Cheese Wafers

All Southern women, even those who don’t cook, have a recipe for cheese wafers. (They also all have a recipe for lemon ice box pie made with condensed milk, but that’s another post for another time). Cheese wafers are a great “little something” to have with a drink. And during the holidays they make a welcome hostess gift in contrast to all of the cookies and candy on offer.

My Mother’s recipe makes a wonderfully “sandy” wafer with a texture akin to shortbread. The secret is to use the finest holes on the grater to prep the cheese—a tedious task, but well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

½ pound of sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

scant dash of red pepper

pecan slivers (optional)

Process:

Set butter out in a ceramic bowl to soften. Stir in the grated cheese, preferably using an electric hand mixer to make sure that the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Mix together the flour and spices and gradually add to the cheese mixture. The dough will be quite stiff.

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Pinch off a small amount of dough and roll into a ball about an inch round. Place on cookie sheet two inches apart. Press each gently with a finger, then top with a pecan sliver. Bake in a 425 over for about 10 minutes or until dry and slightly golden. Watch them carefully! Cheese wafers burn easily.

Remove from oven and quickly transfer to a large plate to cool. Store the wafers in a metal tin where they should keep for about a week.

Theme and Variations:

To make a gift bag of cheese wafers, let them cool completely. Purchase some cellophane bags and glittery pipe cleaners at a craft shop like Ben Franklin or Michael’s. A 12-inch bag holds about two dozen wafers. Close with a festive twist tie and take to a party.

Low Key Holiday Party

A family friend and new mom invited a small group to her place for a wonderfully low-key holiday party. She offered pie and coffee with tea lights and classical music in the background. It was great to sit and talk and take a break from the “too muchness” of the season.

Raise a pie pan and toast your friends this New Year: champagne is a treat—but warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream is even better!

Recipe adapted from The Williamsburg Cookbook (1971)

Ingredients:

Two 9-inch whole wheat frozen pie crusts (I like the Wholly Wholesome brand)

5 to 6 Granny Smith apples

1 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into small pieces

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Process:

Thaw the pie crusts on a kitchen counter while you work.

Peel and core the Granny Smith apples. Cut them into slices approximately ¼-inch thick and place in a large ceramic bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and spices. Toss into the apples and stir to coat them evenly. Prick the bottom of one of the pie crusts with a fork. Spoon the apple mixture into the crust, creating a high mound in the center. Dot the pie with butter and sprinkle with lemon juice. Invert the remaining pie crust over the first like a cap and gently pull off the aluminum pie plate. Crimp the top and bottom crusts with your fingers. With a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut a pretty shape on the pie top. Next cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil

Place the pie on a cookie sheet lined with more foil to catch drips. Bake at 425 for 25 to 30 minutes, then remove the foil cover and bake for 20 minutes more or until the top is brown and the apples have softened.

Remove and let sit for 15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream flavored with a dash of vanilla and sugar.

Theme and Variations:

• If you live in the Silver Spring area, try this pie with ginger or cinnamon ice cream from York Castle Ice Cream on Georgia Avenue.

• This recipe calls for Granny Smith apples which are sharp and tart; if you prefer a sweeter apple, try Courtland or Gala apples and reduce the sugar by ½ cup.

Baked Manicotti Shells

One of the many details I loved in The Sopranos was how American-born-but-Italian-bred characters would refer to their favorite foods by shortened names: manicotti was manicot; procuitto, proshute. These diminutives made what are to most of us lavish restaurant dishes into something served at home.

In keeping with that sensibility, here’s a recipe for manicot that’s both rich and simple, ideal for family celebrations during the holiday season. An added plus is that manicot can be baked ahead of time, then easily transported to your vegetarian cousin’s house.

Adapted from Leone's Italian Cookbook (1967)

Ingredients:

Pasta:

Two large boxes of pasta shells (I use Barilla Jumbo Shells)

Sauce:

Prepare a double recipe of Veggie Spaghetti Sauce found on the Kitchen Tango post dated
March 12, 2007. Let sauce cool and set aside.

