Harissa

It’s 109 degrees in the shade and being a born and bred Southern girl, I don’t do heat.

I do air conditioning very well.

So why in the world during the hottest summer I can remember do I want to make Harissa?

You know Harissa, the North African condiment which sometimes can be so hot, you turn a totally unappetizing shade of red at the dinner table.

Bobby Flay made me want to make Harissa, that’s why.

And I’m so glad he did.

You have options on how hot you want it. You also have options whether you wish to make a paste or more of a thick sauce. I opted for the sauce.

And as a topping for grilled wild sockeye salmon or roasted chicken with chickpeas or grilled flank steak with a splat of Harissa and Tzatziki rolled in pita bread…mmm mmm mmm.

I roasted tomatoes and garlic and red bell peppers to perfection, toasted crushed red pepper flakes, caraway seeds and cumin seeds and coriander seed and threw it all in the blender. Aged sherry vinegar and dash of honey..

Just the right blend of spice and heat to make whatever you’re eating just that much better.

Without sacrificing your good looks at the dinner table.

Harissa
Adapted from Bobby Flay’s Grill It by Bobby Flay

3 fat cloves garlic
1-½ tsp crushed hot red pepper flakes
2 large red bell peppers, cut in half, remove seeds
2 small tomatoes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
A couple of dashes aged sherry vinegar
1 tsp honey
A quick swirl of extra virgin olive oil

Roast the pepper, tomatoes, and garlic at 400 degrees until done. I did this in a toaster oven and it worked beautifully. Plan on about 20 minutes until garlic is soft.

Toast the cumin seeds, caraway seeds, coriander seeds and crushed pepper flakes in a small dry skillet until the spices are fragrant, about five minutes over medium high heat.

Put the roasted veggies in a blender and chop. Add spices and keep the blender going. Add the sherry vinegar and the honey and a quick swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Makes about a cup and a half.

Click here for a printable recipe!

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Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Harissa

A Divine Tomato Tart

We grew tomatoes at the Red Brick Ranchero for years. The best was Rose de Berne, a wondrous heirloom.

Then our dirt decided to turn on us and we couldn’t grow a cucumber.

Seriously.

So we took that as a sign from above and decided to leave the tomato growing to the people that know how to do it.

Recently, our favorite “veggies in the summer” guy, Kenny, has had these outrageous Amish grown Better Boy tomatoes.

At least I think they’re Better Boys.

I was swooning and making happy noises while he was telling me what kind they were.

In other words, not listening.

Whatever they are, they shine in this Divine Tomato Tart. It owes a lot to Chuck Hughes ( who is absolutely outrageous and why didn't I know about him before now), nothing at all to Paula Deen, other than butter is used in the process, and a whole lot to the pig, who makes it’s presence known in the form of crisped prosciutto sprinkled on the top with fresh basil right before serving.

A phyllo crust brushed with Dijon and topped with Manchego cheese, a dusting of fresh thyme on thickly sliced tomatoes and some grape tomatoes (because someone who shall remain nameless ate a tomato designated for the tart without permission) round out the ingredients.

This tart is as easy as pie (couldn't resist!) and works wonderfully with a bit of fresh arugula…I’m seriously into arugula this summer…a piece of grilled chicken on the side, or even out of hand a la Nigella late in the evening.

Feeding Groom’s Divine Tomato Tart
Adapted from Chuck’s Day Off

1 package phyllo, thawed
1 stick butter, melted
2 large Better Boy tomatoes, sliced about ½ inch thick
1 cup grated Manchego cheese
Dijon mustard
Three to four sprigs fresh thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 pieces prosciutto, diced and sautéed til crisp
A few fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a bit of Pam in a 12 inch quiche dish. Start layering phyllo dough, overlapping the sheets, around the dish. Brush with melted butter. Continue to layer and brush with butter til you have used all the sheets. Be sure to let phyllo overlap the top and brush that with butter as well. Then brush what will be the bottom of the tart with a tablespoon or two of Dijon mustard.

Sprinkle the grated cheese over the tart and then add the tomatoes. If you have glaring holes that need tomatoes, add halved grape tomatoes to fill in the gaps.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper and the fresh thyme leaves that you have stripped from the stems.

Pop it in the oven and let bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the prosciutto and the fresh basil. Look at the picture, can you tell which side I used to take it out of the oven?

Serves 4 generously as main course.
Serves 5 as side dish.

Click here for a printable recipe!

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A Divine Tomato Tart

Sunday Shrimp

Just because you don’t blog all the time doesn’t mean you don’t think about it.

You think about it constantly and wonder what the hell happened to your muse.

