Jimmy gets a tan.

The little mark that makes it look like he’s smiling was not planned at all.  I just turned it over and there it was.  Haha, I just realized that I’m beginning to sound like a cannibal even though this is a vegetarian dish.   This eggplant was pretty big so I had to finish roasting it in the oven.  I wrapped  it with  foil and baked it at 400 degrees F until soft. (If you don’t want to bake then you can just set it aside, peel, and finish cooking with the rest of the ingredients listed below.)  Let it cool then peel.  The skin should come off easily.  Slice into small chunks and set aside.

RECIPE

• 2 medium sized tomatoes (from Shooting Star Farm)
• 1 T. ghee
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/2 piece of pepper (I used a poblano pepper from the Buckhaus farm since that’s what I had in the house)
• 1/2 medium onion (from Shooting Star Farm)
• 1/4 inch piece of ginger
• 1 t. turmeric
• 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 t. cumin
• 1/2 t. garam masala
• salt
• cilantro

Roast the eggplant (description above).  Clean and dice the onions, tomatoes, and pepper.  Mince or use a microplane to grate the ginger.  Heat the oils in a pan.  Add the dry spices and pan fry for a couple of minutes then add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook until the onions are transluscent and the tomatoes have liquified.  Add the eggplant.  Cook for a few more minutes so the eggplant can absorb the flavors.  I ate mine with steamed rice and a hard boiled egg.

So long, Jimmy.

This summer we had the chance to get to know one of the most interesting (and most Italian) chefs around, Salvatore di Scala.  Salvatore, a part time resident of Madison (and Tony Soprano’s twin), held a special dinner at his friend Vincenzo’s restaurant, Cafe Porta Alba.  Avid readers of the blog (I know you’re out there) will know that Leslie, crazy musical polyglot that she is, occasionally sings Neapolitan music at CPA (with the great Bill and Colleen on mandolin and guitar), and she was asked to sing at this dinner.  We were going to be out of town but it sounded so fun we rearranged our schedule a little so we could make it.

I’ve reproduced the menu below.  I don’t think I need to even say anything.  Between the pictures and the menu, you get the idea.  And no translation, babelfish it yourself!

L’Antipasti

Fichi e Prosciutto

Scammorza alla Brace

Pere al Parmigiano

Un petalo di Margherita

O Primmo Piatto

Paccheri alla donna Anna

E Siconde Piatte

Polli al due Sapori

Pollo alla Sorrentina

Pollo alla Amalfitana

E Contorni

 Carote alla Ischitana

Peperoni alla Carrettiera

O’Dolce

Torta al Trionfo di Frutta

So, what was my favorite part of the night?  I’ll say the Pollo alla Amalfitana (pictured above, lower left) was my favorite dish, indeed it was one of my favorite chicken dishes ever.  But it wasn’t my favorite part of the night.  I also really enjoyed the old people sneaking out after 3 courses (and 4 hours) when they just couldn’t eat any more.  But that wasn’t my favorite part either.  We also sat with a lovely couple who were great dinner companions (Ciao R & R!). And Leslie sang, of course, which was a treat for everyone.  There was so much to choose from.  But my favorite thing about that dinner was how comfortable Sal (and Vincenzo and the CPA crew) made it.  It felt just like having dinner with your Italian family.  

We have been lucky enough to see Sal several times this summer.  I’ve noticed that when he’s there, our average stay at CPA is over 6.5 hours.  I’ve also noticed that I’m getting used to this and now a 3 hour meal there seems…rushed.

Sal, I hope your reading this.  You’ve given us a very memorable summer, and we hope it’s not too long till we see you again.

*quote is Sophia Loren.

This is what a healthy and happy chicken looks like.

Now on to the “Burpy Eggs”.  I got the idea to make this dish from the a fun Wisconsin food blog called Burp.  I bet you thought I called it that because was a burp inducing dish!  (Well, it might if you eat it too fast.)  I think it’s cute.  I hope you like it   It’s very easy to make.  We buy our eggs regularly from Alisha’s Best Friends Pet Care.  That’s also where we buy everything for our dog Ollie.  We like to call them “dog eggs”.  Alisha brings the eggs in from her family farm.  The best thing about them is the price.  $1.50 per dozen.

According to United Egg Producers, 95% of eggs consumed in the U.S. come from factory farms/battery cages.  Go ahead, seek out a local source.  They taste a lot better and you can be sure they will be safer for you and your family.