Filling:

¾ cup ricotta cheese

¾ cup mozzarella, diced

2 tablespoons butter, cubed

3 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnish)

½ teaspoon salt

dash course-ground pepper

Process:

In a medium-size ceramic bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella and butter. Beat the eggs separately, then gently toss into the cheese-butter mix. Sprinkle with spices and the parmesan cheese, stir again and set aside.

Prep the large pasta shells according to the directions on the box. When shells are al dente, drain and put in a large buttered dish where they’ll keep reasonably moist while you work with them.

Butter an 8” x 12” Pyrex dish and spread it with about a two cups of tomato sauce. Gingerly pick up each shell and fill with two spoonfulls of the cheese mix. Eyeball what seems right; the shell should be plump, but not bursting. Line the filled shells about a quarter inch apart in the baking dish. I’ve gotten in as many as thirty manicotti into a long casserole. If there’s more, grab another dish, coat with tomato sauce, and fill with stuffed shells. (Hey, there’s no such thing as too much manicotti. If you don’t want it, a neighbor, friend or nearby working parent will).

Top each shell with a large spoonful of veggie sauce and sprinkle with more grated parmesan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven. Remove and serve at once with steamed green beans, garlic bread and Chianti. For dessert, have something simple like tangerines with biscotti or macaroons and a round of strong coffee.

Manicotti To Go:

If you plan to transport your manicotti to another holiday venue, follow these directions:

Let the casserole cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate up to a day.

To reheat, keep covered and place in a 250-oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cheese Note: Skim or Regular?

I’m all for cutting calories as along as flavor doesn’t suffer! I’ve prepared this dish with skim ricotta and can’t taste the difference. But there is a significant difference, I think, between skim and regular mozzarella. The first tastes pale and wimpy; the later, rich and mellow. If manicot is a dish you prepare for special occasions, why fret over fat content? Go for the real thing and add a mile to your walk the next day.

As for the parmesan, it is far tastier and worth the money to buy a hunk of the authentic stuff and grate it yourself. If you don’t use it all up for the manicot, be lavish with the parmesan on your pasta the following week. While ladies age gracefully, cheese does not.

Mom’s Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of those reassuring foods: simple to make, relatively cheap, nostalgic. Monday was typically “meatloaf night” at our house growing up. We’d have it for dinner with baked potatoes and some sort of green vegetable and watch M*A*S*H while we ate. I’m not sure what’s on now Monday nights, but the recipe is still good.

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup milk

1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

¼ finely chopped onion

1 cup small bread cubes

1 pound ground beef (the leaner, the better)

Process:

Beat together the egg, milk and Worchestershire sauce. Add the salt, pepper and onions and beat again. Stir in the bread crumbs and let them “sit” a moment to soak up the milk and egg mixture.

Next fold in the beef , blending it thoroughly with the other ingredients. Divide the mixture into two portions and shape into small loaves—one for tonight, one for later in the week. Place them a few inches apart in a Pyrex dish and bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes. Serve with some homey vegetables like mashed potatoes and kale that’s been sautéed with onions and garlic.

End of Summer Salad

Figs are a summer fruit, but Black Mission Figs are still available at the grocers. Their deep sweet flavor counterbalances the intense saltiness of Smithfield Ham in this dinner salad. And the richness of that pairing fits with the “over-ripe” quality of nature right now as the afternoon light mellows and the trees start to turn.

Before assembling the salad, first make a sherry vinaigrette. While that seems pretty “foodie” with all sorts of high end ingredients like shallots and walnut oil, it’s actually a snap to make and an investment in future meals. The vinaigrette will last up to three weeks in the refrigerator, so bring it out to dress some steamed spinach to go with the chops next Tuesday night.

