Every so often, I forget that I have grape tomatoes in the refrigerator and then when I remember and check them out, they no longer look cute enough for a salad. When that happens, I roast them with garlic and rosemary.  This has turned out to be a great way to salvage any tomatoes before their skin starts to shrivel. Hot, I find these roasted tomatoes to be a nice complement to grilled fish or chicken, but I also eat them at room temperature with bread. Sometimes, I store leftovers in a small container and cover with olive oil. This holds up well in the fridge for a week.

ROASTED GRAPE TOMATOES
1 container (1 lb) grape tomatoes
3 garlic cloves smashed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the tomatoes in a glass baking dish.

Add the garlic, olive oil, salt, sugar, rosemary and fresh cracked pepper.

Toss to coat evenly.

Roast  for approximately 10 minutes until tomatoes start to burst.

Add a basil chifonnade if you wish.

Enjoy hot or at room temperature.

There’s nothing like a big, fat and juicy steak to crank up the temperature during these cold winter days. You may argue that steak is not a thrifty food item, but there’s nothing wrong with splurging a little from time to time. That said, there are plenty of economical ways to enjoy a steak dinner. Hanger, skirt and flank steaks are reasonably priced cuts of meat that are highly prized for their flavor. Today, I’m making a bone-in rib eye, which is clearly not the cheapest, but it is delectably juicy, tender and flavorsome. I like to buy mine bone-in because the bone packs some extra flavor, which intensifies the deliciousness. You can buy whichever steak tickles your fancy as long as you buy quality meat. And by that, I mean no prepackaged grocery store meat. Locate the nearest butcher and get fresh meat that has been handled with the proper amount of TLC. Using the best products will yield the best results. Good meat only needs salt and pepper.

PAN SEARED RIB EYE
1 bone-in rib eye steak
1 tbsp oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

The key to making the perfect steak is starting with a piece of meat that has been brought to room temperature. No cold meat please.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Coat the steak lightly with oil and season both sides with salt and black pepper to taste.

Heat up an empty pan (preferably cast iron) to the smoking point.

Place steak in the middle of the pan and cook for 45 seconds without moving it. Turn the steak and cook for 45 additional seconds.

Continue cooking in the oven for 1-2 minutes. Flip the steak and cook for 1-2 additional minutes. This will get you a medium rare steak. Add an additional minute on each side for medium.

Remove the steak from the pan and rest for 2 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute.

Slice and serve with a side of green pea puree. There you have it: an easy winter steak dinner.

Is it only me or did winter just creep up on us? I mean 40 something degrees in mid-October… Really? Clearly, this means salad season is over. Bad news for calorie watchers? Maybe not. With a little creativity, everything can be revisited. After all, there’s no law stating that all salads are to be eaten cold. When I was a kid, my mom used to make a warm salad of wilted cabbage tossed with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Believe it or not, this was one of my favorite salads.

So, when I inherited a red cabbage head from my mom’s last visit, I knew exactly what to do with it – resurrect one of my childhood’s faves.

WILTED RED CABBAGE SALAD

1 medium red cabbage shredded
1/4 cup sherry or balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 shallot minced
1 garlic clove crushed
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Salt
Pepper

In a skillet, heat the olive and saute the shallot until translucent. Add the garlic followed by the shredded cabbage. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the sugar (optional).  Toss well and saute until slightly wilted.

Add the vinegar, reduce the flame to medium, cover and cook for about 25 minutes until the cabbage is tender, but still has a bite to it. 5 minutes before the dish is ready, add the mustard and toss well.

Serve warm.

THRIFTY TIP: When cooking red cabbage, always add some form of acid to the cooking process otherwise the cabbage will  turn blueish.

When people ask me what type of eater I am, I generally respond that I’m carnivore. Meat has occupied the front seat in my diet since I don’t remember when. But lately, I’ve tried to cut back and eat more vegetables. Every time I read Rachel’s posts, I realize how little I eat veggies.

I went to Trader Joe’s the other day and picked up a bag of confetti potatoes. I’m ashamed to say this, but I had no idea what confetti potatoes were until I saw a bag of multi-colored potatoes.  They looked pretty so I went ahead and bought them. The bag had blue (maybe purple), red and yellow potatoes. Talk about diversity. It was like a UN meeting for potatoes.

I have to study for test I’m taking at the end of the month so I can’t spend too much in the kitchen these days. I try to keep everything I make quick and easy. All I did with these potatoes was quarter them, then roast them with rosemary and minced garlic. The finished dish was not only colorful, but also delicious and fun to eat.

ROASTED CONFETTI POTATOES

1 small bag (3/4 lbs) confetti potatoes - $2.99
3 tbsp olive oil – Pantry
Kosher salt – Pantry
Freshly ground black pepper – Pantry
2 garlic cloves minced - $0.10
1 tablespoon dried rosemary – $0.15

Serves 3 for $3.24

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes into quarters and place them in a baking dish.

Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary until the potatoes are well coated.

Roast at 400 degrees F for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are browned and crisp. Flip two to three times to ensure even browning.

Bon appetit!

When the weather reaches 90+ degrees, as it did in the past few days, there isn’t a recipe good enough to get me anywhere near the stove. I stick to simple dishes that require no cooking like salads, cold soups, and sandwiches.

I had a pint of grape tomatoes that I intended to use in a roasted tomato salsa to go with some cod en papillote. But that plan went down the drain as soon as the weather thermometer registered 90 degrees. I made a grape tomato salad instead.

GRAPE TOMATO SALAD

1 pint grape tomatoes - $2.99
3 tbspoon olive oil - Pantry
1 tbspoon balsamic vinegar - Pantry
Fleur de sel or Kosher salt - Pantry
Black pepper - Pantry

Serves 4 for $2.99

Quite frankly, nothing says summer better than vibrant red tomatoes whose flavor peaks during this season. I simply halved the tomatoes and tossed them with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pepper and finished with a sprinkle of fleur de sel. As you can see, this is not really a structured recipe, it was freestyling more than anything else. Feel free to adjust the taste and acidity as you go.

Serve with french bread.

I’m not typically a fan of creamy sauces — I find fettuccine alfredo way too rich. But in thinking up a way to use the lovely corn I got from the Grand Army Plaza farmer’s market on Saturday, I thought a creamy basil sauce with corn sounded nice. And it was! The sauce was not overly thick, and the main texture takeaway was the crispy, sweet corn. The best part about this dish is that besides the prep of chopping, the actual cooking time is just about 10 minutes, so no slaving over a hot stove in summer. I had mine over a bed of arugula dressed with just a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Tangy!

I also want to point out that this is a meal packed with summer flavor, and a great vegetarian main dish. You could always add meat to this, but really, when the flavors are so pure and fresh, why would you?

Linguine with Basil Cream Sauce and Corn

Serves 4

1 lb. linguine
1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. basil, chopped
2 ears of corn, kernels removed from cobs
zest of one lemon
1 T. butter
2/3 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. grated parmigiano reggiano
salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water, heavily salted, to boil.

Meanwhile, add the butter to a saute pan or medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the cream and wine and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.

Add the pasta to the water and cook until al dente. Drain.

Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes or until it has reduced and thickened somewhat. Add the corn and simmer for an additional 3 minutes, stirring. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the cheese and basil, stirring to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta back to the pot you cooked it in and then pour the sauce over top, tossing to coat evenly. Serve immediately. The corn will fall to the bottom a bit, so be sure to scoop some of it up on top of the pasta!

What’s more beautiful this time of year than a basket of heirloom cherry tomatoes? I couldn’t resist the multi-colored tiny tomatoes at the farmer’s market, all purple and red and yellow, and at $4 for a basket, they were less expensive than some of the heirloom monsters you see dominating the stands.

I based my recipe off of this one I found on epicurious, for a tomato and goat cheese tart with cornmeal crust. The cornmeal in the crust gives it a nice crunch, and the flavor pairs well with the goat cheese. I had a single onion that had been hanging out awhile, and before it went bad, I decided to caramelize it and throw it into the mix, along with part of a zucchini I’d also gotten from the market. The result was very decadent — this recipe has a lot of butter — but perfect alongside a light salad in place of a more banal quiche. This tart would be perfect to serve to company. Pretty and delicious!

Tomato Goat Cheese Tart (adapted from epicurious)

For crust:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter
1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. yellow cornmeal
1 t. salt
3 T. ice water
pie weights or raw rice for weighting crust

For custard:

3 T.  chopped fresh sage
7 oz. mild soft goat cheese, softened
1/2 stick (4 T.) unsalted butter, well softened
1/2 c. sour cream
2 large eggs

1 pint vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 small zucchini, thinly sliced

Make crust:
Cut butter into pieces.

In a food processor pulse together flour, cornmeal, and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water and pulse until incorporated and mixture just forms a dough. Press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of a 10 1/2- by 7- by 1-inch rectangular tart pan (or a 10″  by 1″ deep round tart pan) with a removable fluted rim and trim dough flush with rim. Chill crust about 20 minutes, or until firm.

While crust is chilling, preheat oven to 375°F.

Line crust with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake crust in lower third of oven until edge is set, 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights or rice and bake crust 5 – 10 minutes more, or until just dry. Leave oven on and cool crust in pan on a rack (crust may crack slightly). Crust may be made 1 day ahead and kept, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Caramelize onions:
Place onion in a dry pan over medium-high heat and cover. Let the onions sweat in the pan. They will begin to brown. Stir every few minutes and remove lid when the onions have released their liquid and have become dry. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil, stir, and continue to cook until well caramelized. Lightly salt and let cool.

