What's Cooking

[GoingMyWay]

I finally got to cook bacon on the blackstone.  Using the press to weigh down the bacon really helps!

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We made our fricasse of brussel sprouts on the griddle.

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Also made the stir fry Chinese potatoes with vinegar.  The potatoes turned out pretty good and it was relatively easy to make.

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We also cooked up some okra and green beans that we grew in our little planter.

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My wife bought a ginormous cantaloupe at a farmer's market a couple of weeks ago.  The melon wasn't very good so she turned half of it into cantaloupe jam/jelly.  This was the first time ever making jam/jelly.  I think she reduced it a little too much so it ended up being too thick.

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[Cheese]

We made our fricasse of brussel sprouts on the griddle.

Now that's funny, on Monday I also made brussel sprouts with bacon and served it with a piece of tenderloin. I blanched the sprouts first so they'd retain their green color.

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Then yesterday morning I scrambled some eggs, cut the remaining tenderloin into 1/4" squares and added it to the eggs. Absolutely delicious as the smokiness from the steak was added to the eggs. I'll definitely do that one again.

 

[GoingMyWay]

Looks great!  Did you cook the tenderloin on the grill?

 

[Cheese]

Looks great!  Did you cook the tenderloin on the grill?

Yup, the heat has finally subsided for the last couple of days so grilling outdoors it is.  [smile]  The sprouts were finished on the stove. I've also done sprouts in the oven on a sheet pan and they turned out good too. The only item there was that to get them to the correct crunchiness level, it takes some fooling around.

That's the reason I went to the blanching first and then finishing them on the stove/grill. It seems like it's easier to control the level of crunch. Carmelizing the surface is also easier.

 

[GoingMyWay]

We're too lazy to blanch first.  Sometimes we'll even use the food processor to slice the brussel sprouts.  That sure makes quick work of slicing them all up.

 

[Cheese]

[thumbs up]  It's that time of year when you can go out in the garden and pick fresh tomatoes and fresh basil.  [thumbs up]

A few days ago I put together the fixings for a fresh Caprese salad.  [cool]  I picked some sun warmed Cherokee Purple (heirloom) tomatoes and some fresh Genovese basil. I plated that up along side some locally made fresh mozzarella cheese and some fresh di Bufala (made with buffalo milk) mozzarella cheese along with some Boarshead prosciutto and a splash of good olive oil over the tomatoes & cheese and some flaky salt. I prefer the Boarshead over the di Parma version as it's a lot leaner cut.

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I was actually underwhelmed with the di Bufala mozzarella. I expected there would be a very large taste difference between the two cheeses considering there was a 4x difference in price.  The only detectable difference was one of texture. The buffalo milk version was more moist and that was about it. In this photo the local fresh is on the top while the di Bufala is on the bottom.

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[mwolczko]

At this time of year when the tomatoes are at their best I literally subsist on caprese salad, as in I eat it every day, for weeks.  My basic version has sliced tomatoes, a tiny amount of salt (one twist of the shaker), a drizzle of really good olive oil (Casolare is superb and inexpensive at World Market), a teaspoon of 18yr balsamic, and lots of fresh basil.  If I’m hungry I add a ball of burrata, which I much prefer over plain mozzarella.  Sometimes the store has truffle burrata which is even better.  Accompanied with a couple of slices of Acme Walnut Levain and I’m in heaven.

 

[Cheese]

At this time of year when the tomatoes are at their best I literally subsist on caprese salad, as in I eat it every day, for weeks.  My basic version has sliced tomatoes, a tiny amount of salt (one twist of the shaker), a drizzle of really good olive oil (Casolare is superb and inexpensive at World Market), a teaspoon of 18yr balsamic, and lots of fresh basil.  If I’m hungry I add a ball of burrata, which I much prefer over plain mozzarella.  Sometimes the store has truffle burrata which is even better.  Accompanied with a couple of slices of Acme Walnut Levain and I’m in heaven.

I've not tried the balsamic vinegar on Caprese but that would seem to be a welcome twist on this dish.  [big grin]  In the last couple of years I've landed on a local Balsamic Peach Vinegar that is absolutely astounding...it definitely warps your thoughts on traditional balsamic vinegar and forces your hand in trying new adaptations.

So, following your lead [member=3592]mwolczko[/member] I decided to reintroduce the Burrata to the mix. I love Burrata but as this Caprese salad is really just finger food, the cream center in the Burrata can become a mess.

In this meal all the ingredients were the same as before except for the substitution of Burrata for Bufalo milk mozzarella.

Very interesting...the basil I'm growing is rather long in the tooth, it was exemplary when I first harvested some in late June/early July. I've made some pesto with it and it's delicious. However, as time goes by, basil when eaten clean, by itself can become slightly bitter but if you're making pesto, with the addition of garlic, Regiano and pignoli, that bitterness is diminished. That's exactly what I experienced tonight, the Burrata diminished the bitterness of the older basil.

So again, the old light bulb goes on...Caprese when the basil is picked in its prime = fresh mozzarella. Caprese when basil is picked when it's long in the tooth =Burrata to soften the bitterness.

