simplest roast chicken

Well...this is awkward.  

I prepared this post so long ago that it was actually photographed in the kitchen of the house we sold last May.  Not to mention that, actually, the draft date was January of 2013. Two years ago.  Before we even knew that we were having a baby.  A baby who is now a 15-month old toddler.

Sorry, friends.  Better late than never?

My tardiness does help to prove the point of this post, though; that roast chicken is a staple in our house, and this recipe in particular is our favorite.  Because, two years later, these images are as relevant as the day I prepared them.  Except for that kitchen.  

Happy, healthy 2015 to any readers that may still have Bella Eats hooked into their feed reader.  All two of you.  Hi Brian, hi Momma.

Simplest Roast Chicken

from Thomas Keller, via Epicurious

Ingredients

• one whole, farm-raised chicken, 3-ish pounds
• kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper
• 2-3 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• unsalted butter
• dijon mustard

Method (in Thomas Keller's words)

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
2. Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
3. Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.
4. Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
5. Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip—until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.

we went to spain!

Hi, friends! Since the last time I checked in here at Bella Eats, Brian and I traveled to Spain. It was the most amazing trip, our honeymoon 6.5 years post-wedding, and we still can't quite believe that it's over. I have so much to share, and was so inspired while there, that I can barely contain myself! Once I parse through the thousands of images we captured I will share more, here, along with the recipes sure to emerge from our kitchen. We're already craving tortilla and albondigas like you wouldn't believe.

Also, if you're on Instagram, you can follow me there @andreahubbell. Brian (@brianmhubbell) and I made a special hashtag while abroad, #hubbellsinspain, which I still visit multiple times a day to relive small pieces of our time in Spain. Oh, how we miss it!

Also, have you met Sarah and Megan, the lovely ladies that I work with every week on Beyond the Flavor?

Together, at the beginning of November, we hosted the first annual Beyond the Flavor Friendsgiving. It was the best evening, filled with contributors, supporters, and friends of our project, without whom Beyond the Flavor wouldn't exist. You really should hop over to see our recap of the event, even if only for food inspiration. While the recipes shared were originally intended for the Thanksgiving table, several have made it to our regular menu and would be wonderful for other holiday meals as well. My favorites so far: Autumn Israeli Couscous, Crispy Kale Salad, and Pecan Corn Bread Pudding.

[photo by Sarah]

Coming home from 12 days of travel makes one crave cooking in one's own kitchen, and I am no exception. While I won't make any promises, I do have the best of intentions for Bella Eats. I hope to see more happening here, soon. We made the best, simplest roast chicken on Sunday, and it deserves an audience. Until then...happy December!

fresh tomato pasta

In terms of food, I do believe this is my favorite time of year. Summer. Aside from the two outdoor weddings photographed on 100+ degree days, she's been treating me well. Our local market is exploding with color and flavor; eggplant, tomatoes, peaches, melon and squash make it into our basket every Saturday. Our dinners are simple, inspired by the abundant fresh produce and the desire to keep it all as whole as possible. While I do love to cook, the idea of spending an hour preparing dinner over a hot stove is less than desireable in the middle of July. Which is why this recipe is my new favorite.

Sarah is my office mate, Beyond the Flavor partner, fellow food lover, and very dear friend. Nearly every afternoon we turn away from our computers and ask what the other is having for dinner. On Monday, when I was clueless about our evening menu but mentioned that I had a bowl full of beautiful, ripe tomatoes, she told me about this dish. It is about as simple as it gets, relying fully on the flavor of summer's best bounty. Tomatoes are chopped to bite-size pieces and tossed with sliced basil, minced garlic, and a generous amount of olive oil. The mixture is then refrigerated for at least an hour before being folded into hot, cooked pasta. Add some sausage (which we'd grilled the previous evening), salt, pepper and Parmigiano, and dinner is served.

Happy weekend, friends!

Summer Tomato Pasta

serves 4

To make this dish vegetarian, remove the sausage and add red pepper flakes to your marinade.

Ingredients

• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 12 leaves fresh basil
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup good-quality olive oil
• 1 cup crumbled hot italian sausage, cooked
• 1 pound brown rice pasta
• salt + pepper
• fresh Parmigiano Reggiano

 Method

1. Chop tomatoes. Slice basil. Mince garlic. Toss all together in a shallow dish with olive oil and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. Cook pasta. I like to bring my salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and then turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid. The pasta should be done in 8-10 minutes.
3. Drain pasta and add back to pot. Toss with tomato mixture and add crumbled sausage. Salt + pepper to taste.
4. Serve with shavings of Parmigiano and an arugula salad.

pasta with portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, + chèvre

Goodness, I am not doing so well in the beauty department with the recipes I've shared in 2012. But again, this one is worth trying even with the overall brownness of the dish. It is relatively quick and involves inexpensive ingredients that we typically have every day. With little flecks of green parsley it is even more tasty and just a tad prettier but, as you can see, parsley wasn't in my fridge when I prepared this meal (for the 3rd time in a month, I'll add) and it was still really wonderful. Maybe not 'share with company' delicious, but perfect for a weeknight with family, or with friends who are family.

