Author Archives: Elizabeth Eastmond

Delicata Pie

Posted on by

Start here, with the Delicate Squash Pie, with the purchase of medium and small delicate squash. I decided to swap out the graham cracker crumbs for Ginger Snap crumbs, and used Trader Joe’s brand for those cookies.

It’s pretty straight forward, a recipe from the New York Times, but as usual, I made some changes. My only caution is to watch the cooking time. Their time called for 1 hour at 375. My pie was burnt, but still edible. So below I keep the oven at 350, and would start checking at 50 minutes. The other change I would make would to be to make the rings for the garnish more sweet. I had to add more water, and I didn’t up the sugar, but should have.

Lastly, both my squashes were heavier than what was called for, but we all survived. It is an inexact science.

It was still a big hit!

Crust pressed into place and ready to go into oven
Quarter the squash and remove seeds and strings. STEAM the squash.
I didn’t measure the amount, but charge ahead. It was a little bit full in the crust, but really fine.
Ready for the oven
Cutting the rings. I used a small spoon to take out the seeds and strings to keep the dainty scallops on the inside.
After cooking the rings, set on a plate to cool

This takes about 2 hours, from start to finish, including cooking time.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST
8 ounces graham crackers (about 2 sleeves) OR 10 ounces of ginger snaps
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

FOR THE FILLING
1 medium (8-inch-long) delicata squash (about 1 pound) 
¾ cup/150 grams sugar
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 cup/240 grams heavy cream
2 large eggs

FOR THE TOPPING
1 small delicata squash (8 ounces)
¼ – ½ cup/50 grams sugar

PREPARATION

  • Step 1: Prepare the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add the crushed crackers/cookies, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to form medium to fine crumbs, about 20 long pulses. (You should have about 2 cups.) Add the melted butter and pulse to combine. Tip the graham cracker mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and use a measuring cup to press firmly from the center to the edge to form an even crust. Transfer to the oven and bake until the crust sets, about 15 minutes. Remove and cool.
  • Step 2: Prepare the filling: Trim off the ends of the squash and discard. Quarter and core the squash. Fill a large saucepan with 2 inches of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring to a boil over high heat and add the squash quarters. Lower the heat to medium, cover with a fitted lid and steam the squash until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer the steamed squash to the bowl of a food processor and let it cool slightly, about 10 minutes. [No need to remove skin.] Blend until completely smooth. (You should have about 1 cup.)
  • Step 3: Add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla and salt to the food processor, and blend until smooth. Add the cream and eggs, and blend again until smooth and combined. Place the cooled pie crust on a baking sheet and scrape the squash mixture into the crust. Bake until the edges of the custard are set and the center is slightly wobbly when you shake the pan, about 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating halfway through. Check often near the end to avoid burning the pie. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature on a rack.
  • Step 4: Prepare the topping: With a sharp and heavy knife, cut about 25 thin rings (less than ¼-inch thick) from one end of the squash. Scraping away any seeds and stringiness with a spoon, then set the rings aside.
  • Step 5: Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the squash slices and turn the heat on to medium. The water should cover the squash, so add more water and more sugar if needed. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook the squash slices until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 6 minutes. You should be able to easily poke a toothpick into the flesh. Gently remove the cooked squash onto a plate to drain and cool. Shingle the squash slices on the cooled pie and serve.
  • NOTE: I would have preferred the rings on top to be sweeter, so I suggest adding more sugar when cooking the rings.

Fresh Tomato Sauce (Christmas in July)

Posted on by

Or…Salsa di Pomodoro Veloce.

I call this dish Christmas in July. It was a hot day, the flat of tomatoes I’d picked up from Costco were ready to be used, and we had some avocados in the fridge that were ripe.

It’s a light sauce that comes together quickly, and is best served with angel hair pasta, some diced avocado over the top, and some homemade focaccia bread on the side.

We use 1/2 avocado per serving, but this batch makes about four servings — perfect for leftovers.

Ingredients

8-9 ripe tomatoes, any variety, peeled, cored, seeded and chopped
4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled, but not smashed
1 fresh parsley sprig (if emergency, you can use 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes)
salt
1/2 pound angel hair pasta
1 avocado, cut into small dice, for two servings

Instructions

Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds, then plunge into an ice water bath. Peel the tomatoes, then cut in half, and remove seeds. Chop into a small dice.

