Eggless Mayonnaise

This recipe was on David Lebovitz' blog yesterday and as we happened to have bought some lovely little artichokes at the market, we decided to whip up a batch to accompany them. It's amazing how close it is to a real mayonnaise, and a bit lighter for those of us who are trying to pay attention to these things. I made it without the chervil, since my plant is still pretty small, and I added about a half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. I should add that this photo makes it look much more yellow than it really was, but I thought it was too pretty to color correct.

Cocktail Sauce (For Shrimp)

I will admit to cheating here: I buy the pre-peeled, pre-cooked shrimps to save myself the trouble, but you could just as easily clean and cook your own shrimp if you so desire. This is Alton Brown's recipe.


1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup prepared chili sauce
4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon sugar
Few grinds fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Creamy Gravy

In my family we have never been able to agree on gravy. My dad likes his made with the giblets and everything, all ground up in the food processor, and my mom likes hers clear (just the drippings from the turkey, with the fat removed). I like the creamy kind (somewhere in between, I guess), which is pretty easy to make.


1 Tbs butter
2 C turkey drippings
3 Tbs flour
Fresh sage

Melt the butter and whisk in the flour to thicken. Gradually add the drippings, stirring constantly until thick and creamy.

Cranberry Sauce

1 lb fresh cranberries
2 clementines, mandarins, or tangerines
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C water


Wash the cranberries and discard any that are bruised or spoiled. Slice the oranges in half, and squeeze into a pot. Add the whole peels, cranberries, and water, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. You should hear the berries popping. Once the popping stops, allow the sauce to sit until a foam forms all over the surface. At this point, add the sugar (to taste), and stir until thickened. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pineapple Salsa

I made this to go with fish tacos, but I think it would also be great with pulled pork.

2 C pineapple, finely diced
1 habanero pepper, chopped as fine as you can get it
1 serrano pepper, also chopped very fine
1/4 large onion, finely diced
1 Tbs finely chopped cilantro
1 Tbs finely chopped mint
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients.

Apple Sauce

This is a very simple recipe that I put together to use up the 60 pounds of apples my father gave me last week. I've left out the quantities since I imagine that most people will be putting up less than 20 quarts, but it's really just a matter of tasting as you go.

Tart apples (like Granny Smith), peeled and diced
Sugar
Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg

Combine all ingredients to taste in a large stockpot. Simmer until the apples are extremely soft, and transfer to jars.

Veggie Lasagne

This recipe is fairly simple, and the trick is to get your tomato sauce going before you make the other sauces. I also cheat by using the kind of noodles that you don't have to boil.

Vegetarian tomato sauce (below)
1 egg
1/2 lb ricotta cheese
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C butter
4 Tbs flour
1 C milk
1 C vegetable broth
1 package lasagne noodles
2 C shredded mozarella cheese

Once you have the tomato sauce cooking (or already cooked), make your cheese filling by blending the ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg and salt together. Then, in a small saucepan, start the Bechamel sauce by melting the butter over a low flame and add the flour. Stir together for a minute to form a roux and then slowly add the broth and milk while stirring constantly.

In a 9x13 baking pan, layer the one third of the tomato sauce, half the cheese filling, half the Bechamel, and half the noodles, and repeat. Finish off with the rest of the tomato sauce and the mozarella cheese on top. Bake for between 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees.

Vegetarian Summer Tomato Sauce

The tomatoes have been so good lately that I thought I'd put up a big batch of sauce for those winter nights when I'm dying for summer produce. I bought several pounds of gorgeous, locally grown tomatoes the other day and made enough for an army! This is a mild sauce, and it would be really good with a little hot pepper thrown in if you like that. Also, you can add as many summer veggies as you want. I often use broccoli, but sometimes I think the flavor can be overwhelming.

About 2 Quarts diced fresh tomatoes (although you could easily use canned)
2 large bell peppers (I used yellow ones to make it extra summery), diced
2 Cups yellow summer squash, sliced (or just plain zucchini would also be yummy)
1 large sweet onion (Maui, Walla Walla or Vidalia), diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 cans tomato paste
2 Tbs sugar
Marjoram
Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Olive Oil

Sautee the onion with the garlic in a little olive oil, until they are translucent. Add the tomatoes, peppers and herbs to taste. Remember, don't be shy with your herbs! They do so much for a slow-cooked sauce like this. Add the tomato paste. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and squash, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cook until the squash is softened, and then remove from heat. This makes a lot of sauce, so you should plan to can or freeze some of it.

Spaghetti Bolognese

This is my mom's recipe and one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. The sauce freezes really well, which is good because this recipe makes about 9 large servings. If you're planning to use this sauce for lasagne, you will only need about 3/4 of the recipe.

1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey works well, too)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs fresh, diced tomatoes (or canned)
1 large red pepper, diced
1-2 6 oz cans tomato paste
Oregano
Basil
Marjoram
Ground red pepper
Black pepper
Salt
2 Tbs sugar

In a large pot, brown the onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Add the meat and brown. Add the red pepper, tomatoes, one can tomato paste, and herbs to taste. Stir well and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is too thin, add another can of tomato paste (you will most likely need this if you use fresh tomatoes). Check for seasonings, and stir in the sugar before serving.

