Month: May 2009

Food Blog Events, France, Main Course, Paris

Bistro-Style Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots – Bavette aux Echalotes

by Lynda Balslev6 Comments on Bistro-Style Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots – Bavette aux Echalotes

Bavette aux Echalotes

I became familiar with bistros while living in Paris and Geneva for 10 years. Found in every neighborhood, the bistro was the go-to restaurant for consistently delicious food.  Welcoming, bustling, and casually elegant, the bistro was home away from home: soothing in its predictability, its comforting ambience, and its dedicated timelessness. Now, years later, there isn’t a bistro in our neighborhood, but it’s the cuisine I seek out in restaurants and enjoy making at home.

Skirt steak with shallots or Bavette aux Echalotes is a classic item featured on bistro menus. The less expensive and very tasty cut of meat is pan-fried on the stove and then served heaped with sautéed, caramelized shallots. It’s quick to prepare, delicious to eat, and economical on the wallet. Perfect bistro fare.

Bistro-Style Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots – Bavette aux Echalotes

Serves 4

1 skirt steak, about 2 pounds (1 kg.) cut crosswise into 4 pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 large shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
1/3 cup (80 ml.) red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the steak:
Use two skillets (or cook in two batches): Heat one tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in each skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and bubbling, add 2 steaks to each skillet, making sure they fit in one layer without overcrowding. Cook, turning once, until seared and cooked through to your desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a platter and tent with foil to rest.

Prepare the shallots:
Add one tablespoon olive oil to each skillet. Divide the shallots between the two skillets and sauté over medium heat until wilted and tinged golden brown, about 8 minutes. Combine the shallots in one skillet. Add the red wine vinegar and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the thyme, and any accumulated juices from the meat. Stir to blend and melt the butter, then remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange the steaks on individual plates or serving platter. Spoon the shallots over and garnish with fresh thyme.

Appetizers, Crostini, Italy, Vegetarian

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil – a Holy Trinity

by Lynda Balslev3 Comments on Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil – a Holy Trinity
Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil – a Holy Trinity

Ripe sun-kissed tomatoes, vibrant aromatic basil, pristine white mozzarella: the holy trinity of Italian cuisine.  These seasonal ingredients are best associated with summertime and are all that is needed for an Insalata Caprese, or Tomato Mozzarella Salad. The ubiquitous salad from the island of Capri makes use of the simplest, freshest ingredients of the summer season, underscoring what best defines Italian cooking.

Insalata Caprese

To prepare an Insalata Caprese or Tomato Mozzarella Salad:
Simply slice ripe, unrefrigerated tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella and layer them with fresh basil leaves on a platter.  Drizzle with high quality extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

This trio of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil can easily be applied to other delicious dishes.  Equally simple, all that is necessary is a little rearrangement and garnish.  Add to Crostini for an appetizer or toss with Farfalle and grated Pecorino Romano for an easy pasta salad.

Crostini Caprese

Crostini Caprese – Crostini with Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella
Makes 12 crostini

12 slices baguette, cut on the diagonal
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves

12 slices ripe, unrefrigerated tomatoes
12 slices buffalo mozzarella
12 large basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

6 pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
Arugula sprouts or fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade

Brush baguette slices with olive oil.  Rub with garlic cloves.  Arrange on baking sheet and grill in oven until lightly toasted, turning once.  Remove.
Arrange basil leaf on each crostini.  Top with tomato slice and mozzarella slice.  Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.  Drizzle lightly with additional olive oil.
Garnish with kalamata olive half and top with arugula sprouts or Basil Chiffonade.

To make Basil Chiffonade:
Stack 3-4 large basil leaves.  Roll up the stack starting from long side of the leaves.  Finely slice roll, horizontally across leaf to create fine ribbons.

Travel, Vegetables and Salads

Chino Farms

by Lynda Balslev2 Comments on Chino Farms

Chino Farms

Size is not everything at this wonderful little farm stand in Rancho Sante Fe, California.  Just north of San Diego, Chino Farms is a family-run farm that has been in business for over 30 years.   Tucked in the countryside east of Del Mar, Chino Farms sells its just-harvested produce to any and all who stop at their roadside stand.  Chefs and home cooks alike patiently stand in line to choose their produce. If you dine in any of the area’s best farm-to-table restaurants, you can be sure your veggies are from Chinos.

