Good Gravy!

Hello my friends! We are now into week 4 of the Confreda CSA. Are you loving it as much as I am? Each week is a new adventure and this week's box did not disappoint.  The picture below has all the makings of a ratatouille, a homemade tomato sauce, stir fried veggies on the grill, a brushchetta and a pesto. It's an Italian (or not) home cook's dream come true!

Just a few of my favorite things:
Zucchini, cukes, peppers, basil, parsley, tomatoes, eggplant

This week at Confreda's they are running a buy one get one free on select pastas so it's only right that we post a recipe for the pasta topping. What is better than a fresh tomato sauce prepared exclusively with Confreda's garden tomatoes? Now, you probably call it "sauce" but where I come from, it's "gravy". Way back I posted a recipe to make your own gravy using canned tomatoes but this recipe uses only the fresh kind.

One school of thought tells you to peel the skins of the tomatoes before using them and de-seed the tomatoes. Personally, I skip this step and find that once you cook the tomatoes down, the skin and seeds are not that noticeable and adds some texture to the gravy. Your choice.

To remove the skins:
Boil a pot of water. Cut a little cross hatch (shallow cut) on the stem end of each tomato and drop into the water for about 30 seconds. Let them cool a bit and the skins should peel off easily when pulled from the edges of the hatch mark.

Good Gravy!

(aka. Fresh Tomato Sauce)

It's so easy, it's almost embarrassing that I am posting this as a "recipe".
I like to keep mine very simple.

5-6 good sized tomatoes chopped

extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

1/2 to 1 tsp sugar

3-4 cloves of crushed garlic

1 TBS dried oregano

fresh basil leaves (approx 1/4 cup)

grated cheese (optional)

1. In a large skillet heated on low, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Add the garlic but be sure not to brown it as this will destroy the taste of the garlic and the sauce.

2. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and oregano.

3. Cook this down for about 20 minutes, or more. You can stir occasionally and keep it covered on med low heat. The longer you cook it, the more concentrated the tomato flavor.

Check the flavor and adjust seasoning as needed. Does it need a pinch of sugar? Then add it!

4. After the sauce has reached a nice consistency, you can add fresh basil. If you don't like the "chunkiness" of the sauce, you can transfer to a blender or food processor to smooth it out. For me, the chunks are what sets this apart from a "canned sauce" and brings the farm flavor home!

Optional additions: Saute some chopped onions and diced carrots until tender before adding the garlic.

Top your favorite pasta with your Good Gravy and some grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Good Gravy!! Finally, A Recipe!

What do you call that red stuff on top of your pasta? We always called it "gravy" in my family but we also call the stuff you put on mashed potatoes, gravy. Sure, it makes no sense whatsoever but that's part of the Italian heritage. We do a lot of bizarre things, like eat the linings of a cow's stomach and call it a "delicacy".

Now, you must know, I am a SAUCE JUNKIE! I could just eat the sauce all by itself, it's that good. And did you know that cooked tomatoes are so nutritious? Check out the many benefits here: http://health.learninginfo.org/tomato.htm

I used to wake up every Saturday morning to the sounds and smells of "the gravy". First, there was the whirl of the can opener, the digging of the gorgeous crushed tomato puree, and then the signature clanging of the spoons against the pots. Next was the spinning and grinding of the food mill my mom used to get the seeds out. This all happened after I heard and smelled the sauteing of the meat and garlic in the olive oil.

Some kids woke up to Frosted Flakes or Eggos. Me, it was bracciole and sausage smells and I loved it! The gravy would slowly simmer all day and it was fabulous!

My mom still makes a mean gravy and there's quite a debate in my family over who makes the best gravy. You can ask 20 different people how they make their gravy and you will get 20 different answers; it's that diverse.

One thing is certain in the Grande family:
We do not use jarred sauce. Ever.

When you go to the market you will find as many choices for jarred sauces as there are cheeses. Sure, it's convenient to open a jar and pour it into a pan. But did you know that making your own sauce only takes 15 minutes? You get more bang for your buck with homemade and you can control the sodium and fat. If you are a sauce/gravy virgin, I bet you will never buy jarred sauce again!

