With spring on the horizon there still remain enough wintry days to cook up some one dish meals such as this Baked Pasta with Sausage and Four Cheeses.

Soon we will be  turning our thoughts to all the great grilling possibilities, and endless salads and such that will be heralded by the opening of the farm stands everywhere.

Until then consider making this delicious baked rigatoni dish which is great for feeding a crowd ( just make several) or a family dinner (with leftovers for lunch the next day).

Baked Pasta with Sausage and Four Cheeses

(The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, Frances Mayes and Edward Mayes)

 serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for the baking dish

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, meat cut into small pieces

1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed, meat cut into small pieces

1/2 cup red wine

2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1 cup soffrito (see recipe in Giusi’s Ragu post)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

8 tomatoes or 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, juice included, chopped

1 pound rigatoni

1 cup (8 ounces) whole-milk ricotta

8 ounces Fontina or Taleggio, cubed

8 ounces mozzarella, cubed

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used Pecorino Romano)

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, toasted (I used Panko breadcrumbs)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bring the pasta water to a boil and add salt.

Ina large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat and cook the sausage, breaking it up as it browns, about 5 minutes. 

Add the wine, turn the heat up to boil, and cook until much of the liquid has reduced, about 10 minutes.

Add the oregano, soffrito, seasonings, and tomatoes along with their juices.

Simmer the sauce for at least 10 minutes, or until thick and savory.

Cook the rigatoni a minute less than the time required on the package (since it will continue cooking in the oven), then drain, reserving a bit of the pasta water.

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the fontina and a splash of the pasta water,

then add the drained rigatoni and continue mixing. 

Add the sausage mixture and mozzarella, tossing to mix well. 

Oil a 9x13-inch baking dish, and then pour in the pasta.  Sprinkle the Parmigiano and breadcrumbs on top.  Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until golden flecked and hot.

This is a delicious quick dish for any night of the week or for guests.  I’ve been making it for years.  Although the recipe suggests porcini and pappardelle almost any kind of mushrooms and most pastas will do.

You can’t miss with this classic blend of sauteed mushrooms, garlic, parsley, and Parmesan or my favorite Pecorino Romano.  Enjoy!

Papardelle with Porcini and Garlic

(adapted from Pasta, Food and Wine Books)

Serves 4

3/4 pound pappardelle pasta

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 pound porcini or other wild mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (I used a combination of shitake and cremini this time)

5 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

3/4 cup chicken stock, or low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pappardelle until just done, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over moderately high heat. 

Add half of the mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper.  Cook stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms and if you want discard the garlic.  I prefer to leave it in.

 Repeat with the remaining oil, mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Return all the mushrooms to the pan and add the stock, butter and parsley.  Simmer over moderate heat for 1 minute.

Drain the pasta.  Toss with the mushroom sauce and and the Parmesan or Pecorino.  Serve with additional grated cheese and cracked pepper.

I’ve really been enjoying The Tuscan Sun Cookbook by Frances and Edward Mayes this past week.  So far I’ve posted the Chicken with Olives and Tomatoes  recipe which includes the Roasted Tomato recipe.

Now I’m sharing with you Giusi’s Ragu.  Giusi is one of the authors’ close friends whom they met early in their move to the Tuscan countryside, and who, like the others, has  shared passed-down, hallowed recipes each with their own creative touch.   To quote the author…

Slow and easy-long-simmered ragu is the quintessential Tuscan soul food. There are as many ways with ragu as there are cooks. This is ours, learned originally from Guisi, who’s made it a thousand times.  By now, I think we have, too.  On many Saturday mornings, Ed makes a huge pot of ragu-tripling, quadrupling the recipe-and another of tomato sauce.  We consider these our natural resources. For lunch, while the pots are still on the stove, we spoon ragu over bruschetta, add some cheese, and run it under the broiler.  By  afternoon, we’re ready to fill several glass containers of different sizes and freeze them.  We’re then free to pull out one during the workweek.

Serve ragu in lasagne or over spaghetti and, as you eat, you know you’re participating in a communal rite that’s being enacted all over the Italian peninsula.

