Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

We have been so busy with the cottage renovations the last few years that travel has not been a priority. But now, with the end in sight, I am longing to broaden my horizons and see more of the world. We have traveled to England, Hawaii, Nova Scotia, and the Canadian Rockies. We have been to Napa Valley, Nantucket, New York and New Orleans. But always, in spite of the fine times we have had, Paris has been on my mind. It is one of those longings that is hard to describe. It has to do with my love of French cooking of course. I want to see #81 Roo de Loo where Paul and Julia Child lived during the years of her culinary enlightenment. I want to sit at the second table in front of the main door at Cafe De Flore where Picasso sat every night after the war and chatted with his friends and order an omelet and a glass of Rose. I want to buy a Poilane baguette and a cumin flecked pork sausage from Charcuterie Alsacienne and enjoy a picnic along the Seine. I want to experience the open air markets and visit Dehillerin to find the perfect copper saucepan. My culinary longings are strong.

But there are museums, antique markets and other things on my mind as well. Planning a trip is almost as much fun as the actual experience. I would like to stay at a small hotel on the left bank. Hotel des Grandes Ecoles is one that I am considering. We will not be able to make this trip until a year from October so there is time to dream and plan. I would appreciate advice from any of you who have been to Paris. The guide books can tell you only so much. If you have been, what were your favorite cafes, lodging, sights and experiences? I would love to hear from you.

I am heading back to the porch to pour over my map and read my books. There will be no cooking today. We will be eating the 4th of July leftovers for days. But if you want a great recipe head over to My Year on the Grill for Dave’s recipe for the best pulled pork made from a smoked pork butt that you will ever taste. Dave was kind enough to walk my Dave through the steps the other day. Thanks for your email. Your advice was great and he did you proud.

What a wonderful way to use fresh tomatoes from the garden! Unfortunately my tomatoes are not ripe yet, so I had to rely on plum tomatoes I purchased from the store. But as soon as mine turn from green to red they will be going into this casserole. The recipe comes from Ina Garten and is one of the Barefoot Blogger recipes of the month chosen by Josie of Pink Parsley Catering. I actually saw the episode of The Barefoot Contessa when she made this and knew it would be something that I would try, so thank you Josie for picking it.

There is another tomato casserole that I blogged about that comes from Mama Dip’s , an institution in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Although I love that casserole, it is almost dessert like in it’s sweetness. This casserole has just the right balance of acidic tomatoes, sugar and Parmesan cheese. The sourdough bread cubes I used in it absorbed all of the tomato juices and balanced the dish well.

Both Mama Dip and Ina Garten have a philosophy about food. Start with food that is real and food that is in season. Then prepare it simply so that the goodness that is inherent in it shines through. I am sending this post to the Two for Tuesdays blog hop. Hop on over and see all of the wonderful healthy recipes that the participants have provided this week. And check out what the other Barefoot Bloggers did with this wonderful scalloped tomato casserole.

SCALLOPED TOMATOES

Ingredients
Good olive oil
2 cups (1/2 inch diced) bread from a French boule (I used Sourdough)
16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot of warm.

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Last weekend, in celebration of our 44th wedding anniversary our Son and Daughter-In-Law treated us to a Barbecue and Wine Pairing Dinner at the Five Star Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary, NC. Executive Chef Scott Crawford and their Sommelier put together a menu that solved the problem of what wine to serve with any of our favorite BBQ choices and the Chef grilled four excellent meats. So if you want to serve wine instead of iced tea, lemonade or beer at your next cookout, I highly recommend the following pairings. This was the menu.

Baby Back Ribs with Garlic-Soy & Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
Riesling, Smith-Madrone, Spring Mtn. California

Boneless Chicken Thighs with Tomato Barbecue Sauce
Pinot Noir, Wild Rock, Central Otago, New Zealand

Smoked & Chipped Pork Butt with Mustard Barbecue Sauce
Nero D’Avola, Cusumano, Sicily, Italy

Beef Short Ribs with Caramelized Onion Barbecue Sauce
Syrah, Laurence Feraud, Chateauneuf Du Pape, France

Campfire S’Mores
Merlot, L’Ecole 41, Columbia Valley, Washington

The early part of the evening was spent on the patio where Chef Crawford told us about his grilling techniques and sauces used on each of the meats. The happy couple are enjoying this immensely, expecially the one with the camera.

To add to the fun, I got to spend a little quality time with the Chef.

Michael and Kristen know us well and knew that an event like this would be one that would appeal to both of us. They are also food lovers and have an interest in good wines and beers. Michael has been making his own beer and it is excellent.

