Ina Garten's Zucchini Flower and Leek Frittata {A Thing of Beauty}

I am my Lost Kitchen Era, where I am obsessed with Erin French's The Lost Kitchen show, restaurant, food, plating, and all the edible flowers she uses to garnish her dishes! I love how Erin goes to the local farms and is inspired by what is in season to make beautiful dishes. 

I wanted to create a Lost Kitchen dish in my own kitchen, so I went to the Lexington, Kentucky Farmers Market and I found zucchini flowers! I was so excited because I had never cooked with zucchini flowers before.

So I turned to the one and only queen, Ina Garten and I found her recipe for Zucchini and Leek Fritatta. This was a major win as it allows me to really channel the whole edible flowers vibe of The Lost Kitchen.

I searched the market for the rest of the ingredients needed: pancetta, leeks, baby zucchini, fresh thyme, eggs, half and half, Gruyere, and fresh basil. This added up to be a pricier dish than most recipes I cook, but that's ok, because as I shared above, I'm in my Lost Kitchen Era and I have a major need to cook with edible flowers.

This was more laborious than most dishes, with a lot of prep, as I had to clean the zucchini flowers, removing the stamen, and dry them. I had to cut and wash the leeks, which was a rather sandy and dirty task.I had to cut and wash the basil, the thyme, the zucchini. Cut and cook the bacon. Shred the cheese. Crack and beat 8 eggs. Cook the frittata filling. It was more involved than your regular everyday frittata, but no worries, this was THE FRITTATA to end all fritattas! It was going to be adorned with the most beautiful zucchini flowers. Doesn't it look gorgeous going into the oven?

Doesn't it look gorgeous coming out of the oven? I mean wow...It's stunning! Ina says to allow the frittata to cool for five minutes and then cut into it. I am dying to see how it all tastes.

The frittata slices perfectly and each person gets their own zucchini flower with their portion, how brilliant! The frittata is brimming with zucchini, zucchini flowers, bacon, leeks, and my favorite...Gruyere cheese. I love all these ingredients so much!

I go to take a long awaited bite and the zucchini flower is soft and baked into the frittata. It is an odd texture, soft and hard to cut into, the whole flower wants to stay together. Something about the flavor and texture is not appealing. I push the flower off and take a bite of the egg and filling, the flavors are too strong and overpowering. I take another bite and something here is just not working. I keep taking bites because I love all the ingredients, it appears to have baked up perfectly, and Ina Garten has never let me down, but the dish just didn't work for me. I am, however, very happy to have made the dish and finally get a chance to work with zucchini flowers. I like to try new things even if they don't work out. I do have another zucchini flower recipes up my sleeve, so stay tuned for that. The verdict is still out!

 Seasonal and Local Produce @ IHCC

 

Ina's Orecchiette with Farm Stand Pasta Sauce {Farewell To Summer}

 The farmer's markets are coming to a close here in my county, so I made a run and got some last minute things. Namely, tomatoes...because I feel compelled to make at least one fresh tomato sauce each season.

Years ago I made Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Roasted Tomato Sauce and it was so delicious it was quite literally out-of-this-world! I'm not sure if any tomato sauce recipe could top that; but in my mind if one could, then it would be an Ina Garten recipe. So, this is how I arrived at Ina's Orecchiette with Farm Stand Pasta Sauce. 

Now, make sure you're in the mood for some time in the kitchen if you make this, because you're going to be blanching and peeling and coring and chopping and stirring for a couple hours.

Ina's Farm Stand Pasta Sauce is a combination of blanched, peeled and cored fresh tomatoes combined with olive oil, red onion, celery, carrots, garlic, full-bodied red wine, tomato paste, fresh basil and parsley, a touch of sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper that is cooked down for about an hour or more, before being blended to the consistency you like.

You can see here in this picture that is can be quite chunky or blended up until smooth. Your choice!

I chose to to keep my sauce somewhere in the middle (with some chunks so that it would still look fresh). Upon finishing the sauce I could tell that I had enough sauce for two pounds of pasta so I bottled up half in a mason jar. I've noticed over the years that all Ina's recipes for sauce make at least double or more than what's really necessary and I am not sure why that is.

However, this is important information in regards to this particular recipe because the pasta finishes cooking in the tomato sauce. If I didn't remove half of the sauce then I would have had tomato and pasta soup. So, if you chose this recipe, remove half the sauce (you can always add some back in).

Lastly, be sure to use the orecchiette called for in this recipe and/or pasta shells. The orecchiette or shells are like little cups that hold the sauce quite well, making the perfect vessel for the sauce.

