No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread

Mother Earth News, 2008

1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs. of finely chopped oregano and thyme
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add flour, herbs and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hrs, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature (70 degrees.)

• The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1- 2 hrs. When it's ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

• At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 ° . Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up . The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that's OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don't worry if it's not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.

• Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Baby Beet Salad

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

1 pound mixed red and candy-striped baby beets, stems trimmed to 1-inch, stems and leaves set aside
1 tablespoon minced shallot or onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 head lettuce, leaves rough chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse beets. Wrap in foil and roast in middle of oven until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool.
Peel beets and cut into wedges. Use a paper towel to peel away the skin. Whisk together shallot, juices, zest, and mustard. Whisk in oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle lettuce with 3/4 of dressing. Sprinkle with beets and drizzle with remaining dressing.

Chop the beet stems and leaves and add them to your salad.

Spiced Pink Soup

From Forever Summer , Nigella Lawson

2 large or 3 medium raw beets

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

7 cups heated chicken or vegetable stock

Salt & pepper

2 scallions, halved lengthwise

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 ° F. Wrap each beet in foil and bake for one and a half to two hours or until tender. Unwrap partly and leave to cool to the touch. The skins should rub off with a paper towel or rag. Don't rinse them! That will wash away flavor and color. Put them into a food processor or blender with the lime juice, cumin and coriander and puree while drizzling in the stock. It may get messy. A tip: the hole at the top of some blenders and all food processors is for adding liquids while it's operating. Two batches will be less messy. Taste for salt and pepper, add them to your preference and blend once more to mix. Taste again and adjust seasoning if needed. Add the split scallions and leave to cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to three days.

Just before you want to eat this, pick out the scallions and , to make for a desirably creamy base, blend again while adding the sour cream (3/4 cup first, then see if you want the rest). Pour back into a pitcher (for easier serving) then pour into small cups or bowls, glass is best so you can really see the color. Serve cold. Serves 6-8

A perfect recipe for those dog days of summer where hot soup just doesn't sound good.

Braised Broccoli Raab (www.cookthink.com)

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch broccoli raab, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. When it's hot and shimmering, stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant but not brown. Stir in the raab and sauté for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and simmer until the raab is tender, 5-7 minutes. Add to a finished white bean soup (with or without bacon) for a nice treat.

Broccoli with Almond-Breadcrumb Topping

From Cooking Light, 1995, Serves 2-4

Cooking the broccoli first on top of the stove speeds up the preparation time on this baked vegetable casserole.

Ingredients

6 cups chopped broccoli
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Cook the broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes, and drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Place broccoli in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.

Combine breadcrumbs and remaining ingredients, and sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over broccoli. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until breadcrumb mixture is golden brown.

Yield

8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)