You just need a few staples on hand to make a great homemade sauce everyone will love. There really is no need to let it simmer all day long. I think the addition of tomato paste helps it to stick to the pasta better too. But it's your call if you want to use it.

Here is a quick weeknight marinara. I'm calling it:

Quick Sauce for Dummies

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree (I am very partial to Pastene Kitchen Ready but my mom likes Tuttorossa)
1 6 oz can tomato paste (optional)
2-3 cloves of garlic crushed or finely chopped
sliced pepperoni (optional)
olive oil
salt & pepper
Marsala wine (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar (optional)

In a medium saucepan coat the bottom with olive oil. On medium/low heat, add the crushed or finely chopped garlic and a few slices of pepperoni. Do not let the garlic get brown or it will ruin the sauce. Watch it carefully and don't overcook it, just let it get a bit translucent. Add a splash of Marsala wine if you have it and let it simmer for about a minute or so.

Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste (if you like your sauce thicker), salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and a tsp of sugar if you want to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Give it a good stir, breaking up the tomato paste. If the sauce is too thick, add some water. Raise the heat to medium to bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium low covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure the bottom doesn't burn. While this is simmering, you can have your macaroni boiling away.

Now, do you see how I have so many optional ingredients? You can play around with this basic recipe and use it as a foundation for your own signature sauce.

If you have more time, here is a way to embellish the sauce even more:
Before sauteing the garlic: Finely chop 1/2 onion and 1/2 carrot and add to the olive oil. Saute until tender. Then follow the rest of the recipe above. I find the carrot adds a mild sweetness and helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. You can also use chopped bell peppers and/or mushrooms.

If you want to take it a step further and make a real "Sunday Gravy", brown some sausage, pork tenderloin pieces and/or beef in the oil to start. Once all browned up, you can follow the basic recipe above and let it simmer all day on the stove or in the Crock Pot.

Mangia and Enjoy!

It's Not Easy Being Green

This week my favorite bakery closed down and I was a little preoccupied with the last worthy chocolate cream pie to ever touch my lips. (I know, a little melodramatic).

Now that I have indulged, I am back on track and ready to tackle my next CSA challenge. While there was no whipped cream hiding underneath the veggies, there definitely were a few surprises that I didn't expect.
The first one was Purslane and if you've never heard of it, you are not alone. You MUST click here to see the nutritional benefits of this "gourmet weed". 
 

The Vitamin A and Omega 3 content will blow you away!

 You can saute it or use in a salad but just be sure not to cook it at high temps to avoid ruining its precious nutritional content.

Next in my mystery box was green tomatoes. Now, some people feel the need to resuscitate these to the color of red, but I accept them for who they are. (There are some tomatoes that are not destined for a Good Gravy. But you certainly can try.)  Click here for tips on how to ripen them.

If you're like me, and accept all green tomatoes "as is", then read on:
For a fried green tomato recipe even Jessica Tandy would love,  click here.

And for a great remoulade sauce to dip them in, click here.  For additional tips on how to eat them click here.

But if you'd like to know what was on every Thanksgiving and Christmas spread in my house growing up, it was Grampa Rico's Pickled Tomatoes.  I was nuts about these as a kid and loved eating them right out of the jar. 

If you are afraid to tackle anything pickled, fear not. It's very easy.

First, sterilize your jars and click here to see how. Next, wash your green tomatoes and cut up into wedges. Add them to the jar(s). You can also add a few whole cloves of garlic to the mix.

By the quart:

Boil 1 cup water and 1 TBS salt. Let it cool. Add the liquid to the jar of tomatoes. Fill the rest of the jar with white vinegar. Add 1 tsp of pickling spices (sold in the spice section, Job Lot 99 cents!) to the jar and cover tightly.

Let the jars sit for 3-5 weeks on shelf in a cool area.

Add these to your salad or antipasto. Store in fridge after opening.

Also included in my CSA box this week: Eggplant, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, and long hot green peppers. More recipes to come. Please share what you are doing with your goodies this week. I'd love to know!

Eggplant Rollatini/Lasagna

Does eggplant leave a bad taste in your mouth? Do you shy away from preparing it because you feel it's slightly bitter? Well, I am here to give you the good news. This lovely veggie is now bred to be milder so you should give it a second chance!

