This past summer I made a point of attending the Saturday morning Farmers Market wherever we happened to be staying.  One rainy Saturday morning my son and I went to the Saturday Farmers Market in Portland, OR.  One thing I have noticed in my travels: the best Farmers Markets all have one thing in common — a good vibe.  Although it was raining, the atmosphere was festive and friendly.  The stalls were all very seductive and we were hard put to rein in our impulse to buy everything we saw. But, truth be told, we came for the heirloom tomatoes.  The colors are gorgeous, of course, but the taste is transforming. That evening, we treated them with the respect they deserved and prepared them simply:  first, as a topping for some bruschetta we had as an appetizer, and then for a simple side dish, we arranged sliced tomatoes on a platter, drizzled with good olive oil and sprinkled with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  Some days later, I was happy to get my hands on a few more of these babies and put them to good use in the following pasta dish.  As every good cook knows, a sauce can only be as good as the ingredients used to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
• 2 very small zucchini, sliced thinly and halved (optional)
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 1/4 c.  extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finished topping
• 1/4 tsp. of crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped basil
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsely, 1 Tbs. reserved for finished topping
• 1/2 pound linguine
• 1/2 c. pasta water reserved
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Warm olive oil over low heat in a medium skillet.  Add the garlic and shallots and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.   Cook, stirring for a few minutes.  Add the chopped tomatoes, zucchini, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped basil and parsley to the pan.  Stir to incorporate and set aside.
2. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions.  Drain pasta and add to the skillet.  Over low heat, toss pasta with the sauce.  If  pasta seems dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water.
3. When the pasta is well-coated with sauce, turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese, tossing once more.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve with more cheese, if desired.

In Heaven, all the tomatoes are Heirlooms.  At least, they better be or I’m not going there.  Heaven on Earth is late summer when tomatoes come into season.  If you spy them, buy them.  Pick a balance of red, green and yellow tomatoes.  Next, you want a mix of small, cherry-type tomatoes of varying size and color.

1.  Slice the large tomatoes and layer them on a pretty plate, alternating colors.
2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. 
3. In a small bowl mix 1 Tbs. of red wine vinegar, 3 Tbs. of good, fruity extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
4. Add the cherry tomatoes to the dressing and toss.
5. With a slotted spoon, remove the cherry tomatoes from the dressing and mound in the center of the plate.
6. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the sliced tomatoes and shower some torn basil leaves over the whole dish.  

I first had this dish on a winter night in Paris. We were cold and tired and in need of dinner when we happened on the decidedly upscale take-out joint, Fauchon on Place de la Madeleine in the 8th arrondissement. No styrofoam containers here, the chicken came in a lovely ceramic casserole. I remember that it was charmingly garnished with heart-shaped toasts.  Add them to the finished dish if you happen to own a heart-shaped cookie cutter — alas, I do not.  You may notice that I have omitted the classic ingredient in my version of this recipe: pearl onions.  This is because my sweetie does not like pearl onions.  If yours does, add a cup of frozen pearl onions to the dish when you add the mushrooms.

A good romantic comedy would round out your Valentine’s Day nicely. One of my favorites is “Barefoot in the Park” starring two actors at the height of of their beauty — Jane Fonda and Robert Redford.  Redford originated the role of the conservative attorney, Paul Bratner, in the Broadway play written by Neil Simon.  He is newly married to the vivacious and free-spirited Corrie, played by Jane Fonda.  All of the elements of a good movie are here. The writing and direction are excellent, and Redford and Fonda have a great chemistry.  It must be said, however, that Mildred Natwick, playing the role she originated on Broadway as Corrie’s mother, steals the show. Supposedly, Neil Simon based his play on his first marriage.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces of chicken (thighs, breasts, or a combination)
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 4 oz. pancetta, diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 3 or 4 carrots, peeled and sliced on a diagonal
• 1/2 pound of cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1/4 c. Cognac or good Brandy
• 1 c. dry red wine
• 1 c. chicken stock
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbs. flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add pancetta and cook, stirring until fat is rendered and pancetta is lightly browned.  Remove pancetta and reserve.
3. Pat chicken dry and liberally season with salt and pepper.  Brown the chicken about 5 minutes per side.  Remove chicken to a plate.
4. Add the carrots, onions, and garlic.  Sprinkle a little salt over the vegetables to draw out their moisture and prevent burning.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened.
5. To the softened vegetables, add the flour and cook stirring for about 3 minutes.
6. Add the Cognac and stir until the sauce becomes smooth.  Then add pancetta, chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan.
7. Stir up the pot and add the wine, chicken stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
8. Cover the Dutch oven and braise in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until meat is tender.
9. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms in the butter until they soften and begin to give up their moisture.
10. Remove pan from oven, and add the mushroom.  Simmer another 10 minutes.  Season to taste and shower with chopped fresh parsley.  Serve with mashed potatoes.

