Greek Grain Salad

Servings: 6 -8

Ingredients

• 1½ cups farro
• Kosher salt
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into ½-inch wide strips
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1½ teaspoons minced garlic (1 large clove)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and ½-inch diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• ¾ cup small-diced red onion
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 8 ounces feta cheese, ½-inch diced

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• In a large saucepan, combine the farro, 4 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the farro is tender. (If all the water evaporates before the farro is tender, add an additional 1 cup water.) Drain any remaining liquid and place the farro in a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, place the red pepper slices on the prepared sheet pan and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through, then set aside to cool.
• In a small glass measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Pour the dressing over the hot farro, stir well, and allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Add the roasted peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and olives to the farro. Mix until combined, then gently fold in the feta. Serve or store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days, before serving.

  Copyright 2017, Lidey Heuck 

Greek Grain Salad

Servings: 6 -8

Ingredients

• 1½ cups farro
• Kosher salt
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into ½-inch wide strips
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1½ teaspoons minced garlic (1 large clove)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and ½-inch diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• ¾ cup small-diced red onion
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 8 ounces feta cheese, ½-inch diced

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• In a large saucepan, combine the farro, 4 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the farro is tender. (If all the water evaporates before the farro is tender, add an additional 1 cup water.) Drain any remaining liquid and place the farro in a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, place the red pepper slices on the prepared sheet pan and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through, then set aside to cool.
• In a small glass measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Pour the dressing over the hot farro, stir well, and allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Add the roasted peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and olives to the farro. Mix until combined, then gently fold in the feta. Serve or store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days, before serving.

  Copyright 2017, Lidey Heuck 

All-Purpose Biscuits, Sam Sifton, NYTimes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 scant tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European-style
• 1 cup whole milk

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 220C. 
2. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. 
3. Transfer to a food processor. 
4. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
5. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an 2.5cm thick. 
6. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 25x15cm. 
8. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
9. Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

All-Purpose Biscuits, Sam Sifton, NYTimes

All-Purpose Biscuits, Sam Sifton, NYTimes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 scant tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European-style
• 1 cup whole milk

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 220C. 
2. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. 
3. Transfer to a food processor. 
4. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
5. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an 2.5cm thick. 
6. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 25x15cm. 
8. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
9. Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

All-Purpose Biscuits, Sam Sifton, NYTimes

Giant stuffed squash

 

Giant stuffed squash

WITH CHEESY LEEKS

Ingredients

• 1 French or porcelain princess pumpkin (26-28cm in diameter) , or 3 butternut squash 
• olive oil 
• 1 whole nutmeg , for grating 
• 1 kg leeks 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 10 g unsalted butter 
• ½ a bunch of thyme , (15g) 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour 
• 375 ml milk 
• 200 g mix of melty cheeses , such as Gruyère, Red Leicester, Cheddar 
• 200 g stale bread 
• 50 g walnuts 
• 2 sprigs of fresh sage , to garnish
• Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Carefully cut the top off the squash and remove all the pulp and seeds. Place in a large roasting tray, cut side up, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add a few gratings of nutmeg and season with sea salt and black pepper. Rub all over the flesh, cover with foil and roast for 1½ hours or until tender (if you’re using butternut squash, scoop out some of the flesh to make a gully for the sauce all along the length of the squash). 
2. Meanwhile, cut the leeks in half lengthwise and slice. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Place a large pan over a medium heat, melt the butter, and then add the garlic. Once foaming, then strip in most of the thyme leaves and add the bay leaves. Before the garlic takes on any colour, add the green part of the leeks, some salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the white part of the leeks and cook, until starting to soften. Cover, cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then. The environment of heat and steam will make them soft, tender and gorgeous. 
3. Check the seasoning, then turn it into a super-charged white sauce. Stir in the flour. Add about 375ml of milk and stir until it thickens, then simmer and blip away, until thick and gorgeous. 
4. Remove from the heat, grate in the cheeses, then stir until melting and gorgeous. Carefully pour into the squash.
5. Tear the bread into a food processor, blitz into breadcrumbs and tip into a bowl. Blitz the walnuts and then tip into the crumbs and scatter over the sauce. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden, blipping and delicious. 
7. When there’s 5 minutes to go, pick the sage leaves into a small frying pan on a medium-high heat with ½ a tablespoon of oil and fry until crisp. 
8. Pick the remaining thyme leaves over the baked squash and decorate with the crispy sage, just before serving. Take it to the table with a big spoon, for everyone to dig in.