RECIPE

Baked Eggs with Cheese and Herbs aka “Burpy Eggs”

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (from Alisha’s)
• 2 T. butter (from Shullsburg)
• 2 T. milk (from Organic Valley)
• 1 T. fresh basil (from Shooting Star Farm)
• 1 T. fresh parsley (from the Buckhaus farm)
• 1T.  fresh oregano (from my garden)
• 1 T. chives (from my garden)
• 1 clove minced garlic (from Tippy Top Organic Orchard)
• 1 c. grated  Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 c. grated swiss cheese (from Shullsburg)

Turn the oven on a high broil.  Shred the cheeses, chop the herbs (I used whatever I had around), and mince the garlic.  Mix.  Put the butter in the pan (You can use any baking dish you like.  I used a pie plate because it was the nearest baking dish I could get to.)  Place it in the oven until the butter is almost all melted, slightly browned, and bubbly.  Take the pan out.  Add the milk, eggs, and sprinkle the cheese and herb mixture on top.  Put the pan back in the oven and cook to your liking.  I like mine a little runny so I cooked it for 5 minutes.  If you’re using eggs straight from the refrigerator it will take a little longer to cook.  Cover with a foil when cooking longer so the cheese does not burn. 

We enjoyed our baked eggs on top of toast and some freshly brewed organic espresso crema from Kickapoo Coffee for breakfast last Sunday.

Do you know the origin of the word sandwich?  I didn’t until today.  It’s named after John Montagu the 4th Earl of Sandwich.  He had a penchant for gambling.  Not wanting his game to be interrupted he requested meat to be served between two slices of bread.  After that, others began asking for “the same as Sandwich”.  His travels to the Mediterannean most likely influenced him.  He saw grilled pita with meat and because of their obvious convenience took the idea home with him.  The First Earl of Sandwich, Edward Montagu, a naval officer, was to take the title Earl of Portsmouth but was change to Earl of Sandwich because his fleet was lying off the coast of Sandwich at the time (1660).  We could have just as likely to be eating BLT portsmouths for dinner last night or how about a peanut butter and jelly portsmouth?  For more information about the sandwich visit the Food Time Line website.

RECIPE

Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato Sandwich

• bread
• mayonnaise
• bacon (from Marr’s Valley View Farms)
• lettuce
• sliced Roma tomatoes (from Shooting Star Farm)

Put mayo on each slice of bread then layer bacon, lettuce, and tomato.  (Keith likes to sprinkle a little sea salt on top of the tomatoes.)  Make sure to have plenty of napkins because the tomatoes are so juicy.  Eat

To order, visit the Wisconsin Cheese Originals website, an organization that celebrates Wisconsin artisan cheese (founded by Jeanne).  SALE starts in SEPTEMBER for $19.95.  A portion of all the calendar proceeds will go toward an annual $2,500 Wisconsin Licensed Cheesemaker Scholarship.

•  2 c. diced tomatoes
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1/4 of an onion
• 1/3 lime wedge
• 1 small jalapeño pepper
• cilantro
• salt

Dice the tomatoes.  Press the garlic. Chop the pepper and onions into small pieces.  If you want it less spicy, discard half or all of the jalapeño seeds.  Mix everything in a bowl.  Squeeze the lime into the bowl, add some chopped cilantro, and some salt to taste.  Eat!  I would suggest a really cold bottle of Spotted Cow beer to wash it down.  Ahh, the tastes of summer.  

Giant Heirloom tomato, Sungolds, and Black Tomato from Shooting Star Farm  

After that I was drawn to a little shop with a bright red door called Pomegranate.  I had a nice chat with Angie, the owner and artist in residence.  Abouth 90% of the items featured are handmade by her and are influenced by her Native American heritage.  She also informed me that her daughter sells the best tamales (some wrapped in banana leaves and others in corn husks) at the Farmer’s Market which we unfortunately missed.  They were tearing down by the time we got there.  We also scoped out the goods at the Public Market and appreciated the local selection at the Bramble Bookstore. 

For lunch, we ate at the Driftless Cafe.  I ordered a burger made with locally grown and grass fed beef and Keith had a chicken curry with seasonal vegetables and rice.  The burger was perfectly cooked with just a hint of pinkness.  It was very juicy and flavorful.  The curry was mild yet creamy and luscious.  I even dipped my potato chips in the sauce.  Exquisite.

