Eggplant Pizza

by Sheila Connolly

I went to the Plymouth Farmers' Market (now being held weekly at Plimoth Plantation) this week, after a gap of several weeks (life kept getting in the way), and after coming home I was sorely tempted simply to show you lots of pretty pictures of fresh local vegetables and call it a day.  But I restrained myself.  So you'll get half pretty pictures and a recipe too.

 

I have also decided that, perversely, I like vegetables that are not whatever their standard color is.  Which is why I have red and yellow carrots, and purple and green tomatoes.  And a range of eggplant from near black to stripey, and some peppers that are yellow and orange striped.  Somehow I forgot to buy the purple long beans, but there will be other trips.

 

Now, if you go to all the trouble to go to a farmers' market and buy fresh local produce, you have a certain moral obligation to use said produce while it is still fresh.  I'll admit I have a tendency to buy a lot of pretty things that I have no idea what to do with, and often eggplant falls in that category.  I did not grow up eating eggplant.  I have been only intermittently successful cooking eggplant as an adult.  This time around I bought three kinds of eggplant.  Oh dear.

 

 

But I am resourceful!  I turned to Epicurious.com (love that site!) and went hunting for eggplant recipes, and then I thought, I've got those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes that I'd better use before they turn to mush, so the search became "eggplant+tomato", and I found not one but two recipes for Eggplant and Tomato Pizza.  Except neither one was exactly what I wanted, so I made a mash-up:  I took the best bits of each and came up with something else.  And it worked!  So here's my locavore, vegetarian, eggplant pizza recipe.

 

Eggplant Pizza

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

 

1 pizza crust.  Okay, purists, you can make your own if you want, but I bought a package of ready-made dough from our market.  It was whole-wheat (they were out of the regular kind), but that turned out to be a plus, because the whole wheat added a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that went well with the rest of the ingredients.

 

2-3 Japanese eggplant (the long skinny kind)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Chopped tomatoes, draining

1 cup tomatoes, sliced (I used a single large gorgeous heirloom one)

2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

Olive oil

 

Salt and pepper

 

1–1½ cups coarsely shredded cheese (I used a mix of fontina and mozzarella, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top to brown)

 

Since you are using fresh, slender eggplants, you don’t have to go through the salting/draining thing.  Slice your eggplants about half an inch thick.  Pour some olive oil (enough to coat the bottom lightly) into a pan and sauté the onions briefly, then the eggplant slices.  Reduce the heat and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft and slightly browned. Add a bit of salt and pepper. 

 

While the eggplant mix is cooking, slice your tomato and seed it.  Add your garlic, mix well, then set in a colander to drain (if you don't, your pizza will be soggy).

 

Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil.  Stretch out your dough (mine fights back).  It will be irregular, but who's worried?    Spread the eggplant-onion recipe in an even layer (leaving an inch or so at the edges), then strew the tomatoes over that.  Top with an even layer of cheese.

Assembling your pizza

 

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crisp.  Slice and enjoy quickly!

 

 

And the first apples of the season have arrived!

Exotic Convenience

I know we usually post actual honest-to-gosh recipes here, but my ability to cook has been seriously compromised this week.

Seriously . . . new job, classes starting, deadline for a book.  Normally, I'd pawn the cooking off on the hubs, but he's joined a new band and been working extra hours.  There's a whole lot of tired in our household.



We've plowed through baked potatoes, vegie burgers, and dressed up frozen pizza.  It's all getting a little old already.  So I made an emergency run to the grocery store this afternoon and came home with a tasty, exotic 10 minute meal.

