Sweet Pepper Salad

Interestingly, this sweet pepper salad calls for fire roasting green rather than the typically sweeter red peppers. The soft texture perfectly compliments warm pita bread while while the tangy preserved lemons give it enough zest to enjoy on its own.

Sweet Pepper Salad

2 tbsp. olive oil

8 green bell peppers

1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 minced peeled clove garlic

1 minced Preserved Lemon

Salt

1. The recipe called for the peppers to be seared in a cast iron skillet, however doing it over a grill made for a more uniform and easier sear. After all sides are blackened, place peppers in a brown paper bag, close bag, and allow peppers to cool for 20 minutes.

2. Remove skins by rubbing the peppers inside their bag. Then remove seeds and veins and dice into 1'' pieces.

3. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in same skillet over low heat. Add peppers, chopped flat-leaf parsley, cumin, garlic, preserved lemon, and salt.

4. Cook about 15 minutes or until the juices evaporate.
5. Cool and serve.

Red Rice

Red Rice

A Southern style rice recipe, similar to a Spanish rice, made with tomatoes, peppers, onion, rice, bacon, and other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

4 strips bacon

1 onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

2 cups long-grain rice

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown bacon until crisp, remove, and drain on paper towels.
2. Add onions, celery, and peppers to bacon fat, and cook 10 minutes.
3. Add rice and cook 5 minutes.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper.
5. Put in baking pan with 2 cups water. Cover tightly with foil.
6. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.
7. Serve with crumbled bacon.

Beet and Walnut Salad

This roasted beet and walnut salad was a surprise hit with a slightly sweet flavor enhanced by the crunch of the nuts and the tang of blue cheese. The kids poked at it suspiciously while the adults went back for seconds and thirds. It's the perfect chilled accompaniment to the warm dishes sharing the plate. Just remember to serve with the blue cheese...it wasn't until we were putting the few left overs back in the fridge did we realize we forgot the wedge in there!! And after Anne specifically hunted the cheese shelf for non-crumbly blue cheese for the perfect wedge.

Anne found these beautiful beets at the local food co-op, but this time of year, Farmers Markets are filled with these little gems that are all too often only served pickled.

Roasted Beet and Walnut Salad

INGREDIENTS
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 tbsp. walnut oil
12 medium cooled Roasted Beets, peeled and cubed
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
wedges of blue cheese



INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put garlic, vinegar, walnut oil, beets, walnuts, and salt and pepper to taste into a bowl and toss well. (Anne roasted the beets the evening before to ensure they were cooled in time)
2. Serve with wedges of blue cheese on the side.

 

Leek and Potato Soup

This hearty dished warmed up the coldest of nights. With temperatures dipping to record lows in our neck of the woods, we were all happy to have this creamy soup on the menu. While the kids weren't too fond of the chopped chives, the adults all agreed it added just the right amount of zip and texture to a surprisingly low fat soup. The odd bit of this recipe is that is gives you the option of either mashing the vegetables with a fork or passing them through a food mill. This two techniques will results in two vastly different textures. If you like your soup on the chunky side, mash with a fork. If you prefer creamy and smooth, use an immersion blender as Sarah did.

Leek and Potato Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS
3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced or diced
5 leeks, trimmed, cleaned, then thinly sliced, including the tender green part
Salt
4–6 tbsp. whipping cream
2–3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley or chives


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put potatoes, leeks, salt to taste, and 8 cups of water in a large saucepan over medium heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 40–50 minutes.

2. Mash vegetables in the soup with a fork, or pass the soup through a food mill. Correct seasoning with salt.

3. Off heat, just before serving, stir in the cream by spoonfuls.

4. Pour soup into a tureen or soup bowls and decorate with the herbs.

5. Add a little freshly ground white pepper, if you like.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad

The whole group is a fan of Brussels sprouts and kale in general, especially this time of year when both are in large supply at Farmers Markets. This dish, however, was a surprise. Typically, we roast, bake, or even grill the little green cabbages  I did a double take when I realized they were thinly sliced and raw. It's a simple recipe that highlights the slightly bitter kale and the crunch of the Brussels sprouts. Jen used less kale than the recipe calls for to even out the Brussels sprouts to kale ratio.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. Brussels sprouts
1 bunch kale, stems removed and finely chopped
2 tbsp. whole-grain mustard
4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Trim the woody ends off the Brussels sprouts. In a food processor fitted with the shredding disc, process sprouts until uniformly shredded. (If you don't have a food processor, you can slice the sprouts using a mandolin.)

