Will's Block Island Ribs

Having just returned from our annual trip to lovely Block Island, I’ve come back with a few new recipes to share. I had the pleasure of cooking for all of my in-laws and their families. My experience in this arena I once again attribute to my mom, Tomi, who could never cook a small meal. There was always enough… just in case someone and their entire family “might” stop by. Some of you may be quick to judge that it doesn’t sound like your idea of a family vacation, however I do the cooking with my nephew and whoever else may be in the mood without the chore of the post dinner clean up.It just happened to be my nephew's birthday while we were there and I asked what he wanted for his birthday dinner and young William replied “ribs”. Okay then, the Aunts thought it was an odd request since we were surrounded by the Atlantic and had access to some of the most incredible seafood around. The ribs were a big hit and will be on next summer’s Block Island menu. Did I mention as a young Raiders fan I was exposed to some of THE BEST barbeque at the pre-game tailgate parties…we’re talking the 1970’s in those 55 gallon homemade barbeques… great memories. Okay back to the rib recipe.

This should feed a group of six. There might be extra ... never know who might stop by. I would serve it with a rustic or “sassy” cornbread (with jalapeños Raiders tailgate style in a huge cast iron skillet) and a tart coleslaw, made with green apples.

Will’s Block Island Ribs

- 3 racks of baby back or St. Louis Ribs with membrane removed from bone side
- 1 cup of Hoisin Sauce
- 1/2 cup of Pinot Noir plus a little extra for your glass to sip while you make the sauce
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of peach nectar
- 1/4 cup of agave nectar or honey
- 2 tbls olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 tsp of cayenne pepper

One day ahead or early the same day prep the ribs by removing the membrane on the bony side and rubbing olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides and return to the refrigerator without a cover. The dry air in the refrigerator will help develop a nice crust on the ribs. Combine the rest of the ingredients except the peach nectar and heat over a low flame do not over boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes then remove from heat and stir in peach nectar. Season to your taste. You can prep this a day ahead of time. Prep your grill, BGE ( Big Green Egg) or oven for 350 degree with indirect heat when using your BGE or charcoal or gas grill. Roast the ribs for approx 2 ½ hours. Check for doneness. Remove ribs and let cool. Slice the ribs to separate and arrange on a broiling tray (covered with foil for easier clean up) brush generously with the sauce and broil for 4 minutes in your oven with the rack on the lowest setting be careful not to burn the sauce! Serve with a not too sweet coleslaw and cornbread..watch for these two recipes next month!

Bon apetito!

Grilled Asparagus Soup

We had a wedding at our home a week ago. The marriage took place between the parents of a dear friend of ours. His parents were originally married 50 years ago and unfortunately spilt up when our friend was about 5 years old. After 45 years, this couple reunites and decides to exchange vows .To make a long story short we were left with several pounds of grilled asparagus! So what does one do with several pounds of grilled asparagus…make soup of course! Why am I making soup in June? With the crazy weather we have seen in the past few weeks, you never know when you’ll need a good soup. So here is my new grilled asparagus recipe for you to try…

Into a large blender or food processor add the following:

2-3 pounds of grilled asparagus
2 quarts of chicken stock
2 cups of cooked quinoa
5 cloves of garlic peeled
A medium onion sautéed in a frying pan
½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend until smooth and thin if necessary with additional broth. Put the mixture into a pot and bring to a simmer. After simmering 15 minutes, season with additional salt if needed. Add a dollop of sour or a swirl of cream…great for a cool summer evening!

Asparagus Recipe Contest Winner

I will not be adding one of my recipes this week because I am delighted to hand this week's mouth watering recipe over to our guest Priti, the winner of Bay Area Newsgroup's "A Taste of Home" Asparagus Recipe Contest. We would like to congratulate Priti and thank her for submitting her winning dish! You can find the ingredients and recipe below and can follow along live by watching KRON 4 on Saturday April 30th at 10:00am.

8-10 asparagus spears
8 mini sweet peppers - red/yellow/orange
2 cloves garlic diced and crushed
1 spring rosemary finely chopped
1/4 cup herb goat cheese - crumbled
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Start by washing and trimming the asparagus. Dice the asparagus into 1/4 inch pieces. Warm the skillet over fire then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and fry on low for 30 seconds. Next, add the asparagus and cook on high heat for 2 minutes. The asparagus should be cooked but still firm. It hardly takes 1-2 minutes, because the size of the pieces is very small. Sprinkle the finely chopped rosemary on top. Remove the skillet from the flame. Cut the peppers in half. Spoon the asparagus mixture and fill the cavity of the peppers. Cover with small mounds of goat cheese. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the peppers and bake in oven at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Serve as appetizer or a side with pasta.