Since we were there as tourists, and unable to return to our kitchen to prepare a farm-fresh meal, we satsified ourselves with baskets of wild strawberries to nibble on as we drove down coastal route 101 on our way to the beach.  In the evening, back at the Lodge at Torrey Pines, we were lucky enough to enjoy a meal at A.R. Valentien where we were told the chef uses fresh produce from Chino Farms.

Lettuce

Courgettes

Artichokes

Zucchini Blossoms

Potatoes

Breads, Pasta, Rice, Grains, Vegetables and Salads, Vegetarian

Tabbouleh Salad

by Lynda Balslev3 Comments on Tabbouleh Salad

Bulgur Kale Carrot tf

Satisfying, addictive, and healthy.  This tabbouleh salad combines a confetti of vegetables and herbs with bulgar and spices to create a colorful side dish or light vegetarian meal.  Serve with pita bread, feta cheese and hummus for a delicious summer dinner.

Tabbouleh Salad
Serves 4-6

2 cups bulgar
2 cups warm water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice
4 tablespoons exta-virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, finely diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely grated
4 plum tomatoes, diced
4 scallions/green onions, white and green parts finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried cumin
1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 handful kale leaves, chopped
1 handful mint leaves, finely chopped
1 handful cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Kalamata olives

Harissa
Pita Bread

Prepare Bulgar:
Soak bulgar and water in a large bowl until water is absorbed.  Add lemon/lime juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Stir to combine and let sit until juice and oil are absorbed.

Stir in red onion, bell pepper, garlic, carrot, tomatoes, scallions.  Add remaining olive oil, cumin, tabasco sauce, salt and pepper.  Adjust seasoning and heat to taste.  Cover and refrigerate at least one hour and up to 6 hours.

To serve, add mint and coriander leaves and toss to combine.  Garnish with kalamata olives.

Serve with pita bread and harissa sauce on the side.

Desserts

Blueberries Blueberries Blueberries

by Lynda Balslev2 Comments on Blueberries Blueberries Blueberries
Blueberries Blueberries Blueberries

Tarte aux Myrtilles

It was impossible to resist the blueberries at the farmers market this morning. Tables were heaped with blueberries. You could choose from buckets, baskets, pints and quarts brimming with inky blue, plump fruit. I purchased two pounds, and arrived home with 1 1/2 pounds, because I couldn’t resist nibbling them along the way. Once home, my family consumed at least another half pound before I resuced the reaminder, which is exactly how much I need to make a this  tart.

Bluberry Tart – Tarte aux Myrtilles
Serves 6-8

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Cut butter in pieces into the flour mixture until the largest pieces resemble the size of peas.  Add the egg yolks and mix lightly with fingertips to incorporate and the dough is crumbly.  Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ tart pan with a removable bottom.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Prebake tart shell:
Preheat oven to 375 F.  Prick bottom all over with a fork.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.  Fill liner with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake shell for 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden.  Remove shell from oven.  Remove parchment and pie weights.  Return shell to oven and cook 10 minutes, or until golden all over.  Remove and cool.

For the filling:
1 pound blueberries, picked over, washed, dried
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Whisk together 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
Combine 1/2 pound blueberries, sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until blueberries pop and mixture begins to thicken – about 3 minutes. Add cornstarch and lemon juice to blueberries. Simmer 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Fold in remaining blueberries.  Pour into pre-baked tart shell.  Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 1 hour.  Serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche.

 

Barbeque, Farmers Market, gluten-free, Grilling, Main Course, Meat

Grilled Steak with Rosemary, Shitake Mushrooms and Garlic Scapes

by Lynda Balslev

Steak Shitake

In honor of Mother’s Day I purchased some beautiful New York strip steaks at the market. At home, I made a paste of garlic, sea salt and olive oil and smeared the steaks all over with the paste. While they marinated, I prepared a stir-fry of shiitake mushrooms and garlic scapes which was a perfect accompaniment to the grilled steaks.

Elephant garlic scapes resemble an oversized chive with a bulbous flower at the end.  The stalks are firm with a peppery bite and mild garlic flavor.  They are wonderful in a stir-fry, because they retain their crispness, and impart a mellow, garlicky flavor.  The flowers are edible and, when cooked, have a somewhat astringent and earthy taste.  With the shitakes I used the scape stalks and saved the flowers for another use – perhaps in a decorative context.

Elephant Garlic Scapes

New York Strip Steak with Sautéed Shitake Mushrooms and Garlic Scapes

Serves 4

For the Steaks:
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt, such as Maldon
1 sprig rosemary
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

4 New York or Ribeye steaks, about 2 lbs. (1 kg.)

Combine garlic, salt and rosemary in a mortar with a pestle and smash together. Mix in the olive oil and black pepper. Rub the oil all over the steaks.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours (can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance.)  Remove from refrigerator one hour before grilling.