Virginia is in a weird, in-between phase of weather right now. One day we'll have sleet and snow dust and misty skies, the next sunshine and fluffy clouds and crocuses peaking from beneath fallen leaves. Mother Nature can't decide if she should buckle down and get serious about Winter or skip on ahead to Spring. I'll take either, but the back and forth is really throwing me off. I waver between wanting a thick + meaty stew for dinner or a light salad with citrus. Grocery shopping is nearly impossible since the chances of my craving what I actually buy are slim, given that the weather is bound to drastically change 2 days later. I am falling back on old staples; meals that have proven themselves worthy no matter the time of year. Like this one, which I'll either fill my bowl to the brim with (cold, Winter day) or pair equally with a fresh salad (warm, Spring day). Either way it's a winner, and sure to stay in our rotation year-round.

Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, + Chevre

from Food + Wine

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter, divided
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 lb portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
• 3/4 lb ziti (we use brown rice pasta in our house...just as silky as semolina, but whole grain)
• 3 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Method

1. In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tbsp of the butter with 2 tbsp of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes (I let them go for closer to 30). Remove from the pan.
2. In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 tsp of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and the pepper.
3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the ziti and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the remaining 1 tbsp oil, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.

potato, red onion + blue cheese tart

Gosh, I seem to have been in some kind of post-Thanksgiving funk these past 2 weeks! There was that big push to get recipes out to you before the holiday, and then I stopped cooking. Seriously, I was proud on nights that I picked up prepared sauce and fresh fettucini from the local pasta shop and managed to throw together a salad for the side. It has been a busy couple of weeks for our household, with me finishing up a bunch of photography projects and Brian wrapping up his most complicated website build yet. Hopefully life will return to a regular schedule these last weeks of 2011 (ha! when are the weeks before and after Christmas ever regular!) and I'll manage to get some holiday baking slipped onto my schedule!

This tart recipe has been on my list for, oh, about 3 months now. I'm not really sure why it popped into my head, but one day the idea of a potato tart with caramelized red onions and stinky blue cheese landed and stuck. Last Friday I finally got around to experimenting, first doing a little research to see how others had tackled similar recipes. I wasn't sure whether the potatoes should be cooked first etc., and luckily found a similar dish to launch mine from over at Smitten Kitchen. I can't even tell you how amazing this tart smelled as it was finishing its time in the oven. If only there were some way to bottle scent and upload it here on my Charlottesville computer, to be distributed to you all through your own computer speakers. Come on Apple, why haven't you figured that one out yet?

I guess you'll just have to make it yourselves, and I'm thinking a holiday potluck could be the perfect excuse. You know you have a few of those on your calendar...

I am so glad that I found the foundation recipe on Smitten Kitchen because I was alerted to the fact that the filling for the tart doesn't set up as solidly as a quiche would.  Good to know, because this cook likes to make sure her eggs are good and done, and I definitely would have over-cooked the tart had I not been warned.

Potato, Red Onion + Blue Cheese Tart

inspired by this recipe at Smitten Kitchen

serves 4 with a salad

Crust Ingredients (this is my favorite, all-purpose savory tart crust)

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chopped rosemary
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 4-5 tbsp cold water

Filling Ingredients

• about 1 pound of potatoes (I used russet, but red potatoes would be fantastic too)
• 1 large red onion, sliced to 1/4-inch rings
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup milk (I used 1%)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used Ile de France Roquefort, which was sent to me as a sample to try)
• salt + pepper

Method

1. First, make the crust dough (about 1 hour before you're ready to assemble the tart). Place the flour, salt, and rosemary in a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Add the water, 1 tbsp at a time, and pulse briefly after each addition. After 4 tbsp of water have been added, process the dough for several seconds to see if it will come together. If not, add the remaining 1 tbsp water. Process just until the dough comes together in a rough ball. Do not overprocess or the dough will not be flakey. Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured work surface and knead briefly to for a smooth ball. Flatten the dough into a 5-inch disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.  Note: My dough was very sticky with just 4 tbsp of water, so I wound up adding some flour to help it to come together. The final dough should be smooth and supple before refrigerating. Also, if you don't have a food processor, you can still make the dough by using forks or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture, then add your water.
2. While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling ingredients.  Scrub the potatoes and remove any eyes or rough patches, leaving most of the skin in place.  Slice potatoe into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are just tender. Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add the onion rings and stir to coat with oil.  Drop heat to medium-low and allow unions to caramelize, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Whisk together the milk and egg yolks, set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350℉.
6. After an hour, remove the dough from the refrigerator.  Roll to a round about 12 inches in diameter. Place the dough in a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.  Press the dough to the bottom and sides of the pan, and remove excess dough from around edge of pan.
7. Place cooked potatoes in concentric rings along the bottom of the pan, overlapping and adding layers until pan is full. Distribute the caramelized onions across the tops of the potatoes. Pour the milk/egg mixture over the potatoes and onions. Drop bits of blue cheese evenly across the surface of the tart.  Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
8. Bake the tart for 45-55 minutes, until browning at edges.  Filling will still be slightly jiggly, as the milk to egg ratio doesn't allow for it to set as a quiche would.  The final consistancy should be creamy.