Did he run off to live with some other person who thinks they have lots to say about food?

Or is he just being fickle and testing you to see if you are as serious about food as you say you are.

Whatever it is, there has been a lack o’ muse around the Red Brick Ranchero for a couple of months, but I think it’s safe to say that there is light at the end of the tunnel..

Check out this faboo shrimp dish that is fast, easy and full of flavor.

Garlic flavor. Sundried tomato flavor. Italian parsley flavor.

Brine the shrimp. Throw it in a searingly hot cast iron pan with a dab of extra virgin olive oil and you’ve got something special.

Toss with spicy arugula and you’ve got a supper that will, in the Feeding Groom world, make you want to call someone and tell them how good it is, but we all know what your mama told you about talking with your mouth full.

Sunday Shrimp
Adapted from The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

1 pound 21-25 shrimp, peeled, tail on
1 large lemon, cut into 8 wedges
4 fat cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
¼ cup pine nuts
3 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
6 julienned sundried tomatoes preserved in oil, give a quick rinse
A good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Put the shrimp in a large bowl and cover with 4 cups cold water and add 2 tbsp coarse salt.
Put in fridge and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Then rinse well, pat dry and put in a large bowl with the sundried tomatoes, chopped Italian parsley and a good swirl extra virgin olive oil
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Heat a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil in a large cast iron skillet.
Add the chopped garlic to the pan and let cook about five minutes, until the garlic gets golden and remove from the pan. Add the pine nuts to the pan and let saute til golden about five minutes. Remove from the pan.

In a large bowl , toss the shrimp with the chopped parsley, a bit more extra virgin olive oil , the sundried tomatoes. Raise the heat under the pan to medium high. When the olive oil looks wavy add the shrimp to the hot pan with the toasted garlic and pine nuts and cook til the shrimp turn pink. It won’t take long!
Add the lemon wedges and toss well.

Serves 3 generously.
This is wonderful with fresh arugula dressed with a zesty lemon vinaigrette.

Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Sunday Shrimp

Fennel and Celery Slaw with Orange, Cumin and Chilies

Fennel slaw.

Intriguing and not at all what you would think it would be.
Especially when you only have one fennel bulb.

And you realize fennel’s best friend is celery.
And there’s a plethora of the celery in the fridge.

A little bit of orange zest, crushed fennel seeds, ground cumin, hot red pepper flakes and minced garlic.

Let this baby sit a bit and it gets a mind of its own.

Spicy, peppery, fragrant and so damn good with a piece of grilled chicken marinated in fresh lime juice.

Dare I say it?

Big Fat Yum!!!

Fennel and Celery Slaw with Orange, Cumin and Chilies
Adapted from Molly O’Neill’s A Well Seasoned Appetite

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and julienned
1 large cup thinly sliced celery
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
Good pinch crushed hot red pepper flakes
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 small clove garlic, smashed and minced
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine fennel and celery in big bowl. Combine fennel seeds, cumin and crushed red pepper flakes in small bowl and add to fennel and celery and toss. Whisk together the orange zest, garlic, fresh lemon and orange juices. Add a couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil and season to taste with the coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add to the fennel and celery and toss til well coated. Let sit for an hour at room temperature.
The original recipe calls for chopping ¼ cup of fresh fennel fronds and adding to the salad prior to serving.
I forgot. I’m sure it would be divine. Also you can do this recipe with 3 medium fennel bulbs and leave out the celery. Up to you!

Serves 3.

Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Fennel and Celery Slaw with Orange, Cumin and Chilies

Feeding Groom's Grilled Lobster Provencal

One of the truly great party weekends in Nashville is just around the corner.

The Iroquois Steeplechase.

Visualize yourself on a beautiful sunny day, dressed up in the cutest dress, a faboo hat and totally inappropriate shoes hiking several miles to your box where you’ll spend a delightful afternoon watching horses fling themselves around a track and people slowly turn the color of lobsters.

Which brings me to my subject.

Lunch.

You’ve delegated beverage, nibble and dessert duty to fellow box members. It’s up to you to bring it on and blow them away with the main course.
.
Enter a cold grilled lobster with a knock out baby new potato and haricot verts salad .A divine Dijon vinaigrette, a few toasted pine nuts, Kalamata olives just add to the total outrageousness of this meal. if you don’t want to deal with the shell, make the salad, put it on some mixed baby romaine and top with the chopped grilled lobster and fresh basil. Add a few lemon wedges for a quick squeeze on top and you’ve got one hell of a lunch.

Party on!