At the Farmers Market one rainy Saturday morning, we came upon a man selling a wide variety of wild mushrooms. We narrowed our selection down to the shiitakes and chanterelles and began to think of bruschetta. Further down the row, we spotted the heirloom tomatoes and bought a nice balance of red, yellow and green, as well as some delicate and jewel-like cherry tomatoes. We used most of the tomatoes in a colorful and delicious tomato salad, but were able to put a couple aside for the bruschetta. Of course, you can use any variety of mushrooms you like, but you will want to stay away from the common button mushrooms. Likewise, supermarket tomatoes will produce a disappointing bruschetta.

For Wild Mushroom Bruschetta

• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms, quartered
• 1 preserved lemon, pulp removed and finely diced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• pinch of crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 Tbs. butter, divided
• pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 Tbs. butter, divided
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• shaved Parmesan cheese
• 1 French baguette, sliced, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. olive oi in a large saute pan over low heat.  Add minced shallots and garlic and cook, stirring until golden and soft.
2. Add preserved lemon, crushed red pepper, thyme, and salt and pepper.  Remove mixture to a small bowl.
3. Heat remaining butter and olive oil in the same pan over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring until brown but still slightly firm.
4. Add the shallot/garlic mixture back into the pan and give the whole thing a good stir.  Taste and correct the seasoning.
5. Place bread slices on a hot, clean grill and grill both sides until slightly toasted.
6. Top bread slices with mushrooms and top with shaved Parmesan cheese.  Serve at once.

For the Bruschetta with Heirloom Tomatoes

• 2 heirloom tomatoes, medium diced
• 6 large basil leaves, torn into small pieces
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• 2-1/2 Tbs. olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• shaved Parmesan cheese
• French baguette, sliced, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper

Directions

1. Mix diced tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Grill seasoned baguette slices on both sides until toasty.
3. Spread bread slices with tomato mixture and top with shaved Parmesan cheese.  Serve at once.

Clam chowder was the plan—unfortunately, when it came time to get the chowder cooking, the clams were not the living creatures they had been when last we saw them.  They were demised.  Going out to a restaurant was not an option since there was freshly baked bread cooling on a rack.   I had to come up with dinner in a minute.   Although there was anxiety from some quarters, I was as calm as a Zen Buddhist monk.  When you keep your refrigerator and cupboard stocked with the basics, you will always eat well.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound thin spaghetti
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 pieces of thick-sliced bacon, diced
• olive oil
• 14 ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 2 anchovy filets
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 Tbs. capers, drained
• crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 c. pasta water, reserved
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
• fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Add a little olive oil to a large skillet and fry bacon until crisp; remove and drain on paper towels
2. Add chopped onion and anchovey filets to skillet.  Add a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper to the onions.  Cook, stirring until onions are soft.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, capers and red pepper flakes.  Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the bacon back into the sauce.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
5. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 c. of the cooking water.  Add pasta to the skillet and turn heat to low setting.  Toss pasta with the sauce until well coated.  Add the reserved pasta water and continue tossing the pasta until you like the consistency of the sauce.  Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese, toss again, sprinkle with parsely, and serve at once.