And, it turns out, eggplant is one of the best sources of the antioxidant nasunin, which helps protect the fatty acids essential to healthy brain function.  It's only 20 calories per cup with 3 grams of fiber, vitamins A, B, C, Folate, and minerals like potassium and magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.  Talk about a well rounded vegetable!

Are you sold now? Well, you better be, because if you are a CSA member, chances are you have more than you know what to do with.  And you can't just give it away! Try something new today.

I love lasagna, and I love eggplant parm.  However, both can be sort of heavy on the waistline.  I created my version of an eggplant rollatini and/or lasagna. This is a great low carb recipe too for those who are counting carbs or doing a Paleo type diet. And it's gluten free! You use the same exact ingredients for both recipes  but how you lay it out in the end is up to you. You'll see if you keep on scrolling. This recipe makes two 9X13 pans of filling, gooey, saucy eggplant.

Eggplant Rollatini (or Eggplant Lasagna)

Ingredients:
2 medium to large sized eggplants (I don't peel mine but you can if you don't like the skin)
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese (feel free to try fat free, part skim, whatever floats your boat)
8 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed of excess water
1 egg
onion powder
small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
dried oregano
garlic powder
salt/pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese (plus more for sprinkling later on)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, plus more for sprinkling later on
5-6 baby Bella or button mushrooms, wiped with a damp cloth then chopped small
1/4 cup chopped onion
olive oil
4 cups or more of your favorite marinara sauce/gravy. Click here for a recipe which uses canned tomatoes or click here for one using garden tomatoes.

1. Slice the eggplant the long way into 1/8"  slices using a long serrated knife.

When you get close to the end, lay it down and slice horizontally




Layer it between paper towels and then top it off with another dish and then my Mom's trick, a heavy kettle. This helps to squeeze out some of the moisture. Let this sit for about 20 minutes. (Yes, that is a Krispy Kreme box in background)

 2. Spray hot grill pan liberally with vegetable spray and then place eggplant slices on the grill until lightly browned on each side and tender, about 4 minutes per side. Remove slices from the grill pan and allow to cool. (If you don't have a grill pan, you can bake in the oven at 350 degrees, turning once). If using grill pan, be sure to spray the pan in between batches.  Set the cooked eggplant aside on a dish to cool.

3. While cooking the eggplant, heat a small fry pan with a few tsp of olive oil. Saute the chopped onion until soft and then add mushrooms, salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 tsp dried thyme and 1 clove of crushed garlic. Cook 1 minute more and remove from heat. Let cool.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, pour in the ricotta cheese, spinach, 1 egg, the mozzarella, grated parm, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, a few shakes of onion powder, 1 tsp oregano. Stir to combine well. Add the onion/mushroom mixture after it's cooled off and combine well.

5. Next, you decide if you want roll ups or lasagna, or both (which is what I did).

 If rolling up, take a heaping tsp of ricotta mixture and place it about an inch onto the slice. Then roll it up and place it with seam side down in a sauced 9X13 inch pan.

Spoon your sauce over all of the roll ups. Then sprinkle more shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. You can remove the foil  halfway through.

If you are doing this like a lasagna, just lay the cooked eggplant slices over the sauced pan. Then spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the slices, more sauce and cheese, then more eggplant, more ricotta, cheese sauce, then end with eggplant slices. Cover with sauce and more cheese.  Same temp and time as above.

Here are the lovely twins! You decide which version you like better. I sprinkled mine with my neighbor's fresh basil. Pretty nice, huh?

TIPS:

1. Make your sauce/gravy ahead of time, even a few days ahead is fine.

2. Clean up as you go

3. Make the ricotta mixture a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge until ready to use.

4. Feel free to mix it up with different veggies in your ricotta mixture. You can try sauteing grated carrots, shredded zucchini (squeezed well), shallots, or chopped pancetta (which I realize is not a veggie but it's nice to fantasize!)

5. Enjoy the leftovers! This tastes even better the next day.

For more easy eggplant recipes, click here for Rachael Ray's great ideas.