Feeding Groom’s Grilled Lobster Provencal

Dressing:

3 tbs Champagne vinegar
1 tsp minced shallot
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ cup roasted garlic olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the champagne vinegar, shallot and mustard in small bowl. Slowly drizzle the oil into the bowl as you whisk until the dressing emulsifies. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

The Lobster Tails:

Preheat your grill to high if gas, or get the charcoal going.

2 large lobster tails
Roasted garlic olive oil for brushing

Salad:

1 pound baby new potatoes, cooked until just tender, cut in half
½ pound haricots verts, also known as French green beans, blanched
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted
6 perfectly ripe small tomatoes, quartered ( grape tomatoes work well)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a dab of olive oil. Add lobster tails and cook for six minutes at the boil. Drain and when cool enough to handle, take a pair of kitchen scissors and cut right down the middle of the flesh side of the lobster. Don’t cut all the way through. Clean the hard shell off the flesh side and with the scissors, cut to expose the flesh so it will grill evenly.


When your fire is ready, brush the lobster tails with the roasted garlic olive oil and cook 3 minutes a side.
Remove the flesh from the lobster tail and chop in bite sized pieces. Toss with a bit of roasted garlic oil and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Combine salad ingredients, toss with dressing to taste.

Fill the lobster tail with the chopped lobster. Arrange salad next to the lobster and sprinkle with the fresh basil.

Serves 2.

Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Feeding Groom's Grilled Lobster Provencal

Mediterranean Scallops

Talk about a dish that will brighten up your dinner plate.

This is it.

Adapted from the always amazing Molly O’Neill’s A Well Seasoned Appetite, this dish has all the ingredients to transport you on a mental vacation to the Mediterranean .

Saffron, orange, basil, rosemary.

Throw in a few choice scallops, Nicoise olives and the freshest tomatoes you can find.

Pasta, if you like.

It’s travel in a bite.


Mediterranean Scallops
Adapted from Molly O’Neill’s A Well Seasoned Appetite

A couple of swirls extra virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, minced
1 spoonful garlic confit ( or a couple of fat garlic cloves, chopped)
1 cup dry white wine
1 large pinch saffron
6 -8 of the ripest Campari tomatoes, quartered
½ cup oil cured olives, pitted
½ fresh orange, zested
2 medium springs fresh rosemary, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 large basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
A good splash aged sherry vinegar
1 pound fresh scallops
Enough cooked pasta (linguine or fettuccine) for 2 (optional)

Put a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet and heat til the oil is wavy. Add the minced shallots and garlic and maintain a medium low heat. Cook until the shallots are tender. Add the wine , saffron and raise the heat to medium high and saute stirring, until the mixture is reduced to about ¼ cup.
Add half the tomatoes, olives, orange zest, rosemary and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat back to medium low and cook, stirring frequently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Combine remaining tomatoes, fresh basil, sherry vinegar and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper in a glass bowl and set aside to marinate while you finish the dish.

Add the scallops to the skillet with the sauce and cook, about 5-7 minutes, until the scallops are cooked through.

This is faboo with or without the addition of the pasta.

Top the dish with the marinated tomato salad and serve.

Serves 3 generously.

Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Mediterranean Scallops

Butternut Squash with Fresh Ginger, Two Peppers and Fresh Basil

Side dishes.

Sometimes they can be such a bother.

And boring.

Don’t want to steam asparagus AGAIN?

Tired of the same old potato routine ?

Do you like garlic and shallots and red bell peppers ?

Don’t mind a bit of jalapeno?

Is fresh ginger a favorite?

Ready for the bright taste of fresh basil and a blast of lime?

Hmmmm?

Got it.


Butternut Squash with Ginger, Two Peppers and Fresh Basil
Adapted from The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper

1 large butternut squash, cut in half. Peel one half and refrigerate the other.
Coarse salt
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
A large knob of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced and then the slices cut into matchsticks
1 large spoonful garlic confit, smashed (or just a few fat garlic cloves, sliced)
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
½ large red bell pepper, sliced thin
½ large jalapeno, seeded and sliced thin
2 scallions, sliced on diagonal
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
About ½ cup chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut the peeled squash half in half again and slice ¼ inch pieces.
Add to the boiling water and cook at the boil for 10 minutes.
Drain.

In a large skillet over medium high heat add a couple of good swirls of extra virgin olive oil. When oil is wavy , add the ginger, garlic, peppers, scallions, shallots and season with the coarse salt and grind some black pepper in. Cook for a few minutes, stirring. Cover skillet and turn heat down to medium and cook for between 5-8 minutes.

Add the fresh basil and cook for just a bit. Remove from heat, season and squeeze the lime juice over and serve.

Serves 2 generously.

Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Butternut Squash with Fresh Ginger, Two Peppers and Fresh Basil

Pollo al Mattone

Hello dahlinks!