In the early 70′s when many young people were tuning in, turning on, and dropping out, Georgeanne Brennan, her husband and young daughter left California and moved to Provence.  There, they intended to support themselves by making and selling goat cheese.  A Pig in Provence is a memoir of that time.  The modern world had not yet intruded on Provence  and their people still lived close to the earth; wild mushrooms were gathered in the fall, asparagus in spring,  melons and peaches in summer, roots and truffles in winter.  The author writes of various aspects of Provencal culture such as the making goat cheese, buying a pig, the correct way to make and eat bouillabaisse according to Marseille tradition, the age-old process of butchering a lamb, and foraging for wild mushrooms and truffles.  Ms. Brennan is an award-winning cookbook author (as she herself will tell you in Chapter One) and there are recipes at the end of each chapter.   Readers who enjoy memoirs will want to read this book.  My only criticism is that although the author does a fine job of describing Provencal food and culture, her descriptions of the local people she encountered or was befriended by are not well-drawn, and I think that makes this memoir a little less satisfying than similar memoirs written by Frances Mayes or Peter Mayle.

For my money, steamers are the tastiest clams.  Their flavor is delicate and they are the perfect size for clam chowder.  Plus, the most fun you can have cooking is steaming the little creatures and watching them pop open.  Also, I find digging (raking really) steamer clams to be a pleasurable experience.  You pull your rake through the sand and feel the clink of the shell against your rake.  Pick it up, rinse it off, and add it to your bucket.  Contrast this experience with digging for the larger clams such as butter clams and gapers:  using a heavy shovel, you dig down about a foot or two, get down on your knees, stick your arm down into the black, muddy hole up to your elbow, and just maybe you find a clam there.  Then the clams still have to be washed, shucked, and chopped, before they are added to the chowder.  Never mind the fact that you end up getting really, really dirty.  I devised this recipe so that I could have delicious clam chowder and still remain dainty and (mostly) clean.

Ingredients for Steamed Clams

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 pounds steamer clams (manila, littleneck, or cherrystone)
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1 lemon, zested

Directions

1. Add olive oil to a large skillet with a cover.  When oil is warm add shallots and garlic, saute until shallots are soft.
2. Add wine and bring to a simmer.
3. Add clams, cover and simmer for about 6 minutes.  Start lifting the cover and checking for open clams at about 5 minutes.  Remove clams to a large bowl as they open.  Note:  It is important that you stay with the clams and check them frequently.  Over-cooked clams have a texture not unlike rubber.
4. Pull the clams from their shell and discard the shells.  Pour the liquid from the skillet over the clams, cover and refrigerate.

Ingredients for the Chowder

• 6 slices of thick-cut bacon, medium diced
• 1 c. chopped onions
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound white potatoes, peeled and medium-diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbs. fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 2 c. clam juice
• 2 1/2 pounds steamed clams
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Add bacon to a large soup pot and fry until crisp.  Add onions, celery, and carrots.  Saute until the vegetables start to wilt.
2. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.  Add the bay leaves and thyme.  Stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the clam juice and add the potatoes.  Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Simmer the mixture until the potatoes are fork tender, about 12 minutes.  Add the heavy cream and bring up to a simmer.
5. Turn the heat very low and add the steamed clams to the chowder.  (Note:  Add some or all of the steaming liquid to the chowder, depending on the consistency desired.)  Add the Tabasco sauce, parsley and salt and pepper if needed.  Serve immediately.

I love the farmers’ market.   After a long winter of eating produce grown a thousand miles from where I am doing my grocery shopping, spring arrives and I make my first trip to the farmers’ market.  There I buy my favorite spring vegetable—rosy little French breakfast radishes which I eat in the French manner, dipping them in salt, accompanied with slices of buttered French bread.  After a time, the excitement of the spring market begins to lose its’ allure.  I am waiting for summer to do its work.  The stars of summer don’t begin to make their appearance until late July.  In the last few weeks we have had a bonanza–fresh corn, eggplants, tomatoes, summer squash, new potatoes, and of course, sumptuous summer fruit.  As I move from stall to stall, I feel like the kid in a candy store and I have to fight the urge to buy everything I see.   This week the eggplants were irresistable.

