Aug
Grilled Corn + Poblano Pepper Skillet Quesadillas
Last weekend we drove across nearly the entire state of Montana. If you’ve never been to Montana then I am here to tell you it’s big. I mean really big. So big that you could fit all of the New England states inside Montana and still have room left over for New York and at least part of Pennsylvania. That’s big. The ginormous size of Montana meant that we had a lot of distance to cover. Seven hundred miles to be exact. Seven hundred miles of seemingly endless grasslands, low rolling hills and wide open sky.
In an effort to break up the long drive we made a couple of stops on the way. The first was in Billings where we spent a few glorious hours at the farmers market. One of my favorite aspects to our nomadic lifestyle is the ability to visit farmers markets in so many different towns. I’ve never been to Billings before, and I really couldn’t tell you anything about the city, but I do know that the Saturday morning downtown farmers market rocks. We arrived about an hour before before closing to find the quadrant of roped off streets packed with people shopping, eating and just milling around. With no time to waste we jumped right in and quickly had arms and bags full of juicy berries, fat ripe zucchinis, glossy red onions, a bag of freshly shelled peas, bright orange carrots, and a jar of raspberry-rhubarb jam that I can’t wait to crack open. Finally, with closing time looming I took my place in line at the corn truck and for a measly $3 got a half dozen of the most gorgeous bi-color early season corn on the cob.
After many more hours of driving we arrived at our final destination in Missoula on the far west side of the state. There’s nothing better than pulling in after a long journey and unpacking bags of fresh produce. Looking over my final haul I realized that I had the complete makings of a meal. Fresh corn on the cob, a shiny poblano pepper, a bunch of pungent red onions, a head of garlic, and a bag of homemade tortillas. Combine this with some pepper jack cheese I already had in the fridge and we were in the quesadilla making business. My absolute favorite way to cook corn on the cob is on the grill. I love how the kernels caramelize over the high heat and give the already sweet vegetable an almost candy-like flavor. Usually I roast my peppers over the flame on my stove, but since I already had the grill hot and ready, I threw the pepper on as well. Of course, if you don’t have a grill you can just as easily char both your corn and pepper over the stove, but since it is summer, for me the grill is the way to go. I just love how in mere minutes the corn and pepper go from this…
To this…
I briefly considered cooking the quesadillas on the grill, but then decided the mess-factor of melty cheese dripping all over the grill grates was too high. Instead I used my trusty cast iron skillet which produced the most perfect crispy crust.
In most parts of the country corn season is upon us, so stop by your local farmers market, buy some corn, and get grilling!
Grilled Corn + Poblano Pepper Skillet Quesadillas
Serves: 4
5-6 ears of corn, or 3 cups of kernels
1 poblano pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 flour or corn tortillas
Optional toppings: Salsa, Sour cream, guacamole or mashed avocado
1. Heat the grill over medium high. Brush the corn and poblano pepper with olive oil. Lay them on the hot grates and close the lid. Cook for 10-12 minutes, turing often. You will know the cron is done when the kernels turn bright yellow in color and dark brown spots appear. The pepper will also turn a dark brown and the skin will blister.
2. Remove the veggies from the grill and place the pepper in bowl covered with plastic wrap. When the corn is cool enough to handle cut the kernels from the cob.
3. After the pepper has steamed in the bowl for 10 minutes you will be able to slide the skin off with your fingers. Don’t worry if a few bits of charred skin remains. It only adds to the flavor. Cut the pepper in half and remove the seeds and inside membrane. Chop the pepper into small dice.
4. Heat a 10 or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-heat (you can use any kind of skillet, but cast iron will give the quesadillas the best crispy exterior). Heat a teaspoon of olive oil and then saute the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft. Remove the onion and garlic and wipe out the pan.
5. In a medium bowl combine the corn, pepper, onion and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bring the skillet back up to temperature over medium-high heat. Now it’s time to layer up the quesadillas. Start by brushing one tortilla with olive oil and place it oil side down in the skillet. Top with a thin layer of cheese, one fourth of the veggie mixture, more cheese and another tortilla. Brush the top tortilla with a little bit of oil.
6. Cook 5 minutes until the bottom is brown and the cheese is melted. The easiest way to flip the quesadilla is by cutting it in quarters using a sharp knife while in the pan. Then you can flip each piece individually. If you want to try and flip the whole thing (or if you’re using a non-stick pan) try using two spatulas to lift both halves at the same time. This has never worked well for me, and I prefer the cutting method, but maybe some of of you have better flipping skills than me. Cook the second side for 2-3 minutes until brown on the bottom.
7. Repeat with the reaming ingredients. You will end up with 4 quesadillas or 16 pieces.
8. Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole. Or just eat them plain and let the flavor of the fresh summer veggies shine!
Jul
Zucchini Quinoa Cakes with Tzatziki Sauce
If I was being honest I would tell you that it’s been 1 year and 28 days since I last posted here.
Then I would confess how during that time I’ve made countless amazing meals and selfishly not shared them with you.
At some point I would admit that despite all the excuses floating around in my head, my absence boils down to pure laziness.
But we’re not going to do that. We’re not going to talk about what I’ve been doing for the last year, or how I let my own insecurities get in the way of a good thing, or how I am often my own worst enemy, or how I constantly compare myself to others and in my own mind always fall short. Let’s just not go there, okay?
