A Pre-Birthday Treat: Farro Salad with Green Beans and Corn

This coming Friday will be my thirtieth birthday and I plan to greet it with equal parts contentment and anticipation:

Content to close out my volatile twenties having accomplished most of the personal goals I'd set for myself. I've: married a wonderful man who is both my best friend and greatest love; found wonderful friends in a city I love; and finally, I enjoy a satisfying career and a comforting sense of self that is reinforced each and everytime I post to this blog.

Anticipation because, as it turns out, this week is shaping up to be quite the celebration! For starters, Foodbuzz, the foodie community that hosts my site ads, is hosting a blogger event at Tru this evening, sponsored by Visa Signature and I managed to get a spot at the table. For those of you outside of Chicago, Tru is one of the finest dining establishments in the city -- and probably the world. Known for creative, memorable (and expensive!) culinary achievements. From what I've heard, Tru is a "true" once-in-a-lifetime experience and I'm thrilled that I'll be checking it off of my list just before my thirtieth. I've brought my camera and plan to share details later in the week!

If the week is starting on a high-note, its ending with a bang. In my previous thirty years, I've never been to Las Vegas--a wrong that my husband believes needs to be righted immediately. Therefore, on Friday, we'll be flying to the City of Sin for a weekend of decadent meals, incredible shows, and a bit of gambling. We'll be staying at the Encore and he's already arranged for dinner at Craftsteak and front row seats to Cirque De Soleil's O, but the rest of the weekend is still up in the air. If you have a list of must-sees or must-do's whilst in Vegas, please send them my way! Making my birthday even happier, my parents (including my father, a fellow Vegas-virgin) will be joining us on the trip. Expect plenty of great pictures and stories of silly antics.

Of course, the week wouldn't be complete without a little intrigue. It appears that someone has given me a subscription to Bon Appetit magazine as a birthday present, a gift I was thrilled to accept. However, the magazine showed up un-announced and I've no idea who should receive the thank you card. Will the thoughtful gift-giver please stand up?

I've already torn through the magazine with a ferocity usually reserved for meals that involve truffles (or cheese, or seafood, or champagne) and my first Bon Appetit-inspired culinary experiment did not disappoint...not at all. Taking full advantage of late-summer produce the magazine included a recipe for a salad that involved green beans, fresh corn, goat cheese and a little-known but delicious grain called Farro. Since most of the veggies arrived in our CSA box this week and the dish sounded perfect for weekend snacking and weekday lunches I set right to making it.

The JiT gave it two very hearty thumbs up, having consumed every last grain within 18 hours of my making it (so much for those weekday lunches). The salad is delicous warm, lukewarm or cold from the fridge and the crunchy vegetables are off-set by the nutty farro grains and creamy goat cheese. Its totally different than anything I've tasted but absolutely delicious (and healthy!).

As a note, I was able to find Farro at Whole Foods near rice, couscous and other grains. I don't think you'll find it at regular grocery stores, but "health" food stores or Italian markets should stock it. Its not terribly expensive, very healthy and I've already found a variety of other recipes calling for it....so it won't go to waste.

Farro Salad with Green Beans and Corn
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 4

1/2 cup uncooked farro grain
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups of fresh corn, cut from 3 ears of corn
3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 tablespoon fresh marjoram, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot (about 1 small shallot)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup fresh, crumbled goat cheese

Cook farro in a pot of boiling, salted water over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes. During the last 4 minutes, add green beans to the pot to blanch. Cook until green beans are tender but still slightly crunchy. Drain beans and farro thoroughly in a colander and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, season raw chicken breast chucks with a sprinkle of salt & pepper on all sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occassionally until chicken is lightly browned on all sides and no longer pink the the center.

In a large bowl, combine farro, green beans, corn, chicken and green onions and mix until evenly combined. In a separate small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, marjoram, salt, vinegar, mustard and shallot and whisk until smooth. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle goat cheese over top and gently fold into the salad to incorporate. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Salad can be served immediately at lukewarm temperature or chilled overnight and served cold.

Fresh Peach Cupcakes with Basil-Infused Mascarpone Frosting

Peaches are one of the fruits that I actually enjoy waiting for each year. I never buy them in the winter, preferring instead to wait for that summer day when they are fresh and juicy and perfectly ripe so that when you bite into them they run down your arm. I've been picking them up from the farmer's market by my work on Tuesdays and enjoying them for an afternoon snack. But that's certainly not the only way to enjoy a delicious peach. Not at all.

Pies are wonderful, and cobblers and gallettes, of course, but I'm a cupcake girl so why not try a peach cupcake? These turned out quite well....moist and on the spongier side, though the juiceness of the fruit and the fact that you're getting little bursts of actual peach every few bites sort of screws with the cake texture. Not in a bad way....just a bit more dense in spots. Think muffin versus cake.

