Fresh Made "Cream of Tomato Basil Soup"

01 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Local Harvests, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

On this past Sunday, we all – Robin, myself, Mac and Marnie – went to Berryhill and Co for brunch. They had a wonderful Tomato Basil Soup. Since we have a lot of tomatoes on the vines that are ready to pick and a lot of fresh basil growing, I made some Cream of Tomato Basil Soup out of our fresh tomatoes, our basil and Half-and-Half. It is wonderful! I also made some fresh Blue Potato Salad with Tomato Slivers out of some fresh red potatoes, fresh blue potatoes, fresh kohlrabi, fresh onion – the potatoes, onion and kohlrabi are from the Refugee Garden subscription we have – , fresh parsley and tomatoes – both from our garden – and celery. That was great with the soup! This is not hard to do. You can make this from what I have listed or adapt to your own liking. The tomatoes though, will need a little raw sugar and a little sea salt. Cook this slow and do not boil. Temper the cream before you add it to the soup. Add a little basil to the soup just before serving. Enjoy!

Lunch Menu

Fresh Made Cream of Tomato and Basil Soup

Fresh Made Blue Potato Salad with Tomato Slivers

Toasts

Sfiha – Arabian Meat Filled Pastry

31 Tuesday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Cooking Styles, Hard To Find Foods, Lamb, Recipe By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ 2 Comments

This recipe is from one of the Facebook cooking groups I belong to and from the Life Style Food (Australia) online group. This is a recipe for Sfiha – Arabian Meat Filled Pastry. I looks interesting. I altered the recipe to use lamb, but you can also use beef. And I suppose, that if you really want to be non-traditional, try using ground pork or chicken or turkey. I really think the variations are unlimited. But here is the original recipe, Sfiha – Arabian Meat Filled Pastry. Enjoy and let us know how you like it. Cheers!

Osso Buco Dinner

29 Sunday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Lamb, Local Harvests, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

≈ 2 Comments

This was one of “those” dinners. The weather is cool, almost Fall like and we have some lamb in the freezer. I though I was getting lamb steaks out for dinner. Instead, I got out Osso Buco – Lamb Shanks. So, I guess I should make Lamb Shanks – Osso Buco. (Check out the recipe) Hmmm! My goodness. It was awesome! Here is the complete menu.

Lamb Shanks – Osso Bucco
with
Fresh Tomatoes and Wild Mushrooms

Carrots in Pomegranate Molasses

Cous Cous with Fresh Mint and Tomatoes

2008 Parma Ridge Syrah

The lamb was from Meadowlark Farms, the tomatoes and carrots from the Refrugee Gardens, the wine was an Idaho wine and the bread from Le Cafe De Paris. Cheers!

Saturday Breakfast and the Boise Saturday Market

28 Saturday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Local Markets, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

58 degrees this morning when I left for the Saturday Market. Feels like Fall! Robin said she wanted some peaches, so as I was headed for parking, this wonderful, fresh, sweet aroma of peach wafted through the air from Kelley Orchards. Part of my goal was found. If you look in the lower left of this photo, you will see the peaches I bought. And in the center of the photo are tote bags of fresh, sweet peaches.

Part of my goal this morning was to give Janie of Meadowlark Farms some egg cartons and see if she had any Lamb and Apple Sausage. She appreciated the egg cartons and she did have some sausage. I bought some and some eggs. There are folks there also fresh roasting Anaheim Peppers. And Le Café De Paris had fresh bread. So, look at the breakfast menu I made for Robin.

Fresh Sliced Kelley Orchards Peaches

Fresh Meadowlark Farms Free Range Scramble
with
Fresh Roasted Peppers and Farm Fresh Pico De Gallo

Fresh Le Café De Paris Bread

Meadowlark Farms Lamb Chorizo Sausage

I think this was a good and interesting menu. Much like a cross cultural experience. Fun! Usually I make Sunday breakfast, but we are going to brunch tomorrow at Berryhill, so I just had to make breakfast today. There you go. I love summer for these farm fresh treats – the entire breakfast. Cheers!

Massaged Kale Salad

28 Saturday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Things To Do, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

≈ 3 Comments

Actually this was an awesome dinner that Robin made.

Braised Scallops in Garlic

Massaged Kale Salad
(Mango and Oil)

Cous Cous
(Tomato and Herbs)

Sautéed Chard
(Baby Onions and Lemon)

So how good was that? I’d say, “Awesome and full of surprise flavors.” Look at the recipe for the Massaged Kale Salad. That is a real surprise for being a raw salad. The kale is not tough or sharp or bitter. It is very good. We served the entire dinner with a 2008 Root:1 Chardonnay. A Chilean wine from the Cassablanca Valley, that is outstanding. Look for the “… melon, honey and toasted hazelnut” flavors. A powerful, but not overpowering, Chardonnay. Even at this age! Good balance of acid and alcohol – 13.8%. Cheers!