butternut squash risotto

Thanksgiving is just one week away. One week! So shocking. I have a list of recipes queued up and ready for you all, all dishes that would accompany a roasted turkey beautifully. In order to get them out to you in time for your big trip to the grocery store, I am going to march them out day after day through Monday. 5 recipes in 5 days. I do believe that will be a new record here at Bella Eats!

I am starting with a Fall staple in our house. Butternut squash is the very first Autumn ingredient that I buy each September, always in anticipation of this recipe. If we were hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house again this year I would absolutely put this creamy dish on our menu, and can't quite figure out why it has never made it there before. I think it would make a great substitute for the sweet potato casserole that typically winds up on the table. Especially because I just discovered my favorite sweet potato dish ever, and its a dessert, and I don't think I could take two sweet potato courses in one meal. Don't worry, I'll be sharing that one too.

I tried something new this time, adding mushroom broth to the risotto instead of standard vegetable. We loved the earthy depth it added, and have permanently altered our recipe. If you don't have mushroom base, vegetable or chicken broth is good too.

Butternut Squash Risotto

serves 4 for main course, 6-8 as a side

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, about 1.5 pounds
• 2-3 tbsp butter, divided
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 1 medium onion, diced, about 1 cup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-½ cups arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
• 6-7 cups broth made with better than bouillon mushroom base (vegetable if you don't have it)
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt + pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Lay the halves cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.  Place a thin sliver of butter inside the bowl of each half, and another on the flat part of the squash.  Place a small sage leaf over top of each sliver of butter.  Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh pepper.  Roast the squash for 20-30 minutes, until a fork can pierce the flesh with only a bit of resistance.
2. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool until you can handle it comfortably.  Use a small paring knife to peel the skin from the squash, and dice it into ½-inch chunks.  Set aside.
3. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and let sauté for about 3 minutes, until it is starting to soften.  Add the garlic and the rest of the sage leaves and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.  Add the arborio rice and stir to combine for 1 minute, until the rice starts to crackle.  De-glaze the pan with the white wine, stirring to get any brown bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Add the squash and stir so that it is evenly distributed with the rice.
4. Add broth one ladle at a time, stirring constantly so that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, and only adding the next ladle when the previous has been absorbed.  Continue until all broth is gone and rice is creamy, about 25 minutes.
5. Add the remaining butter (about 1 tbsp) to the pan, along with the parmesan cheese, and stir until distributed evenly.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Charlottesville and Richmond folks...Relay Foods beat me again! Richmond, your one-click recipe is here, and Charlottesville yours is here.

orecchiette carbonara

We have a special category for certain types of meals in our house: BHubb meals. As in, 'that's a BHubb dinner', which tranlates to 'that's the kind of dish that makes Brian, aka BHubb, a happy man'. Typically a BHubb meal is rich and heavy, and most often has some sort of pork product involved. Examples of BHubb meals from the past include Slow-Cooked Carnitas, Pappardelle with Spicy Pork Ragu, and Bacon Garlic Marinara with Homemade Meatballs. You see, sometimes I get on a salad kick, or a soup kick, and there will be weeks where most of our meals are one or the other. Those are most definitely NOT BHubb meals, because once Brian leaves the table he is rummaging for more sustenance in the pantry within half an hour. I am trying to be better about the balance between AHubb and BHubb meals in our house, and I must admit that I get a lot of satisfaction out of Brian's vigorous nod of approval after his first bite of a dinner made specially with him in mind. 

I knew going in that this Orecchiette Carbonara would get such a nod. Brian already expected something delicious when he got home last night, as I'd asked him before he left for work to slice 6 long strips of bacon from the cured pork belly we had waiting in our fridge. His eyebrows went up as he said 'bacon, huh?!?', and happily got to work carefully releasing slice after slice from the slab. And once at the dinner table, true to form, with his mouth still full Brian looked to me, pointed at the bowl in front of him, and gave me that content bob of his head letting me know that this, for sure, was a Bhubb meal.

