panzanella

I like this Italian salad for the obvious reason that it is addictively delicious. And that we can use up leftover breads. Especially when there is a little more than usual, after a frenzied bread-baking period.
And I can pretend that I am eating healthy as there are  some vegetables in here --( compare it to bread pudding! another item that I like ). The other day we had to do a lot of work in the yard, including some big time tree pruning. By the time it was done, we really appreciated the crunch and chewiness of this salad. Along with a glass of wine, it tasted like heaven!

I am not going to do the ingredients list for this one. hehe

Let's  go straight to the making. This is what  I did -- dont know if it's the right way, but it worked fr me.

400° F oven. Halve a baguette lengthwise or cut long thick strips of a boule on a baking sheet. Toast in oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile heat two or three tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Medium heat. Add a few crushed - 4 or 5 - cloves of garlic. Let'em sweat in there. (serves them right! ). Now is the time to prepare the veggies you want to add. I had some yellow cherry tomatoes -- about 2 cups, an orange bell pepper, a few diced  red tomatoes, and some arugula. Of course, a sliced red onion should be there. And chopped fresh basil. . Put all these except the arugula in a large mixing bowl. Add a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Check the garlic. Add crushed red pepper flakes to the oil, if you like. I did. You may take out the garlic chunks now, if you prefer. Pour in the hot  garlic oil into the mixing bowl with the veggies. . Toss well. Get the toasted bread out of the oven, and tear  to bite sized pieces. Add that to the bowl. Toss . Add the arugula. Toss. A round of olive oil, if you like. Sprinkle goat cheese on top. Garnish with more basil. Enjoy with a glass of wine. :)

PS: You may add other veggies to this salad, grilled or pan-seared for a minute or two. Zucchini, butternut squash, green beans, mushrooms and asparagus -- all will add spice and substance to the experience. and what if we added various meats or fish? wow.

Lamb chops with watercress-grapefruit salad, potatoes Dauphinoise

I couldn't get noisettes of lamb that Betty neels mentions in her books, hence, lamb chops. :)




Lamb chops

Serves 3


Ingredients:

8 lamb rib  chops (or ask the butcher for  double cut lamb rib chop to get thicker chops)
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4  sprigs fresh thyme, crushed
1-2tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
1/2 - 1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp garlic paste/crushed
salt

 Mix all the ingredients together in 2 tbsp olive oil  and marinate the lamb chops for an hour (or more).
Heat the rest of the olive oil plus  butter in a skillet. Add the chops. Brown on both sides.
Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.
Remove cover and brown for a minute or less.
You may make a gravy from the drippings. Saute some onion in the drippings. Deglaze the pan by adding some red wine vinegar plus chicken/lamb stock and scraping the skillet. For thicker gravy, add a tablespoon of flour and cook thoroughly.
Serve lamb chops  with the salad below and potatoes Dauphinoise ( au gratin). Add a few  fried tomato slices, if you like.

Watercress and Pink Grapefruit Salad:

1 bunch fresh watercress trimmed
1/2 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented
1 small bunch freshly chopped mint

Vinaigrette dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2-1 tsp sugar

Method:

Make the dressing. Toss the trimmed and washed watercress and mint together with the dressing.Add  pink grapefruit pieces.

Potatoes Dauphinoise


Ingredients

5 Yukon gold potatoes

3 cloves of garlic

2-3 sprigs of thyme

3 0z Gruyere cheese, grated

1/2 pint whipping cream

1 tbsp unsalted butter


Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 3 - 4

Method

1.Preheat oven to 300°F.

2.Finely chop the garlic and thinly slice the potatoes (the skin can be left on or peeled off).

3.Put the cream, milk, garlic, rosemary and thyme in a saucepan. Season with salt & pepper, bring to the boil and then remove from the heat.

4.Rub the inside of a oven-proof dish with butter and place a layer of potato in the bottom of the dish. Lightly season the layer with salt & pepper, add cheese all over the potatoes,  and continue to layer and season until the dish is full. Then pour the milk mixture over the potatoes.

5.Put the dish into the oven for 40 minutes.

6.Check the potato is cooked by sticking a knife into the middle, the potato should be soft and offer no resistance.

7.Cut out portions and serve.

Source: http://www.reallynicerecipes.com/recipe/potato/dauphinoise which I modified.
I found the recipe for the salad here, but I have modified them :  http://www.heritagemeats.co.uk/heritagemeats/node/18