What's Cooking at the Library:

Serves 6

 

1/2 cup fine grade bulgur (#1) ( see Pantry and Produce)

3 cups small teardrop tomatoes or cherry tomatoes (about 1 pound), halved

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1 cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (from 1 head)

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

 

Place the bulgur in a large bowl. Scatter the tomatoes over the bulgur in the bowl, then layer the green onions, red onion, mint, and lastly, the cabbage. It is important to cover the bulgur first with the tomatoes, as their juices help soften the bulgur. Sprinkle the Aleppo pepper, black pepper, and salt over the layered salad. Drizzle olive oil and then lemon juice over the salad. Let the salad sit until the bulgur softens, about 30 minutes.

 

Do-Ahead Tip: At this point, the salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours. Do not toss the salad before refrigerating, as the cabbage will become limp.

 

Just before serving, toss the salad then let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Toss the salad again and serve immediately.

 

Zov’s Kitchen Note: You can substitute chopped tomatoes instead of teardrop tomatoes. For a complete meal, add grilled sliced steak, chicken, or grilled or poached salmon.

Makes 3 1/2 cups

 

4 garlic cloves

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained

1/3 cup pickled sliced hot jalapeño chiles (drained from jar)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika (preferably Hungarian paprika; see note)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

Finely chop the garlic in a food processor. Add the garbanzo beans and blend until a coarse puree forms, stopping the machine occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the jalapeño chiles, lemon juice, yogurt, dill, cumin, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. With the machine on, slowly drizzle the oil through the feed tube, blending until the mixture is smooth and creamy and stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

 

Do-Ahead Tip: The dip can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

 

Zov’s Kitchen Note: For a milder version, omit the cayenne pepper and jalapeño chiles. To turn up the heat, add more jalapeño or increase the cayenne pepper. You can use regular paprika, if you like, but I love the bolder flavor of Hungarian paprika.

Serves 10 to 12

 

Vinaigrette

3/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil and herbs), finely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

3 tablespoons capers plus 2 tablespoons brine from capers

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried crushed hot red pepper

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Salad

8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound fusilli pasta

2 ears fresh corn, shucked (about 1 1/2 cups kernels)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound roasted chicken meat (skin and bones discarded), hand pulled

1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips

1 zucchini, thinly sliced diagonally

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced diagonally

3 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally

1 small red onion, sliced paper thin

1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely shredded

2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

Teardrop tomatoes, for garnish

Fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

 

MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl (do not worry about blending the oil and vinegar). Set the vinaigrette aside.

 

PREPARE THE SALAD: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook just until they turn bright green, about 1 minute. Immediately transfer the green beans to a large bowl of ice water and set aside just until they are cool. (Reserve the boiling salted water). Drain the beans and pat completely dry.

 

Meanwhile, return the salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the corn kernels, then drain the pasta and corn and transfer them to a large bowl (do not rinse them). Toss the pasta and corn with the oil, then cool to room temperature.

 

Toss the cooled pasta and corn with the green beans, chicken, red pepper, zucchini, celery, green onions, red onion, carrot and mint.

 

Do-Ahead Tip: At this point, the pasta salad and vinaigrette can be covered separately and refrigerated for up to 4 hours. Bring the vinaigrette to room temperature before continuing.

 

Toss the pasta salad with the vinaigrette to coat. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter, then top with the teardrop tomatoes and parsley.

 

Zov’s Kitchen Note: This recipe makes great use of leftover chicken. If you don’t have fresh corn, you can substitute frozen. All the ingredients can be prepared 2 days ahead, but once you dress the salad, it should be eaten within a day.

This makes a great holiday treat or hostess gift.

Makes 1 loaf

 

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

2 cups walnut halves (about 7 ounces)

2 cups whole dates, pitted (about 11 ounces)

1 cup whole dried apricots (about 7 ounces)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

 

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 9x5x2 3/4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray then line the pan with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts, dates, apricots, and flour in a large bowl to coat the fruit with the flour. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Mix in the baking powder and baking soda. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until all the fruits are well coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan, pressing the mixture into the pan to make sure it covers the bottom and fills the corners of the pan. Bake until the cake is dark brown on top and a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake, about 1 hour. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool the cake (the cake will fall as it cools).

 

Do-Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Ricotta  - Gioia Cheese
Rouge et Noir Triple Crème  - Marin French Cheese Co.
Truffle Tremor -  Cypress Grove Creamery
Midnight Moon  - Cypress Grove Creamery
Ewephoria – CheeseLand
Bella Vitano Black Pepper  - Sartori
Barely Buzzed  - Beehive Dairy
Point Reyes Original Blue  -  Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company

Villa Alena € Sparkling Wine - Moscato

Sicilia Nero d’Avola € Red Wine - Epicuro

 

One of our most popular dressings, Avocado Ceasar is thick enough to cling sumptuously to a salad, but is low in fat and contains no raw eggs. Feel free to add more anchovy and pepper, or leave the fish out altogether for an excellent vegan dressing. This makes about 3 cups of dressing and keeps, refrigerated for up to a week. Stir before using.

 

4 shallots, peeled

¼ cup garlic cloves, peeled (please use fresh garlic, from a head, not the stuff you buy already peeled)

3 anchovies

½ cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup white vinegar (Heinz)

¼  cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

½ cup olive oil

1 to 2 cups water

2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, or to taste

1 ripe Hass avocado, pitted and peeled

½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

 

In a blender, combine everything but the avocado and cilantro.

Blend on high to make a smooth puree.Add the avocado and cilantro, and blend until smooth and bright green.

Taste for seasoning.