Giant stuffed squash

 

Giant stuffed squash

WITH CHEESY LEEKS

Ingredients

• 1 French or porcelain princess pumpkin (26-28cm in diameter) , or 3 butternut squash 
• olive oil 
• 1 whole nutmeg , for grating 
• 1 kg leeks 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 10 g unsalted butter 
• ½ a bunch of thyme , (15g) 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour 
• 375 ml milk 
• 200 g mix of melty cheeses , such as Gruyère, Red Leicester, Cheddar 
• 200 g stale bread 
• 50 g walnuts 
• 2 sprigs of fresh sage , to garnish
• Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Carefully cut the top off the squash and remove all the pulp and seeds. Place in a large roasting tray, cut side up, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add a few gratings of nutmeg and season with sea salt and black pepper. Rub all over the flesh, cover with foil and roast for 1½ hours or until tender (if you’re using butternut squash, scoop out some of the flesh to make a gully for the sauce all along the length of the squash). 
2. Meanwhile, cut the leeks in half lengthwise and slice. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Place a large pan over a medium heat, melt the butter, and then add the garlic. Once foaming, then strip in most of the thyme leaves and add the bay leaves. Before the garlic takes on any colour, add the green part of the leeks, some salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the white part of the leeks and cook, until starting to soften. Cover, cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then. The environment of heat and steam will make them soft, tender and gorgeous. 
3. Check the seasoning, then turn it into a super-charged white sauce. Stir in the flour. Add about 375ml of milk and stir until it thickens, then simmer and blip away, until thick and gorgeous. 
4. Remove from the heat, grate in the cheeses, then stir until melting and gorgeous. Carefully pour into the squash.
5. Tear the bread into a food processor, blitz into breadcrumbs and tip into a bowl. Blitz the walnuts and then tip into the crumbs and scatter over the sauce. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden, blipping and delicious. 
7. When there’s 5 minutes to go, pick the sage leaves into a small frying pan on a medium-high heat with ½ a tablespoon of oil and fry until crisp. 
8. Pick the remaining thyme leaves over the baked squash and decorate with the crispy sage, just before serving. Take it to the table with a big spoon, for everyone to dig in.

For the Ultimate Potatoes, Use This German Technique

 

Bratkartoffeln (German Cottage Fries)

PREP TIME5 mins

COOK TIME40 mins

TOTAL TIME45 mins

SERVINGS4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds waxy potatoes (red or yellow)

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more as needed

• 1 large yellow or white onion, diced

• 6 slices (6 to 7 ounces) bacon, chopped

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Boil the potatoes: 

   After scrubbing the potatoes, add them to a large pot of cold water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, then test with a paring knife; the knife should easily poke through to the center of the potato without too much effort. 

   SIMPLE TIP!

   The cook time for your potatoes will depend on their size. You may want to check on small potatoes earlier, and large potatoes will take longer.
   

   When done, drain well into a colander set in the sink. Carefully (because they’re still hot) slice into rounds between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.
2. Fry the potatoes:

   Add the oil to a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add as many of the potatoes as you can in an even layer and let cook on one side until golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip them and let cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. 

   Remove the golden brown potatoes onto a large plate and cook the remaining potatoes until they’re all crisp on both sides, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
3. Finish and serve:

   Add the cooked potatoes back into the pan and add the onion, bacon, and butter. Season with salt and pepper and let cook until the onions are softened and the bacon is slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

   Leftover bratkartoffeln will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a frying pan with a little vegetable oil until hot all the way through, about 10 minutes.

4. https://tinyurl.com/24rd2bj8

For the Ultimate Potatoes, Use This German Technique

 

Bratkartoffeln (German Cottage Fries)

PREP TIME5 mins

COOK TIME40 mins

TOTAL TIME45 mins

SERVINGS4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds waxy potatoes (red or yellow)

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more as needed

• 1 large yellow or white onion, diced

• 6 slices (6 to 7 ounces) bacon, chopped

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Boil the potatoes: 

   After scrubbing the potatoes, add them to a large pot of cold water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, then test with a paring knife; the knife should easily poke through to the center of the potato without too much effort. 

   SIMPLE TIP!

   The cook time for your potatoes will depend on their size. You may want to check on small potatoes earlier, and large potatoes will take longer.
   

   When done, drain well into a colander set in the sink. Carefully (because they’re still hot) slice into rounds between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.
2. Fry the potatoes:

   Add the oil to a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add as many of the potatoes as you can in an even layer and let cook on one side until golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip them and let cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. 

   Remove the golden brown potatoes onto a large plate and cook the remaining potatoes until they’re all crisp on both sides, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
3. Finish and serve:

   Add the cooked potatoes back into the pan and add the onion, bacon, and butter. Season with salt and pepper and let cook until the onions are softened and the bacon is slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

   Leftover bratkartoffeln will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a frying pan with a little vegetable oil until hot all the way through, about 10 minutes.

4. https://tinyurl.com/24rd2bj8