Make custard:
Chop sage. In a bowl whisk together sage and remaining custard ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Scatter the cooled onions evenly over the bottom of the crust. Pour custard into crust, spreading evenly. Halve tomatoes and arrange, cut sides up, in one layer on custard along with zucchini rounds, pressing lightly into custard. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and bake tart in lower third of oven until custard is just set, about 30 – 35 minutes. Cool tart to warm before serving so it can set up. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Some of my favorite foods are now available at farmers markets: spicy garlic scapes, burning hot peppers, juicy apricots, succulent greens. I have been so excited about the beautiful and colorful flora now available that I often find that the produce I bring home is a mishmash of vegetables and fruits that don’t necessarily compliment one  another; I tend to buy what looks beautiful without a thought to the dishes that I can create with my purchases.

The other night, after a long day at work, I found myself staring blankly into my refrigerator and too tired to go to a restaurant or to head to the grocery store. That aforementioned motley assortment of flavors — a massive amount of peaches and apricots, basil, spring onions, jalapenos, and tortilla chips — was all I had. This could mean only one thing: fruit salsa. I chopped and seasoned and wound up with a sweet, light, and piquant dip — a perfect compliment to any sticky summer evening.

Spicy Stone Fruit Salsa
Serves 4

1 yellow peach
1 white peach
1 apricot
1 small white spring onion
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup basil
1/2 lime
salt to taste

Dice the peaches and apricots into small chunks and place in a large bowl. Finely slice the spring onion, mince the jalapeno, and then add both to the fruit.

Tear basil into small pieces and add to the fruit mixture. Squeeze the juice of a 1/2 lime over the salsa. Mix ingredients thoroughly together, then salt to taste.

Place in refrigerator and let sit for 1/2 hour to let the flavors meld.

Serve with tortilla chips, or as a topping for fresh fish or scallops. Salsa keeps well for three days stored in an air tight container and refrigerated.

Salads in the summer are the best. Very little (if any) stovetop time required and usually very speedy, salads are pretty much the most versatile category of food out there. Hence Mark Bittman’s inspirational list of 101 salads in the New York Times this week! I’ll admit, I was influenced by his run-down (I still have a fig, blue cheese, bacon and balsamic salad on my list to make!) and originally planned to do a trio of salads. Instead I settled for a duo, and added some veggie sausage on the side for more heft.

My first salad is really more of a guacamole than a salad, but I guess that depends on how you choose to define salad. I made my own twist here, but I stole Mark’s idea to serve it in the hollowed-out shell of the avacado. Cute!

Avocado Jicama Salad
Serves 3 – 4 as a side

2 avocados, halved, flesh scooped out and cubed
1/2 large tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 red onion, finely minced
1/2 c. diced jicama
2 T. prepared tomatillo salsa (make your own or use purchased salsa)
juice of 1/2 lime
salt to taste

Stir all the ingredients together to incorporate well. Chill until ready to serve. Save avocado shells and serve with the salad heaped inside. Could that be any easier??

The second salad is a warm corn and bean salad. It would be great atop grilled meat or fish, or as a barbecue potluck dish.

Corn and Black Bean Salad
Serves 3 – 4 as a side

3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs
1 can black beans
1/4 c. crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco (in a pinch, feta will work)
2 scallions, white and light green parts chopped
2 dashes hot sauce
salt to taste
1/4 t. cumin
juice of 1/2 lime

Add a bit of oil to a non-stick pan over medium heat, and add the corn. Saute for 2 – 3 minutes, and add the black beans. Stir until the beans are heated through and add the hot sauce, cumin, and salt to taste. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Add the scallions, lime juice, and cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.

After reading my duck confit post, a few people wanted to know what pommes de terre sarladaises were and whether I could share the recipe.

In French, Pommes de terre sarladaises means potatoes from Sarlat, a small town located in the southwestern region of France called The Perigord. This region also known as the foie gras capital of the world is famed for its comfort cuisine and its duck and goose specialties.

As you probably guessed by now, sarladaises are the potatoes I served alongside my duck confit. Though the name sounds fancy, the recipe is way easier than you can imagine. Sarladaises are simply garlic-y potatoes cooked in duck fat and finished with chopped parsley.

Ingredients
4 starchy potatoes (russet or idaho)
2 tablespoons of duck fat
2 garlic cloves minced
Chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick round slices. Rinse them well in cold water to remove all starch. Then pat them dry with some kitchen paper.

Heat the duck fat in a large pan. When the fat is hot, add the potatoes and saute for 5 minutes on high heat until the potatoes get some color.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute stirring continuously. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Salt and pepper to taste; then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and cook for  about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Add the chopped parsley. Toss gently and serve hot with any duck dish.

Thrifty Tip: This dish can be made cheaper by replacing the duck fat with rendered bacon fat.