With Pork Chops ($1.99 per lb) and Tenderloin (2.99 per lb) on sale, found a simple marinade of 1/4 c. honey, 1/4 c. Lemon juice, 2 TB soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, and a splash of cooking sherry. http://bbq.about.com/od/porkrecipes/r/bl80328c.htm Heating the marinade thoroughly makes a great sauce for chops and rice. Slice some cantaloupes and dinner is served.
With chicken and mushrooms on special, will be trying a Chicken Marsala recipe from Epicurious...just need to remember fresh sage. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-Marsala-232152. Add a bit of broccoli rabe stir-fry and that’s dinner. Since eggplant and peppers seem to be in season and on special, The New York Times had two interesting eggplant dishes, Samfaina and Briam (Greek Baked Vegtables). This may be good for the slow cooker, served with some bread from Neri’s bakery.
One Culture’s Ratatouille Is Another’s Fill-in-the-Blank (October 6, 2010). “... Your efforts, however, can yield dinner for the rest of the week. The stews always taste better the next day (and the next — you can keep them in the refrigerator for about five days), as the flavors meld and ripen. They’re delicious hot or cold, and they freeze well. Leftovers become new meals as they’re mixed with scrambled or poached eggs (traditional especially in Spain and North Africa), spooned over a piece of fish or mounded onto a bruschetta.”
Cantaloupes…..99 Broccoli Rabe….99 Sliced mushroom ...1.99 Apples and pears….99 Red peppers 1.99 Green peppers 1.79 Eggplant….. 1.29 Green squash...1.29 Romaine hearts 2/$5 Potatoes - Russet...2 5-lb bags/$5 Sage for chicken
Recipes and Specials this Week with Michelle Love
RECIPES from The New York Times Samfaina
1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced very small Salt 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 medium onions, very finely chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced 2 red bell peppers (or one red and one green), peeled, seeded and sliced in thin strips or diced small 1 medium zucchini, peeled and finely chopped Black pepper 1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or a 14-ounce can, drained.
1. Lay eggplant pieces on two layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. After 30 minutes, squeeze out liquid and pat dry.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in an earthenware casserole over a flame tamer or in a Dutch oven. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until they soften, about 8 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining olive oil along with the eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini and black pepper. Turn the heat to low, stir, cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt, cover again and cook until the mixture has reduced to a thick relish, 2 to 3 more hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings. Before serving, allow to sit for at least 1 hour, or better yet refrigerate overnight.
Yield: 6 servings.
RECIPE Briam (Greek Baked Vegetables)
1 medium eggplant Salt 2 medium red onions 4 large garlic cloves 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed, peeled if desired 1 1/2 pounds zucchini 2 large bell peppers, seeded 1/3 to 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, to taste 2 pounds tomatoes, grated or peeled, seeded and chopped, or a 28-ounce can, drained Black pepper 1/2 to 1 pound small okra, ends trimmed, optional 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons chopped marjoram or oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried.
1. If the eggplant is thin and long, slice it about 1/4-inch thick. If it’s fat, halve it lengthwise, then slice in 1/4-inch-thick half-moons. Sprinkle with salt and put on paper towels for 30 minutes. Thinly slice the onions and mince the garlic. Cut the potatoes, zucchini and peppers into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Squeeze excess water from eggplant and pat dry.
2. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onions. Stir often, until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and stir in the garlic. Cook for another minute or two, until fragrant.
3. Lightly oil a deep earthenware baking dish or a heavy Dutch oven. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining olive oil. Spread a thin layer of tomatoes in the baking dish or Dutch oven and top with one-third of the onions and garlic. Top with half the potato slices. Season with salt and pepper. Layer half the zucchini slices over the potatoes and season, then layer on half the eggplant, half the peppers and half the okra, if using. Sprinkle on half the parsley, about a third of the marjoram or oregano and some pepper. Layer another third of the onions over the vegetables and top with half of the remaining tomatoes. Sprinkle with half the remaining marjoram or oregano. Repeat the layers with the remaining vegetables, ending with a layer of onions topped with the remaining tomatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs. Pour the juice from the tomatoes over the mixture.
4. Cover with foil or a lid and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Press the vegetables down into the juice and bake another 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Cool until warm before serving, or refrigerate overnight and reheat. If there is too much liquid, strain in a colander set over a bowl, reduce the juices over medium-high heat (place a flame tamer over the burner if you’re using the earthenware dish) and pour over the vegetables.