This is a dish that I feel certain will make a frequent appearance at our table. We almost always have each of these ingredients on hand, aside from perhaps the leeks which, in a pinch, could be substituted with sweet onion.  Orecchiette can occasionally be difficult to find, but is worth the effort if you do. The tiny ear-shaped pasta is perfect for catching the peas and bits of bacon. If you have trouble, substitute shells or bowties.

Orecchiette Carbonara

serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 slices high-quality, thick-cut bacon
• 2 medium leeks, white + pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 10 oz orecchiette pasta or small shells
• 2 large, high-quality egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley

Method

1. Cook bacon until crisp. We like to cook our bacon in the oven at 400° for about 15 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet, but cooking it in a skillet on the stove top is fine, too. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel to drain, and set aside. Reserve 2 tbsp of the bacon fat, keeping it in the skillet or pouring it from the baking pan into a skillet.  Once the bacon is cool, break it into small pieces.
2. Add the leeks and garlic to the skillet with the bacon fat, and saute' over medium heat until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the peas and stir to heat evenly. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
4. Whisk the egg yolks, parmesan, and cream together in a medium bowl. Gradually add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. 
5. Add the pasta to the leeks and stir to mix over medium heat, just until all is heated through and the leeks are just starting to sizzle again. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour egg mixture over pasta. Stir until the sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 minutes. You can return the skillet to very low heat if the egg mixture is still runny, but be careful not to overcook. If the pasta needs to be moistened, you can add some of the reserved pasta cooking water back to the pan.
6. Stir in the bacon and parsley, blending well.
7. Serve with additional cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

a meal for summer's end

The final days of summer are upon us.  Already I've worn a scarf, contemplated tights, and polished my boots. The weather this Sunday past was Perfect (yes, with a capital 'P')...temperature in the upper sixties, sunny skies, a crisp breeze. Our windows have been flung wide open, the air conditioner *hopefully* retired until next June.  Brian happily gave our lawn what he wishes to be its last cut, and I've planted the garden beds full with beets, carrots, collards, and lettuce.  We're ready...for Fall festivals, warm jackets, rosy cheeks, mulled cider, creamy soups, firey leaves, golden light, and crisp air.

As a send-off to Summer we're embracing her end-of-season bounty.  There are still local peppers and corn to be had and I, ever the fan of fresh, local corn, am consuming as much as I possibly can until it is gone.  We've had corn chowder, corn pancakes, cornmeal cake.  And now, perhaps my favorite thus far, corn bread stuffing laced with green chilies. And alongside that, a roast chicken stuffed with local plums and nectarines.  The perfect meal for these last Summer days, when cooler temperatures have us craving warm and comforting fare at their end.

I expected the stuffing to be very, very spicy, but was pleasantly surprised by the mild heat the chilies provide. Still, if you have an aversion to spice, consider substituting anaheim peppers for the jalapenos.

Roast Chicken with Summer or Fall Fruit

serves 2-4, depending on the size of the bird

Ingredients

• one fresh, organic, whole chicken (this bird was about 2.5 lbs)
• a few tablespoons of canola oil
• salt + pepper
• 12 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2-4 nectarines, peachs, or plums (or a mix of all three) cut into wedges (and, when Fall hits full-force, this would be delicious with apples, too)

Method

1. The morning you are planning to cook the bird for dinner, rub him down with oil. Work your fingers between the skin and meat of the bird's thighs and breast, separating the two to form pockets for the herbs. Stuff the thyme underneath the skin in as many places as you can, reserving a few sprigs. Finally, rub the bird thoroughly with salt and pepper, over top and underneath the skin. Refrigerate the bird until you're ready to cook him.
2. Preheat your oven to 325° and place a rack in the middle. Lay the remaining thyme sprigs in the center of a medium cast iron pan. Place the bird, breast-side up, on top of the thyme. Stuff as many fruit wedges as you can inside of the cavity, and lay the rest in the pan around the bird.
3. Cook the chicken for 45 minutes, then remove from oven and turn him over. Cook for another 45 minutes, remove from oven, and turn him again. Make a small incision in the breast to see if the meat is cooked through, white and not pink. For a small bird, 90 minutes is about all you need. If you're cooking a larger bird, he will take longer. Just keep turning him every 45 minutes until the meat is white and the interior juices run clear.
4. When the chicken is done, turn the oven to broil. Place the chicken, breast side up, back in the oven on the middle rack.  Broil until the skin browns and crisps, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan, retaining the juices and fruit in the pan. Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes before carving him.
6. Bring the juices and fruit to a boil on the stovetop. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the juice is reduced to a thicker glaze. Spoon the glaze and fruit over top of the carved chicken, on individual plates.

