08.04.06
Pantry adventures
I invited my mother to dinner on less than 24 hours’ notice. This is distinctly uncommon for me, as entertaining of any sort is usually a massive production that requires several days, if not weeks, of preparation. To add to the uncommonness, I didn’t really have time to go shopping and had to make do with what we had in the house. Fortunately, I can get pretty creative with what’s on hand.
Final menu: “Turkish” salad and roasted pepper and mushroom penne. We’d initially thought about going to the nearby farmer’s market for bread and fruit, but we were both kind of wiped out by the time she arrived, so we bypassed that and I just made the salad and pasta.
“Turkish” salad
This salad is based on the ones we had while living in Istanbul and traveling along the Mediterranean coast. It always brings up thoughts of balmy summer evenings and backyard dining.
1 English/hothouse cucumber or 2 regular cucumbers
1-1/2 to 2 cups small firm tomatoes (grape, pearl, or cherry)
2-3 ribs of celery (including leaves)
Seasoned salt or salad seasoning
Garlic powder
Fresh parsley
Olive oil and lemon juice or vinaigrette dressing
Slice the cucumber(s) in half lengthwise. If using regular cucumbers, peel and seed. Slice each half into three sections lengthwise, then chop into bite-size chunks. Place half of the chopped cucumber in a serving bowl. Season lightly with salt/salad seasoning and garlic powder. (You’ll be repeating this for each step, so don’t be too heavy-handed.)
Slice about half of the tomatoes into halves and place on top of the cucumber in the bowl. Repeat seasoning.
Roughly chop about half the celery, and place into the bowl. Repeated seasoning.
Repeat the first three steps until all ingredients are in the bowl.
Pull a small handful of parsley off the bunch and mince. Sprinkle over the salad.
Dress with about a couple of teaspoons or so of olive oil (a mister is ideal for this) and about the same amount of lemon juice. (If you don’t have these, you can use a vinaigrette dressing.*) Toss.
For a somewhat heartier salad, toss in a few tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese before adding the dressing.
Serves…oh, probably about 6 if they’re dainty eaters, more like 2 or 3 with hearty appetites.
*I was out of lemon juice, so I went ahead and used my own homemade balsamic vinaigrette. I don’t make it as a true vinaigrette, but the idea is the same:
Roughly equal amounts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
A few grinds of fresh black pepper
Garlic powder to taste
Generous pinches of dried herbs; I used thyme and rosemary, and I sometimes use dill–others can be substituted as well
Put it all in a glass bowl in this order and whisk vigorously, or in a glass cruet or jar with a lid and shake vigourously, then pour over salad. Remember that you only need a small amount of dressing–toss the salad well to coat everything, so that you don’t have to drench it.
I use this basic recipe for most salads. It’s infinitely variable; other combinations of oils, vinegars, and herbs will give different but delicious results. A little honey can also be added to the basic recipe for a sweeter dressing.
Roasted Pepper and Mushroom Penne
This was completely made up out of what was on hand in the fridge and the cupboards.
1 garlic bulb
1-1/2 cups whole wheat penne
Olive oil
1/2 yellow onion
1 large or 2 small portobello mushroom caps
1 8-oz. jar roasted red peppers
Basil (dried or fresh)
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Fresh soft goat cheese
Cut off the top of the garlic bulb and drizzle or mist with olive oil. Wrap in foil (or use a garlic roaster) and bake in a 425-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
Bring a large pan of water to boil. When it’s at a full rolling boil, toss in some salt and the penne. Cook until al dente; drain.
Chop the onion roughly. Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat and cook the onion for 1-2 minutes.
Slice the mushroom(s) into strips, then chop into chunks. Add to the pan with the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom is just browned. During this, add a dash of pepper and some dried basil (if using dried).
Add the entire contents of the jar of peppers, including the liquid. If necessary, chop the peppers into smaller pieces with your spatula, right in the pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half, maybe 5-7 minutes or so.
Remove the garlic from the oven and pop out from 4 to 8 cloves (depending on size and your garlic preferences). Chop roughly and add to the pan.
Add the pasta to the pan and toss. Crumble in the goat cheese to taste and stir until the cheese is mostly melted and coating the other ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more dried basil if using dried; if using fresh, mince or chiffonade 2-3 leaves and stir in.
Serves 4-6 dainty eaters (or as a side dish) or 2-3 with hearty appetites (as a main dish).