What did I get?  The stuff for a simple but fundamentally yummy and completely satisfying Indian feast:

1. Packaged naan.  Naan is a flat Indian bread, similar to pita but softer with a slightly buttery flavor.  My Kroger now carries a display of packaged naan in the bread section of the store, and you can sometimes find it in the freezer section.  Either way, preheat the oven and throw the naan in to heat up for a couple of minutes.  Not kidding . . . a couple of minutes.  Because the bread is so thin, it heats quickly.  If you cannot find naan, try a soft pita, wrapped in foil and warmed in a 350 oven for about 10 minutes.
2. Ready rice.  Uncle Ben's makes these little pouches of rice that you simply toss in the microwave for 90 seconds.  Ninety seconds!  I picked up basmati, but they also have regular long grain, jasmine, or brown varieties.  It lasts on the shelf for a while, so pick up a few bags, and have a supply on hand for emergency meals.
3. Tasty Bite Indian entrees.  This particular brand of vacuum packed (in a pouch) entrees can be found at Kroger and World Market.  You may have to look in the health food section instead of the international food section.  Tonight we're having Bombay potatoes (which is a little spicy) and Punjab eggplant (which is a little sweet).  All of the flavors I have tried have been delicious, all are vegetarian, and most are vegan.  Toss the bags in boiling water for five minutes, then cut open, pour, and serve.  Again, these last on the shelf, so stock up for last minute dinners when you have nothing else to serve.

I know all about busy, but busy need not be bland.

And I promise a real recipe next week.  Honest.

Artichoke Frittata Appetizer ala Avery

Easy peasy. That's my motto at the end of summer. I like things to be simple but tasty recipes. Just a few ingredients. Lots of flavor.

I know my new character, Jenna Hart, in A Cookbook Nook Mystery series would approve. She's not a cook, though she is a foodie and avid reader. Her Aunt Vera and other fun characters in the series will be helping her learn to cook more often. Right at the onset, the fewer the items the better.


What's a frittata? According to the "Wise Geek" (a google research engine), food historians believe the frittata probably predates the omelet. It's Italian. Might have been served at Lent (no meat involved). Unlike an omelet, it is not folded over and finished on the top of the stove. It is baked and/or broiled. Eggs and cheese, what's not to like? Frittatas are like quiche without the crust. This recipe comes to me, not from a cookbook, but from one of my mom's old recipe cards, passed along to her by a friend with the last name Pomeroy. I used to make this all the time as an appetizer that I would cut into little bite-sized pieces and serve at Christmas parties. Now, it simply makes sense to make it as an appetizer with dinner, a side dish, or as a meal and serve with salad. 

ARTICHOKE FRITTATA APPETIZER ALA AVERY (AND POMEROY)

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs slightly beaten

6 soda crackers (for gluten-free use GF crackers)

1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 can 14 ounces artichokes hearts, in water, drained

4 green onions, diced

½ teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon oil

DIRECTIONS:

Saute onions and artichokes in oil for about 3 minutes, until green onions tender.  Cool.

Mix eggs, crackers, cheese and spices.

Add onions and artichokes.

Bake in 8” square oiled pan at 325 degrees 35-40 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

For appetizer, cut inito bite-sized pieces.

For side dish, cut into 2-3” square portions.

HOW EASY IS THAT? 

What is your favorite recipe that someone in your family passed along to you?

*****************

I'm very excited to share my newest cover for the 

4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series: 

TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE.  

You can pre-order the book HERE. 

You can learn more about me, Avery, by clicking this link.

Chat with me on Facebook and Twitter.

And if you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list

 so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!

Also, you probably know about my alter ego.
DARYL WOOD GERBER... 
Daryl's new series: THE COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERIES
debuts July 2013

"Like" Daryl's page on Facebook and "follow" Daryl on Twitter.

"She" doesn't say all the same things "Avery" does. Promise.

ALSO:

I'm pleased to announce that my short story, PALACE ON THE LAKE,  in Fish Tales: A Guppy Anthology has been nominated for both the Anthony Award and Macavity Award. 

Go Sisters in Crime Guppies! 

Without them, my career would not be possible. The group support is invaluable!

You can read PALACE ON THE LAKE by clicking on the title above. :)

Say cheese!

***********

Baking Up That Brooklyn Blackout Cake by Cleo Coyle

The history of the
Brooklyn Blackout Cake
is fascinating...

Ladybird Bakery in Park Slope, Brooklyn
still bakes the legendary Blackout Cake.