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add the kale and shredded Brussels sprouts and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Gougères (Cheese Puffs)

These little cheese puffs were more puff than cheese. With a consistency and taste similar to cheese straws, the kids ate them faster than they could come out of the oven. They reminded me of eclairs with the filling (which is the only reason I for one enjoy an eclair). They left you longing for something filling the air-pocket in the center. This did not stop the kids, but I am not sure these will be gracing my oven again any time soon.

Gougères (Cheese Puffs) Recipe

INGREDIENTS
½ cup milk
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs, at room temperature
6 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425°.
2. Bring milk, butter, salt, and ½ cup water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan over high heat.
3. Add flour; stir until dough forms.
4. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring dough constantly with a wooden spoon, until slightly dried, about 2 minutes.
5. Transfer to a bowl; using a hand mixer, beat in 1 egg until smooth.
6. Repeat with remaining eggs, beating each one at a time, until dough is smooth; stir in cheese.
7. Using a large tablespoon, drop balls of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
8. Place in oven; reduce temperature to 375°.
9. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Southern Cornbread Recipe

Nothing says the South like cornbread. This recipe is for an 8 inch skillet and makes a thick cornbread with lots of soft insides. You should fill to within 1/2 to 1 inch of top of the rim. If you use a larger skillet you will get a thinner, crunchier bread. Which, as we all know, isn't as good for sopping up your gumbo.

Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups cornmeal
2/3 cup flour
1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
1 and 1/2 cups milk
3 to 4 tablespoons of bacon drippings (I used cooking oil, because seriously, who has bacon drippings handy?)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

1.  Put the bacon drippings or oil (seriously...let me know if you use bacon drippings) in the skillet and use a paper towel to coat the interior. Place the skillet in the oven to warm up while you're making the batter.

2.  In a medium size bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well.

3.  Add about 1/2 cup of the milk and stir.

4.  Remove skillet from oven and slowly add about 1 or 2 tablespoon of the hot oil (bacon grease) from the skillet into the batter, stirring well. The skillet and bacon grease should be very hot but not smoking.

Sprinkle the inside of the skillet with (dry) cornmeal and return to oven. (The skillet really is touchy in this recipe.)

5.  Add milk to the batter until it looks like thick pancake mix. If the mix is too thick, add more milk. If the mixture is too thin, add more cornmeal.

6.  Remove the skillet from oven and pour the batter in the skillet. 

7.  Bake at 400 degrees approximately 25 minutes or until the top is a gorgeous golden brown.

Enjoy!

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice Recipe

We have been getting together monthly for the last six months and have had very few (two?) recipes that did not turn out as planned. That number increased to three with my attempt at red beans and rice.

This recipe was off to a rocky start when I attempted to locate a ham hock at my local grocers. I walked around the store while texting Mandy trying to figure out if ground mustard was the same as dry mustard (for a different recipe) when I could not find a ham hock. I did find a butcher, but I stumbled over my words and asked for a ham shank.

He hesitated in his reply, "Um, we don't carry those unless it is the holidays." 

"Isn't it a bone? Like for seasoning soups?" 

"Nope." 

"Let me consult the recipe. I meant ham hock, do you carry ham hocks?" 

"Yes, over here. But you want this instead," pointing to a pork shank. I am pretty sure the butcher feared for my dinner guests as I walked away.

When it was time to eat, the beans were still crunchy. Ick! I followed the recipe, I swear! The only thing I can think is that my crock pot should have been on High instead of Low. I left them in the crock pot for an additional 8 hours overnight on low and it was much better. (As a result, I am changing the recipe to reflect 8 hours on high, rather than low.)

Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound dried red beans, soaked overnight
10 cups water
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 ham hock
4 cups cooked rice

Directions

1.  Place the beans and water into a slow cooker. 

2.  Brown sausage in a skillet. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the slow cooker. 

3.  Add onion, green pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic to the drippings. Cook and stir until tender. Transfer everything from the skillet to the slow cooker.

4.  Season the mixture with pepper and Creole seasoning. Add the fresh basil leaves and ham hock. 

5.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until beans are tender. If the bean mixture seems too watery, take the lid off the slow cooker and set heat to High to cook until they reach a creamy - not crunchy!! - texture.

Cheesy Grits Recipe

The kids thought this twist on a Southern staple tasted like macaroni and cheese; the adults agreed. With a creamy, cheesy texture even one-year-old Holden couldn't get enough.


