The weather is still up and down with warm days and somewhat cooler evenings. Summer food doesn’t appeal any longer! I’m sharing a menu that I think of as transitional, it’s easy and so delicious. Whether you are entertaining or serving a Sunday dinner to your family, I think this fits the bill! Enjoy and bon apetit!
Endive Spears with Herb Goat Cheese
Chicken with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Capers over Quinoa Spaghetti
Fresh Asparagus with Lemon Butter
Plum Torte
White Bordeaux
Endive Spears with Herb Goat Cheese
2 heads of endive, washed and separated into spears
1 small log goat cheese
2 tablespoons chopped, flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh chives
1 teaspoon minced, fresh garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the endive spears, wash them and separate the spears, then place them on a plate. Let the goat cheese come to room temperature. Mash with a fork, adding the fresh herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Place one teaspoon on the end of each endive spear. Arrange on a serving plate, that’s it! Quick, delicious and not too fattening either!
Chicken with Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Capers over Quinoa Spaghetti
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 box cherry tomatoes
1 cup pitted olives (I get an assortment from the bin at Harris Teeter where you can choose from different varieties)
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 cloves garlic minced
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped, flat leaf parsley
Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry. Place the olive oil in a large skillet, bring to medium heat. Brown the chicken breasts well on both sides, remove the chicken from the skillet and place on a plate. Add the white wine over high heat to deglaze the drippings from the chicken, let reduce by about 1/4. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about ten minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet, spooning the sauce over it and cook for another 20 minutes on low heat. Serve over pasta with asparagus on the side.
Fresh Asparagus with Lemon Butter
1 bunch fresh asparagus, wash well and snap an inch or so off of the bottom of each spear
1/4 chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about two lemons and zest from one lemon
Steam the cleaned asparagus in the chicken broth for about seven minutes, until “just tender”, add the butter, lemon juice and zest, tossing well. Serve on the side with the chicken and pasta.
Plum Torte
(Thanks to www.forgoodnesstaste.com for the lovely photo and recipe)
1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or 1/2 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. almond or lemon extract)
1 c flour 1 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)
1/4 tsp. salt
Topping: 1/2 c. sugar + 1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375º. Butter an 8×8 pan. Cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla (and almond or lemon extract). Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add it in all at once and just mix until combined. Don’t overmix or your batter will be tough! (Mixing builds gluten which you want in bread, but not in pastry!) Spread in the bottom of your buttered pan.
Place the plum halves into the batter by laying them on top, skin sides down, and pressing gently to “set them” in the batter. Then spread the topping over the top of it all. It will look like way too much cinnamon sugar, but it isn’t! Trust me!
Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes until the plums have begun to give off their juice and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