Ingredients

• 2 small firm eggplants, cut into 1 ” cubes
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 4 to 6 pieces of chicken of similar size
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 slices of thick cut bacon, snipped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 2 Tbs. flour
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1 14oz. can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 1 c. chicken broth
• Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat.  Add the eggplant, season with 1 tsp. of salt and some freshly ground pepper.  Cook, stirring until just beginning to brown.  Remove and set aside.
3. Fry the bacon in a heavy oven-ready pot until just crisp.  Remove and set aside. 
4. Add 1 Tbs. of butter to the pot and heat over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken on both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Saute until just brown, about 5 minutes.  Remove the chicken and set aside.
5. Add the rest of the butter along with the chopped onion, garlic, anchovey fillets, and red pepper flakes.   Cook, stirring until onion has softened.  Add the dried basil, oregano and the reserved bacon into the pot and stir.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for 1 minute. 
6. Add the white wine and bring to a boil, stirring the sauce.  Add the chicken broth and canned tomatoes and bring up to a simmer.  Return chicken pieces into the pot and let it come to a simmer.
7. Cover the pot and braise the chicken in the oven for about 30 minutes, until fork tender.
8. Sprinkle with parsely and serve over white rice or egg noodles.

Beef Stronganoff

Although both of my parents were excellent cooks, the food I grew up eating would be called “good home cooking.”  I never ate a mushroom until I left home.  I had my first taste of mushrooms when I was invited to a friend’s house for dinner.  She made Beef Stroganoff.  Her date for the evening brought a friend and I think this must have been my first blind date.  I remember absolutely nothing about my date, but I still remember the Beef Stroganoff.  For many years my friend would make the dish for me upon request, but I never attempted to make the dish myself until a few years ago.  I like to serve this with egg noodles and a bowl of buttered peas.

Ingredients

• About 1 pound beef sirloin tip, well trimmed, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 2 Tbs. flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 Tbs. butter, divided
• 2 leeks, white part split horizontally and cleaned, sliced thin
• 1 shallot, sliced thinly
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thickly
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 c. beef stock
• 1/2 c. dry red wine
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Season the meat with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the beef in batches until just browned on the edges and still pink within, about 1 or 2 minutes (do not over cook).  Remove and set aside.
2. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat and toss in the leeks, shallots and mushrooms.  Season with a little salt and pepper, cooking and stirring until the vegetables began to soften.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and continue to cook for a couple of minutes; stir in the paprika.
3. Slowly add the wine, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes.  Add the broth and simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring.  Add the sour cream and gently heat through.   Add the meat with their accumulated juices and stir, cooking at a gentle simmer for a few minutes.  Serve immediately, garnished with the chopped parsley.

One of the pleasures of spending the summer on the Oregon Coast is clam digging.  We dig our clams in the morning at low tide and they form the basis for our dinner that evening.  We had been used to having spaghetti and clams in white wine sauce but I felt it was time for a change.  It was suggested that I add Leo’s name to the dish as a salute to a restaurant in Seattle (now defunct) where we celebrated a family birthday many years ago.  Although we all enjoyed our dinner, one member of the party had what he still considers the best meal of his life.  His dish was linguine with scallops and clams in a red sauce. We concluded that the secret ingredient was anchovies, which add complexity without being overtly identifiable.  The dish was delicious, but our enjoyment of dinner at this restaurant may have been elevated by the fact that we were sitting on a deck overlooking Puget Sound with a view of the crescent moon setting over Mount Olympus, celebrating the birthday of the person we love the most—our son.

Ingredients

• Sea Salt
• 1/2 pound linguine
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup capers, drained
• 2 Tbs. fresh oregano, chopped (1 Tbs. reserved for garnish)
• 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
• about 30 littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1/2 cup white wine
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with water and place over high heat.  Add a generous amount of salt and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain well and toss with a little olive oil so pasta does not stick together.
2. Heat 2 Tbs. of olive oil in a large skillet.  Add anchovies, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, capers and chopped oregano.  Saute for a couple of minutes until the onions began to soften.  Add the tomatoes and juice and simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes.  Add the clams to the sauce and stir to coat.   (Note:  You may have to cook the clams in batches, depending on the size of the skillet and how large the clams are.)  When the sauce comes back to a simmer, add the wine.  Cover the pan to let the clams steam open.  Remove clams to a bowl as they open.  When all of the clams have opened add the lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Toss the linguine and clams in the sauce until well coated.  Garnish with olive oil, chopped oregano, and parmesan cheese, if desired.