Both dressing and salad recipes are from Katy Sparks’ Sparks in the Kitchen (2006)

Ingredients:

For the dressing—

1 shallot, peeled and minced fine

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons walnut or hazelnut oil

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

pepper to taste

For the salad—

Bag of arugela or mixed salad greens

8 oz package of Black Mission Figs (if fresh are out of season, used dried Mission Figs)

Half a small roll of goat cheese, broken into crumbles

2-3 paper thin slices of Smithfield Ham, torn roughly into small pieces

Handful of toasted walnuts*

Process:

In a shallow bowl, combine the minced shallot with salt. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes so the shallot will “weep” for a richer flavor. Stir in the mustard, vinegar and nut oil. Next pour the olive oil in a thin stream while vigorously beating the dressing with a fork to emulsify the oils. (The oil and vinegar mixture will separate later, but no worries; simply beat them together again.)

Put the salad greens into a wide-mouthed salad bowl. Slice the figs into halves, reserving about five or six slices for the top. Toss the salad with two scant spoonfuls of dressing. Be careful!
You only want enough to flavor the mix, not drown the greens. Strew the goat cheese crumbles, ham, walnuts and remaining fig slices in an artful manner.

With some whole wheat rolls, this salad serves two hungry types for dinner or four as a first course.

*For tips on toasting nuts, see the Kitchen Tango recipe for Strawberry Spinach Salad.

Veggie Quiche

This quiche recipe originated from the 1986 edition of Laurel’s Kitchen. And as fine a cookbook as that is, the authors tend to over-emphasize nutrition at the cost of flavor. So I tinkered with their quiche (reduced the milk, added an egg, increased the cheese, added more salt, etc.) until it morphed into a recipe I can honesty claim is mine. Just about every home cook does this—not out of vanity so much as making sure that the resulting dish is something your family will eat.

Ingredients:

½ purple onion, finely diced

1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped into small pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

4 eggs

1 cup milk

½ teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

1 cup grated Gruyère cheese

pinch of nutmeg

1 9-inch pie crust

Process:

Sauté the onion and pepper in the olive oil with the spices until the peppers are soft. Drain on paper towels until cool. If using a store bought crust, remove it from the freezer, prick with a fork and let it thaw. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the four eggs with the milk until thoroughly blended. Add the ½ teaspoon of salt and a bit of pepper, beat again and set aside.

When the veggies are completely cool, toss with ½ cup of the Gruyère and spoon into the waiting pie crust. Top with the remaining cheese. Put the crust on a cookie sheet lined with foil and carefully pour in the egg and milk mixture. Dust the surface with nutmeg, then bake for 30 minutes or so at 350. Check the quiche by slipping a knife into the center—if it comes out clean, it is ready. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes so that the quiche will “set.”

Serve with a salad of baby spinach tossed with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a handful of toasted walnuts. Don’t forget the baguette!

Theme and Variations:

• Instead of bell peppers and onions, sauté ½ pound of sliced mushrooms in two tablespoons of butter with a dash of salt. Be sure to drain the mushrooms on paper towels before adding them to the quiche.

• Sauté a quarter of a finely chopped onion in olive oil. Add a bag’s worth of fresh spinach, lightly steamed. Cook a moment more with a dash of salt and nutmeg. Drain and cool, then mix with the cheese to fill the crust.

Gazpacho

It’s the end of summer, but not the end of the heat. And happily, not quite the end of the tomatoes. If you are lucky enough to grow your own or have ready access to a farmer’s market, grab a few and chop them up for gazpacho. If possible, put together the ingredients and let the soup chill in the refrigerator overnight; the flavors of the fresh herbs will really strike though and the tomato juice will subdue the raw-ness of the onion.

Adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook (1977)

Ingredients:

1 small onion, minced

2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (If tomatoes aren't in season, go on and use a can of chopped tomatoes. Progresso and Fugamo are two good brands.)

1 green pepper, chopped

1 diced cucumber (Keep the skin on for color and crunch!)