Instead lets talk about these patties. Let’s talk about zucchini, chick peas, scallions and Tzatziki. Oh my god Tzatziki! Do you know about this tangy yogurt based sauce? I love this stuff so much that I want to slather it on everything. Seriously, what’s not to love about a creamy sauce filled with crunchy bits of cuke, tangy dill and a hint of garlic? In the traditional sense Tzatziki is a Greek sauce used on Gyros and falafels, but in my world it’s become my go to sauce for everything from chicken to lentils. It’s also super easy to make and tastes best the next day when all the flavors have melded into an explosion of tastiness.
My first time making homemade Tzatziki was as an accompaniment for some chicken gyros, and I instantly fell in love. After that I became obsessed and devised as many ways as possible to consume this awesome sauce. This week in my quest to use up last week’s farmers market purchases I decided to make some zucchini quinoa patties. Of course, my mind immediately thought of Tzatziki as a topping. These little cakes of deliciousness would be great tucked inside a pita pocket and drizzled with sauce, but due to a grocery store fail we were out of pitas, and instead ate them on a bed of lettuce. The verdict? Tzatziki + zucchini + quinoa = yum.
Zucchini Quinoa Cakes with Tzatziki Sauce
Makes 10-12 cakes
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked & cooled quinoa
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 egg
3 scallions, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, for cooking
Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded & chopped into small dice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
salt and pepper to taste
1. Make the Tzatziki sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2. Next make the cakes: In a medium bowl mash the chick peas. Add the remaining ingredients except the olive oil and stir to combine.
3. Form the mixture into balls a little larger than a golf ball. Flatten into roughly two-inch round disks. You will end up with 10-12 cakes.
4. Place on a plate, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minuets. This step helps the cakes stay together when cooking.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a cast iron skillet, or non-stick pan, over medium high heat. Cook half the cakes for 5-6 minutes on one side until nicely browned on the bottom. Carefully flip the cakes and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Place on a towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining cakes.
6. Serve with a generous amount of Tzatziki sauce either over a bed of lettuce, of stuffed inside pita bread pockets.
Apr
Grilled Cheese with Arugula + Roasted Red Pepper Spread
Today I’m celebrating National Grilled Cheese month. Actually, as it turns out I’ve already celebrated it several times this month and I didn’t even know it. That’s because I just found out about this month-long celebration of melted cheese a few days ago. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not one of those food bloggers who’s organized enough to post recipes for each (okay any) of the food holidays, but this was one I couldn’t let pass by. Already this year I’ve missed National Popcorn Day, National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day, National Chocolate-Covered Nut Day, and just yesterday National Garlic Day. No, I’m not making these days up. In fact, there is a National Some-Sort-Of-Food Day for every day of the year. Seriously. You would think since every day is a food holiday I could get it together just once to post something relevant. Nope, not happening. Fortunately for me, some food holidays last the entire month. April is also National Florida Tomato month and Soy Foods month…hmmm, think I’ll stick with grilled cheese. It’s unclear who decides these holidays. I wonder who declared February National Fiber Focus month, or June 5th Jelly-Filled Donut Day…and why? I guess it doesn’t matter because celebrating food is always a good thing. Even if it is something boring like fiber, or kind of gross like Weinerschnitzel day (September 9). 
I happen to love any dish that features melted cheese as a main ingredient, so an entire month of grilled cheese sounds good to me. Too bad I only have ten more days to celebrate. Speaking of celebrating, I think spring is finally here to stay so I thought it would be a good time to share some of the other things I love about April besides bread and cheese…
Tulips & Daffodils
Early purple flowers called Pulmonaria (ugly name, pretty flower) and wild Yellow Toad Lilies
Phineas playing in the river
And Arugula…grown right here in Vermont. In fact, grown right down the road at Three Crows Farm. Gotta love spring! It was this fresh Arugula that provided the inspiration for my grilled cheese. The slightly spicy flavor of this crisp spring green pairs perfectly with creamy, nutty fontina cheese. 
I also added a roasted red pepper spread to the mix. If you’ve never made your own red pepper spread, or even roasted red peppers, you’re in for a treat. Not only does this spread taste amazing, but it is sooo easy to make. The peppers are broiled for about ten minutes until blistered and black then steamed under plastic wrap. Slide the skins off and puree with garlic and olive oil. That’s it. Couldn’t be simpler.
Hearty whole wheat bread, thick slices of cheese, a slathering of red pepper spread, and a generous handful of arugula- now that’s what I call a grilled cheese!
A stack of cheeses…all grilled up.
Grilled Cheese with Arugula + Roasted Red Pepper Spread
Makes 2 sandwiches + extra spread
2 sweet red peppers
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 pieces whole wheat bread
4-6 ounces Fontina cheese, sliced thin
2 large handfuls arugula
1. Preheat the oven to broil and line a broil pan with aluminum foil (for easy clean up). Wash the peppers well and remove any stickers. Cut them in half and remove the ribs and seeds. Place the peppers cut side down on the lined broil pan and brush with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Broil for about 10 minutes until the skin is blistered and black. Remove from the oven, place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 20 minuets. Remove the peppers from the bowl and peel off the skin. It should come off easily but rub any stubborn spots with your hand or a paper towel.
2. Chop each pepper into quarters and place In a food processor along with the garlic cloves and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pulse until a paste forms. Add salt and pepper to taste. You will have about 2 cups of spread. Save the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
3. Heat a griddle or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush each piece of bread with a little butter or oil. Layer 2-3 ounces of cheese (depending on the size of your bread), a couple tablespoons of roasted red pepper spread, and a handful of arugula on two pieces of bread. Top with remaining bread pieces and press in place.
4. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
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