Yes, it’s me. Back from the winter doldrums and lack of inspiration in the kitchen to wow you with a bit of music and food.

I know, you’re looking at this lovely foil covered brick and thinking, ho hum, cheap but effective kitchen tool.

Well, yes it is. And it’s nothing new. People have been cooking under bricks for years.

But…if you’re like me, you’ve had some success with bricks and chickens.

Maybe not together as much now that I think about it.

Chicken did not cook evenly.

You dropped said brick and chick on floor and had to renovate the kitchen.

The there is the backbone removal aka butterfly-ing said bird. It works for a chicken, sure. A turkey…not one that weighs over 18 pounds. We won‘t go into Thanksgiving 2009 again.

How’s about a Cornish Game Hen?

Hell, yes.

Bring on the little birdies.

I have mastered the removal of said backbone and can cook two, count ‘em, two game hens at the same time in the same pan under one brick and one skillet.

Pollo al Mattone for two, thank you very much.

I owe it all to Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, truly one of the funnier, more laid back and inspiring cooking shows I have seen.

Anne Burrell makes this dish look easy and when you do it, it is. And using the GH (aka Game Hen) in this dish is her idea.

Brilliant!

If you haven’t had one in a long time, Cornish game hen is delish. It’s made for the people that love chicken thighs, and in case you haven’t noticed I am the self proclaimed Queen of the Chick Thigh.

So get out your sharp knife.
Flatten the little suckers.
Tie their little legs together.
Give them a massage in the pimenton and toasted cumin paste, let them sit and think at least a couple of hours and break out the brick.

Crank up The Commodores as you take your pans and brick out of the oven and make the quick sauce to top this perfect every time dinner.

And you dance a bit.

Because you can.

Pollo Al Mattone aka Brick House Game Hens
Adapted from a recipe courtesy of Anne Burrell


4 fat cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 springs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped or 1 tbsp dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 tsp smoked pimenton
1 -½ tsp toasted ground cumin
2 Cornish game hens, butterflied, backbone and wing tips removed, legs tied with kitchen string, remembering to remove it prior to picture taking
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry white wine
¾ cup roasted chicken stock
1 tbsp butter

Wrap a brick in aluminum foil.

Combine garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest and lemon juice, rosemary, pimenton and cumin. Add a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil until mixture becomes a paste. Place the game hens in large bowl, add the spice mixture to the bowl and massage the hens with the spice mixture. Let marinate for 12 to 24 hours in the fridge OR at room temperature for 2 hours.

If you do refrigerate the hens, take them out about 45 minutes ahead of time to let come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400*.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and turn heat on high. Season the game hens with salt and pepper. When the oil gets that wavy look, lay the marinated game hens in the pan skin side down. Oil the bottom of another large saute pan, lay it on top of the game hens and place the brick in the second saute pan. Cook the game hens until skin starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Put the pans (as Anne says “the whole shootin’ match) in the preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the pans from the oven and remove the brick and the top pan. At this point the skin should be lovely and dark brown. Check the game hens for doneness. It should be cooked through.

Put pan over medium high heat and add the white wine. Cook over high heat until the wine has reduced by more than half. Add the chicken stock, season with salt and reduce by half. Add butter if you like. Spoon juices over the game hens and serve.

Serves 2.

Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Pollo al Mattone

Claudia's Baked Ziti

Describing food can be so challenging at times.

Yeah, yeah talk about depth of flavor, ease of preparation.
How the meatiness of something tickles the fancy of something else in the dish and it all comes together in one big explosion…your taste buds are flipping out…

Whatever.

Well, as far as this Baked Ziti goes, it has all of the above but why bother when one word describes it.

Outstanding.


This recipe is from a dear friend who is new to the blogging world and has taken on Beard on Bread by James Beard and is baking her way through it.

Check her out here.

And check out those fabulous bowls the bread is rising in.

Her husband is a potter extraordinaire.

Check him out here.

And then start your ziti.


Claudia’s Baked Ziti
With a bit of adaptation by me

1 lb. ziti (cook as directed on package, drain)
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage , removed from casing
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 C parmesan reggiano, cheese
2 eggs
6 fat garlic cloves, chopped
I large yellow onion, chopped
½ large fennel bulb, chopped
A couple of dashes crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped for garnish
28 oz. plum tomatoes
½ cup red wine


Preheat oven to 375.

Combine eggs, ricotta and parmesan.