 

Serves 10-12

 

1 head romaine lettuce, outside leaves and tops trimmed

1 small head napa or savoy cabbage

½ small head radicchio

4 red radishes, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, peeled, cut in thin strips

2 cups  Avocado Ceasar Dressing

4 ounces cotixa cheese, grated

 

Cut the greens into 1-inch pieces, wash in cold water and spin dry.

Just before serving, combine in a large bowl with the radishes and carrots. Toss with the dressing and half of the Cotixa cheese.

Sprinkle the salad with the remaining cotixa cheese, or serve alongside with some extra dressing.

 

 

Easy! For a healthier or vegetarian version, replace some or all of the chicken with sautéed vegetables. Makes about 16 enchiladas.

 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium red or white onion, diced

3 cups shredded chicken, chilled

3 cups shredded jack or oaxacan cheese

¼ bunch cilantro

Fresh 6 inch corn tortillas

Salsa Ahogada (recipe follows)

To Serve:

Sour cream

¼ cup diced white or red onions

cilantro sprigs

 

In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil and cook the onion until softened, stirring often. Cool completely.

Lightly oil a baking dish, and spread a thin layer of Salsa Ahogada on the bottom.

Combine the onion, chicken, 2 ½ cups of cheese and cilantro.

To make enchiladas, dip the corn tortilla on both sides in the Salsa Ahogada and stack on a plate. Let stand for several minutes.

Place about 1/3 cup of filling in your hand and squeeze gently to form a firm oval shape. Carefully roll the tortilla around the filling and place in the baking dish. Spoon more Salsa Ahogada over the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. (May be wrapped and refrigerated at this point.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover the baking dish with foil with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. The foil may be removed for the last 5 minutes of baking.

Serve very hot, with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of onion and a cilantro sprig.

 

This easy sauce is perfect for enchiladas or ‘wet’ burritos and tortas, or as a base for shredded beef. It’s a little different from your usual enchilada sauce – richer, and with a bit of heat. The flavor mostly comes from dry guajillo chile, which is sometimes sold as a California chile. If spicy is not for you, omit the chiles de arbol. The recipe makes about 1 gallon, but any extra sauce can be frozen in small ziplock baggies. You can also make a half recipe.

 

8 ounces (weight) dry guajillo or California chiles

10 each chiles de arbol

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup peeled garlic cloves (about 1 head)

1 white or red onion, peeled & cut into 1-inch pieces

7 medium Roma or pear tomatoes, quartered (do not core)

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons whole Mexican oregano

8 cups water

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 - 4 cups water

 

Wearing gloves, stem and remove seeds from the dry chiles, and tear them into 1-inch pieces

Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat, and add the oil. Add the dry chiles and cook, stirring, until the chiles begin to brown.

Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes

Add the tomatoes, clove and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft and the pan appears dry.

Add the 8 cups of water and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the salsa to stand for 30 minutes.

In a blender, puree the salsa in batches until perfectly smooth, and transfer to a storage container.

Add the remaining water to thin to the desired consistency. Adjust seasoning.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 large grapefruit (Ruby or Oro Blanco)

2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed, sliced paper thin

¼ cup Italian flat leaf parsley

Fresh Mint Leaves

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to drizzle)

Sea Salt Flakes (to taste)

Cracked Black Pepper (to taste)

 

Procedure:

1) Peel and segment grapefruit over a bowl reserving any extra juices.

 

2) Combine the drained segments, fennel and herbs together and arrange on the selected display platter or serving plate.

 

3) Drizzle with a fine quality finishing extra virgin olive oil, reserved juices as desired and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.

 

Ingredients:

 

3 eggs                                                                                        

3 cups buttermilk                                                                                

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves                                                                

1 tbsp kosher salt                                                                             

¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground                                                   

2 pounds purple Peruvian potatoes, cut into 1/8 inch slices                      

2 pounds market apples, cut into 1/8 inch slices                         

(firm “baking” style like Pink Lady, Fuji, Granny Smith or Honey Crisp)

1 pound Gruyere Cheese, shredded                                                      

4 ounces Parmesan, grated                                                                    

 

Procedure:

 

1) Combine Eggs, Buttermilk, thyme and seasonings in a bowl and whisk together.

 

2)  In a well buttered 4 quart casserole put in a layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of apples.  Sprinkle with a third of the cheeses and add a third of the egg mixture.  Repeat this process two times.

 

3) Bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, covered.  Remove the cover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until  potatoes are tender.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Ingredients:

 

Base:

1 cup Ginger Snaps, crushed

1 cup pecans, chopped

½ cup melted butter

 

Filling:

2 each butternut or other hard winter squash

(or enough to yield 3 cups of puree “see below”)

24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup turbinado sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

3 each + 1 yolk eggs                                                                                       

2 tbsp flour

¼ cup Ricotta cheese

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tbsp sea salt

 

Procedure:

 

1) Combine crust ingredients in a bowl and press into a 9” spring form pan.

 

2) Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and roast cut side down in a 400 deg oven for about 30 minutes, remove from the oven and when it is cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh and process through a food mill or processor to a coarse puree. Measure out 3 cups and reserve the balance for another use.

 

3) In a stand mixer with the paddle, Beat the ingredients together in the order of listing.  Add the squash puree and mix until everything is incorporated.

 

4) Pour into the prepared spring form and bake @ 350 for 50-60 minutes or until the center is almost set so it doesn’t overcook or crack.

 

For the library this is exactly the recipe we used for the ante-grill demo.  If you want to try it at home all you need is a couple of slabs of dry ice and a small spatula!  If the raw eggs give you a concern you can certainly substitute pasteurized egg product in this recipe.

 

Bon Appetite!!