If you like a very fresh tasting tomato sauce that screams of summer, then this recipe is for you!

Orecchiette with Farm Stand Pasta Sauce

Adapted from Cooking For Jeffrey

by Ina Garten

Serves 6

5 pounds good red summer tomatoes

good olive oil

1-1/2 cups chopped red onion

1-1/2 cups medium-diced celery

1-1/2 cups scrubbed and medium-diced carrots (2 to 4 carrots)

2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)

1/2 cup full-bodied red wine, such as Chianti or California Syrah

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup shopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound orecchiette pasta, such as De Cecco

Freshly grated Italian Pecorino and/or Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Plunge the tomatoes into the water for 15 to 45 seconds (depending on their ripeness), drain, and immerse in a large bowl of cold water. Remove the cores and peel the tomatoes with a small paring knife. Cut the tomatoes into 1-1/2" dice and set aside.

In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, heat 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the celery and carrots, and cook, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Add the tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, basil, parsley, sugar, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cook, almost totally covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. In batches, pour the sauce into a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse 2 to 3 times, until roughly chopped.

To serve, cook the orecchiette in a large pot of boiling salted water, following the directions on the package, and drain. Pour the pasta sauce into the pasta pot and reheat over medium heat, until simmering. Stir in the cooked pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until hot. Taste for seasonings and ladle into large, shallow pasta bowls. Sprinkle with Pecorino and/or Parmesan (I combine the two) and serve hot with extra cheese on the side. 

Herby Bread Frittata {Inspired by the Farmer's Market}

  

The farmer's market is a wealth of inspiration. One week it's the fresh ripe peaches, another week it's fresh corn on the cob, and yet another week it's a batch of spicy dill pickles. I think that's the fun of it. You just never know what's going to call to you.

This weekend I went to my local farmer's market and nothing was speaking to me. Our local market is very nice, but only about 10 small stalls, and I was feeling the whole been there, done that vibe. So, I got in the car and drove to Lexington. Their market is MUCH bigger and I hadn't been there in a few years. 

In a market of at least 40 stalls, with everything imaginable, I focused in on one booth full of the most amazing looking organic produce and THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HERBS I had ever seen! I starting grabbing up bundles of herbs: chives, sage, dill, basil, and thyme. I bought one of each! Inspiration had struck.

On the way home I was thinking of my favorite "base" ingredients that are my "go-to's" for all the things I bought at the market. What lends itself well to herbs, and onions, and peppers? 

Some things are just standby's for me, like: eggs, chicken, potatoes, any type of bread or stuffing, and homemade butters or even pesto. I started creating a menu to use up my bounty.

To start with I turned to Mark Bittman. I really wanted to make a quiche, but a frittata is much healthier. I found that he had a variety of fritatta options in his book: pasta, grains, potato, and bread. I had some wonderful sourdough bread that needing using up, so I went with the bread frittata.

The next task was to chose the herbs. I went with dill, chives, and basil. Lots of them, anywhere from 1/4 - 1/2 cup. I wanted the frittata to sing with herbaceous flavor!

Let me go ahead and say...this frittata was one of my all-time favorites! I AM SO GLAD I WENT WITH THE BREAD FRITATTA! The sourdough cubes held up to the egg but also absorbed the egg much better than potatoes and the texture was heavenly! I will be ALL ABOUT a bread frittata from now on, it is just superior in texture to a potato frittata. Plus, I always really want my potatoes fried crispy and served on the side, and this allows for that. 

The herbs were a perfect combination and I really, really loved the tang of the fresh dill with the eggs. Dill and eggs are just a perfect pairing, every bit as good together as peanut butter and jelly! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this breakfast. I will be trying more bread frittatas in the future with various herbs and veggies and cheeses. I think this is a fabulous base recipe to play around with and highly suggest it!

 

Herby Bread Frittata

Adapted from How To Cook Everything Vegetarian

by Mark Bittman

Serves 4-6

1-1/2 cups cubed bread

 salt and pepper

4 tablespoons butter

5 eggs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup feta cheese*

1/4-1/2 cup fresh herbs*

Notes: You can use any herbs here. I used a combination of chives, dill, and basil. You can also use any type of cheese, but be mindful that it goes with the variety of herbs you're using. I used Parmesan and a sprinkle of feta on top, which pairs lovely with the dill.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Get out a 10" skillet that is ovenproof (I use my cast iron skillet for all frittatas). Put the butter in the skillet over low heat.

