Jim's Roman Holiday Pasta

Try a new way to look at a holiday meal. You’ll get two for the price of one: the festivity of a roast with the familial comfort of pasta.

I love to braise a succulent leg of lamb with aromatic vegetables and serve it over bucatini, those thick spaghetti with a hole running through the center (also called perciatelli). Bucatini are perfect for trapping the delicious braising liquids. Topped with pecorino romano, they make the quintessential Roman-style holiday feast.

Ingredients:

½ cup olive oil

2 lbs. boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cubed into bite-size pieces

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 lb. bucatini pasta

¼ cup fresh grated pecorino cheese

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the lamb and let it brown all over. Add the onion and carrot and continue cooking until the vegetables begin to sweat. Add the tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add two quarts of water and bring to a boil (if you are not using a Dutch oven, transfer the contents into a large oven proof casserole). Cover and put into a 350° oven for 1-1½ hours or until the meat is tender and sauce is slightly thickened.

Remove from the oven and season with parsley, salt and pepper. Serve over freshly cooked bucatini pasta and top with grated pecorino cheese.

Serves 4-6 as an entrée.

A Latkes Recipe, Made in New Jersey

Here is an all-New Jersey applesauce recipe for your latkes and beyond, followed by a Mediterranean take on latkes. Happy Hanukkah!

Apple Sauce

4 New Jersey apples

1/2 cup New Jersey cranberries

Water or cranberry juice

¼-½ cup sugar

Lemon juice

Peel, core, and dice apples. Put into saucepan with cranberries and about ¾ cups water or cranberry juice. Add sugar. Boil gently until the apples are soft but not falling apart. Drain liquid. Use potato masher to gently squish apples. Finish with a little lemon juice.

Feta-Spinach Latkes
1 russet potato, coarsly grated

1 Yukon gold potato, coarsly grated
3 handfuls baby spinach, chopped
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup minced fresh herbs (dill, mint, and oregano are my favorites to use here)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 scallions, minced

⅓ cup all purpose flour
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for frying

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, spinach, feta, herbs, eggs, and scallions. Stir to mix well. Then sprinkle in the flour until it all is incorporated and holding together.

Fill an 8-to-10-inch skillet with ¼-inch deep oil. Heat on a medium-high heat. Place a tablespoon of the mixture in the hot oil and flatten it with the back of the spoon. The oil should reach about half the height of the center of the latke. The edges should be submerged. Repeat until the pan skillet is filled but there is about a ½-inch gap between the latkes.

Cook the latkes until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. Transfer to a flat plate lined with paper towels. Serve hot with yogurt sauce (recipe below).

Note: If you are planning to serve the latkes immediately, keep them in one layer until serving (you can place them in a warm-250°-oven). If you are planning to serve them later, cool completely and keep in a tightly covered container in the fridge, layers separated with paper towels. To heat them up, place in one layer on a baking sheet in a 350° oven until warm and crisp.

Yogurt Sauce

When using garlic in raw preparations, you might want to to pound it into a paste rather than chop it. I find it just tastes better that way.

1 clove garlic, peeled

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons chopped mint or parsley

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Juice of half of a large lemon

1 cup whole yogurt

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pound the salt and garlic into a paste using a tablespoon (or a mortar and pestle, if you have it). Add the chopped herbs, the olive oil and the lemon juice, and mix.

Just before serving, mix in the yogurt and optional walnuts and correct seasoning with salt and lemon (the flavors should be bright and strong). Serve with the spinach-feta latkes.

Winter Farmers Market in Central New Jersey 

Slow Food Central New Jersey's Eat Slow Farmers Market

In collaboration with the organizers of the West Windsor Community Farmers Market, Slow Food Central New Jersey is proud to announce its tenth season of indoor winter markets. Specifically, the December market will feature holiday food gifts, natural soaps and fiber products for your entire gift giving needs. Enjoy the season’s best local foods.
Here are dates and locations:

Join us for a wide array of locally grown and produced foods including cheese, wine, mushrooms, grass-fed meats, pastured eggs, breads and baked goods, jams, sauces, honey, hard to find local winter produce and much more. Live music.  Join us for this popular event as we connect local farmers, food artisans and clean, fair and good food fans.

$3 suggested donation to benefit the Central New Jersey chapter of Slow Food. Parking is free.

Slow Food USA is working to change the food system through a network of volunteer chapters all over the country. The Central Jersey chapter holds education and awareness events such as potlucks, off-season farmers markets, trainings and workshops.  These farmers markets spread awareness and allow folks to enjoy locally grown and healthful foods while helping to support local farms and food artisans throughout the winter months.