Lamb Sliders

So far in the Bay Area it has rained 21 out of 28 days... it's so nice that it's finally warmed up this week. I spent Sunday with my Mom and daughter at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, what a delight! My husband is always a little concerned after my visits to this incredible show over what the “new” landscaping project will be for the summer. I’m thinking about a chicken coop with a sedum covered roof….nothing too fancy of course, I miss having really fresh eggs and I think it will be great for my kids to learn how to handle chickens. I keep you posted on this wish/project…

As promised from my previous blog I’ve written up the recipe for our Lamb Sliders. I cheat a little and add a little ground pork to the lamb mixture for a little more flavor. As with the other lamb dish, asparagus is a great side grilled or blanched and chilled, served with a cucumber yogurt dipping sauce. Or try slicing a whole onion and simmer with balsamic vinegar until soft and spoon the onions over the lamb burger and top with a bun. This is a great tailgate recipe and since we’re getting down to the finals for the NCAA’s and you need to have the guys over, this recipe will be a hit!

Lamb Sliders (serves four)

1 lb of ground lamb

½ lb of ground pork

Fresh flat leave parsley chopped 4 tbls

2 large or 4 cloves of garlic minced

8 slider buns -if you can’t find miniature buns dinner rolls work in a pinch

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the lamb pork and shallots, parsley salt and pepper in a large bowl and set aside. Heat your barbecue or grill pan so that it is nice and hot.  Form small patties of the lamb mixture so that everyone will have two burgers each. Brush the barbecue or the griddle pan with oil to prevent sticking Brush the sliced buns with butter and lightly toast on a barbecue or griddle then set aside. Cook the burgers for approx 4 minutes on each side for medium well. Garnish with your favorite topping or try a little yogurt with cucumber or the caramelized balsamic onions I mentioned earlier.

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Asparagus

Spring has sprung and so have all the weeds in my vegetable garden. Between the weeds, is the first crop of asparagus ready to be harvested.  I’ve had these roots in my garden for six years now and the asparagus now has the diameter of a nickel. When cooking asparagus this fresh, I love grilling over a barbecue or using a Panini pan and grill indoors and dress with a little garlic, extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. My kids love the fact that asparagus spears are okay to eat with your fingers…according to the Tiffany Book of Table Manners for Teens. A perfect partner this time of year is lamb. We enjoy lamb burgers or chops. This recipe is for the chops.  I’ll send the burgers next week!

2 racks of lamb

1 cup of balsamic vinegar

1 sprig of rosemary

1 tsp thyme

1 tbsp Kosher salt

1-2 bunches of asparagus

 ¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tbsp olive oil

Marinate the lamb in a plastic food safe bag with the balsamic vinegar, rosemary, olive oil and thyme. 2 hours minimum.

Preheat oven to 375 if using convection or 400 if conventional

Remove lamb from marinade and place in a roasting pan and pop into oven for 25 minutes. While the lamb is roasting, trim the lower third of the asparagus..a good way to tell where to cut is bending the asparagus and seeing where it naturally snaps.  Heat a grilling pan and brush with olive oil. When there is 10 minutes left of cooking time for the lamb start adding the asparagus to the grilling pan. Turn the asparagus so that is has even grill marks on all sides of the asparagus. Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Remove the lamb and let stand for 5 minutes covered with foil. Remove foil and slice the rack into chops. Serve with your asparagus and maybe a side of potatoes and you are set!

Butternut Squash Soup

My family and I were back east to visit our cousins in Vermont and take in the beautiful fall colors along the way. We stopped along the Connecticut River in New Hampshire, at a local café.  It was a chilly 30 degrees out and the daily special  included their soup of the day which happened to be curried butternut squash. It was so memorable that when I came home I called the restaurant’s owner to see if I could get the recipe . She was happy to share it with me explaining in her distinct New Hampshire  accent that I need to “ really cook the bajeezus out of the squash”

1 large or two small butternut squash seeded and halved

1 large onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic

4 cups of low sodium chicken broth

2 cup plus of apple cider to season and to thin the soup if needed

3 tbsp  olive oil

2-3 tbsp curry powder

In a shallow baking pan roast  the bajeezus out of the butternut squash cut side down with a little water in a 350 degree oven until tender approx an hour. Sautee the onions with the oil until tender and set aside until squash is tender. The next step may have to be done in batches unless you have an immersion blender. Peel the cooked squash and add to blender with the onions , add a little broth and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large soup pot and the additional broth and apple cider. Season with the curry powder ( I like to use a little more and balance it with the cider) Can be served with a dollop of crème fraiche and a sprig of watercress.

Tortellini Soup

With the kid’s indoor sports season coming to an end and T-ball, softball and lacrosse starting up, a warm soup with pasta certainly does the trick to keep everyone happy especially after a tough cold practice during these cooler months. My husband Andy has fond memories growing up in Italy with many such soups. Garlic bread and a green salad will round out the meal. The soup is pretty enough for company as a winter meal starter.

2-tbls. Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic sliced

1 cup of diced carrots

Fresh ground pepper

6 cups of chicken broth

1 lb tortellini

1 cup of fresh peas

2 tsp. each of Chopped oregano and thyme leaves

1 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion, garlic and carrots and cook until onions are translucent. Season to taste with pepper.

Add broth to pot bring to a boil. Add tortellini and follow package recommendation for cooking time.

During last 3 minutes of cooking add peas.  Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.

Garnish with parmesan.