C is for Crostini

I have a new favorite appetizer for spring: strawberry basil crostini.   It is so simple and so fresh, you'll be prepping a platter of these delicious bites in no time.  I used a honey chevre which I spotted at the grocery store and wanted to try.  I would recommend this cheese for a lot of uses; Peter and I thought it was wonderful with sliced pears, fig jam, and crumbled over a salad with berries.  I took a roll of honey chevre along with me to make a cheese plate at my Grandma's birthday party too, so this might be one of my new favorite cheeses.    

Strawberry Basil Crostini

by Rachel

French baguette

honey chevre, room temperature

sliced strawberries

small basil leaves (I used boxwood basil)   

Slice and toast the French baguette.  Using a knife, spread the honey chevre on each piece of toast.  Top each toast with a slice of strawberry and a basil leaf.  Serve!  

S is for Summer Rolls

I am an enormous fan of egg rolls.  Each time Peter has ordered Chinese take-out over the past five years, he has saved me his egg roll.  It's a wonderful arrangement.  I have never made egg rolls, but I was recently inspired to make summer rolls (the egg roll's rather nutritious cousin) after reading a recipe in Health magazine.  

My summer roll adventure involved a trip to several grocery stores and then eventually the Asian market to find rice paper.  Rice paper is a little hard to come by around here, but I found some.  It comes in a disc shape and it's translucent; you dip the rounds into warm water to soften them and then fill them up with your favorite sweet or savory ingredients.  

I also had a little trouble finding cellophane noodles, or bean threads.  You may also know of these by the name of "glass noodles" or Chinese vermicelli.  The cellophane noodles serve as a nice texture in the summer rolls and generally don't have much flavor.  I boiled some water and covered the noodles for a few minutes until they became soft and completely translucent.  Then I drained the water and patted the noodles dry with paper towels.  

This recipe sounded a lot better to me than it actually tasted.  I think if my mango had been more ripe and if I had used less mint, I may have enjoyed the summer rolls a bit more.  Actually, maybe if it were summer I would have enjoyed the summer rolls a bit more.  They'd be a wonderful appetizer at a dinner party or a cookout.  They sure looked appetizing!  I treated the summer rolls as a quick dinner and after Peter and I shared a plate of them, we were both still hungry.  I don't think this needs to be said, but don't serve these as an entrée; they're not as satisfying as sushi.  

Mango Shrimp Summer Rolls

adapted from Health magazine

Rice paper 

1 tsp. butter or oil  

1 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 mango, sliced into matchsticks 

1 c. cellophane noodles

2 c. red leaf lettuce, torn into small pieces

10 basil leaves

10 mint leaves

1/4 c. sweet chili sauce

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar 

1 scallion, diced 

soy sauce (optional)

Heat a tsp. of butter or oil in a skillet and toss the shrimp in to cook for a few minutes on medium heat.  When they turn pink, take them off the heat and cut each shrimp into two or three bite-sized pieces.  Sprinkle the shrimp with a bit of salt.  Peel and slice the mango into matchsticks.  Boil a few cups of water and pour it over the cellophane noodles in a bowl so they can soften.  After a couple minutes, drain the water and then pat the noodles dry.  Wash and tear the red leaf lettuce into 2 or 3 inch pieces.  Wash and pat dry the basil and mint leaves.  

Combine the chili sauce, vinegar, and scallion in a small bowl.  Add a splash of soy sauce if you'd like a more savory dipping sauce.  Set this aside.

Spread out a damp kitchen towel to use as a work space for creating your summer rolls.  Make sure all your ingredients are close by so that you can build the rolls quickly.  Fill a shallow pan with warm water and drop in a sheet of rice paper.  It only takes about 10-30 seconds for it to soften and become clear.  Carefully remove the rice paper disc and put it on the damp kitchen towel.  Top with a piece of basil, a few mango matchsticks, several pieces of shrimp, 2 Tbsp. of cellophane noodles, a handful of red leaf lettuce, and a spearmint leaf.  Position this pile neatly and then pull the left side of the rice paper over the top of your pile.  Fold in the top and the bottom like an envelope, and then roll up the rest of the roll carefully.  You should be able to see through the rice paper whatever topping you put down first, so choose something "pretty" to show through when you're layering.  Set the summer roll on a plate and repeat each step until you've run out of filling.  

I made about 8 rolls and then cut each in half before serving with the dipping sauce.     

    

   

        

F is for Frittata

March has been a frittata month for me.  Last weekend my family came to Charlottesville for a day visit and I took the opportunity to make them brunch.  I made a basil, asparagus, and tomato frittata, a fruit salad, sausages, and toasted some multi-grain bread to serve with jams and preserves.

My mom brought a vase of beautiful orange tulips and I have enjoyed them all week.  After our breakfast, my dad helped me hang cup hooks in my china cabinet.  They look great!

We walked around on the downtown pedestrian mall and grabbed slices of pizza at Christian's for a late lunch.  Then we ventured over to UVA's grounds to enjoy the flowering trees and to see the work they've completed on the South Lawn project.  It's beginning to look very springy around here!  It was awfully nice to catch up with my family and show them a little bit of Charlottesville.  

This weekend our friend Scotty is visiting from Atlanta to enjoy the Libel Show over at the UVA Law School.  Peter and I sorely miss our law school friends.  Although C'ville is amazing, we have loved it the most when all our friends are around.  The toughest part of staying to live in your college town is that everyone who matters to you during college ends up leaving.  When they come around for weekend visits, it's really fun to go wine tasting, linger on restaurant patios, and try new recipes at the house.  This morning I made a smoked salmon and green onion frittata and it was oh-so-good.  I got the idea to add smoked salmon from one of my favorite Food Network stars: Ina Garten.

Guests seem easily impressed by frittatas, but they're super easy and great for company because they don't require a lot of attention (unlike pancakes, waffles, French toast, and other breakfast favorites).

          
Make-Your-Own Frittata
This recipe requires you to do a little picking and choosing, just like when you make an omelet.  The possibilities are endless!

6-8 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. milk or cream

handful of a chopped, fresh herb (like basil, dill, or parsley)

kosher salt

ground black pepper

1 c. vegetables (asparagus, carrot, artichoke hearts, potato, pepper, onion, squash, broccoli, etc.)
1/2 c. meat (cooked sausage or bacon, smoked salmon, chorizo, smoked turkey, chicken, etc.)
1/4 c. shredded or crumbled cheese (swiss, gruyere, gouda, parmesan, cheddar, feta, chevre, etc.)

Preheat your oven to 425 and move the top rack about 6 in. from the heating element.  In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, herbs, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.  In a large non-stick skillet, cook your vegetables in a bit of oil or butter until tender crisp.  Add your cooked meat to the skillet and pour egg mixture over the veggies and meat.  Cook over medium heat, lifting the edge of already set eggs so that the uncooked mixture can flow underneath and cook.  Cook until the whole dish is nearly cooked, but still shiny on top.  Sprinkle with the cheese you choose.  Set the skillet in your oven for a few minutes (3-10, depending on doneness) to melt the cheese and set the eggs.  To serve, use a pizza cutter and serve triangular slices.