Tag Archive for 'thyme'

Garlic Roasted Sunchokes

Published by mel on January 12, 2010 in recipe and sides & bites.

Garlic Roasted Sunchokes

A what-choke? A sunchoke. What’s that? Wikipedia says that “despite its name, the Jerusalem artichoke has no relation to Jerusalem, and it is not a type of artichoke, even though both are members of the Daisy family.” Does that help? No. Ok – Sunchokes are basically root vegetables. Like a cross between a potato and a rutabaga. They look weird (kind of like ginger root) but taste amazing. Better than potatoes.

They’re also simple to prepare. Just give them a good scrubbing, peel them as best you can and toss them into a covered casserole dish with olive oil, garlic cloves, salt and thyme. Into the oven for 30 – 45 minutes and your whole house will smell wonderfully of garlic. And if you make these before you go to work, you too will smell wonderfully of roast garlic. All day. I should know.

If you’ve ever seen these at the grocery store or farmer’s market and thought – what on earth can I do with those? This is your recipe. And if you can’t find sunchokes, or the thought of them creeps you out, just use potatoes or any other tuber. Because there’s nothing better than something roasted in garlic oil.

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Pork Chops with Whiskied Pears & Thyme

Published by mel on October 15, 2009 in entree and recipe.

Pork Chops with Whiskied Pears & Thyme

Who doesn’t love a good pork chop for dinner? They’re super easy and super delicious. They’re especially delicious with whiskied pears and thyme on top. Sweet, salty and pork-y. The pears and thyme add a nice taste of fall and the whiskey adds just the right amount of boozy flavor.

It’s one of those get-home-late-and-throw-down-dinner-in-20-minutes kind of recipes. If you’re weirded out by combining fruit and pork products, you shouldn’t be. Lots of barbecue sauces and glazes are sweet and fruit-based. It’s just plain good.

Related: Pork and Apple Pot Pie

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Nectarine, Thyme & Cheese Tart

Published by mel on June 29, 2009 in breakfast, recipe and sides & bites.

Nectarine, Thyme & Cheese Tart

What to do with the creamy, decadent Supreme cheese that Ile de France sent me last month? I thought of a million things. Creamy pasta sauce, intense wild mushroom risotto, another decadent sandwich. But then I had a better idea. Why not top a sheet of puff pastry with nectarines, Supreme and thyme? A simple and pretty hors d’ouevre.

So that’s exactly what I did. And it was absolutely, ridiculously delicious. The nectarines were just the right amount sweet and tart. They melted in the oven coating the puff pasty and acted as a nice counterpart to the creamy Supreme. Sprinkled with fresh thyme and a little flaky sea salt, this was just about one of the best appetizers I’ve made in awhile. It was easy, impressive and delicious.

There’s no better appetizer than fruit and cheese, unless it’s fruit, cheese and puff pastry. Mmmmm!

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Pomegranate Sangria & Tapas

Published by mel on March 30, 2009 in recipe and sides & bites.

Pomegranate Sangria

I love tapas. Given the choice between them and a 3-course meal, I’ll always choose the tapas. Why eat just 3 things when you can eat 20? This Saturday, instead of a complicated dinner, we had tapas.

Some of my favorites are cured meats, cheeses, chorizo simmered in cider, hummus and pita brea, Spanish Omelettes, and Garlicky Thyme White Beans on bread. I usually make these beans because they’re easy, delicious and always a hit. Just stir white beans with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Spoon them over bread and you’ve got a great little hors d’oeuvres or a nice tapa.

Garlicky Thyme White Beans

I was also lucky to receive some Pomegranate juice from the good folks at POM Wonderful. Since I love anything pomegranate and anything to do with red wine, I made Sangria. The perfect accompaniment to tapas and a great way to kick off Spring.

Sangria is usually made from red wine, brandy, fruit juice, simple syrup, seltzer and fruit. There are tons of great variations, including a white wine, pear one that my mom makes. I used cognac, POM juice and white grapes in my version. I loved the way the pomegranate and wine complimented each other, and the cognac adds just the right amount of booziness.

Sangria and Tapas are my favorite kind of party food. Tapas are tasty, filling and less work than a 3-course meal, Sangria is always a crowd-pleaser and this pomegranate version is really unique.

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Sunday Supper: Pork & Apple Pot Pie

Published by mel on January 19, 2009 in entree and recipe.

Sunday Supper: Pork & Apple Pot Pie

If you’re looking for a serious Sunday Supper, the kind of meal that takes all day to make, but isn’t very much work, then this dish is for you. The pork and apples and thyme simmer all day until meltingly tender to make the perfect base to a pot pie.

This pie is the ultimate comfort food, but the puff pastry adds that extra bit of fancy which makes it perfect for guests. You can also make it a day or two in advance, then add the puff pastry and pop it in the oven just before your guests arrive and the smell of apples, thyme, savory pork and puff pastry will make your house smell mouth-watering.

Sunday Supper: Pork & Apple Pot Pie

Winter is the perfect time for a pot pie. Though this may be a departure from the traditional chicken version, it’s a delicious dish that will warm you right up. How can you really go wrong with something covered in puff pastry?

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red currant, necatrine & thyme crisps

Published by mel on August 5, 2008 in dessert, recipe and sides & bites.

red currant, necatrine & thyme crisps

Did you know that when red currants are baked they taste like candy? I swear! Just like candy. All red and sweet and sticky. If you’ve never tried red currants before, I think you should snatch some up and make this crisp. Wikipedia says that red currants are a bit sour and mostly used in jams and other cooked dishes. They’re definitely not conducive to snacking since they’re as tiny as a mini Altoid. But something happens when they’re baked and they just transform…into candy!

I paired them with some sweet nectarines and added bit of thyme as a contrast to the sweet crisp topping. I also used more salt than is usual, fancy fleur de sel to be exact, in the topping to really make the fruit pop. I loved how sweet, salty, sour and savory all combined to make this special summer dessert. I also loved how the scoop of Haagen Dazs Fleur de Sel Caramel ice cream we heaped on top made for the best dessert I’ve had in a long time.

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