Corn Bread Stuffing with Green Chilies

adapted from bon appétit

serves 10

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 cups fresh poblano chilies, seeded, chopped
• 6 small jalapeño chilies, seeded, chopped
• 6 ears corn, kernels removed from cobs
• 1-1/4 cups chopped green onions
• Buttermilk Corn Bread, 1 day old (recipe below)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all of the chilies and saute until they begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in half of the corn and all of the green onions. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Coarsely crumble the day-old cornbread into the bowl and mix together.
2. Blend the rest of the corn, the eggs, sugar, salt, and pepper in a food processor until you have a course puree. Stir the puree into the stuffing mixture.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Generously butter a 13x9x2 or a 10x10x2 baking dish. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the baking dish and pat down into dish. Butter a piece of aluminum foil and place the foil, butter side down, over the stuffing. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes.  Uncover the dish and bake until the stuffing is slightly crisp and golden, about 15 minutes.

Buttermilk Corn Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Butter a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. 
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the buttermilk, and then whisk in the eggs.
3. Mix all of the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the buttermilk mixture.  Transfer batter to the buttered baking pan.
4. Bake corn bread until edges are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Cover the pan tightly and store at room temperature for at least one day, and up to two days.

Those of you local to Charlottesville or Richmond: I've been providing Relay Foods with recipes and photography for some time now.  I typically try to post recipes here, on Bella Eats, prior to their appearance on Relay, but have been a little swamped lately.  So, this means that if you're interested in adding the ingredients for the Corn Bread Stuffing with Green Chilies to your Relay order with just one click, you can do so here.

tomato + goat cheese tart with rosemary crust

Summer.

Tomatoes.

Summer. Tomatoes. Summer tomatoes. Summer tomatoes summer tomatoes summer tomatoes. The two words belong together, do they not?

With a high of 101° in Charlottesville today (real feel 115° to 120°...um, when did we move to the equator?!?), I am not finding a whole lot to be happy with Summer about at the moment. Except for tomatoes. We are overrun with summer's favorite fruit right now...big ones, little ones, red ones, orange ones. All picture frames and candles have been removed from my dining room sideboard to make way for our bounty from the farm. It is the official tomato storage and ripening spot in our house, a constantly revolving inventory of heirloom varieties. I've made pints of marinara to store away for winter, and have plans to can soups and salsas in the coming weeks. But still, my very favorite way to consume a perfectly ripe tomato is thickly sliced, with sea salt. It just doesn't get much better than that. Unless you sandwich one of those slices between two hunks of bread with some bacon...that's pretty darn good too.

Most of our meals this week involved, you guessed it, tomatoes. In sauce over pasta, in salsa on fish tacos, sliced with fresh mozzarella on pizza, the 'T' in our BLTs. And this lovely, simple, rustic tart. It breaks my 'don't turn on the oven' rule, but at least it isn't the stove top. 

First, I have to say again how much I love Jack Bishop's book, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. I have shared several recipes from there, here, and cannot praise it enough. We have been thrilled with every single dish we've made between its covers, and love how simple and quick they always are. This tart is no exception. The crust dough comes together beautifully and is so easy to work. The filling ingredients are simple. The whole tart is finished with just 15 minutes of prep time, which I love. If the crust weren't so butter-full we'd have this meal multiple days each week.

Be sure to only make this tart when tomatoes are at their peak...a pink and grainy 'mater just wouldn't do...

Tomato + Goat Cheese Tart with Rosemary Crust

from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, by Jack Bishop

Crust Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
• 8 tbsp (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 4-5 tbsp ice water

Tart Filling

• 6 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1-1/3 cups)
• 3 medium, delicious tomatoes, cored, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick, and blotted dry between paper towels*
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt + freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. First, make the crust dough (about 1 hour before you're ready to assemble the tart). Place the flour, salt, and rosemary in a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Add the water, 1 tbsp at a time, and pulse briefly after each addition. After 4 tbsp of water have been added, process the dough for several seconds to see if it will come together. If not, add the remaining 1 tbsp water. Process just until the dough comes together in a rough ball. Do not overprocess or the dough will not be flakey. Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured work surface and knead briefly to for a smooth ball. Flatten the dough into a 5-inch disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.  Note: My dough was very sticky with just 4 tbsp of water, so I wound up adding some flour to help it to come together. The final dough should be smooth and supple before refrigerating. Also, if you don't have a food processor, you can still make the dough by using forks or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture, then add your water.
2. Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 375°. 
3. Unwrap the chilled dough and roll it into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Lay the dough over a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, fitting the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. Run the rolling pin over the top of the tart pan to trim the excess dough. Prick the bottom of the tart shell all over with a fork.
4. Finally, fill and bake the tart. Scatter the goat cheese evenly across the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese in two rings, one around the outside edge of the tart pan and another in the center, overlapping them slightly. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bake until the edges of the crust pull away from the sides of the pan and are golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool the tart on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Cut the tart into wedges and serve.  Also, it is really good at room temperature so feel free to make this ahead and let it cool for several hours.