Now for the ragu…

Giusi’s Ragu

(serves 10)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground lean beef

1 pound ground pork

2 Italian sausages, casings removed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1 to 2 cups red wine

1 cup soffritto (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

16 to 20 tomatoes or 2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, juice included, chopped

Pour the olive oil into a 4-quart heavy pot with a lid.  Over medium-high heat, brown the meats, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. 

Add the salt„ pepper, thyme, and 1 cup of the red wine.  After the wine has cooked into the meat, about 10 minutes, add the soffritto, and stir in the tomato paste and tomatoes.

Bring the sauce to a boil, and then lower to a quiet simmer.  Partially cover, and continue cooking for 3 hours, stirring now and then.  Along the way, add the remaining cup of wine if you think the sauce is too dense.

Soffritto

A quick saute of carrot, onion, celery and flat-leaf parsley starts off many sauces and meats.  It is similar to mirepoix in France.  Depending on the recipe, you can add a variety of other ingredients to the soffritto:  2 minced cloves of garlic, 4 or 5 torn basil leaves, or other aromatic herbs. 

Use this in ragu or soup and  as a seasoning for zucchini, peas, or other vegetables.  Mix some with breadcrumbs and stuff tomatoes with it.  Add a cup of chopped, oven-roasted tomatoes to a soffritto, and you have a perfect sauce for spaghetti.

For a quick dinner, make a big batch ahead of time and freeze in 1/2 cup portions for you to grab for your recipe.

The following makes 1 cup of soffritto

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, minced

1 carrot, minced

1 celery stalk, minced

1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

(You can mince by hand or in a food processor)

Saute the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until they begin to color and turn tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Proceed with your recipe, or cool and freeze.

Remember that Roasted Tomato recipe featured in the previous post for Chicken with Olives and Tomatoes …here’s another delicious way to use it other than as a topping for bruschette, in a frittata or risotto.  Use it as a topping on a quick pizza.

Yesterday I found I had some whole wheat pitas (from Trader Joe’s, I think) in my freezer.

I pulled them out, and with  a drizzle of olive oil on both sides of the pita I placed them on a baking sheet, smeared them with some left-over roasted tomatoes, added some sauteed mushrooms, some shredded mozzarella cheese, a sprinkling of dried oregano, and popped them in a preheated 375 degree oven on an upper rack for about 6 to 7 minutes til the cheese was melted and the pita was toasted.

Delicious!  And fairly healthy with that whole wheat pita! 

You will notice there’s one in the photo without any tomato sauce.  While my husband would never eat a slice of pizza without tomato sauce, I love it both ways.  So for this one I added some grated Pecorino Romano to the mozzarella, and threw on some pitted Calamata olives along with the mushrooms.  Yum!

The combinations are endless, but please do make some with those flavorful roasted tomatoes!  You won’t be sorry!

Much has happened this past week.  Last Friday our home officially went on the market.

Beginning then and through the weekend we had realtors bringing clients to show the house which meant my husband and I were “out of here”…prospective home buyers don’t feel comfortable looking at the house with the home owner within earshot, so we found ourselves having breakfast, lunch and dinner out Friday, Saturday, and Sunday…and killing a lot of time. A movie in between meals, a trip to Georgetown window shopping in between meals, having coffee in between meals, etc., and all the time wondering what was going on at home.

To say we were excited, nervous, crazed is an understatement.  I pride myself in keeping a very clean, orderly home, but the pressure of having everything perfect for whomever walks through our door knowing they will be looking in every nook and cranny is challenging to say the least!

Will that tulip which is drooping or the wrinkle in the pillow case put the kabosh on a possible sale… did we remember to put every single light in the entire house on before we left..and if we did will a bulb burn out while we’re away…did I empty the coffee grinds from the coffee maker… if yes, did the trash with the coffee grinds in it get taken out…  did my husband forget to put his slippers away since he is no longer allowed to wear shoes in the house??? You get the picture…

So you can imagine how shocked, thrilled and elated we were to find out on Sunday evening we had a couple of offers, and by Monday we had a signed contract!!!

And by Tuesday we didn’t have to eat breakfast out! 

Today I was really looking forward to making a nice dinner for the first time in a while. Last week there wasn’t a whole lot of cooking going on.

So for dinner tonight I made a recipe from The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, a holiday gift from my son and his girlfriend.

