Caprese Salad

I love Summer in the city! We had a lovely Boston Summer day today - Charlotte, Andy, and I walked around Boston and ultimately ended up at a local farmer's market where we picked up some raspberries to snack on and some farm-fresh peaches for Charbug. Before we left, we picked up some fresh local mozzarella as well as some absolutely delicious heirloom cherry tomatoes, which are pretty much nature's candy...yummm. When we got home, I added some basil from our herb garden and a little balsamic vinegar, and what we ended up with was a perfect, light, delicious summer dinner. This can hardly be called a recipe because all I really did was cut some tomatoes, but regardless of what you call it, this salad sure is delicious! Enjoy! :o)

Caprese Salad

Yield: 2 salads

Ingredients
8 oz. fresh mozzarella*, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes
10 leaves basil, torn
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (the more syrupy, the better)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Arrange the mozzarella on two plates and season to taste with salt. Cut the tomatoes in half and put them on top of the cheese, then season with more salt and some pepper. Top with the basil, then drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top and serve. Yum! 

* as a [delicious] substitute, we often use high-quality whole milk ricotta cheese (store bought or homemade) in place of the mozzarella. It is to.die.for! 

Truffled Celery Root Puree

Tired of the typical starchy side of mashed potato? Try mixing it up with celery root puree! Celery root (sometimes called celeriac) is an unattractive brown tuber that looks similar to a turnip or potato, but it tastes of a very mild celery flavor. Apparently it is not the root of the celery stalks that we are used to eating, but rather a close relative... who knew?? This puree is silky and tasty, and it is a perfect bed for a heavy meat such as braised short ribs or pot roast, as well as alongside lighter chicken or fish. Try it! :o)

Truffled Celery Root Puree

Makes 4 sides

Ingredients

1 celery root (approx 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 cup stock (chicken, veg, beef) or water

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp. chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/4-1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp. truffle oil

1 tbsp. parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. butter

In a medium saucepan, combine the celery root, stock/water, salt, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered until the celery root is very tender, approximately 20 minutes. Add a little more liquid and cook longer as needed until the celery root is tender.

In a blender, put the celery root with any remaining cooking liquid (there shouldn't be more than a few tbsps. at this point), and all the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth. Adjust the amount of milk as needed to get desired consistency.

Swiss Chard Gratin

This recipe started off with good intentions. Swiss chard is a dark, leafy green vegetable that is absolutely packed with vitamins and nutrients. While in the store one day, I walked past a very beautiful bunch of rainbow Swiss chard with bright orange and red stalks that caught my eye, and I decided I would get it and figure out something delicious to make. Well, I somehow managed to transform this extremely healthy veggie into a cheesy, delicious side dish. I'm not complaining. A gratin is simply any dish with a crusty top, usually created by breadcrumbs or cheese. Clearly, I use both! Once finished, this dish tastes very similar to a cheesy spinach casserole, only milder. This will now become a staple at holiday dinners, if I have anything to do with it. Enjoy! (Picture to follow after Thanksgiving dinner!)

Ingredients

1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves removed from stalks and cut into 1-2 inch pieces

2 tbsp. butter

1 small red or yellow onion, chopped

2 tsbp. flour

3/4 c. milk

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I highly recommend staying away from the can with the green lid for this dish)

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

breadcrumbs and extra Parmesan cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray or grease an 8x8" casserole dish. In a large pot, bring 1 inch of salted water to a boil. Add the Swiss chard and cover. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the Swiss chard is wilted. Allow to cool slightly, and drain very thoroughly using a clean kitchen towel to wring out extra moisture.

In the meantime, make the cheese sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the milk and raise heat to bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, approximately 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Add the drained Swiss chard to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to the casserole dish. Top with breadcrumbs and additional Parmesan cheese to taste. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes until the top of the gratin is browned and bubbly. Enjoy!