up. Mix this liquid into your beef and form into burgers. Set aside.

When ready, grill for 3 minutes, flip and add cheddar. Grill for 3 or 4 more minutes depending on the temperature you desire and the thickness of your burgers. I left them on for about 4 more minutes for a medium burger. Remove from the grill and set aside on a plate. Add the rolls to the grill for a few minutes to toast. Remove and smear toasted bun with the chunky BBQ sauce, and a sliced tomato.

Cole Slaw

With all the the fresh cabbage and carrots from the farm, a classic cole slaw came to mind today when deciding what to make for dinner. I decided to go with this recipe from Martha Stewart. I used the grater attachment from my cuisinart to grate the carrots.

Grilled Corn with Herbs
This recipe from Epicurious was such a hit last week, I decided to make it again tonight.
An alter

Tonight's Dessert - Local Fruit Popsicle

Mae enjoying a homemade Popsicle.

We have been making fruit popsicles almost every day this past week. The girls love them and they take less than 5 minutes to make. Just take the below ingredients and toss in the blender. Freeze (for about 4 hours).

Monday: Cantaloupe
Tuesday: Watermelon, Lime, Mint, and a touch of sugar
Wednesday: Vanilla Yogurt, Raspberries and Black Berries
Thursday: Cucumber Juice, Watermelon, Cantaloupe and Mint
Friday: Banana and Vanilla Yogurt

These have been a big hit with everyone in the family!

Tonight's Dinner - Niman Ranch Hot Dog with Local Mustard, Local Corn and Just Picked Sauteed Swiss Chard

I never make hot dogs, don't get me wrong, I like hotdogs, but I am scared of what they are made with. So when I was recently at favorite cheese shop - Lucy's Whey in East Hampton and was asked if I like hot dogs (answered yes) they told me about their favorite mustard - Miss Amy's Blue Point Mustard from Blue Point, Long Island. According to Lucy, this mustard is great on hot dogs...

Then this morning when I was eating an amazing croissant at the Amagansett farmers market, I happened upon hot dogs from Niman Ranch and some Bubbies Sauerkrautt - dinner made easy.

These hot dogs are really great, but the mustard did make the dog, it was AMAZING - how exciting that its local!

Just Picked Sauteed Swiss Chard
I have made this swiss chard before, its so easy, quick and the kids really love it.

What you need:
1 Bunch of Swiss Chard chopped
1 Yellow Onion 2 if they are small thinly sliced
1 or 2 Apples peeled and thinly sliced
Olive Oil
Balsamic
Dried Cherries

Saute the onion in olive oil until brown then add apples and continue to cook until the apples are brown as well. Add in swiss chard, and stir until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in dried apples and cherries. (This side dish is a big hit with my kids! Sometimes I pulse it a few times in a 1 cup food processor before adding in the cherries just to make it easier for them to chew it up.)

Tonight's Dinner - Local Montauk Swordfish, Fresh From the Ground "Faux" Baked Potatoes, Local Corn with Herbs and Just Picked Grilled Pole Beans

Swordfish
We love this swordfish recipe. I made last month and decided to make it again tonight for my mom and stepdad since it is so easy to make, so flavorful, and the local swordfish is so fresh.

What you need:
Swordfish Steak
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic
Butter
Honey
Juice from half a lemon

Season the fish and either grill or saute for about 10 or so depending on the thickness of the cut of fish.

While the fish is cooking make your sauce. Brown the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan. Be sure not to let it burn. Remove from heat and whisk in about half a teaspoon of honey and about a teaspoon or so of balsamic and lemon juice. Set aside.

"Faux" Baked Potatoes
You can thank my husband and the left over bacon in my fridge (yes, we actually had a few slices of bacon) for these faux baked potatoes.

What you need:
2 onions sliced
a few slices of bacon chopped
a heaping spoonful of sour cream
large handful of the grated cheddar cheese
2 garlic cloves minced
olive oil
fingerling potatoes
salt and pepper

Fill a pot with cold salted water and boil whole fingerling potatoes until tender. Saute the sliced onions in olive oil until caramelized. Then add in the garlic. Add sour cream and cheddar to a large bowl. Then add in the warm potatoes and onion mixture. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste.

