Grilled Lamb Chops with Balsamic Vinegar, Rosemary, and Mint

Grilling the Chops1 1/2 lbs lamb chops
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup kosher salt
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbs Worcester sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs each of Fresh Rosemary and Fresh mint, finely minced

Combine all of the above ingredients, except for the lamb.  Trim the extra fat from the lamb chops and add them to the marinade.  Marinade the chops for 2-4 hours.  Light the grill (I always use charcoal because I prefer the flavor).  Grill the lamb chops over high heat for 4-6 minutes per side, depending on thickness.  If using charcoal, you should be able to see red embers.  Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before you serve it.  Drizzel with aged balsamic vinegar and enjoy!

Gazpacho with Aged Goat Cheese Crosatini

For the Gazpacho:

4-5 medium sized tomatoes, quartered
3 medium cucumbers, peeled and quartered
1/2 orange pepper, quartered
1/2 yellow pepper, quartered
1 small sweet onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp fresh thyme ( I love thyme, but tarragon or basil would be great substitutes)
1/2 tsp fresh oregano (don't use oregano if you use tarragon instead of thyme)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and puree for about 30 seconds.  Resist the urge to overly puree the soup--it should be a little bit chunky.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Allow to chill for at least 2 hours.  serve with crosatini (recipe is below) or croutons.  It is also delicious with lump crab meat or smoked salmon or trout.  Thanks to the acidic nature of the soup, it will last in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe notes: I have a very powerful blender (a Vitamix.  I love it).  If your blender is not as powerful, you may need to peel the tomatoes.  Don't worry, this is easy. core the tomatoes and, using a knife, make an "x" in the bottom of the tomato.  Submerge the tomato in boiling water for about 30 seconds (you should see the skin peeling away) and then immediately submerge it in ice water.  The skin should easily peel off.  Squeeze the tomato to remove the seeds.  Even if you do have  a powerful blender, you may find the tomato seeds bitter.  If so, follow this step.

If you find this soup too thick, add some tomato juice.  Just be careful not to make the soup too salty.  Store bought tomato juice is very high in sodium.

For more information, see the blog post "Eating for Three."

For the Crosatini:

1 Loaf French bread, sliced
olive oil
aged goat cheese ( l used the Cherry Clen Crottin.  it's delicious)

Move a rack to the uppermost shelf in your oven and turn on the broiler.  Lay the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet or broiling pan and lightly drizzle or brush both sides with olive oil.  toast the bread for about 30 seconds per side until the edges are golden brown.  Grate some goat cheese over one side of the crosatini and return to the broiler for 10 seconds.

Recipe Notes:  If you don't like goat cheese, parmesan cheese would be a great substitute.  

Tuna Carpaccio with Fried Quail Eggs

Tuna Carpacio with Fried Quail Eggs1 Lb Sushi Grade Tuna diced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 bunch of scallions, whites and light yellow ends chopped
1 Tbs Sesame oil
2 Tbs Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 Tbs Toasted Sesame Seeds
chives
4 quail eggs, fried in sesame oil

Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and mustard.  Add the ginger, sesame seeds, and scallions.  Toss tuna in the dressing and marinade for up to two hours.  Serve with a fried quail egg on top!

Recipe Notes:For more information on quail eggs see my blog post, "You Never Know."  We ate this for dinner but it would also be a great appetizer or side dish.  The quail eggs are a fun addition, but they really don't taste much different from a chicken egg.  You could also eliminate the egg all together, but it does add wonderful texture and flavor to the dish.

Medallions of Veal with Gran Marnier Reduction

Veal with Gran Marnier2 Veal Medallions
¼ cup blood orange infused olive oil
½ cup Gran Marnier
Salt and Pepper

In a large stick pan over high heat, add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Season the veal with salt and pepper and add it to the pan. Cook until meat is seared on one side, about 4 minutes ( a good trick to know when the meat is seared is to shake the pan. If it moves, it is done. If it is still stuck to the bottom of the pan, it still needs to cook longer). Flip and sear on the other side. Remove the medallions and allow the meat to rest while you finish the sauce.

Reduce heat to low. Add the Gran Marnier (be careful when you add the liquor that you don’t pour any on the flame or else you will end up with Flambé!) Reduce until the sauce is syrupy, about five minutes. Pour over veal and serve.

Recipe notes: This should still work with regular olive oil, I just happened to have blood orange infused olive oil. If you want a more intense orange flavor add 2 Tbs of orange or blood orange juice when you add the Gran Marnier.

Braised Swiss Chard with Stewed Tomatoes

Swiss Chard3 cloves minced Garlic
3 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can kidney or canellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch Swiss Chard, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions, and cook for about 8 minutes until onions are translucent. Add the Swiss Chard, and cook for a minute until the leaves begin to wilt. Add the tomatoes, cook for 1 minute and then reduce heat to medium. Stir in beans. Adjust heat again to maintain a simmer. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, just until the beans are heated through.