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Ya, I know what some of you carnivores are saying...it's just rabbit food. Hey, I'm the carnivore of all carnivores and this stuff is not only delicious but it's filling. Variety is the spice of life.  [smile]  Do yourself a favor now while the tomatoes & basil are fresh.

This same meal in the middle of winter using hot house tomatoes and hydroponic grown basil would not be a dinner winner.  [crying] [crying]

 

[GoingMyWay]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] your tomatoes look amazing!

Here's what we are having for dinner.

That looks good.  Is that a pork chop with carrots?

 

[Cheese]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] your tomatoes look amazing!

Thanks... [smile]...they taste amazing too. That old time fresh, home grown tomato taste. I think some BLT's will be on the menu for today or tomorrow.

Just had another thought, how about a pizza with them on top or how about a Caprese pizza with the fresh basil tucked between the fresh mozzarella and the Cherokee Purples?

 

[Cheese]

It's that time of the year...the peppers are ripe and the outside temps have cooled down, time for some stuffed peppers done in a slow cooker. Put the cooker on low and walk away for 5-6 hours.

The tops chopped up along with some thin bottom slices to keep the peppers stable.

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Brown the mild Italian sausage along with the pepper pieces.

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The peppers hollowed out.

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Thai basil along with some 10 mm  [wink]  cubes of whole milk mozzarella in the background.

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Italian sausage mixture + brown rice + Thai basil + mozzarella. Then the peppers are placed in the slow cooker.

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Chicken broth placed around the peppers and crushed San Marazano tomatoes poured over the top. Cover on low for 5-6 hours.

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Plated...with a sprig of Thai basil on top along with some fresh Reggiano...very nummy.

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[GoingMyWay]

Those are some nice looking peppers!  I've never try to make stuffed peppers before.  I like the idea of chopping up the tops of the peppers and incorporating them into the stuffing.  Also an interesting choice using Thai Basil.  We'll have to try making stuffed peppers sometime.

My wife made a few dishes over the weekend.

Udon Noodles with Vegetables and Wasabi.

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The noodles were supposed to be topped with a soft boiled Onsen egg, but that didn't come out as planned.  The Inaniwa Udon noodles were also very starchy.  I didn't like this dish much.

Octopus and a Cucumber and Salad with Wasabi Dressing.

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A yogurt cake.

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[Cheese]

Also an interesting choice using Thai Basil.  We'll have to try making stuffed peppers sometime.

The Thai basil has a stronger basil flavor that stands up well in spicy Asian dishes. It's just hard to find so we grow our own...it's also pretty with the purple flowers and purple tinged leaves.

Those udon noodles, were they fresh or home made? They look a lot better than the dry ones I use,  [sad]  they look pretty plumped up.

 

[bertv]

My wife made a few dishes over the weekend.

Udon Noodles with Vegetables and Wasabi.

The noodles were supposed to be topped with a soft boiled Onsen egg, but that didn't come out as planned.  The Inaniwa Udon noodles were also very starchy.  I didn't like this dish much.

Udon noodles are more suited for soups and broths. Although I do use them in wok dishes b/c the ready to use udon noodles are so convenient. But I make those dishes a bit more 'wet'… : )

 

[GoingMyWay]

Those udon noodles, were they fresh or home made? They look a lot better than the dry ones I use,  [sad]  they look pretty plumped up.

They were actually dried udon noodles.

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They were very expensive - $6.99 for this little package.  I'd never heard of them before, but it seems like Inaniwa udon are a special type.  We usually use the thicker frozen Sanukiya udon noodles.  She made the dish again on Monday with a different kind of Udon noodles.  This time it was Inaka udon.  It was cheaper than the Inaniwa , but it seemed about the same to me.

Udon noodles are more suited for soups and broths. Although I do use them in wok dishes b/c the ready to use udon noodles are so convenient. But I make those dishes a bit more 'wet'… : )

This was more like a linguine noodle.  I'm more used to and prefer the thick udon noodles.  I really like a nice udon noodle soup.  That is one of my favorites that we buy at the asian grocery store in the refrigerated section.

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[GoingMyWay]

Last night I made another sous vide spatchcocked chicken.  Cooked from frozen for 6 hours at 150F.  This time I finished it on the grill with 2 hickory chunks and some mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and what used to be purple okra (the okra lost its color like [member=44099]Cheese[/member] was mentioning with his purple green beans).

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[notenoughcash]

now that chicken had my gastronomic juices going.  that looks absoulutly mega [big grin]

tonight i am having hash brown bake. [tongue] [tongue] [tongue] [tongue]

 

[GoingMyWay]

Thanks!  It looked good better than it tasted.  It could have used more seasoning.

Hope to see pictures of your hash brown bake.

 

[notenoughcash]

ummmm [unsure]

too late

gone!

 

[GoingMyWay]

Too bad there were no pictures.  Maybe next time  .

Last night we made a German style goulash with beer and potatoes.  Served it with homemade spatzle and braised red cabbage and a pretzel roll I bought at Lidl.

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