Sadly, we only had about a couple hours to spend in this lovely town.  We will definitely be back especially for those tamales.  Viroqua citizens, do you have any other suggestions for our return trip?

There are five basic tastes:  sweetness, sourness, saltiness, savoriness (umami), and bitterness.  The first taste humans love is sweetness which you can observe in candy crazed children.  As we evolve our palates seek more and more complex tastes.  Some people are extremely sensitive to bitterness so they might avoid the flavor completely, even as adults.  The ampalaya is very healthy and rich in vitamin C, vitamin B, zinc, potassium, and it’s also low in calorie.  Current research has suggested that it may also help in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.  I have seen them sold at the Madison farmer’s market if you’re brave enough to try it.

Tippy Top Organic Garlic

To make this meal even healthier, I decided to add some garlic from Tippy Top Organic Orchard.  They are incredibly pungent and huge (that’s a penny for scale).  Each clove being twice as big as my thumb. 

Fresh Farm Eggs & Sliced Garlic

RECIPE

Itlog at Ampalaya

Ingredients

• 1 young ampalaya (bitter melon)         *younger = less bitter
• 2 eggs
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 T. oil
• salt
• black pepper

Soaking Liquid

• 1 cup water
• 1 t. salt

Wash and clean the bitter melon.  Scoop out the pith.  Slice and soak in the saltwater solution for 15 minutes to half an hour.  The longer you soak it, the less bitter it gets.  After soaking, squeeze the vegetable pieces and gently dry with a paper towel.  Heat the oil in the pan gently.  Add the ampalaya then the garlic and sautee for about 3 minutes.  Add the beaten eggs, salt, and pepper.  Serve with steamed jasmine rice and maybe another clove of garlic :) 

Cucumber Sandwiches, ButtonHill, Raspberry pie, Ceylon tea

RECIPES

Raspberry Pie

Go to the store and buy a package of Pillsbury pre-made pie crust.  (Oh no, I think I just heard Michael Ruhlman curse at me!)  I used a flower shaped cookie cutter for the top instead of the traditional lattice.

Ingredients

• 2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 c. sugar
• 5 T. cornstarch

Macerate the berries in the sugar for about an hour.  Follow the baking directions on the box!  Yep, I said it.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Ingredients

• sandwich bread
• cream cheese
• a small cucumber

Peel and thinly slice the cucumber.  Get rid of the seedy portion if it’s too big.  Flatten each piece of bread with a rolling pin.  Spread cream cheese on the bread then place the cucumber slices on top.  Cover with another piece of bread (with cream cheese).  Trim and cut into triangles.  (You can also use herbs such as dill or chives to mix into the cream cheese.)

Many people know Joe Burns as the cheesemaker behind the Fayette Creamery line of artisanal cheeses from Brunkow Cheese (a 111 year old dairy cooperative near Darlington).

At first, we knew him only as our new neighbor whose van smells deliciously of cheese, but we recently had the chance to try one of his new creations and we were bowled over!

 It is called Pavé Henri. It is a washed rind, Trappist-style, cobblestone shaped cheese that stinks to high heaven. Seriously, the sample we tried was nearing Limburger territory. He joked that we shouldn’t eat it with our nose. I, however, worship at the altar of the smelly cheeses and could not get enough of it.

Beyond the intoxicating aroma, the cheese has a buttery smoothness that contrasted perfectly against the slightly crunchy rind. When at room temperature, the cheese was not quite runny, but very soft. Our favorite way to eat it was with homemade strawberry & rhubarb preserves. It would also be fantastic simply paired with a baguette (although it is perhaps not a first date kind of cheese). Actually, come to think of it, it’s a perfect first date cheese. If your date doesn’t love stinky cheese, it’s best you find out now before you invest too much time.

Okay, I joke a little about the smell. While it is a stinky cheese, the flavor of the cheese is really mild. Leslie is not a fan of stinky cheese and has trouble even with mature Brie, but she had no qualms about eating (and loving) this. It may be, in fact, a good gateway cheese into the world of robust blues and Limburger?

The milk for Pavé Henri is sourced from a single herd of Jersey cows from Jordandal Farms. The cows (and cheese) were made possible by a grant from Rick Bayless’ Frontera Farmer Foundation, which has done a lot of good things for small Wisconsin farmers by providing capital development grants.

You can buy Pavé Henri from Brunkow Cheese at the Dane County Farmer’s Market, at their store near Darlington, and at the Green City Market in Chicago.