Why is called 

blackout? 

Why does it 

come from

Brooklyn?

Take a trip with me
to Brooklyn, New York,
and learn more about this
wonderful chocolate cake by
reading my special post.

Click Here to
read the post!

See you there...

~ Cleo Coyle, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Easy Old-Fashioned Spongecake

My mother's favorite summer cakes were all based on spongecake and summer fruit with whipped cream. They were light and not overly sweet, but always indulgent.


So when I spotted this strange spongecake recipe, I had to give it a try. It's a Better Homes and Gardens Recipe from the fifties that's supposed to be quick and easy.


However, I have to say this is one of the stranger recipes I have ever made. Not only is there no separation of eggs or gentle folding so they won't collapse, but logic would seem to dictate that the hot milk really ought to deflate the whole thing! 


Interestingly, they recommend baking it in a square pan. How very chic and modern for the fifties. I cut it in half to create two layers, added whipped cream and strawberries and had a fabulous dessert in no time.


The only major things to notice are that the eggs have to be room temperature and the sugar must be added slowly so the eggs won't deflate.

Hot Milk Spongecake

(from Better Homes & Gardens)

2 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter + extra for greasing pan

Take the eggs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before using.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x9 pan well with butter. Combine flour with baking powder and set aside.

Beat the eggs until thick, about 4 minutes. Slowly add the sugar. Beat for another 4-5 minutes. Add the flour mixture and beat just enough to combine. 


Heat the milk and the butter enough for the butter to melt. Pour into egg mixture and beat to combine. Pour into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes.


Choose your own fruit. This would work equally well with blueberries or sliced peaches. I used about one pound of strawberries.

To make the cream:

1 - 2 cups of heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar per cup of cream
splash of vanilla

Beat the cream until it begins to take shape. Add the sugar and continue to beat, adding the vanilla. Beat until it holds a shape.

Use a serrated knife to slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread cream over the cut side of the bottom half. Lay strawberry slices on top of the cream. Cover with the top half of the cake. Spread cream over the top. Arrange strawberries on the top in a pleasing pattern.

If there is leftover cream, pass it in a bowl when serving.

MLK Welcomes Hank Phillippi Ryan

 LUCY BURDETTE: We're so delighted to be hosting Hank Phillippi Ryan today. She is an investigative reporter with four--soon to be five--books under her belt. And she's won more book prizes and Emmies than you can imagine. And even with all that going on, and a book launching next week, she's here to talk food. With no further ado, I give you our dear friend Hank!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  I used to cook. I did. My friends and family will attest to it--I cooked Beef Wellington and Potatoes Anna, and lemon soufflés and Julia Child's Vichyssoise and Boeuf Bourguignon. I offer my tattered and splatted cookbook pages as proof.

But these days…ever since my life was kidnapped by the mystery world--my cooking has sacrificed glamour for, well, speed and convenience. We eat a lot of grilled salmon from Whole Foods, photos of which I will spare you.

But there are some meals, we found, that are quick and delicious but feel--luxurious.

Two special favorites are Mark  Bittman’s Chicken Parmesan (a la River Street, our address) and cauliflower faux-tatoes . (Because they taste like mashed potatoes.)  Put these together with a green vegetable--and you’d think you'd created a gourmet masterpiece. And the whole thing takes about twenty minutes.

For the chicken. One or two boneless skinless half per person. (Jonathan and I each have one and a half.)

Preheat the oven to broil.

Preheat the other oven to 350. (If you don’t have two ovens, read through this, and you can work it out.)

But the breasts on a broiler pan--line the top with foil so it’s easier to wash, and easier to turn the chicken.

Liberally sprinkle the chicken with high-quality grated parmesan.

Put the chicken under the broiler for five minutes.

MEANWHILE: Put cauliflower florets (enough for however many people you’re serving) in a microwave dish with a touch of water, and zap for two and a half minutes of so, until just tender. 

Mash the cauliflower with a masher thing, then add ground black pepper, and low fat sour cream, and cream cheese, and grated cheddar cheese. However  much you want. You can’t go wrong, and mix til it’s chunky but voluptuous.