What’s For Dinner?

25 Wednesday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Cooking Styles, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, What's For Dinner?

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OK, so we probably missed our Meatless Monday, so lets make it today. No problem! Lets look at what we have here starting in the upper left corner.

A great appetizer called Sicilian Eggplant Caponata. A great use of the eggplant that is coming into season now. Eat this hot, warm or cold. It makes not real difference. Serve it on some Baguette Rounds.

And for a main dish, try Potato-Leek Soup. What? Another Potato/Leek Soup? Yes! But this one has no bacon, ham or other meat in it. It is thick and rich with no cream! Eat it hot or cold.

And finally, that green “stuff”. A great vegetable that is usually overlooked. Too bad! Really it is good. Try this really easy to prepare Chard. Really a wonderful compliment to the rest of the dinner. Full of vitamins and other good stuff and much like spinach, but I actually like it better. But, you be the judge. Let us know how you liked these. Cheers!

Eggs ‘N Nests

22 Sunday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ 2 Comments

So after the very, very exciting evening last night in the wind storm – winds peaked at 68mph and the record set on 24 July 1981 was 71 mph – it was time this morning to try some comfort food, sorta! (There was no damage noticed on this house. However, the electric and phone lines may be in jeopardy. I only got a recording at Idaho Power.)

So look at these eggs. Fun to make and I will probably change the procedure as Robin suggested. Bake the potatoes first and not broil them. Enjoy!

Shred 1 large potato. Leave the skins on. Grease (Robin says use bacon grease) the cup cake tins. Place the shredded potatoes in the cup. Press down in the center and bring up along the walls. Add a touch of salt and pepper. Bake off in a 400 degree oven until the potatoes are browned. Remove from oven a let cool slightly. Add some fresh cut chopped chives and fresh picked shredded basil to each cup. Place one egg in each cup. Broil until the eggs are set.

Gently remove each nest from the cups using a flexible, narrow spatula, trying not to break the “nests”. Plate with some un-burned bacon (oops!) and garden fresh sliced tomatoes topped with chopped chives.
These are fun to make and you can do almost anything with the eggs as you wish. Robin likes the soft cooked eggs, so that’s what we had here. I may try a scrambled egg next week with maybe some cooked Country Ham pieces in the egg. Hmmmm. Enjoy!

Potato Encrusted Fish

20 Friday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Seafood, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

I do like my breaded and sauteed seafood. So, here is a change that Robin made tonight. Really easy to do.
Potato Encrusted Halibut and Talapia
2 Filets of Talipia; 1 Filet Halibut.

Shred 1 potato. Mix with about 2 T Rosemary, fresh. Press potato mixture into fish.

Place equal amounts of butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Gently place filets in the skillet being careful not to loose any of the potato shreds. Cook until potato turns golden brown.

Using 2 spatulas, turn fish over and cook until browned.
Place 1/2 piece of the Halibut on a plate along with 1 filet of Talipia. Serve with Fresh Garden Relish and a slice of fresh cantelope.

This was an awesomely wonderful dinner. This is a great alternative to the popular breaded and fried fish. The shredded potato adds another dimention. And as we say in dance class, “Your turn!” Cheers!

Just Another Dinner!

17 Tuesday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Chicken, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, What's For Dinner?

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So yesterday we had seafood – cod to be exact. So on Meatless Monday – or Red-Meatless Monday – what to have. So, we’re going to have chicken breasts. But not the same ‘ole mundane bird that is prevalent on most plates. Let’s spice it up. Dried mushrooms – soak and reserve water. Onion – caramelize. Tomatoes – 1 can plus 3 T Pico de Gallo. Fresh chives and basil.
Combine the canned tomatoes, basil, chives and Pico de Gallo. Set aside. Caramelize onions and place in the tomato mixture. Saute the mushrooms and place in tomato mixture. (Is the bowl full yet?) Braise the chicken breasts. Add the tomato mixture and reduce heat. Reduce by one-half. In the mushroom water, add 2 T cornstarch. Completely mix. When the tomato mixture is reduced, add the mushroom water. Stir until thickened. Remove from pan; place some tomato on plate; add chicken to top of tomato. See the plated dinner below. Cheers!

Braised Tomato Chicken with Wild Mushrooms

Wild Mushroom Sauce

Herbed Fresh Steamed Corn

Garden Fresh Green Salad

Indian Creek Mountain Syringa White Blend

The wine sure did balance out the subtle spiciness of the tomato mixture. Good choice, Robin! So that’s it. Not hard to do, just a little time. 45 minutes? At most. Enjoy.

For the Holidays – 5 New Appetizers

16 Monday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ 1 Comment

Just think, in 2½ weeks and we in the US will be celebrating Labor Day! Then Halloween and Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years! Don’t blink ’cause you’ll miss them! Here are five suggestions for appetizers for the parties you will be having or will attend. The first three are new ones and the last two are re-visited superb appetizers. Enjoy them!