1 clove of garlic, crushed

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup chives, minced fine

1 teaspoon dried basil

Dash of cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of half a lime

Dash of Tabasco (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups tomato juice

Process:

In a large ceramic bowl, mix together the chopped vegetables and fresh herbs. Next sprinkle in the dried spices. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon, lime and oil. Beat vigorously, then pour over the vegetables. Add the tomato juice, stir well, then cover and chill for a minimum of two hours.

Serve the gazpacho with some rolls or a baguette for a simple lunch or dinner.

Theme and Variations:

Let the gazpacho serve as a centerpiece for “sort-of-tapas” at home. Offer some small side dishes of olives, manchego cheese bits, slices of Serrano ham, toasted almonds and green beans sautéed with garlic and oil. Add a loaf of sour dough bread and open a bottle of Rioja white for a festive dinner with friends!

Olé!

Julian’s Potatoes

My British brother-in-law Julian cooked up a batch of these wonderful potatoes as a part of a traditional “Meat and Three Veg” Sunday dinner for our family while we were visiting in London. Parboiled, then strifed and baked, the potatoes are like giant Tater Tots, only way more tasty.

Ingredients:

4 thin skinned boiling potatoes, about the size of a softball

2 quarts water

½ teaspoon salt

About 1/2 cup of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Process:

Wash and peel four potatoes, then cut into halves. Boil in two quarts of salted water for 20 minutes until half-done; the vegetables will be cooked on the surface, but still raw at center.

Drain immediately. Gingerly pick up each half in a tea towel and quickly strife the dome of the potato with a fork. Ever a stickler for correct technique, Julian insists that this be done while the potatoes are hot hot hot. I’m a wimp and let the potatoes cool a bit before handling. The idea is to give the potatoes a nubby texture so they will brown readily. Watch Julian in action, fork in hand, here:

Place the potatoes cut side down into a shallow baking dish, then fill with about a quarter inch of olive oil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, then 10 to 15 minutes more, checking every now and again for doneness. When the potatoes are easily pierced and crispy on the surface, remove and drain on paper towels. Salt, pepper and serve immediately.

Garbanzo Bean Salad

(Adapted from Laurel’s Kitchen, 1986)

Here's a simple dinner salad that's ideal when it's too hot to cook. If there’s time, marinate the garbanzos in the dressing overnight so the spices will really strike through. Another benefit of this salad is that it can incorporate a number of those stray bits in your refrigerator: got half a tomato and one lone egg? Hard boil the egg and cut both into wedges to toss in the mix. Leftover green beans from the other night? Strew them around the edges. What else in your fridge would work? Olives? Fresh parsley? Some ham? Check it out!

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

pinch cayenne

1/4 teaspoon oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh, if you have it)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped chives or scallions

1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped

1 can (14.5 oz.) of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Odds and ends from the refrigerator


Process

In a glass or ceramic bowl., blend the salt, paprika, cayenne and oregano. Slowly add the vinegar and olive oil, then the garlic and chives. (If you are using oregano or some other fresh herbs, add them now.) Toss in the garbanzo beans and bell pepper and mix well.

To serve, line a wide salad bowl with dark leafy greens. Spoon the garbanzo beans in the center, then arrange whatever additions you choose in an artful manner. Try marinated mushrooms, pimento, thin slices of steamed yellow squash or zucchini. What about that leftover link of chorizo sausage? Or some baby carrots, cut into matchsticks?

Serve with a sourdough baguette for a “no oven” dinner. Have some watermelon slices sprinkled with chopped mint leaves for a cooling dessert


Theme and Variations

I’ve also marinated two cups of cooked lentils in the dressing overnight for a spicy start to a dinner salad. Kidney beans or some canelli beans would also work well.

Blackberry Cobbler

Typically, grocery store blackberries are too sour but are treated like prized jewels, packed in little cushioned boxes at 4.99 apiece. Better—and cheaper—summer berries will soon be available at local “pick your own” farms. Check out the link above to the The Washington Post’s Weekend section for a list of farms in the Metro area. There's also a harvest calendar showing peak seasons for such summer delights as sweet corn, peaches and true tomatoes.