Beat the eggs with some salt and pepper in a large bowl, then stir in the bread cubes, the Parmesan, and the herbs. Mix to incorporate evenly. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, using a spoon or spatula to distribute the ingredients evenly, and cook over low for about 10 minutes. I think the secret is cooking this real low and slow for around 10 minutes. You want the egg mixture to be firm around the sides before placing the frittata in the oven. This is also the point where I sprinkled on little bits of feta cheese! Once it looks like it is cooked around the edges, you can place the frittata into the oven. Note: You are really only placing this frittata in the oven long enough to firm up and cook the middle of the frittata. This should take only a few minutes. Keep checking the frittata so that it does not overcook, and keep in mind that this will continue to cook once removed from the oven. Best to pull it out when it still looks slightly liquidy in the center. Remove and serve hot.

Eric Ripert's Pesto with Fettuccine, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Marinated Fresh Mozzarella, and Purple Basil

This summer I found peace and healing down a winding country road. As pretty as they come, the road is lined with lush green horse farms on both sides and a canopy of trees above. In the late afternoon when the sun peeks through the trees, and you're the only one on the road, it is a spiritual experience. I swear it heals your soul.

It's almost sad when the road comes to an end. Almost. For a fairytale awaits. The Kentucky Castle.



There is an allure to this castle. You see, for years, no one was allowed inside the castle, or on the grounds of the castle, so everyone would drive by pointing and remarking how pretty it was. We wondered and we imagined. Then recently the castle opened up. Now it is a boutique hotel, a farm to table restaurant, and they host special events.

This summer one of the events at the castle is The Farmer's Market at The Castle. It is extremely popular and for good reason. Who would pass up the chance to walk around the grounds of a castle shopping for produce while sipping a cocktail, or an iced coffee, and listening to live music?

I have been living for Wednesday afternoons and The Farmer's Market at The Castle. It is my happy place! The drive, the castle, the goods at the market, and the farmers. The only thing that could make the experience any better would be if my mom could join me. I can't help but feel a little sad each time because I know that she would absolutely love The Farmer's Market at The Castle just as much as I do, maybe even more. Still I go faithfully, every Wednesday, and I'll tell you... I swear I feel the healing process at work when I'm riding there on that winding country road under the canopy of trees.

My mom's passing taught me many things. One of them is to be sure to do all the things you want while you can. One thing I've always wanted to do is sign up for a CSA box, or a Farmer's Box. The Salad Days Farm (pictured above) is my favorite, so a few weeks ago I signed up to receive a weekly Farmer's Box. The Salad Days Farm is certified organic and her box is only $20 for the week. It's the most beautiful produce and I always feel like I'm getting way more than I paid for.

 

I am always bursting at the seams to see what goodies I get for the week. This week I received beautiful heirloom tomatoes, green and purple basil, cilantro, beets, okra, cucumbers, garlic, summer squash, zucchini, and some beautiful red peppers. I knew right away that I wanted to use the basil and garlic to make pesto. I also decided to combine the pesto with some pasta, the heirloom tomatoes, some fresh mozzarella or burrata, and garnish it all with the purple basil.

The final dish turned out beautifully! Ripert's pesto is hands down the best pesto I've ever made. All of the ratios are just right. Some recipes have too much basil, or too much oil, while others skimp on the cheese. Not this one. Ripert's recipe is just the right amount of everything.

When I plated the dish and stepped back to take pictures I paused and thought about my mom. She would love this dish with all the beautiful colors and fresh ingredients. I could hear her say, "wow, look how fresh and beautiful that looks." Then we would sit down to eat and I know she would go on and on about how much she loved eating fresh food in the summer and how "special" this dish was. It was her tagline. Anytime she was really impressed, or a dish had a beautiful presentation, she would always say it was "so special."

So this one is for you, mom. You are always with me in the kitchen. You would love the sweet pop of the cherry tomatoes and the beautiful color they give the dish. We would fight over the creamy pieces of marinated mozzarella, or maybe we would've just added more. I can see you now ripping chunks of fresh mozzarella over your plate. You would go on and on about how special the purple basil looked on top. We would enjoy the dish together and laugh about how everyone else in the house was crazy for being so picky and not liking pesto, and tomatoes, and so many other things. We would make plans for the leftovers and talk about them the next day. All these moments play out in my mind as I enjoy this dish and I find myself so thankful to know, without a doubt, what would be.