Written by  Frances Mayes’s (the best-selling author of memoirs about Tuscany ), and her husband Edward Mayes, this is her first-ever cookbook.  In it she and her husband share recipes they have enjoyed over the years as honorary Tuscans: dishes prepared in a simple, traditional kitchen using robust, honest ingredients.

Chicken with Olives and Tomatoes (serves 4)

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces, dredged in about 1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup mixed black and green olives, pitted

1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 cup chopped oven-roasted tomatoes (recipe below) (Make in advance)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken pieces, 2 minutes on each side. 

Season with the salt and pepper.  Add the wine, raise the heat to high for 1 minute, and then transfer everything to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix the olives, parsley, and tomatoes, and pour this over the chicken.

Bake uncovered for  30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, turning the chicken once.

I spooned some of  the sauce from the chicken over spaghetti as a side dish.

Roasted Tomato (The Tuscan Sun Cookbook)

…In summer, the trio of chopped, luscious tomatoes, olive oil, and fresh herbs, sings the national anthem.

In winter, canned or boxed tomatoes attain a new depth of flavor during a long nap in the oven.  The plump little darlings garnish a roast or chopped, wake up a last-minute risotto or frittata.

If you want heat, scatter a tablespoon of peperoncini, red pepper flakes, over the tomatoes while cooking.

Ingredients

60 or so cherry tomatoes, halved, stem ends trimmed; or 25 medium tomatoes, quartered; or 3 28-ounce cans San Marzano plum tomatoes, drained, cut into quarters.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons dried

3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons dried

3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons dried

5 garlic cloves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

 Arrange the tomatoes cut side up on a parchment-lined 12 by 16-inch sheet pan.  Drizzle the olive oil over them, scatter the herbs and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 2 hours, turning the tomatoes once.

Coarsely chop the tomatoes for bruschette,or simply press a tomato onto each crostino.

Leftover tomatoes can be packed into jars, topped with olive oil, and stored in the fridge for a week.

Last evening I  satisfied a craving I’ve had for fried chicken with a much lighter meal of Chicken Milanese.

Milanesa refers to a lightly pounded beef or chicken fillet that has been gently dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and then dredged again in breadcrumbs before sauteeing to a golden crispness.  This is a popular preparation in many Latin American countries as well as Italy, Mexico and the U.S., lending itself to many varied dishes.

To streamline the breading process which is an important step in making this dish  I offer the following advice…

Set up a standard breading procedure in 3 wide deep plates.  I like to use pyrex 10 inch glass pie pans. Fill 1 with flour, 1 with the beaten eggs, and 1 with the panko and grated cheese. Season the chicken breasts with salt. Using one hand for dry things and 1 hand for wet things, take each piece of chicken through the breading procedure: dredge lightly in the flour, then the egg wash and then through the bread crumbs. Lay the breaded chicken on a sheet tray and refrigerate for about an hour if time allows.

Chicken Milanese (adapted from Parmesan Chicken, Ina Garten)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness

1 cup flour (I used white rice flour because it crisps so well)

2 large or extra large eggs, beaten lightly with 1 tablespoon of water

1 and 1/2 cups of panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus additional for serving

Unsalted butter

Extra Virgin olive oil for frying

Salad greens and sliced cucumbers for 4   (your choice of greens, but a mesclun mix or arugula would be great…I had romaine so I went with it…cucumbers are optional)

Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Pound the chicken breasts with a smooth mallet between 2 sheets of waxed paper on a cutting board.

Combine flour, salt and pepper in one dish or pie plate.

Beat eggs lightly with 1 tablespoon water in second dish.

Combine panko crumbs and grated cheese in third dish.

Coat chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into egg mixture letting the excess drip off before dredging both sides in panko mixture, pressing lightly.  Refrigerate if time allows.

When ready to cook, heat 1-2 tablespoons of butter and enough oil to to cover 1/2 inch in a large saute pan.

Cook  2 fillets at a time on medium-low to medium for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until crisp and cooked through.  The pan should sizzle when you add the chicken if it is at the right temperature.  Do not allow the butter to burn.  If need be, wipe pan clean with a paper towel before continuing with the next batch.

Toss the salad greens with the Lemon Vinaigrette.

Mound salad on top of hot chicken breast and serve with extra cheese.