When you go, you’ll pick far more berries than you can possibly eat. Give some to your neighbors and use the rest for a blackberry cobbler. This recipe from Edna Lewis’ The Taste of County Cooking (1983) calls for 5 cups of blackberries—suggestive of the open-handed abundance of “pick your own” farms.

Ingredients:

For the Pastry--

1/ 2 cup crushed cube sugar

2 cups of flour (I use a whole wheat pastry flour)

½ teaspoon salt

½ cold butter

1/3 cup iced water

¼ cup light cream

For the Filling--

5 cups blackberries

¾ cup crushed cube sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

To crush the sugar, put a small handful of cubes in a large “zip lock” bag, press out the air and seal. Place the bag in a folded tea towel and give it a few good whacks with a rolling pin to break the cubes into chunks, then roll into finer crumbs. Though it seems like a lot of bother, the rough sugar makes a tastier, “crumbly” cobbler crust.

Mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with two knives until well-blended. Add the iced water and quickly stir the flour mixture into a stiff dough. Divide into two equal portions, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for a few minutes.

On a lightly floured board, roll out one dough portion to line the bottom of an 8 x 8 Pyrex dish. Sprinkle with about 3 tablespoons of the course sugar. Cover with plastic wrap while you roll out the second dough portion for the top. Place that in the dish, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cobbler.

Gently wash and pat the berries dry and put them in a large ceramic or glass bowl. Mix ¾ cup of course sugar with the cornstarch and nutmeg, then toss into the berries. The fruit should have a wonderful “grapey” color and sort of smell as if it is fermenting. Watch out! The juice will leave a stain that’s impossible to wash, so wear a old t-shirt.

To bake the cobbler, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Take the dough from the refrigerator and remove the top layer. Fill the pastry-lined dish with the berry mixture, then dot with butter. Top with the second dough portion, brush heavily with cream and cover with the remaining sugar. Place the cobbler in the preheated over and immediately reduce the heat to 425. Bake for 45 minutes and remove when top is golden brown. Let the cobbler sit and cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve with ½ cup of cream that has been whipped and slightly sweetened with a tablespoon of sugar and a ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Makes 6 to 8 generous portions.

Black Bean Salsa with Tortilla Chips

This dish is ideal to share at the round of potlucks that crop up in May as classes, sports clubs and other groups break up for summer. The sweet and hot combination of mango and jalapeño is a new taste thrill for many while the black beans pack a serious nutritional punch. The original recipe was created by Arthur Birnbaum for the Eating Well Guide used by Food & Friends, a wonderful organization here in Metro-Washington that offers cooking classes, nutrition counseling and home-delivered meals to people facing life-challenging illnesses. For more information about Food & Friends, check out their website by clicking on the link above. Then try this recipe below:

Ingredients:

1 package of corn tortillas

1 jalapeño pepper, finely minced

1 /2 cup diced red onion

1 crushed garlic clove

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (or parsley), chopped

1 ripe mango, chopped

1 15 oz can black beans, drained

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (or 1 cup chopped fresh tomato)

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Process:

Prepare the tortillas first so they can bake while you put together the salsa. Preheat the oven to 325. Cut the tortillas according to your preference—I like “Doritos-sized” chips, but you might want to cut the tortillas into quarters for hearty “dinner” chips. Spread on a foil covered cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. You may want to flip the chips mid-way, but don’t fuss. The baked chips will crisp further as they cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the jalapeno, onion, garlic and cilantro. Add the mango along with the drained black beans and tomatoes. Stir thoroughly, then sprinkle the olive oil and salt over the salsa and stir again.

Serve the salsa and chips as a snack—or add a green salad and corn on the cob for an easy summer dinner.