* To dry tomatoes, lay 3 layers of paper towels on a flat surface. Place your tomato slices on the paper towels, and then cover with 3 more layers of towels. Gently press your hands over the tomatoes to extract as much liquid as you can without crushing the tomatoes. When you lift the slices from the towels, many of the seeds should stay behind. This will keep your tart crust from becoming soggy.

slow-cooked carnitas tacos

There is something about summertime that leaves me craving tacos.  I have no idea where this comes from, but the combination of fresh tortillas, pulled meat, avocado, and salsa does not leave my brain from mid-May through early September.  Sure, I'd consume tacos any time of the year, but during these summer months I could eat them every single week. Also, we have a thing for pork in this household. Whether it be bacon, or pulled bbq, or thick bone-in chops...I dare say that pork is our favorite meat. So combine tacos with pork and you'll find a very happy Andrea chowing down, claiming 'this is the best meal, ever'. Not only because I love that particular combination of flavors, but because slow-cooked carnitas tacos are easy, and don't heat up my kitchen, and make enough quantity to have leftovers for a couple of days. On these brutally hot Virginia summer evenings that is EXACTLY the kind of recipe to do a little food dance for.

We made these tacos for Tommy + Kristin's baby party a couple of months ago (and, btw, Olive has arrived!). Ever since I've been craving them, talking about making carnitas tacos each week following.  We finally picked up a beautiful pork shoulder (or butt...boston butt that is...I know, its confusing) from Belmont Butchery last week, and there was no way that carnitas weren't happening after 3 months of thinking about them. And oh, were they good. SO good, that I think they'll have to happen again soon. Maybe next week, even...

These tortillas came from La Michoacana.  C-villians...if you haven't been there yet, GO. Right NOW. Everybody else, see if you can find fresh tortillas for your carnitas tacos, they will make all the difference.

Slow-Cooked Carnitas

serves 8 (about 32 small tacos)

Ingredients:

• (1) 6 pound bone-in pork butt (also called pork shoulder)
• 2 tbsp coarse salt
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 8 whole cloves garlic, smashed
• 4 chipotle peppers (canned, in adobo sauce)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup orange juice

Method:

1. Trim the excess fat from the meat and discard.  Place all ingredients in your slow-cooker and set to LOW.  Cook for 8 hours.  Meat is done when it literally falls off of the bone. When it is cool enough to handle, lift the meat from the juices and place on a large platter or cutting board. Remove the bone and shred the meat to bite-size pieces.
2. Skim the fat from the juices and keep as a medium for re-heating the meat.  To reheat, place carnitas in a baking dish and pour juices over top. Cover with foil and re-heat in oven.  The juices are also really delicious as a sauce over the carnitas.  It will be spicier than the meat itself, so be careful to taste-test.
3. For tacos, serve with small corn tortillas, sour cream, lime, avocado, fresh salsa, and queso fresco.

a call for your best pizza dough recipe...

Friends...I need you! Here we are on April 1, Spring has sprung and I've already made my first grilled pizza, and I still don't have a pizza dough recipe that I am completely head-over-heels for.  May I ask...do YOU have a favorite pizza dough recipe?  And if you do, would you please, please share it with me?  In exchange, I will give you my very favorite pizza topping combination...do we have a deal? Thank you. :)

Happy weekend, all!

Andrea's very favorite Pizza Topping Combination, inspired by Dr. Ho's Humble Pie

• your pizza dough of choice (please share!!!)
• corn meal for dusting your very hot pizza stone
• tomato sauce (preferably from this recipe)
• thinly shaved ham (preferably from your favorite local farm...we always use Double H Farm ham)
• fresh mozzarella (from Mona Lisa Pasta)
• caramelized red onions (heat over medium heat in olive oil for about 10 minutes, until golden brown)
• fresh arugula (also from Double H Farm) dressed with a little bit of olive oil and fresh lemon juice (or, lemon olive oil...yum!)
• shaved parmesan cheese
• sea salt to sprinkle on top

We grill one side of the pizza dough before topping, remove the dough and top the grilled side, then put the pizza back on the grill.  The arugula and shaved parmesan go on the pizza once it has come off of the grill and is ready to be served.

classic lasagna with mushrooms

I really like cookbooks. Sit me down on the couch with a glass of wine, sticky notes, and a thick book full of beautiful and evocative culinary images and I am one happy girl. Dissecting recipes can entertain me for hours, methods and timing dancing through my head as I imagine this ingredient melded with that one. But it is a very special book that holds my attention for the space between recipes, where the author's true voice emerges in the stories behind the dishes compiled. When my stepfather, Joe, handed me his copy of The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and said "You can borrow it, but only for a little while. And you MUST read the chapter about tomatoes." I had a feeling it would be just that kind of book. I immediately curled up in the corner of my parents' L-shaped couch and sank into that tomato chapter, which begins like this:

"I must begin this chapter with a confession: There is nothing, absolutely nothing that pleasures me more than a bowl of pasta and tomato sauce. When I want to reach out with all my love to my husband, a dish of pasta and tomatoes is almost always in my hands. When I am worn out and the world isn't such a nice place to be in, I make tomato sauce and pasta. When time is short but dear friends must be fed with joy and not pressure, I make pasta with tomato sauce. Never are any two of these pastas alike, because for me, this is the food of instinct." 

Lynn Rossetto Kasper, The Italian Country Table

And...I was hooked. My own copy arrived back home in Virginia the very next week and I immediately began plotting an "Italian Month" on Bella Eats. It didn't happen because, well, life got busy, but we've cooked and loved several of the recipes and I've very much enjoyed getting lost in the spaces between them. 

I made this lasagna last month for very good friends we hadn't seen in many weeks and I must say, it was the perfect dish for a mini-reunion. Simple ingredients create a complex marriage of flavors and textures that you just can't stop eating. We sat around our table for hours catching up, the pan of lasagna between us enticing each of us to a second serving.

The pasta, cheese, and canned tomatoes were purchased at our local pasta shop, Mona Lisa Pasta. It shouldn't be a problem for you to find them in most grocery stores, but do seek out the highest quality cheeses and tomatoes you can.  The simplicity of this lasagna allows their flavors to shine. I did a little happy dance when those sheets of fresh pasta were brought out to me in the shop, soft and supple and brushed with semolina. I'd been contemplating making my own, but with limited time was pleased to have this option. If you can, use fresh pasta, but if not dried will do as well.

Also, the sauce is delicious. It is worth keeping a can of san marzano tomatoes in your pantry for an emergency batch of fresh sauce whenever it may be needed.

I followed the recipe in The Italian County Table almost exactly, adding only the mushrooms.

Home-Style Lasagna with Mushrooms (optional)

from The Italian Country Table

serves 8-12

Tomato Sauce Ingredients

• 3 tightly packed tablespoons each fresh basil and Italian parsley leaves
• 1tsp fresh oregano leaves
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp fruity extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint basket (3/4 pound) flavorful cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• pinch of sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes

Lasagna Ingredients

• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1-3/4 to 2 pounds high-quality, creamy ricotta cheese
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 scallions, trimmed of root ends
• 2 tightly packed tbsp fresh basil leaves
• 1 tightly packed tbsp fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium large onion, cut vertically into strips about 1/4 inch wide
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (optional)
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound dried lasagna pasta (or, homemade pasta. or, if you're very lucky, fresh pasta from your local pasta shop.)

Method

1. Prepare the tomato sauce by mincing together the herbs and chopped onions.  Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute the onions and herbs to golden brown.  Add the garlic and cook a few seconds, then stir in the cherry tomatoes and the canned ones with their juices, crushing them with your hands as they go into the pan.  Boil, uncovered, over high heat until thick, stirring often.  Add the water and cook a few moments more.  Stir in the sugar and season with salt and black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Cool briefly, then pass the sauce through a food mill or puree in a processor or blander.  Cover and set aside.
2. Holding pack 2 tbsp of the parmesan, blend the cheese in a bowl.  Mince together the scallions, basil, parsley, oregano, and garlic.  Stir into the cheeses, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Toss the onion strips and mushrooms with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Heat a saute pan over high and saute until the onion is starting to brown and the mushrooms have released their liquid. Turn out of the pan.
4. If you're using dried pasta, cook in fiercely boiling water, stirring often, until barely al dente (it should be underdone). Drain in a colander and hold in a bowl of cold water.  Fresh pasta does not need to be cooked.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a shallow 2-1/2-quart baking dish. Drain the pasta and pat dry. Moisten the bottom of the dish with sauce. Cover with a single layer of pasta. Daub with one quarter of the cheese mixture and one quarter of the browned onions + mushrooms. Moisten with one sixth of the remaining sauce. Top with a layer of pasta and continue layering, topping the fifth layer of pasta with the remaining sauce. Cover lightly with foil.
6. Bake for 40 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with the reserved 2 tbsp parmesan. Let rest 10 minutes in the turned-off oven with its door open, then serve.

mushroom barley risotto

Happy Friday, friends! What are you up to this weekend? We will be getting our hands dirty in our garden, prepping the beds for a sprinkling of lettuce seeds to hit the soil next week. So exciting! Nothing says "Spring!" like a Saturday spent in the yard. I've got my fingers crossed, hoping that the blue sky I see outside of my window sticks around!