In a large skillet, heat a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil til wavy. Add the Italian sausage and cook until brown. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towel to drain. Add onion, crushed red pepper flakes and fennel to the pan and cook til golden. Add the garlic and cook about five minutes. Add red wine and let cook down to half and then add tomatoes. Cook for about 30 minutes until reduced, thick and yummy. Add the cooked Italian sausage and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Layer into lasagna pan starting with sausage and tomato sauce, then cooked ziti, parmesan mix and mozzarella. Repeat using up all ingredients and ending with sauce and top that with mozzarella.

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Bake covered for 1 hour, uncover last 10 minutes to brown top a little. Sprinkle chopped Italian parsley on top for garnish and enjoy.

Serves 6 generously.

Click here for a printable recipe.

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Claudia's Baked Ziti

Shrimp and White Bean Stew with Braised Broccoli Rabe

Cold weather?
Check.
Roaring fire?
Check.
Candles lit?
Spicy shrimp and white bean stew simmering on the stove?
Broccoli rabe braised?
Check.
Check.
Check.
Wine glasses refilled?
Big fat check!
Eat!


Shrimp and White Bean Stew with Braised Broccoli Rabe
Adapted from Joyce Goldstein's Kitchen Conversations

1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
8 fat cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 small bay leaves
Two good shakes crushed red pepper flakes
8 whole canned San Marzano tomatoes, chopped coarsely
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 - ½ cups seafood stock if you have it, if not roasted chicken stock works just fine
½ cup dry white wine
18 large shrimp, peeled, tail on
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil. When oil is wavy, add the onion and saute for 10 minutes until golden, monitoring the heat so the onion doesn’t brown too much. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and bay leaves. Stir and let cook five minutes. Add the drained white beans and tomatoes. Reduce heat to simmer and cook about 20 minutes. Add the wine and stock and bring up to a good simmer. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the shrimp and cook, covered, until shrimp are done, about six minutes.

Stir in fresh Italian parsley before serving. Use fresh cilantro if not serving the Broccoli Rabe.

Braised Broccoli Rabe

1 good sized bunch broccoli rabe, washed and chopped
4 fat cloves garlic, smashed
2 large anchovy fillets
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook for 10 minutes. Drain well and squeeze water out .
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil. While that’s heating, chop the garlic and the anchovies together. Add to pan when oil is wavy and a shake or two of crushed hot red pepper flakes. Cook a couple of minutes and add the broccoli rabe. Saute five more minutes and serve.

Can put in middle of bowl of Shrimp and White bean Stew and ladle stew over top.

Serves 3 generously.

Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Shrimp and White Bean Stew with Braised Broccoli Rabe

Rigatoni with Lamb Sauce, Fresh Tomatoes and Mint

Fresh tomatoes and mint.

In the dead of winter.

Well, why the hell not?

If you’re hungry and you happen to have all the ingredients to a divine dinner, are you going to punish yourself because it might not be the “correct” time to eat something. The Food Police need to lighten up a bit.

The wonderful Campari tomatoes on the vine work great for this. And fresh mint is not hard to come by.

Combine with a simple saute of ground lamb, onions, fat garlic cloves and spicy fresh ginger and you’ve got a quick meal that will knock your socks off.

And offer hopes of warm weather during an Arctic freeze.


Rigatoni with Lamb Sauce, Fresh Tomatoes and Mint
Adapted from Patricia Wells’ The Provence Cookbook

2 onions, peeled and diced
1 large spoonful garlic confit or 6 fat garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
A couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
A good inch of fresh ginger, peeled and cut in small pieces
A couple of good shakes crushed red pepper flakes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound ground lamb
A good hand of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
A good pinch dried mint
1-1-2 cups dry white wine
6 Campari tomatoes, cut in quarters
A good handful fresh mint, chopped
Cook enough rigatoni for three people
Pecorino Romano cheese , grated, to pass

Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add a couple of good swirls extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is shimmery, add onions, garlic and season with coarse salt. Stir, cover and cook over low heat until soft, about three minutes.

Throw the carrots, celery, ginger and hot pepper flakes in the food processor. Pulse a couple of times and put in pan with the onions and garlic mix. Cook until soft. Add the lamb and cook until it’s no longer pink. Add parsley, dried mint and white wine and bring to a boil. The reduce the heat and let it rock til the wine has evaporated. Patricia says that should take about five minutes.

Put the Campari tomatoes, fresh mint and a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

At this point, when the pasta is done, drain and add immediately to the skillet. Toss together and then cover and let it sit for a couple of minutes and then taste for seasoning.

Serve with the Campari tomato and mint salad on top and a good grating of the Pecorino Romano cheese.

Pure bliss.


Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Two Years Ago on Feeding Groom

Rigatoni with Lamb Sauce, Fresh Tomatoes and Mint