Balmoral Scones

(Adapted from Royal Style, 1988)

Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Virginia this week for a round of walkabouts to celebrate the 400^th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. Remember, when you meet, she will extend her hand to you to shake and she speaks first. A curtsey is not necessary.

If you don’t get a chance to meet Her Majesty, you can still raise a cuppa in her honor. Don your garden party hat and bake some scones, using this recipe from the kitchens at Balmoral.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup of sugar

4 tablespoons cold butter

1/3 cup currants

1 egg, beaten with

1 table spoon plus 1 teaspoon milk

Process:

Sift the flour, salt and soda together into a large bowl. Next, thoroughly mix in the sugar. Cut the butter into the flour with two knives to create a course, crumbly mixture. Add the currents and the egg and milk, reserving a spoonful to glaze the scones. Stir the dough into a soft ball, then turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a circle about ¾ of a inch thick. With a sharp knife, slice into eight wedges and place on a foil-covered baking sheet. Brush the tops with the reserved egg-and-milk. Bake at 450 for ten minutes.

Serve piping hot with some strawberry jam. And for a serious treat, spread the scones with clotted cream, available at Whole Foods. The thick cream doesn’t keep for long—essentially the day you open it, you eat it. So invite a friend and have a tea party!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Wait to make the salad with in-season strawberries: the sweet tang of the fruit contrasts beautifully with the slight bitterness of spinach. After you try this spring version, use the recipe as a pattern to create your own seasonal combinations!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 oz Maytag Blue Cheese

1 pound of in-season ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 6 oz bag of washed baby spinach leaves

handful of toasted pecans*

In a wide salad bowl, crumble the blue cheese into the olive oil and beat with a fork until well mixed. Toss in the strawberries and coat evenly, then the spinach a handful at a time, mixing well after each addition. Top with the nuts and serve.

With some whole wheat rolls or a baguette, this salad is enough for a light dinner for two.

*Instead of toasting nuts, try drying them for a better crunch. Set the oven on 250, then spread two generous handfuls of nuts on a foil covered cookie sheet. Put in the oven and occasionally stir the nuts with a spatula to make sure they don’t burn. Depending on the type of nut, drying should take 20 minutes or so. Try walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts. (Almonds, for some reason, may take up to an hour to toast.) These are great for a “little something” to have with a drink.

Theme and Variations

• For a zingy winter variation, try thin slices of a Granny Smith Apple with a ½ cup of dried apricots, cut into quarters.

• For another winter combo, toss together sections from two oranges, half a fennel bulb thinly sliced and some feta cheese crumbles.

• In the fall, slice a red pear into sections and add a quarter cup of dried currents. Replace the pecans with walnuts.

Lentil Soup

Brrrr! It’s gotten cold again! Give yourself courage during Winter’s Last Stand with some hearty lentil soup.

This recipe comes from a marketing brochure found inside of an All Clad 3.5-quart soup pot Dave and I received as a wedding present. The original recipe was created by Mark Strausman of Campagna Restaurant in NYC. I’ve tinkered with the ingredients a bit to suit our household. Ham and wine give this soup a rich, deep flavor; but if you don’t eat meat, try the “veggie” version below.

Ingredients:

1 pound small green “French” lentils

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 slice of good quality ham, cut into small cubes

½ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon of a fresh savory herb like thyme or rosemary leaves, chopped fine

(or ½ teaspoon of dried thyme)

salt and pepper

1 quart chicken stock, plus one small can to thin soup later to your preference

Process:

In a deep soup pot with a lid, sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Rinse the lentils in cold water and go over for “duds.” Add the rest to the soup pot and stir to coat the lentils in the onion mixture. Add the ham, wine and herbs and cook for a moment more. Next pour in one quart of the chicken stock and cover the pot so the lentils will cook down. Check on the soup occasionally and stir.

When the lentils are soft, the soup will have a thick “stewy” quality, sort of like dal from Indian restaurants. I like to eat it right then with some naan or rice. For a thinner soup, gradually add more chicken stock to suit your tastes.