Never cooked grits? Scared to cook grits? These are so easy Sarah made them with a newborn on her chest.

Cheese Grits

Ingredients


2 cups whole milk
2 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded

Directions

1.  Place the milk, water, and salt into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Sarah's Le Creuset Dutch oven worked perfectly.

2.  Once the milk mixture comes to a boil, gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. 

3.  Decrease the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 - 25 minutes, whisking the mixture every 3 or 4 minutes until mixture is creamy.

4.  Remove from the heat, add the pepper and butter, and whisk to combine. Once the butter is melted, gradually add in the cheese.

5.  Serve immediately or as soon as you can wrangle your Supper Club friends to the table from the roof top perch where they were enjoying a Hurricane.

The kids inhaled these!

Enjoy!

June Supper Club: Louisiana Comfort Food

The Hostess

The Theme

Louisiana Comfort Food 

The Menu

Appetizer: Crab Cakes

Main Dish: Gumbo - chicken and sausage
Side Dishes: Cheesy Grits, Red Beans and Rice, and Cornbread – southern style
Dessert: Cajun Cake

Drink: Sweet Tea, Hurricanes, and Abita beer

Background

Growing up, my mom, who was raised in Louisiana, filled our Massachusetts home with the flavors of the south. I remember visiting my maternal grandmother in Alexandria, Louisiana and driving to back-woods hole-in-the-wall-locals-only restaurants to devour baskets of hot fried catfish and savory hush puppies.

My father's sister and brother-in-law ran a restaurant, The Plantation Manor, in Alexandria. Even after my uncle retired and moved to California, he still cooked up a mean gumbo and 30 years later, we have finally convinced him to dust off his hush puppy recipe.

When I finished my undergraduate degree and was considering where I would pursue my graduate studies, one of my top choices was the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. I spent two exciting years in Knoxville,  and was blessed to eat more than one meal with my classmates' families.  Though Knoxville's traditional dishes are a little different than Louisiana's,  I enjoyed them all the same and today reflect fondly on my memories of sharing comfort food with family.

It made sense, then, that when my turn to host Supper Club came up, I broke cornbread with my Six Kitchen family and created new memories of enjoying  southern comfort food.

Deciding on the menu was only half the fun. With the busy summer months upon us, only three kitchens were able to cook. Heading to my parents' beach house for the weekend, I helped my fellow cooks escape the heat and dish up heaping plates red beans and rice, gumbo, cheesy grits, and cornbread, washing it down with hurricanes, sweet tea, and Abita and topped off with Cajun cake.

While we missed the other kitchens, we all agreed, good southern soul food with good friends is a great way to spend a June evening.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy and Lettuce with Mushrooms

I had never cooked bok choy before and I am so glad I chose this recipe because it is now a new regular for stir fry in our house!



Gather the following items...
(I suggest having everything prepped and ready to go as it will go really fast)

1 cup boiling water
8 dried shiitake mushrooms (about 2 ounces)

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
1 medium head romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups)


1. Combine 1 cup boiling water and shiitake mushrooms in a bowl. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Drain mushrooms in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid. Rinse mushrooms. Remove and discard stems; cut each cap into quarters. Set aside.



2. Combine soy sauce, wine, and sugar in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil and ginger to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Add reserved mushrooms; sauté 1 minute. Add reserved mushroom liquid and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

4. Combine oyster sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk; stir into mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; keep warm.

5. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add garlic; stir-fry 10 seconds. Add bok choy; stir-fry 2 minutes or until bok choy begins to soften. Add lettuce; stir-fry 2 minutes or until lettuce wilts. Stir in mushroom mixture and soy sauce mixture; cook 3 minutes or until bok choy is tender.



Enjoy!!

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlic and Chile Sauce Recipe

This flavorful shrimp recipe is not only melt-in-your mouth delicious, but healthy as well. Taken from the Cooking Light website, it combines ginger and cilantro with create a savory dish that's, from all accounts, completely addictive.

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlic and Chile Sauce

You'll need:

1/2 c. fat-free, chicken broth
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp canola oil

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 T minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 c sliced green onions
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

This cooks fairly fast, so I'd suggest prepping all of your ingredients before you start.

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk

2. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add canola oil to pan. Add shrimp to pan and stir-fry 1 minute or until shrimp begin to turn pink.

3. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño; stir-fry 1 minute.

4. Stir in broth mixture; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done and sauce is thickened, stirring constantly.

5. Remove from heat; stir in onions and sesame oil. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Enjoy!