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/2 cup good olive oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper.  Pour enough of the dressing on the greens to moisten.  Toss well and check for seasoning.

Colorful food and holiday parties…they seem to go hand in hand.  At this  time of the year many of us are either giving or going to holiday parties, or doing both.

Occasionally the participants of my aerobics dance class get together after class at each others’ homes to snack and socialize.

Yesterday I had  invited everyone to my home for what’s becoming my annual aerobics class holiday party.  Last year I served potato latkes for lunch, along with chili.  This year I served pulled BBQ Brisket sandwiches along with the latkes. And always homemade applesauce to accompany the potato pancakes.

The entree as well as the appetizers and desserts have to be dishes that can be prepared well ahead since I literally leave class a little early to welcome the rest about 20 minutes later.  ( I don’t live far from the community center where our class is).

Among the appetizers this year was an old stand-by of mine which I’ve adapted from a recipe called Everyday Caponata from Giada De Laurentiis.  I’ve made a few changes, substituting zucchini and yellow summer squash for the eggplant. Sometimes I include the eggplant as well.  I’ve also added some olives.

This caponata, with its wonderful sweet-and-sour taste,  is a traditional Sicilian vegetable dish which can be served as a relish along with chicken, pork or fish, as part of an antipasto, spooned on toasted bread or crackers, or used as a topping on sandwiches. 

It can be eaten hot, cold, or at room temperature, making it the ultimate vegetable dish for a casual party.

Caponata (adapted from Everyday Caponata by Giada De Laurentiis)

(6 side-dish servings or 12-14 appetizer servings)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1-2 celery stalks,chopped

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes

2 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 (14 and 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices

3 tablespoons raisins

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

4 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon drained capers

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 cup small Spanish olives or your choice, preferably pitted

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame.  Add the celery and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.  Add the zucchini and yellow squash (and eggplant, if using), and saute until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. 

Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the red pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, raisins, and oregano.  Simmer over medium-low heat until the flavors blend and the mixture thickens, stirring often, about 20 minutes.  

Stir in the vinegar, sugar, capers, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl, and serve on a platter surrounded by assorted crackers or toasted baguette slices.

Pasta, I’ve missed you!  It’s  a few weeks since Thanksgiving, my husband and I have worked through the left-overs and I’ve even reinvented some of them, turning the turkey carcass into turkey vegetable soup, and the mashed potatoes into fried potato cakes.

I guess this is proof that it is possible to get your fill of stuffing, potatoes, and gravy if you put enough effort into it.  Which I did.

And what I was really craving last week was a simple plate of pasta.

So, a simple pasta was called for…one that required little cooking time and on hand ingredients, since I’ve been cutting back on my kitchen hours (I’m a wee bit tired), and taking a much needed break from trips to the store (for me and my wallet).

In rummaging through the pantry and freezer I found I had the makings for this classic combination of Penne With Roasted Peppers, Tomatoes, and Sausage.

Before long I know I will be re-energized with thoughts of the holiday season….the first night of Hannukah is only two weeks away..so latkes, cookies, jelly doughnuts and other delicious foods fried in oil cannot be far behind. 

But for now…let’s just enjoy a simple plate of pasta!

Penne With Roasted Peppers, Tomatoes and Sausage

( adapted from Pasta by Food and Wine Books)

Serves 4

2 red bell peppers (I used some long sweet red peppers as well)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound mild or hot Italian sausage, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices

( I used a natural brand with no preservatives)

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

3 and 1/2 cups canned tomatoes (28-ounce can), drained and chopped

(I substituted 2 -14ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained and chopped,  because I was out of the 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 pound penne

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Fresh Italian parsley or basil for garnish

Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

1.  Roast the peppers over an open flame, or broil 4 inches from the heat, turning with tongs as each side blisters and blackens, about 10 minutes in all.

When cool enough to handle, pull off the skin.  Remove the stems, seeds, and ribs.  Cut the peppers into 1/2-inch dice.  Reserve any liquid from the peppers.

2.  In a large fryhing pan, heat the oil over moderate heat.  Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes and salt.

Cook over moderately high heat for about 15 minutes.  Stir in the roasted peppers with any juice.