Recipe makes six full servings.

Theme and Variations

To make a vegetarian lentil soup, omit the ham and add a half-cup of crushed tomatoes. Replace chicken stock with a vegetable broth and add a dash more of the spices.

St. Paul’s Cheese Soufflé

During Lent, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond runs an informal weekday lunchroom to raise funds for its outreach programs. The menus undermine any notion of Lenten discipline with crab cakes, lasagna and ice cream topped with St. Paul’s famous hot fudge sauce. Wednesdays tend to draw the most customers because it’s cheese soufflé day—really, a “Church Lady” casserole made with Pepperidge Farm white bread, eggs, milk, butter and lots of cheddar cheese. Here’s a home-sized version of this Lenten delicacy, developed by St. Paul’s parishioner Frances Carter.

Ingredients:

softened butter for spreading

18 slices of white bread (Pepperidge Farm)

4 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, grated

4 eggs

2 ¼ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

½ teaspoon red pepper

Process:

Cut the crusts off the bread and generously butter each slice. While you’re at it, butter a 2.2-quart Pyrex dish or similar baking dish measuring about 7 ½’ x 11”. Cover the bread with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and set aside.

Blend the mustard, salt and red pepper together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat the eggs and gradually add the spices, then the milk and Worcestershire sauce.

Place a layer of bread in the baking dish and cover with cheese. Repeat, reserving one cup of the cheddar. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the bread and top the casserole with the remaining cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least twelve hours.

To bake the soufflé, remove the casserole from the refrigerator to reach room temperature. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. The top should be gently browned. Remove and let the casserole “set” for 15 minutes.

You can serve the soufflé right them or reheat it later at 250, covered, for 20 minutes. This casserole makes six generous portions.

Easter Menu

St. Paul’s Cheese Soufflé makes a great “centerpiece” for Easter brunch. Serve with warm baguette slices, a green salad with vinaigrette and some champagne, orange juice and coffee. There’s enough Easter candy around already, so for dessert offer a dish of fresh strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with some crème fraiche and plain sugar cookies.

Thyme Baked Chicken with Broccoli Orzo

While not complicated, this dish requires a bit more time than you might have on a weeknight. Try it one Saturday and invite some friends to dinner. Keep it simple—serve pinot grigio with the chicken and have some fresh fruit, like in-season cantaloupe or strawberries, for dessert.

Ingredients for the Baked Chicken:

1 2 1/2- to 3-pound chicken*

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

dash or two of coarse ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra to coat the baking pan.

Process:

Your mother probably already told you this, but it’s worth repeating: when working with chicken—or any raw meat for that matter—it is important to wash your hands, any tools and all surfaces that the meat has touched to ward off bacteria.

Remove the “bits” from the chicken’s crevice. (Most commercial chicken producers will have thoughtfully put the giblets, liver and sometimes even the neck in a little plastic bag for quick ‘n easy removal. Wrap tightly in a second plastic bag and toss in the freezer for a future soup stock). Coat a 9-inch baking dish with a little olive oil and place the chicken in it.

Next, without getting too compulsive about it, remove the leaves from some fresh thyme stems and chop them fine. Mix in a bowl with the garlic, spices and olive oil to create a pesto-like paste. Spread two spoonfuls of the paste in the chicken’s interior, then a spoonful on its back. Use the rest to coat the top portion of the bird.

If you like, impress your friends by stuffing some of the paste under the chicken skin for a richer flavor. Gently pull up the flap of skin at the chickens neck. Slowly insert the blunt end of a dinner knife under the skin to separate it from the flesh on either side of the breast. Spoon a dollop of the paste into each pocket and mash the surface so that the paste will spread underneath.

Loosely cover the chicken with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Briefly remove from oven, take off the foil and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Return to the oven, uncovered, to bake for an additional 30 minutes. Check for “doneness” by piercing the chicken to see if the juices run clear.