And then there is the frosting. A pound of mascarpone, a cup of heavy cream. Need I say more? Yet, for all that richness, this frosting is feather light and only just sweet enough. This would be absolutely delightful in its virgin state of cheese, cream and sugar but, as you may have noticed last year, I just love the fresh taste of basil to complement peaches. Plus, I made a basil-infused frosting last summer and the JiT has mentioned it on more than one occasion recently. I took it as a sign. So, the cream gets infused with a hearty handful of fresh basil leaves. This sounds much more difficult than it actually is. Just combine in a saucepan, leave on the stove for a few minutes to simmer, set aside to cool, strain out the basil and chill. The end result is a feather-light frosting infused with the slightest hint of fresh herb flavor. Just enough to make your mouth think it over.

The frosting recipe is generous. You can halve it and you'll probably have more than enough for the cupcakes. Or make the full batch and top the leftovers with fresh berries. Delightful.


Fresh Peach Cupcakes with Basil-Infused Mascarpone Frosting
Adapted from How To Eat A Cupcake

Cupcakes
Makes 22 regular-sized cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest (zest from about half an orange)

3/4 cup milk

2 fresh peaches, skinned, cored and diced to small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 22 muffin cups with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a small bowl, sift together flours, baking powder and nutmeg. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the mixture is fluffy. Add vanilla and orange zest.

Add a third of the flour to the butter mixture and mix to combine. Follow with half of the milk, then another third of flour, the rest of the milk and end with the last third of flour. Mix a few more times until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the peaches.

Divide batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full. I had just enough for 22 cupcakes that baked up to just about fill the liners. For bigger cupcakes, fill each liner a bit higher but you'll have fewer cupcakes.

Bake in the center of your oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in each cupcake comes out clean. Move cupcakes to a baking rack to cool. When cupcakes are cool, frost using the recipe below.

Frosting
makes enough to generously frost 22 cupcakes, plus some leftovers

1 cup heavy whipping cream
5 or 6 large fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried

1 lb. mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Combine the whipping cream and basil in a small saucepan and place over low heat until the cream just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and let stand for about 20 minutes to cool. Strain cream through a sieve into a small bowl to remove the basil. Press on the basil leaves with the back of a spoon to squeese out as much cream as possible. Place bowl in the refridgerator for about 20 minutes to cool.

To make the frosting, combine mascarpone cheese, confectioners sugar and chilled whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachement, begin beating the mixture on high speed. Watch the mixture closely and stop as soon as SOFT peaks begin to form. This will ony take 60 to 90 seconds. Do not overbeat or the cream will become too thick.

Immediately place frosting in a piping bag or resealable plastic bag. If using a baggie, cut a small hole in one corner. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake and, if desired, top each with a small basil leaf.

Serve immediately or refridgerate cupcakes.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms & Tomato Salad

I've probably mentioned how much I love Sunday mornings in the summer. I love getting up early, tossing on a sundress and walking to the bakery up the street for an iced coffee, then continuing on to the farmer's market in Wicker Park.



The streets are incredibly peaceful on Sunday mornings when the shops are closed and most of my neighbors are still asleep. I love meandering through the market, picking out the best produce, wandering through the stalls smelling the scent of peaches and fresh flowers.

Today, I spent some time picking through the gorgeous cherry tomatoes in every color...red, purple and gold. And I couldn't resist the giant bunches of basil and beautiful squash blossoms. And some fresh mozzarella cheese made by a local cheesemonger. So, home I went to make lunch.

The basil was sliced thin, and the cheese was diced into bite-sized squares. The tomatoes were tossed into the bowl with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Once on the serving plate, a few drips of basalmic vinegar finished things off.

The squash blossoms took a bit more time, but not much. I've never worked with them before but fondly remember my parents waxing poetically about enjoying them in Tuscany a few summers ago. The blossoms are delicate, but easy to work with. I opened the petals and pulled the yellow stamen out of each but, removed the stems and then stuffed each flower with a mixture of garlic, cheese and basil. Twist the petals shut and dip the little purses into a beaten egg, then dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper...I used cake flour for a light texture. The blossoms were fried in canola oil until golden and drained on paper towels.

The blossoms are crispy and light, with a little burst of flavor in each bite. Yum.

Served alongside the tomatoes, they made for a delicious, summery, lazy lunch.

Favorite Cucumber Salad (sorry for the fuzzy pic)

Okay, so once again, I've been playing photographer with poor results. JiT will resume his duties soon ; )

Finally! Summer feels like it's arrived here in Chicago and I actually have the time (and clean bill of health) to enjoy it.

With work at a manageable pace, my cold finally subsiding and a weekend with zero committments, JiT and I enjoyed 2 completely spontaneous days of relaxation. We've decided we must still be in honeymoon mode because whenever we have a completely free weekend like this, we find ourselves spending it doing activities just the two of us. Though we love our friends and family, its been sort of nice to have a few days to just enjoy being married. This weekend's adventures were no exception:

On Friday, we took a quick trip to the grocery store and ended up making a fun-but-healthy dinner of steak and summer squash kabobs with roasted red pepper dipping sauce, which we enjoyed while sipping sangria and lounging in front of old movies. I didn't snap a picture, but you can find the recipe here (p.s. Beef Its Whats for Dinner is an Edelman client. They have great recipes though, so I encourage you to visit).