Looking ahead at all of the fresh, green produce arriving in the next couple of months made me realize that I've been holding out on you. I really couldn't let Winter completely slip away without sharing this favorite recipe with you all. This hearty little risotto has made an appearance on our table multiple times these last few months and we just can't seem to get enough of it! In fact, there are leftovers in the refrigerator right now, and I am very much looking forward to lunch.

Mushrooms and I got along very well this Winter. That's a change for me, as I've never been a big fan of the stinky fungi. Not that I had anything against them, but I didn't actively seek them out for recipes. Something happened this year, though, and I found myself picking up a half-pound of fresh Cremini mushrooms nearly every week. Usually they were for this risotto, but also for empanadas, and veggie burgers, and a lasagna I haven't yet shared. What I love about the mushrooms in this recipe is that they really are the perfect mate for barley, which replaces the arborio rice typically found in risotto. Both lend an earthiness to the dish that you expect, but they also complement each other texturally. The barley remains a bit firm, providing the slightest resistance as you chew, while the mushrooms are silky and smooth and nearly melt on the tongue. The whole process is relatively quick and simple, not requiring the constant stirring like a traditional risotto, but also makes an impressive side dish for company.

Enjoy the weekend...get outside!

Mushroom Barley Risotto

serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 8 ounces cleaned and sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Method

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Saute' onion until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add all mushrooms and saute' until golden brown, about 10 minutes, adding 1 to 3 tbsp water if they start to stick.
3. Stir in herbs and garlic, then add barley and stir for 1 minute. Add 4 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. 
4. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed. Remove lid and add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed, until barley is tender but still slightly firm. You may not use all of the broth, but you will use most of it. This whole process, from the time you add the first broth, should take 35-40 minutes.
5. Remove pan from heat and add butter and cheese, stirring until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

lentil, olive, + mushroom veggie burgers

Mother Nature has been so fickle lately, flitting between gray, dreary, and frigid one day to 63* and sunny the next. She's a tease, I tell you, and I am ready for her to make up her mind. I've spent the last two months hoping for a big, big snowstorm, eager for a Winter as entertaining as last. But now that we're into February with no more than a few inches on record, I'm over it. Spring can dig in her heels and stay permanently, as long as she brings sunshine, warmth, and backyard barbecues with her. There are only so many casseroles and stews and butternut squash one can take in one season!

Last weekend I grew tired of waiting and took matters into my own hands when I made our weekly menu. I've had veggie burgers on the brain for over a year since discovering my favorite veggie patty, ever, at Boylan Heights here in Charlottesville. I am not a vegetarian, but I do eat a mostly vegetarian diet and am a fan of beef only on the rarest of occasions. What I love about that Boylan Heights veggie patty, and now this veggie patty, is that it doesn't try to imitate the taste or texture of meat. Instead, the actual ingredients of the patty are allowed to shine - in this case mushrooms, lentils, and Kalamata olives. Yum. 

For an extra-summery feeling, try serving the patties on english muffins adorned with lettuce, red bell pepper, alfalfa sprouts, sliced cucumber, and tzatziki. I promise you'll feel better about the state of the weather, at least for the evening. Also, if you read through the comments on the Post Punk Kitchen  post linked in the recipe below, you'll find many variations and substitutions for the ingredients in this burger. Just in case mushrooms or olives aren't your thing.

This is not similar in taste or texture to the Boylan Heights veggie patty, and that is not what I was going for. If you're interested in the BH recipe, you can find it here. I'll make it eventually, but it seems a bit complicated/time consuming and at this point I am happy to just visit the restaurant and let the chefs there make it for me. Plus, their sweet potato fries are the best around.

Lentil, Olive, + Mushroom Veggie Burgers
from post punk kitchen
serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced medium (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• fresh black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1-1/4 cups lentils (I used dried lentils cooked in veggie broth, but the original recipe calls for canned)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs, divided (I used panko)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• cooking spray

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Heat a large, non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for about 3 minutes with a pinch of salt. Add mushrooms, garlic, black pepper, thyme, and parsley and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until mushroom is cooked.
3. While mushroom mixture cooks, place the olives in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Remove from food processor and set aside.
4. When mushroom mixture is cooked, add to the food processor. Add all of the other ingredients EXCEPT 1/2 a cup of the breadcrumbs. Pulse until mostly smooth, but there should still be some texture. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs to the burger mixture, along with the chopped olives, and thoroughly combine.
5. Divide the burger mix into 6 equal pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Form mixture into patties, spray with a little more cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes. Flip burgers and bake for 12 to 15 more minutes, until nicely browned. (I also pan-fried these instead of baking them, which was tasty too).