It was a hot and sultry night so after the grill demonstrations we moved back into the hotel. The service was flawless and elegant but never stuffy.

Unfortunately, for you, I was having too much fun to take pictures of all of the courses. I have to say that the Riesling served with the Baby Back Ribs was perfect and the Pinot Noir served with the chicken was light and refreshing. But my favorite food was the Smoked Pork Butt with one of the best cornbreads that I have ever tasted.

The Beef Short Ribs were also good and the Syrah suited their richness well.

What could be better for a cookout than campfire s’mores. Chocolate and merlot always makes a good pairing and this dessert and wine did not dissapoint.

Chef Crawford will be sending me his recipes soon. I will post a link to them when I receive them. We had an unforgettable evening. Thank you to the staff of The Umstead Hotel and especially to Michael and Kristen for arranging this. If you are in the area, The Umstead will be having other wine pairing dinners in the future.

Printable recipe Garlic-Soy & Vinegar Barbecue Sauce

Printable recipe Tomato Barbecue Sauce

Printable recipe Mustard-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce

Printable recipe Caramelized Onion Barbecue Sauce

My thanks to Executive Chef Scott Crawford for passing on his recipes.

Quinoa, once considered “the gold of the Incas”, is a rich source of many healthful benefits. Although it is used like a grain, it is actually a seed that is a relative to spinach and swiss chard. It has all 8 of the amino acids needed to form a complete protein, so is particularily good for vegetarians who seek protein from sources other than meat. But the health benefits go beyond the protein. It is very high in fiber which contributes to cardiovascular health and manganese and copper which are antioxidants and aid in cell repair. The Inca warriors relied on quinoa to give them stamina during battle and, frankly, I can use all the stamina I can get these days. Quinoa is just one of those wonderful foods that will make you feel better.

We spent the weekend with our Son, Daughter-In-Law and Granddaughter. It was also our anniversary and Kristen and Michael treated us to an unbelievable evening of food and wine – more about that later. I am waiting for the recipes from the chef. On the evening that Kristen cooked she served these quinoa cakes with eggplant and tomato ragu with smoky mozzarella. They were delicious. The cakes were crispy and nutty.

The ragu was just perfect over them. The combination of eggplant, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, garlic and smoked mozzarella was the perfect piquant foil to the mild quinoa cakes.

Served with a green salad with blueberries and strawberries and a homemade poppy seed viniagrette, it was goodness on a plate. Never mind that it was also so good for you.

QUINOA CAKES WITH EGGPLANT-TOMATO RAGU (adapted from Epicurious)

For quinoa cakes:

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup quinoa

1 large egg, lightly beaten

dried parsley flakes or oregano to taste

4 to 5 tablespoon olivel oil, divided

For Ragu:

1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup drained bottled roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf

1/4 pound smoked mozzarella, diced (1 cup)

Make quinoa cakes:

Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan.

Meanwhile, wash quinoa in 3 changes of water in a bowl, then drain well in a fine-mesh sieve.

Stir quinoa into boiling water and return to a boil, then simmer, covered, until quinoa is dry and water is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, then stir in egg.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and lightly brush with oil. Lightly oil a 1 cup dry-ingredient measure. Pack enough quinoa into measure with a rubber spatula to fill it two-thirds full. (If spatula becomes sticky, dip in water.) Unmold onto baking sheet and gently pat quinoa into a 4-inch-wide patty with spatula. Make 3 more quinoa cakes, brushing measure with oil each time. Chill cakes, uncovered, at least 15 minutes.

Make Ragu while quinoa chills:

Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and drain 30 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of eggplant to extract liquid, then pat dry.

Cook eggplant, onion, garlic, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, roasted peppers, and water and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender and mixture is thick (if dry, thin with a little water), about 10 minutes.

Cook quinoa cakes:

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Carefully add quinoa cakes and cook, turning once carefully and adding remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons oil, until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes total (pat cakes to reshape with cleaned rubber spatula while cooking if necessary). Transfer to plates.

To serve, return eggplant ragu to a simmer and stir in parsley and half of mozzarella, then simmer stirring, until cheese just begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Spoon over quinoa cakes, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Cooks’ notes:

Quinoa cakes can be formed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Eggplant-tomato ragu, withour parsley and mozzarella, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

I am entering this recipe in The Two for Tuesdays blog hop. Go over to Girlichef for all of the links to REAL food posts. We are a group of bloggers who post healthy, made from scratch, real food every Tuesday.

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