Pesto with Fettuccine and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, 

Marinated Fresh Mozzarella, 

and Purple Basil

Adapted from Avec Eric

by Eric Ripert and a Stirring the Pot Original

Serves 4-6

For Eric Ripert's Basil

2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if necessary

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

crushed red pepper flakes, to taste *

Place the basil, garlic, Parmesan, 1/2 cup of olive oil and pine nuts in a food processor or blender; add salt and pepper to taste. Add crushed red pepper flakes if you like your pesto with a little kick. Process or blend until smooth adding more olive oil as necessary.

For The Pasta

1 pound fettuccine, or another pasta shape

a handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella or burrata, cut or broken into pieces

a handful of basil or purple basil, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

crushed red pepper flakes, to taste*
Note: crushed red pepper flakes are optional*

 Cook the pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, place the mozzarella or burrata in a medium bowl and cover with the oil, some of the chopped basil, salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Allow to marinate while the pasta cooks. Cut the heirloom cherry tomatoes in half, or quarters, if necessary.  

When the pasta is done, toss all but 1/4 cup of the pesto with the pasta and place the tossed pasta in a large pasta serving bowl. Top the pasta with the remaining pesto, the marinated cheese, the cherry tomatoes, and the chopped basil. Serve immediately!

Farmer's Market Salad with Shrimp, Basil Citrus-Honey Vinaigrette, and Herbs de Provence Croutons

Like most of you, I woke up Saturday morning to the devastating news about Anthony Bourdain. I was shocked and saddened to say the least. I immediately thought of the food blogging community and knew this would have a huge impact, but I mostly thought of my best blogging friend, Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. Deb is a much bigger Bourdain fan than me. Over in Hawaii, Deb was sound asleep with no knowledge of the sad news that awaited her.
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Hours later Deb and I messaged about the news. Our hearts went out to Bourdain's family and friends, but our hearts also went out to our current I Heart Cooking Clubs chef Eric Ripert, not only because Eric and Anthony were best friends, but also because the news outlets were reporting that it was Ripert who found Bourdain. I couldn't imagine finding any of my friends that way.

It was then we decided to honor Bourdain, as well as Ripert and Bourdain's friendship, with a special theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs next week, For A Friend.  If anyone would like to join in with a dish to honor Anthony Bourdain, please do so. Your dish doesn't have to be specific to any chef or theme. Your recipe can be anything that speaks to you. A comforting dish. A dish inspired by a story or an adventure. A unique one-of-a-kind dish, like Bourdain. It can be anything, For A Friend.

If you would like to participate in our special theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs, please click on the link to IHCC in this post. It will redirect you to our site where you can link your dish, and a picture, to our post and also see the dishes others share.

I urge everyone to continue discussing mental health and suicide. These issues are simply not discussed enough. If you, or a friend are suffering, please know that you are important, you are loved, and you make a difference. Please call 1-800-273-8255, 24/7 for help.

I'll end with my favorite Bourdain quote, and one I tend to live my life by, "Move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move. - Anthony Bourdain

Farmer's Market Salad w/ Shrimp, Basil Citrus-Honey Vinaigrette, and 

Herbs de Provence Croutons

Recipe Adapted from Avec Eric

by Eric Ripert

Serves 2

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and black pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced into ribbons

3 - 4 cups fresh lettuce

1/2 pound shrimp

teaspoon olive oil

1 clove minced garlic

sliced cucumber

sliced tomatoes

 2 slices of country bread

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

For The Dressing: Whisk the lemon zest and juice, lime zest and juice, honey, and mustard in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the canola oil while whisking constantly until completely emulsified.  Add the basil and whisk. Set aside so the flavors can meld.

For The Shrimp: Preheat oven to 400F. In a skillet, or baking sheet, toss the shrimp with one teaspoon olive oil and one clove of minced garlic. Bake at 400F for about 8-10 minutes. (You can arrange the shrimp on a skewer if you like).

For the Croutons: Cut two slices of country bread into cubes. Melt two tablespoons butter and add in about 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence. You can either toast the croutons in the oven with the shrimp or toast the croutons on the stovetop. I made my croutons on the stovetop over medium heat until the bread was toasty on all sides. It took less than five minutes. Allow to cool.

To Assemble The Salad: In a large bowl, toss the salad with the desired amount of dressing. I added sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, but you can add whatever you like. Any kind of olive would be especially nice with this salad. Arrange the salad in a bowl, decorate with homemade croutons and shrimp. Drizzle the shrimp with a bit of the dressing, both for looks and taste. Serve immediately!

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