Shepard's Pie with Vegetables al Forno

Yes, I know "al Forno" just means "from the oven." I'm just being clever.

The Shepard's Pie recipe, however, is taken from Tracy's family. Credit where it's due, and all that.

Incidentally, all the vegetables are from our farmer's market. Yes, even the onion and garlic. You might think it's snobbish, but it's actually much more affordable than Stop and Shop (or Whole Foods, for that matter).

Anyway, start with some potatoes. Chop them into cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender.


In the meantime, prepare what is now being called, at least in our house, as the "Marburger" (in the tradition of "trinity" and "mirepoix"): Onions, garlic, and serrano pepper.


Let's move on to the vegetables: Slice eggplant very thin.


Layer the eggplant in a baking dish.


On top of that, make a layer of zucchini.


Just a quick aside to show you my awesome knife skillz:


Ok, make a layer of tomato next, and then repeat from the beginning.


Now, we're gonna add some flavor: Red wine, melted butter, soy sauce, pepper, basil, oregano, garlic. Also, shred some swiss cheese.




Combine the liquids and the herbs, and pour over the veggies. Then top with the cheese.


Ok, looks like those potatoes are done. Drain them, add herbed butter, salt, and milk, and mash them up.


Saute the "Marburger" (hey look! New non-stick pan!) in a bit of bacon fat (because it ain't dinner at our house without some swine).


Add ground meat to the pan (shown: Buffalo and Venison. Because that's how we roll). Season with salt, pepper, and cumin.


Spread out browned meat in a baking pan.


Add a layer of corn (we blanch and freeze excess corn from the market, so it's ready to go).


On top of that, lay on the mashed potatoes.


Add a few dots of butter to help with the browning, and put both pans in a 400 degree oven.


The vegetables should be ready in about 30 minutes. Remove, keep warm, and crank up the oven to 500 for another 10 minutes for the pie.


Remove when you get a nice golden crust.


Personally, I like it with a bit of hot sauce, but that's just me.

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!