In a small saucepan, place tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, parsley and a pinch of salt. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic and parsley. Taste. Add more salt if necessary.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil, and when it hits a full rolling boil, add a hefty pinch of salt. Add 1/2 pound angel hair pasta, and cool until al dente. Drain.

Into the pasta pan, add a spoonful of tomato sauce. Add the drained pasta, then the rest of the tomato sauce. Using tongs, lift and mix the tomato sauce with the pasta.

Note: the tomato sauce may be a touch saucier than canned sauces in the store. If you add it to hot pasta, the pasta will absorb this, and flavor the dish.

The original recipe says “Do not sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese,” and “if you like a stronger flavor [of sauce], thicken over high heat for the last five minutes of the cooking time, making sure it does not stick to the pan.”

I never do this, instead I toss it with the hot pasta.

More notes: this depends on a good, flavorful, ripe tomato. If you don’t have access to a garden, or the flats of tomatoes at Costco, buy grocery store tomatoes, but don’t put them in the fridge. Leave them out on the counter until they are beautifully ripe.

Lemon Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

Posted on by

We originally found this recipe in the New York Times under a different title, but any recipe by Ali Slagle is worth trying. So we did and made multiple changes to suit the two of us. The pasta water is used as a sauce, and has a creamy texture. The lemon is in both the pasta, and the marinade for the shrimp. Once we were prepped up, it came together really quickly. This reminded me of my Cacio e Pepe dish, but with a lemony twist. Serves two people for two meals, or four at one time.

Ingredients for shrimp marinade:

  • 12 ounces shrimp, size 31-40/lb.
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1-2 Tablespoons good quality olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Thaw the shrimp overnight in the refrigerator. Wash, and blot dry. Place the lemon zest, olive oil (start with 1 Tbs.), salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the shrimp; stir to coat evenly (add the extra tablspoon of olive oil if needed). Let rest at least 15 minutes.

Melt 2-3 Tablespoons in a medium skillet. Add the shrimp in a single layer, scraping out the remainder of the marinade into the pan. Turn the shrimp over when the edges are just turning pink, about 2-3 minutes. Cook on other side, removing those that are done first so they don’t overcook. When they are all cooked, remove the pan from the heat and put the shrimp back in until needed.

Ingredients for Pasta:

  • 8 ounces linguine fini
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 large lemon
  • Black pepper

Fill a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Toss in some salt, then bend in the linguine fini. Cook until al dente — No Longer! Pour out 2 cups of pasta water and reserve, then drain the pasta into a colander.

Dry out the pot, then place over low heat. Add the butter, and while it melts, grate in the garlic cloves. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. When the garlic is fragrant, grate the lemon zest into the pot and add a few grinds of the black pepper.

When the pepper sizzles, add 1 cup pasta water and the cooked pasta. Increase the heat to medium, and stir and toss the pasta vigorously so it starts to form a sauce. If the pasta looks a little dry, add more pasta water a tablespoon or two at a time (we used about another 1/4 cup).

After about another minute or two and when it looks shiny with a thick sauce, add the juice of a medium lemon (about 1/4 cup) and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the waiting shrimp. [I didn’t scrape the pan as there was enough seasoning clinging to the shrimp.] Toss.

We served it with fresh focaccia bread in order to fare la scarpetta which means to wipe up the last bit of sauce with a bite of bread.

(For this meal, Dave was the chef and I helped with the shrimp and focaccia.)

HEB Kale Salad

Posted on by

Winding our way across Texas, we fell in love with the H.E.B grocery stores. I’d been there before, but when we were on the road, we’d stop in the morning to pick up a pre-pared lunch to carry with us. One day I picked up “Fresh Kale Cranberry Pepita Salad” from the display case.