3.  In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until just done.  Drain.  Return the pasta to the hotpot.  Add the sausage mixture with the black pepper and toss.  Sprinkle chopped parsley on top or garnish with a sprig of fresh basil.   Serve with the grated cheese, and more pepper.

Last evening I was short on time and hadn’t planned ahead for dinner.  In looking through the freezer I saw I had a package of boneless chicken breasts. 

When it comes to chicken I prefer using bone in chicken for a recipe or roasting  a whole chicken because it  results in a more flavorful, moist piece of meat.  Boneless and skinless breasts tend to be dry and lack much flavor especially if even the least bit overcooked.

That being said there are some delicious dishes that are quick and simple to prepare with the boneless skinless breast.  Chicken Piccata is one such dish.

With few ingredients and one pan those lackluster boneless breasts are transformed into a light, but succulent entree.  They are dressed in a bright sauce made up of the pan drippings and lemon juice complemented by the briny capers, fresh parsley and a bit of butter.

Piccata in Italian means “to be pounded.”  In Chicken Piccata the breast is “butterflied” or sliced along its width, and then flattened with a tenderizer, or between sheets of waxed paper.  The seasoned breasts are then dredged lightly in flour (lightly being key because you do not want a heavy coating), and browned in butter and olive oil.

Because the chicken breasts I had were fairly thin I confess that to save time  I omitted the above step and sauteed them as is. They were still very tender because I did not overcook them.

 After the chicken is browned, it is returned to the sauce to simmer until just cooked through.   Served with pasta this is a great , quick dinner.

Chicken Piccata (adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada DeLaurentiis)

serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging ( I used white whole wheat)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

1/4 cup drained capers, rinsed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (Italian)

Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper.  Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly.  In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 3 minutes per side.  Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the broth, lemon juice, and capers to the same pan.  Bring the broth mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavor.  Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter.  Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the sauce.  Pour the sauce over the chicken, garnish with the parsley, and serve.

Ossobuco or osso buco is Italian for “bone with a hole” referring to the marrow hole in the center of the cross-cut veal shank. 

This dish hails from Milan, and is said to have originated in the late 19th century.  It may have been a “farmhouse dish” or on the menu of a neighborhood osteria (restaurant).

The veal shank is relatively inexpensive, cut from the top of the thigh so there is a higher proportion of meat to bone, and then sectioned into 3 cm thick slices.

It is a tough, but flavorful piece of meat.  By browning the veal and then braising in a broth of white wine, tomatoes and vegetables for several hours the meat becomes fall off the bone tender.

The braising liquid becomes a flavorful sauce that is delicious served with your choice of accompaniment…risotto, mashed potatoes, polenta, or pasta.

This tomato based recipe is the more modern version of Osso Bucco.  The original version does not include tomatoes, and is flavored with cinnamon, bay leaf, and gremolata.  This recipe does, however, include the gremolata.                                    

Having discovered a package of veal shanks in the freezer that I’ve ignored the last several months due to my summer grilling frenzy I suddenly felt hungry for a pot of something cooked low and slow. Osso Bucco seemed as good a choice as any.

After a season of BBQ, grilling, salads, slaw, and fresh fruits and veggies from the farmer’s markets I found out that even in the summer good old fashioned comfort food can be quite comforting!

Osso Bucco  (from the cookbook, Good Old Food, by Irene Chalmers)

(serves 6 )

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 pounds veal shank

4 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

15-ounce can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juice reserved

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Combine the flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a paper bag.  Pat the veal pieces dry with paper towels, put them in a bag and shake until they are coated with the seasoned flour.  Shake off any excess.

Heat the butter in a large casserole over high heat, add the veal and cook, turning, until browned on all sides.  Remove the meat from the pan.

Add the onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf to the pan and cook over moderate heat until the onions are softened and translucent.  Add the tomatoes with their juice, the tomato paste and the wine and bring the mixture to the boil.  Reduce the heat to low and return the meat to the pan.

Put a circle of wax paper directly onto the surface of the stew.  Cover the casserole and cook for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

For the gremolata: combine the parsley and the lemon rind in a small bowl.  When the veal is cooked, stir the parsley-lemon mixture into the stew and simmer for another 1 minute.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the veal to a heated serving platter.  Serve the sauce over the meat and serve at once.