Greek braised green beans (fasolakia ladera)

Heat a large Dutch oven, add about 2 Tbsp olive oil, then add 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped and seeded mild pepper (here, an Anaheim pepper). When wilted, add 2 lbs green beans (trimmed and cut into thin strips), sprinkle with ½ tsp salt, cover, and cook on medium heat until the beans turn… Continue reading Greek braised green beans (fasolakia ladera)

Concord grape cornmeal cake

We used ½ lb (about 1 cup, halved and seeded) Korean grapes, a hybrid of Concord grapes, for this recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/concord-grape-cornmeal-cake-51122620 We also used 1% milk and white vinegar in lieu of buttermilk, following these guidelines: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-quick-easy-buttermilk-substitute-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-185757 (Sept. 2016)

Peruvian cilantro-jalapeño (aji verde) sauce

This is a healthy version that calls for nonfat plain Greek yogurt. We followed the recipe that was part of this chicken dish, except that we removed the seeds and membrane from the jalapeños before pureeing them: http://runawayapricot.com/2015/01/healthier-peruvian-chicken-skewers-with-green-sauce.html/ In case the link does not work, here are the instructions: using a food processor, combine 1… Continue reading Peruvian cilantro-jalapeño (aji verde) sauce

Chilean avocado celery salad

We tried this recipe, and it was delicious: http://thelatinkitchen.com/r/recipe/apio-palta-celery-avocado-salad  In case the link is not working, here is the recipe: first, trim 5 stalks celery and cut along a diagonal into 1” pieces. Place in a medium-large mixing bowl. Second, pit and cut two ripe avocados into coarse chunks (about 1” cubes). Add the avocados… Continue reading Chilean avocado celery salad

Balsamic roasted summer fruit

Inspired by this Delia Smith recipe: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/delias-summer-collection/summer-fruit-compote, we decided to roast all of our remaining summer fruit on hand - 2 black plums and 1 red plum (cut into 6 pieces each) , 3 small ripe guavas (cut into quarters), and a cup of red seedless grapes (whole). We tossed them with ¼ cup balsamic… Continue reading Balsamic roasted summer fruit

Italian-style scalloped tomatoes

We followed this recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/18941-sarah-leah-chase-s-scalloped-tomatoes, but we used ciabatta bread (about ¼ loaf) instead of a baguette. After baking at 350 for 35 mins, we broiled it on high (about 8 inches from the flames) for a few mins. The recipe calls for bacon fat or olive oil, so it can be vegetarian if you… Continue reading Italian-style scalloped tomatoes