Take chicken out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes or so before serving. Tilt the bird to drain the cooking juices onto another plate and reserve.

While the chicken rests, prepare the pasta.

Ingredients for Broccoli Orzo:

4 cups of fresh broccoli florets

½ yellow onion, chopped fine

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil or pan drippings from the baked chicken

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of orzo, uncooked

½ cup of parmesan or pecorino romano, coarsely grated

Process:

Steam the broccoli until bright green and easily pierced by a fork. Immediately rinse in cold water and drain. When cool enough to handle, chop broccoli into fine bits and set aside.

In a wide and deep skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil (or pan drippings) until translucent. Toss in the broccoli, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for one minute more.

Set aside.

Cook pasta according to the directions on its package. Drain and return to its pot. Stir in the broccoli and gradually add the cheese.

To present, spoon the pasta onto a large serving dish and place the baked chicken on top. Spoon another tablespoon or two of the pan juices over the chicken for effect. This should serve four hearty eaters or two with plenty of leftovers for the next day.

*It’s well worth the money to buy a free range chicken. They are smaller and more flavorful, akin to the French “poussin.” A good brand is Eberly’s, available at Whole Foods.

The Eisenhower Sandwich

In the '50s, my mother taught English at St Catherine’s School in Richmond, Virginia. Each spring, the cafeteria regularly served a dish the students and faculty loved— asparagus with cheese sauce on toast topped with bacon. Here’s a 21^st-century spin on this reassuringly Eisenhower-era sandwich.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of steamed asparagus

4 pieces of toast*

4 slices of bacon, cooked

A batch of Welsh Rarebit Cheese Sauce (Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook, 1977)

made with the following:

1 clove garlic, mashed

1 ½ tablespoons butter

1 ½ tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon dry mustard

¾ cup of Samuel Adams Boston Lager

½ pound of sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

¼ teaspoon horseradish

dash of coarse black pepper

Process:

In a deep sauce pan, sauté the garlic in melted butter. Mix the flour and dry mustard together and slowly add to the garlic butter to create a roux. Wisk in the beer and cook over low heat until sauce starts to thicken. Gradually add the cheese and the remaining rarebit ingredients, stirring constantly until cheese has melted.

For each serving, put 4-5 spears of cooked asparagus on a slice of buttered toast. Top with about a quarter-cup of hot cheese sauce and a thick slice of bacon. Makes four portions.

*The toast pictured comes from a whole wheat sourdough boule. If you want a more authentically '50s sandwich, use sliced white bread toast.

Theme and Variations

• Try this in the summer with fresh tomatoes slices instead of asparagus.

• For vegetarians, try broiling the asparagus for an extra zing. Place washed and dried asparagus on a foil-covered cookie sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Run under the broiler, turning the veggies every minute or two with a spatula until they are cooked and a bit blackened.

Veggie Spaghetti Sauce

(Adapted from Leone’s Italian Cookbook, 1967)

This chunky tomato sauce is a “basic black dress” recipe. Try it with a substantial pasta like rigatoni with a generous grating of pecorino romano or feta crumbles for a Tuesday night dinner. Or double the recipe here and use the sauce for a more involved dish like lasagna or manicotti.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

15 sprigs fresh Italian flat parsley, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 medium-sized green bell pepper, diced

1 large can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes

Process:

In a deep saucepan, sauté onion in the olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for two minutes. Next, add the green pepper. Stir and watch for about five minutes until the peppers are no longer crisp. Add crushed tomatoes, reduce heat and let sauce simmer for about half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Theme and Variations:

• A great summertime variation is to use a small can of crushed tomatoes (14.5 oz) and two coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes.

• For a cool summer appetizer, serve at room temperature over steamed and chilled green beans.

• Make bruchetta-like cocktail snacks by spooning the sauce on French bread toast rounds or hearty crackers.

• Spread on a store-bought pizza crust and top with feta, black olives, steamed spinach and slices of yellow bell pepper. Bake according to the directions on the crust package.