I recommend serving with garlic bread... yum!!!

Tomato Relish

This is a recipe from the Food Network's Tyler Florence that is meant to go with his delicious meatloaf. I think it's also really good on burgers, in the place of ketchup.

Olive oil
1 onion, diced fine
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 bay leaves
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 Tbs dried oregano
1 12-oz bottle ketchup
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Saute the onion, garlic and bay leaves for a few minutes. Add the red peppers and oregano and cook them for a few minutes, until softened. Next, add the tomatoes, along with the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat. This makes about 4 cups of relish.

Texas Style Salsa

My friend Logan grew up on a cattle ranch in the heart of Texas, where people really know their salsa. This recipe comes from his family, and as his girlfriend puts it, "it's no New York City salsa!" Originally the recipe called for "Peguin" peppers, but I wasn't able to find them, so I used a combination of jalapenos and habaneros. If you have a sensitive stomach, I would suggest using just jalapenos, and make sure you leave out the seeds and the membrane they grow on inside the peppers- that's where the heat is. The recipe also made about 12 pints of salsa, so I have cut it down to make just four.

10 2/3 C (2 quarts + 2 2/3 C) diced fresh tomatoes (or canned, if necessary)
1 C onion, finely chopped
2/3 C white vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
A little less than 1/8 C fresh hot chili peppers, chopped (about three habaneros)
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tsp cumin

Puree the peppers and two thirds of the tomatoes* in a food processor with the vinegar, garlic and onions. Place in a large pot, with the spices and sugar. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about a half hour at medium heat. Add the remaining tomatoes, and let simmer for another 15 minutes. Use fresh, or proceed with canning.

*If you want a smoother salsa, puree all of them. I just like mine chunky!

Italian Pork Chops

I got the recipe for these pork chops from Giada di Laurentis, of the Food Network, and then I served them with a really simple tomato sauce, over pasta. I think this recipe would also work nicely with chicken breasts, but you might want to bake them, rather than pan-frying them, because they are thicker. (I would suggest baking them at 450 for about 35 minutes.) All together, this took less than a half hour to make, so it's great for those nights when you haven't got much time. This makes enough for two people.

For the pork chops:

2 Pork Chops
1 C grated parmesan cheese
One egg, beaten
2 C dry seasoned breadcrumbs (you can make your own, but I just used the kind in the can!)

For the pasta and sauce:

3/4 pound pasta
2 large tomatoes or 3 medium ones (or about 2 C cherry tomatoes)
1 shallot or half a small onion
1 clove garlic
Dried basil and oregano
3 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs Olive oil

Boil a pot of water for the pasta.

Set out three bowls: in one, the parmesan cheese, in the second, the egg, and in the third, the breadcrumbs. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Dredge first in the cheese, then dip in the egg, and coat with breadcrumbs. Place in a pan over medium heat. Let the chops cook for about 6 minutes on each side, or until the meat is opaque all the way through.

While they are cooking, chop the tomatoes into smallish chunks (for cherry tomatoes, just halve them), and drain the excess water. Finely chop the garlic and shallots.

Add your pasta to the water.

Set aside the finished pork chops, and leave the remaining bits in the pan. Add a little olive oil, and sautee the garlic and shallots until brown. Add the tomatoes and herbs to the saucepan. When the tomatoes have softened a bit, add a little tomato paste to thicken into a sauce. Drop in about a tablespoon of butter, and let melt into the sauce. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss. Remove from heat and serve.

Basil Pesto

My father has an enormous garden that includes close to 30 fruit trees, and every conceivable herb. During my childhood we grew beans and carrots, lettuces, peppers, tomatoes, squashes, corn and artichokes. We grew watermelons, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries... but our most important crop of the summer season was always the basil.

Every summer my mother, father and I would engage in one long evening of picking, cleaning, toasting, blending, and freezing the basil into often more than 300 servings of pesto. We kept this stash in the freezer year round, and would pull out a foil-wrapped cube to defrost whenever we were at a loss for dinner plans. Pesto was a staple in my lunchbox all through high school, and in college, my parents would ship me packages of it, along with canned pears, dried apples, and homemade cookies.

This is my family's recipe for pesto. It's simple and makes approximately 12 servings, and is wonderful fresh or frozen. We used to freeze it in ice cube trays but found it tricky to get out; now my parents use a baking pan and cut the frozen mass into servings. I find it easiest to freeze it in muffin tins, with paper liners. Each muffin is about two servings, and I keep them frozen in Ziploc bags.

2 1/2 C fresh basil leaves (make sure not to include the flowers or stems- they make it bitter)
6 garlic cloves
1 C shelled pinenute, toasted
1 C Parmesan cheese
1/4 C Romano cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 C olive oil

Grind the pinenuts and garlic together in a food processor. Add basil leaves and grind well. Blend in the cheeses and nutmeg. Add olive oil slowly through the tube of the processor, while running, to emulsify. Only use as much as necessary- you may not use the whole cup.

Use fresh, or freeze in muffin tins with liners overnight. Remove from tins and store in Ziploc bags in the freezer. This should make about 6 muffins-worth, or 12 servings.