Corn with herbs
This recipe from the now defunct Gourmet is really great and while I typically wouldn't serve corn and potatoes, who can resist at this time of year?


Green "Pole" Beans
I prefer picking beans from a pole as opposed to a bush. These beans from the farm have been amazing this year.

Take a grill basket add beans, salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil and grill until tender. Squeeze with lemon juice and serve.

Tonight's Appetizer - Everything Local Grilled Corn, Tomato, Basil, & Mozzarella Salad

Inspired by all local ingredients, I took corn still in the husk, grilled it and then removed the kernels from the cob and added them to a traditional tomato, basil, mozzarella salad drizzled with balsamic and olive oil. The salad was served along-side crostini crackers.

Tonight's Dinner - Local Potato Crusted Red Snapper, Local Eggplant & Tomato Sandwich, with a "Not So Local" Broccoli

Let's start with the "not so local" broccoli. Today my almost 4 year old started crying when I told her what we were having for dinner. When I asked her why she was so upset, she answered, "we never have broccoli anymore!"
I tried to explain that the broccoli at the farm isn't ready yet and that we have a lot of wonderful seasonal vegetables and that I could make her favorite sauteed zucchini, but she was not having it. So instead of trying to seek out a local early broccoli at the various farm stands near our house, we drove to the local grocery store and bought some plain old non organic, have no idea where it was grown or who grew it broccoli. She of course blurted out in the store, "broccoli is too in season!" as we put it into our basket.

Chloe's Favorite Steamed Broccoli
Steam, then add salt and pepper with a little butter (and if you are in the mood) top with grated parmesan or cheddar.

Local Potato Crusted Day Boat Red Snapper
What you need:
Red Snapper Fillets
a large plate with flour seasoned with salt and pepper
a shallow bowl with an egg lightly beaten
4 fingerling or other new potatoes
salt
pepper
lemon

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Using a mandolin thinly slice the potatoes. Heat your sauté pan. Then take the fish and put each side into the flour, then into the egg, and then take your potatoes and wrap them around (or just on top of) the fillet. Add oil to your pan and put the fish in potato side down and sauté until golden brown on that side, flip over, and cook a few more minutes. Remove from pan. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the fish and season with salt and pepper.

Eggplant and Tomato Sandwich
What you need:
1 large eggplant (or 2 small ones)
Sliced Fresh Mozzarella
Sliced Tomato
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 (convection if you have it). Slice the eggplant into half inch rounds. Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes (or 15 if using convection). Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes. Assemble sandwiches and drizzle with balsamic and season with salt and pepper.

Tonight's Dessert - Lemon Pudding Cake with Fresh Local Blueberry Sauce

Freshly picked blueberries make a wonderful sauce for this light and airy lemon pudding cake. I have been making this recipe from Bon Appetit for almost a decade.

Lemon Pudding Cake

What you need:

2 large lemons

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

a little less than a 1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3 large eggs, separated

1 1/3 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Finely grate 1 tablespoon zest from lemons, then squeeze 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons juice.

Whisk together flour, salt, and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together yolks, milk, zest, and juice in a small bowl and add to flour mixture, whisking until just combined.

Beat whites in another large bowl with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Whisk about one fourth of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly (batter will be thin).

Pour into a buttered 1 1/2-quart ceramic gratin or other shallow baking dish and bake in a Bain-marie (hot water bath) until puffed and golden, 45 to 50 minutes.

Blueberry Sauce

1 Pint of Blueberries

1 tablespoon of Sugar

Mix together blueberries and sugar in a small sauce pan and stir over medium heat until the blueberries pop and sauce begins to thicken.

Pour over the top of the pudding cake.

Tonight's dessert was made for a good friend's 35th birthday. Happy Birthday Keith! It went very well with an earthy and fruity Côtes du Rhône.