Ooops. Five minutes is up. Turn the chicken to the other side, coat the uncooked side with more parmesan, put under the broiler for five more minutes.

Meanwhile! in the glass bowl of cauliflower goop, cover the top with thin slices of cheddar cheese (optional—we didn’t do it in this version), and then a sprinkling of parmesan. (Avery, are you listening? This is a very “cheesy” dinner.)

Put this in the 350 oven. And cook til bubbly. It'll be at least 15 minutes.

Time to do the chicken again. Now, your chicken is broiled on two sides to for a total of ten minutes.  (I like chicken well done, so you might prefer four minutes a side.) Put ANOTHER  layer of parmesan on the chicken, then close the over door and turn the temperature to 350.

Cook for ten-15 more minutes. (It may get smoky, sorry, open a window.)

Your cauliflower is almost done! Turn that over to broil, and place the cauliflower dish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is brown.

Your chicken is done! It will be glistening and crispy and smell fabulous, juicy on the inside, and crispy-cheesy on the outside.

Your cauliflower is done! It will be mashed-potatoe-y on the inside, and gorgeously cheesey on top.

Oh, we should have made peas.  Peas are great with this. Green beans, also wonderful.

Serve, and love. A crisp white wine, and you are set! I’m a red kind of girl, and what author could resist this label?



Agatha, Anthony and Macavity award-winning Hank Phillippi Ryan is the on-the-air investigative reporter for Boston’s NBC affiliate.



Her newest thriller, THE OTHER WOMAN, comes out in hardcover September 4 from Forge. A starred review from Library Journal says “a dizzying labyrinth of twists, turns, and surprises. Readers who crave mystery and political intrigue will be mesmerized by this first installment of her new series.”



You can read more at her website, or friend her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.
 
And two more bits of breaking news--Hank's fabulous interview/book trailer can be seen here.

And she will be giving away a copy of THE OTHER WOMAN to one lucky commenter! thanks Hank! 

Lucy Burdette's Chocolate Cake

LUCY BURDETTE: When it came time to pick a pen name for my new Key West food critic series, I didn't hesitate. I chose my maternal grandmother's name, Lucille Burdette, AKA Lucy.

Actually, I don't know if she was ever called Lucy as she died when I was only five or six. Sadly, I don't know much about her--I have a few oil paintings that she did and a few memories of her as a sweet, warm grandmother. This is a photo of her with husband, Frank, a grandfather who I never met as he died even younger. All that tragedy makes the paintings she left more precious.

I could imagine that she might have been a good cook, as my mother and both of her sisters loved to get together for dinners and holiday meals. And recently, when sorting madly through my messy (ulp!) drawer of recipes, I found a recipe for chocolate cake from Nana, AKA Lucille Burdette. Now I do already have a go-to chocolate cake recipe that is in much demand in my family. But I definitely wanted to try Lucy's version. Here's how it went...

Ingredients

1/2 cup Crisco (I am not a fan, so I used a stick of butter:)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 egg
 1/2 cup sour milk (or sweet, with one TBSP vinegar added)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water

The instructions were as follows: Put all ingredients into bowl and mix. Bake as usual. Hmmmm...not much detail there.

So I added my interpretation:). Beat softened butter and sugar until well combined. Then add the other ingredients one at a time, mixing after each. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan, add the batter, and bake for about 30 minutes until cake springs back when touched. Cool for ten minutes and then invert onto a cake plate.

Sift powdered sugar over the top when completely cool and serve with ice cream!

I tried the cake out on two confirmed chocoholics. They both had seconds. So for an easy, tasty cake that uses ingredients you are likely to have on hand, we recommend it!









And while you are snacking, I will remind you that DEATH IN FOUR COURSES, the second Key West food critic mystery, will be out on September 4! You can find pre-order links right here. And stay tuned for all book and food news by following Lucy on Twitter or facebook.

And since my wordpress website is driving me bonkers lately, here are some direct links for ordering:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Indiebound