Toasted pasta with kale pesto and grilled vegetables and sausage

The sun actually came out for a few days, so I was able to do some more grilling.

But first, the pesto. You'll need to toast some walnuts.


Next, simmer chopped kale and stems for about 10 minutes, or until tender.


Toss the walnuts in a food processer with some garlic, and chop them up. Drain kale, and add to the mix.


Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice, parmesan, and, in this case, mint. Add olive oil while it's running until it reaches the texture you want.


So, for the grilling: What you see here are summer squash, zucchini, and scapes (baby garlic shoots, essentially).


Break out the grill pan, and char the scapes.


Do the same for the squash…


…and the sausage.


Ok, we're almost done. Cook pasta until fairly "al dente". They'll finish off cooking later. NOTE: Normally, I use orecchiette, but the stupid grocery store didn't have any. What you see here are medium-sized shells.


In a large pan, add a decent amount of olive oil over high heat, and when smoking, add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.


Remove excess oil, and add the roasted bits.


At the last minute, add the pesto, and let it warm through.


Serve with more cheese!

Swiss Chard with Sausage Stuffing

The Farmer's Market is officially open. So, grab some Chard, and trim & dice the stem. Blanch the leaves for 30 seconds in boiling water, then shock them in ice water and let dry.



Tear some bread into tiny chunks, and moisten them with a bit of milk.



Fry up some Italian sausage. Shown here: a mix of hot and sweet.



Chop onion and garlic, and sauté with the chard stems.




Add the whole thing to the bread mixture.



Throw in a beaten egg.



Put some of the mix into the wide end of a chard leaf, and roll it up into a pouch. Repeat.



Place the rolls into a Dutch oven.



Drizzle some olive oil over the tops, and add some stock to keep them moist. Roast them, uncovered at 350 for about half an hour.



Serve with, I dunno, the quinoas and corn salad I made a while back.

Coffee and Cumin Roast Lamb with Quinoa

So, this is yogurt, instant espresso, cumin, brown sugar, and cloves.



Smear it on a boneless leg of lamb… Yes, I know what this looks like. Roast at 475° F until the internal temp reaches 130°.



Meanwhile, wash and then simmer Quinoa for 10 minutes. Then strain, and steam in sieve over reserved liquid, loosely covered, for another 5 minutes. Slightly complicated, yes, but leaves the Quinoa with a much better texture.



Whisk together lemon juice/zest, melted butter, honey, and salt & pepper.



Add the Quinoa and toss with fresh corn, scallions, and tarragon.



Meanwhile, the lamb should be done.



Slice and serve!

Faux Steak Tartar Burgers… and a drink.

Well, this will be short and sweet. I mean, come on. It's a burger. But it tastes really good.

So, you're gonna need parsley, shallot, Worcestershire sauce, capers, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, and an egg yolk.


No surprise here: Put it in a bowl with some ground meat, and mix to combine. In an effete twist, I'm using ground buffalo.


Here’s a little trick I learned. Make a divot in the middle of the patty, and when you cook it, you won't get that bulge in the middle that makes it so hard to cook evenly.


Serve on an English muffin, and a salad (optional).


A simple recipe calls for a simple drink. Mint Juleps!

Pretty simple… Fresh mint, crushed ice, powdered sugar.


Oh, and bourbon.

(my parent's library… I couldn't resist)

Muddle mint, sugar, and a bit of water in the glass.


Add crushed ice.


Pour in bourbon.


Add more ice, garnish with mint, and serve with vintage Tiffany silver straws.


Fan yourself and say, "Lawsy!"

Cornish Game Hens with Fiddleheads

Well, it must be spring. Here's some morel mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary soaked in wine.



And here are a couple of Cornish game hens. I cut out the backbone, and split the breast so they lay flat. Not pictured: Season with salt and pepper, then dust with flour.



These are fiddleheads, trimmed, soaked in lemon water to wash off any debris, blanched in boiling water for one minute, and then shocked in icewater. Sure, it's a bit of work, but don't they look gorgeous?



In some butter, lightly brown a clove of smashed garlic, remove, and then brown the hens.



Toss in the mushrooms, and the rosemary wine, and place in a 350 oven for 30 minutes, or until the meat reaches 170 degrees.



While you're letting the birds rest, heat some oil and toss in the fiddleheads. Sauté for about five minutes.



Add slices of garlic, some pepper, and sauté for another minute or so. Salt to taste.



Serve the hen with the mushrooms and rosemary, and garnish with a bit of parsley.