Saturday, we slept in and randomly decided to head to the suburbs for a round of golf. We managed to get an 11:30am tee time at one of our favorite courses (which made JiT soooo happy), and spent a sweaty but fun afternoon hitting golf balls. We were too tired to do much of anything that night, so we made steamed crab legs (my favorite) and cabbage patties and watched Confessions of a Shopaholic (surprisingly cute) before dropping off to sleep.

On Sunday, JiT made his famous skillet for breakfast while I read the paper (someday he'll share his secret recipe), then we hopped on our bikes and headed downtown to our gym...which has a small pool and sundeck on the roof. After a few hours of swimming we decided to bike over to the theater and catch a movie: The Hangover, which was hilarious. Seriously, I could see it again tomorrow. Instant classic funny.

By the time we got home last night we were too tired to think about dinner (and we still had movie candy hangovers anyway), so we ended up munching on random veggies and snacks on the couch. All in all, it made for an exhausting yet surprizingly relaxing weekend. Does that even make sense?

Anyway, on nights like last night, I love having fresh veggies around for random snacking and one of my favorite quickie salads is Cucumber & Fresh Mozzarella Salad. Super simple and incredibly refreshing. I wouldn't normally think to pair cucumbers with fresh mozzarella but the crunchiness of cucumber tastes amazing with creamy mossarella. Great as an appetizer or a quick snack.

Cucumber & Fresh Mozzarella Salad
One serving

1/2 large cucumber
1/2 large (egg-sized) ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste

Cut cucumber into thin slices then quarter into bite-sized pieces. repeat with mossarella cheese and arrange on a small plate. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, olive oil and salt to taste. Eat immedately.

Garden Veggie and White Sauce Lasagna

First, sorry for the wretched picture. It was taken by me with my little Canon powershot because I'd somehow misplaced the memory card for JiT's Nikon. Its been found, so we'll stop subjecting you to my terrible images now ; )

Perhaps I spoke too soon when I said that things were slowing down enough for me to start enjoying the summer. Since my last post, things got a little crazy at work helping my team prepare for a media event in New York (I didn't have to travel this time), and then I caught a cold. A doozy of a cold too! So, I've spent the last week coughing and blowing my nose and generally feeling perplexed at how I can feel so miserable when its almost 90 degrees outside! Luckily, the cold is finally starting to subside and things at work are simmering to a productive but manageable pace, so perhaps we can finally kick back and enjoy life for a bit.

But before I kick up my heels, I feel that we have some catching up to do! First off, the long-promised and worth-the-wait recipe for Garden Veggie and White Sauce Lasagna. Boy do I love this stuff. With a cheesy sauce of sharp cheddar and mozzarella, its vaguely reminicient of macaroni and cheese, but the mix of veggies provide wonderful color and incredible taste. This certainly isn't a calorie-saver given the layers and layers of cheese, but its a truly delicious way to get a hearty portion of vegetables into your life.

And speaking of veggies, you can pack a ton of them into this dish. Feel free to swap in different veggies based on what you've got in the house. This would be wonderful with sweet corn, broccoli, red peppers or even spinach. Get creative and enjoy!

This recipe makes a pan large enough to feed a crowd. Or, do what I do and make it on a weekend and you can enjoy the leftovers for lunch for days thereafter. Its just as good reheated.


Garden Veggie and White Sauce Lasagna
Serves 8 (or save for leftovers; keeps for up to a week)

1 package lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained

2 medium carrots, peeled and stems removed
2 or 3 small zuchinnis or summer squashes
1 kohlrahbi, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 small onion
1 clove of garlic
1 small head of cauliflower, stems removed and florets diced to small pieces
12 ounces light ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt & pepper to taste

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a large lasagna pan (9 x 13 inch), set aside. Place carrots, squashes, kohlrabi, onion and garlic in food processor and process until finely chopped. Pour into a large, microwave-safe bowl and add cauliflower. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on a medium setting (if your microwave has a fresh veggie setting, use that) for about 2 minutes, until the veggies are just starting to blanch/soften and their colors are vibrant.

Remove from the microwave and let the veggies cool for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle, pour into a colander to remove excess liquid (or use paper towels to squeeze it out). Add ricotta cheese to the veggies and stir until the mixture is evenly combined. Set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir until combined. Cook for about 1 minute. Using a whisk, add milk gradually stirring constantly until mixture is combine. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and add cheeses, stirring until cheeses are melted and sauce is thick and evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Begin assembling lasagna, starting with a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of noodles, then the ricotta/vegetable mixture, then a fine layer of mozzarell and cheddar cheeses, then another layer of sauce. Repeat layers until you run out of noodles or the pan is full. End with a layer of shredded cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until cheeses are melting and bubbly and the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let pan rest 10 minutes before serving.