I searched for the recipe back in California, as I was trying to recreate that dish. There were several options to choose from, and I’m pretty happy with the one below. There are two odd ingredients: one was orange juice concentrate. In the old days you’d find it in the freezer section in a can; no more. So I squeezed a couple of oranges, and cooked it down to where it was getting to the jammy stage: still liquid, but quite thick. Don’t let it burn! The other is crystalized ginger. You’ll find a photo of what I used, below.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Bunch of Kale
  • 1/3 Cup Pepitas (Pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds
  • 1/2 Cup Dried cranberries

Sesame Orange Dressing

  • 3 Tbsp Rice or Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Oil (Canola or Olive)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Crystallized Ginger Diced
  • 1 Tbsp Orange Juice Concentrate
  • 1 small shallot, finely diced
  • 1/2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
  • Salt, Pepper and Sweetener of Choice to taste. 

Instructions:

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and let sit while the remaining components are prepped. 

[Optional] Begin toasting your slivered almonds in a saute pan on medium.  Keep an eye on them and toss occasionally until most are starting to brown, abut 8 minutes.  Be careful not to burn them.

If you have a head of kale, rinse the kale and partly de-stem and chop the leaves into thin strips.  –OR– Just buy a carton of baby kale from the grocery store. I used a little more than half of the kale, and yes, chop the leaves into thin strips.

In a large mixing bowl, massage half of the dressing into chopped kale for about 3-5 minutes.  This will allow the dressing to thoroughly coat and soften the kale a bit. Add more, a tablespoon at a time, if needed. Freeze remaining dressing for the next round.

Mix toasted almond slivers, dried cherries and pepitas into dressed kale. Taste and if needed, add more salt and pepper.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to serving.  

HEB’s ingredient list on the back of the package:

  • Kale 
  • Cranberry Nut Mix: Sliced Almonds, Dried Cranberries, Pumpkin Seeds
  • Orange Sesame Vinaigrette: Canola Oil, Crystallized Ginger (Ginger, Cane Sugar), Rice Wine Vinegar, Orange Juice Concentrate, Shallots, Ginger Purée (Ginger, Water), Sesame Oil, Scallions

I was mystified by “ginger purée” and didn’t have that, so just upped the crystalized ginger a bit. I also didn’t refrigerate it, because we were hungry and just wanted to eat.

Shrimp, Potatoes, Corn and Leeks

Posted on by

I was hunting for a recipe that contained everything in the title, but the search kept delivering the New England shrimp-potato-corn boil stuff. No, I wasn’t interested in that. I wanted a dish that featured those, but with no “boil.” So, here it is.

3 leeks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. small white new potatoes, scrubbed and larger ones cut in half
4 fresh ears of corn, kernels cut off the cobs
20-25 shrimp, shells and tails removed, decent size
5 Tablespoons butter, divided
swirls of olive oil
shake of smoked paprika
salt and pepper

Cut the root ends of the leeks, then lay on your cutting board. Slice in half lengthwise, leaving the greens at the top intact, if possible. Under running water, separate the layers to wash out the dirt. Pat dry. Slice into 1/8″ slices, removing the outer layers as you go up the leek, but stopping before the dark green.

Place 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet, and a swirl of olive oil. Place the leeks in the pan, and over medium heat, cook about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic. Turn the heat to low and stir occasionally for another 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes and slice the larger ones in half, so they all end up about the size of a golf ball. Cook in boiling, salted water until nearly tender; drain. Place back on the unit and shake to dry them, then add 1 Tablespoon butter, tossing to coat. Lightly add salt and pepper. Set aside.

Back to the leeks: push them to the sides of the pan. Slide 1 Tablespoon butter into pan. After the butter melts, add the kernels of corn to the pan, tossing them with the butter. Sprinkle with salt, and a wave of smoked paprika. Toss, then incorporate the leeks and garlic. Let cook at low heat until kernels are cooked, but still have a some texture.

Meanwhile (again), melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a skillet, and add a swirl of olive oil. Place the shrimp around the pan in one layer; add salt and pepper. Flip shrimp over when you see white around the edges. Turn the heat up to give a slight coating to the shrimp, evaporating any moisture, but don’t burn them.

To serve, place a layer of the corn/leek mixture into a low, flat bowl or plate, then a few potatoes, and then top with shrimp.

If you are really fancy, finely chop some parsley and use that to garnish the dish.