Grill the steaks over a hot fire, 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or to desired doneness.
Remove from grill and place on cutting board.  Cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

For the Shitake and Garlic Scape stir-fry:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
6 elephant garlic scapes, bulbs removed, stalks cut in 1/4″ pieces
1 sprig rosemary
4 oz. (125 g.) shitake mushrooms, wiped clean with paper towel, ends trimmed, sliced
1/3 cup (80 ml.) beef or chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Add garlic clove and sauté one minute.  Add garlic scapes and sauté 1 minute.  Add rosemary sprig and shitake mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms release juices and turn golden brown.  Add stock and deglaze pan.  Add soy sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove and discard rosemary sprig. Serve alongside or on top of grilled steaks.  Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

Steak Shitake Garlic

 

 

Desserts, holiday, Vegetarian

Showcasing Strawberries: Strawberry Napoleon

by Lynda Balslev5 Comments on Showcasing Strawberries: Strawberry Napoleon

Strawberry Napoleon 1

The thing about seasonal food, is you have to eat it while you can.  Again and again.  Those sweet, succulent strawberries?  In a month or two, they will be gone; their star will have waned, and the fresher, more juicy, more yellow nectarines or petite raspberries will take center stage.  Those clean, crisp asparagus spears?  They will be bumped aside by a Provençal-style invasion of summer vegetables whose sauces and salads will pointedly exclude the upright astringent asparagus.  The obscure, frizzy coils of fiddleheads that we’re finally managing to get to know?  Never mind; it’s time to tackle another dark horse of a vegetable, and let the idea of an edible fern fade to a fuzzy dream.

All fruits and vegetables reign supreme at the markets during their seasonal heyday, and while they last, they are the life of the party.  But too much of a good thing can become tiresome – especially after the tenth consecutive serving. This is where our duty as chefs comes in.  It is up to us, like gracious hosts, to showcase our seasonal gifts, highlighting their qualities in appealing and flattering ways, so that they always look and taste good.

This is my somewhat metaphorical attempt to explain yet another recipe featuring strawberries.  In fact, not only does this recipe feature strawberries, it also calls for many similar ingredients in my post Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Parfaits.  The difference is the addition of phyllo dough, and a little dramatic elevation in the stacked presentation.  The outcome is another entirely different dessert, elegant yet simple, delicious to eat and very pretty to look at.

Strawberry Napoleons
Serves 10-12

1 package frozen phyllo sheets, defrosted overnight in refrigerator
1/4 cup (60 g.) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (115 g.) granulated/caster sugar

8 oz. (250 g.) mascarpone cheese
1 cup (250 ml.) heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 lb. (500 g.) strawberries, hulled, sliced lengthwise no more than 1/4″ thick, plus 6 large strawberries, stems intact, halved lengthwise.

Additional confectioners sugar for dusting

Prepare Phyllo Squares:
Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)  Line 2 rectangular baking sheets with parchment paper.
Unroll phyllo dough.  Place one sheet on work surface. (Cover remaining dough with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel to prevent drying.)
Lightly brush phyllo sheet with butter.  Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.  Place second phyllo sheet on buttered phyllo dough.  Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar.  Repeat with 2 more sheets.
With a sharp chef’s knife cut stacked phyllo sheets into 12 squares (4 across the sheets’ long side x 3 across the short side).  With a spatula, transfer the squares to prepared baking sheets.  Bake in oven until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on racks.
Repeat this process 2 more times, so you will have a total of 36 squares. If you are serving 10 there will be a few extra squares which can be used as back up if there is breakage.
(Phyllo squares can be prepared one day in advance.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Separate layers of phyllo dough with parchement paper.)

Prepare filling:
Beat mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  (Cream can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance.  Cover and refrigerate until use.)

Assemble Napoleons:
Arrange one phyllo square on plate or platter.  Spread one tablespoon cream over.  Arrange 2-3 strawberry slices in one layer over cream.  Top strawberries with 1-2 teaspoons cream.  Place another phyllo square on top, pressing gently.  Spread one tablespoon cream over.  Arrange 2-3 strawberry slices in one layer over cream.  Top strawberries with 1-2 teaspoons cream.  Place third phyllo square on top, pressing gently.  Place one teaspoon cream in center of phyllo square.  Place one strawberry half, cut-side down, on cream.  Dust lightly with confectioners sugar and serve.