Visit www.slowfoodcentralnj.org or westwindsorfarmersmarket.org for a full list of farms and vendors or call 609-933-4452 for more information.

How to Grill a Peach?

Two of the hallmarks of summer in one recipe:  Peaches and grilling or-simply put- grilled peaches. Add to it some creamy blue cheese, prosciutto and good bread and you got a light and vibrant summer meal.
If you're wondering how to grill a peach, join Jim on his grilling class at Plainsboro Recreation Center on August 21 at 6pm. Sign up here. 

Local Peaches from Robson's Farm at the Forrestal Village Farmers Market

Ingredients;

2 peaches, cut in half and pit removed

1 small red onion, peeled and cut into think slices

4 large slices prosciutto (sliced thicker than usual like bacon)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups arugula leaves

¼ cup toasted walnut pieces

2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

Method;

Heat the grill. 

Rub cut side of peaches with a little olive oil and put on the grill, cut side down. Cook until the peach chars slightly and then turn on other side until warm through. Repeat with the onions and set aside. 

Heat an oven to 400 degrees. Lay the ham out onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.

Make a vinaigrette by combining olive oil and balsamic vinegar with salt and whisking until emulsified.

In a bowl, mix the arugula, walnuts, and cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat.

To plate: Place the peaches and onions charred side, in a serving bowl. Toss the arugula mixture and place over the peaches. Garnish with the crispy prosciutto and serve immediately..

Fresh Mozzarella at Home (Recipe)

If you want to surprise your guests with a unique treat that doubles as a conversation piece, look no further than homemade fresh mozzarella.  The return on your time and effort is particularly high here—the warm, milky, slightly sweet cheese is sure to please and amaze. All you need is mozzarella curd, water, salt, and disposable gloves (to protect your hands from the heat).

You may be scratching your head right now, trying to recall the last time you saw fresh mozzarella curd. Indeed not a common sight, but our friends at Fulper Family Creamery carry it. Email them at info@fulperfarms.com to order and plan delivery. For a less local curd try Whole Foods.

Start by working 1 lb of curd at the time. You may have to order a larger amount but it keeps well in the refrigerator. And, no, it doesn't freeze well.

Fresh Mozzarella

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then take it off the stove. Place the curds in a bowl and pour the hot water on them. Warm the curds, stir slowly as the curds warm, but try not to break them up too much. Put on a double layer of rubber gloves and fold the curds over on themselves a few times, stretching the curds. The curds need to reach 135F in order to stretch properly. Sprinkle the salt over the cheese and squish it with your fingers to incorporate. Using both hands, stretch and fold the curds repeatedly. It will start to tighten, become firm, and take on a glossy sheen. When this happens, you are ready to shape the mozzarella. Make one large ball, or a few smaller balls. Try not to overwork the mozzarella.

Using and Storing Your Mozzarella: The mozzarella is best when used immediately, second best if used within 24 hours, but can be kept refrigerated for a week. To refrigerate, place the mozzarella in a small container. Mix a teaspoon of salt with a cup of cool water mixed with some milk  and pour this over the mozzarella. Cover and refrigerate.

You can buy fresh mozzarella from Tre Piani and Fulper's Family Creamery at the Princeton Forrestal Village Farmers Market. 

Blueberry-Maple BBQ Sauce

The timing is perfect. New Jersey Blueberries are making their seasonal debut just in time for 4th of July blueberries pies and...blueberries BBQ sauce. Easy and versatile, it will adorn your 4th of July grilling fare.  Try it with grilled local chicken.

Photo courtesy of New Jersey Department of Agriculture

2 cups  blueberries
11/3  champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons  maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Combine blueberries, vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, maple syrup, allspice and cayenne pepper in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Let cool and puree in the blender until smooth.

6 Ways To Eat More Vegetables (With Recipes!)

Tuesday, June 17 is Eat Your Vegetable Day. 

We didn't even know such day existed. We just eat our veggies every day with great delight. When treated right, vegetables can be the extraordinary main event of your meal.

If consuming your recommended two to three cups of vegetables every day feels like a chore, you are yet to tap into the artful, enchanting and exquisite potential of the edible plant. Below, find 6 ways to beautifully rack up those servings of spring vegetables. Enjoy!

Lamb Lettuce Two Ways

Asparagus Sauce for Pasta

Kale Cacio e Pepe

Arugula and Grilled Peach Salad

And for dessert Beets Bonbon from the ever creative Rose Robson of Robson’s Farm

Sauteed Early Summer Greens

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 lbs tender greens such as chard, spinach, baby kale cut into bite size pieces.

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add greens and toss to coat. Cover and cook until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add vinegar, salt and crushed red pepper. Toss to coat and serve immediately.