Puff Pastry Mini Pizzas

It’s “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” So the song goes. And so can any entertaining you do. These puff pastry pizzas are an excellent example. I prepped them in less than 10 minutes, then set them aside and baked them just before my company came over. I usually make larger squares but wanted little bites, so I cut the puff pastry into hors d’oeuvres size and used sliced cherry tomatoes instead of regular ones. Here’s the basic recipe (cut smaller if desired):

FRESH TOMATO PUFF PASTRY PIZZA

3 large or 4 medium tomatoes, sliced about 1/4-inch thick (use cherry tomatoes for hors d size); salt
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. Let rest 5 minutes and wipe the surface. Roll the puff pastry slightly thinner on a floured surface. Cut lengthwise once and widthwise twice to make 8 smaller pieces (OR leave in one piece for a whole tart OR make smaller hors d’oeuvres size pieces). Place the pieces on the baking sheet. Sprinkle each with some mozzarella cheese. Top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with basil. Drizzle with olive oil. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 8 servings

The Easiest Eggplant Parmesan Ever

It’s that time of year, when my garden has produced just about all it’s going to. Some leaves and stems are already wilting and yellowing.

We’ve been feasting on tomatoes and eggplants.

I’ve made my annual hoard of pepper jam.

I’ll make tomato chutney with some of the dark green tomatoes (and let the ones that have a vague pink color ripen on the vine for a few days).

Last night I made Eggplant Parmesan with one of the gorgeous eggplants and San Marzano tomatoes I planted this year. It was the easiest version I’ve ever prepared.

Also the most delicious.

And light — I roast the eggplant slices rather than bread and fry them.

Do you think this was so good because the produce was fresh from my garden?

Maybe. But I think this recipe — so easy and so simple — would also be wondrous with store-bought stuff.

THE EASIEST EGGPLANT PARMESAN EVER

• 1 medium eggplant

• salt

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, approximately

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 8-10 plum tomatoes, sliced

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the eggplant about 1/8-inch thick, sprinkle with salt and let rest for 20-30 minutes. Wipe the eggplant slices dry and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each side of each slice of eggplant with a film of olive oil (you will need about 2 tablespoons of oil). Roast the slices for about 15 minutes, turning them once, or until they are softened. Remove from the oven. While the eggplant is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened. Place the eggplant slices on the bottom of a baking dish (overlap the slices slightly). Spread the ricotta cheese on top of the eggplant slices. Spoon the cooked tomato mixture over the cheese. Cover with the mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is beginning to turn lightly brown.

Makes 4 servings

Spaghetti with Fresh Puttanesca

We were on a cruise recently and the ship we were on had a separate pizza restaurant! So of course we had pizza a few times. The varieties were extensive — the chef made pizzas with all sorts of toppings. Mostly I like (and ate) plain pizza Margherita, sometimes topped with arugula, but one time I chose Puttanesca. It was an OMG moment.

Puttanesca is not for everyone. It’s salty and very tangy.

But I absolutely love it.

I’ve made Puttanesca sauce for spaghetti many times, usually with canned San Marzano tomatoes. But the plum tomatoes at the market recently were too good to pass up, so I went to my trusted recipe drawer, “sauce folder” and found my fresh tomato version. It was as good as I had remembered.

Here it is:

Spaghetti with Fresh Puttanesca Sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 anchovies, chopped (or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste)

• 4-5 large plum tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• pinch or two of crushed red pepper

• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2-3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

• 12-15 mixed pitted black and green imported olives, cut coarsely

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the anchovies (or paste), mix briefly, then add the tomatoes, basil and red pepper. Cook, over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 7-8 minutes. Stir in the capers and olives and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until it has reached the desired consistency (use 2 tablespoons of capers if you want it less tangy).

Makes enough for 1/2 pound pasta

Chicken Cacciatore

I recently read a book about four women who entered a cooking contest in World War II England. One of the contestants had met an Italian POW who told her about Italian cuisine (virtually unknown in England at the time) and taught her how to make chicken cacciatore.

The book was just okay but the recipes were fascinating, what with dealing with rationed food and all sorts of shortages. One woman used whale meat for her entree; the contestant who planned to make chicken cacciatore actually used rabbit.

In addition, I realized that it had been years, maybe more than a decade, since I cooked chicken cacciatore.

I got out my old recipe, and, like the wartime home cooks who learned to be flexible because ingredients were difficult to get, I made a few changes based on what I had at hand. I only had grape tomatoes; had fresh parsley but not fresh basil or oregano. I was minus a bell pepper (which we don’t love anyway), and whereas my original recipe called for red wine, I had a bottle of white open, so I used that instead.

The result was a complete success.

Here is the recipe with flexible ingredient options. Might be a nice change of pace for Shabbat chicken.

Chicken Cacciatore

• 1 broiler-fryer chicken cut into 8 pieces (or use 4 large breasts or whole legs)

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cut into bite size pieces

• 3 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes (or use 4-5 plum tomatoes, chopped)

• 1 small bell pepper, seeded and chopped, optional

• 1/2 cup wine (red or white)

• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs: parsley, oregano, basil (or use 2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil)

• cooked pasta, rice or polenta

Coat the chicken pieces with some flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Cook the chicken pieces a few at a time for 5-6 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they are lightly crispy. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes and bell pepper, if used, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened. Pour in the wine and stock. Add the herbs. Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer the ingredients for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Serve on top of cooked pasta, rice or polenta.

Makes 4-6 servings

Classic Osso Buco

Osso Buco

I’m teaching Osso Buco this afternoon which means my house smells really really good right now! This dish needs lots of time, so I cooked a batch beforehand for my students to eat and the stuff they make will be dinner for …. me and my husband, next week (this dish freezes very well!)!

Osso Buco

• 4 large or 8 small veal shanks, about 2-inches thick

• 1/4 cup flour

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1 strip lemon peel, about 1-1/2 inches long

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1/2 cup veal or beef stock

• 2 large tomatoes, chopped OR 28-ounce can Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram or oregano

• Gremolata, optional

Dredge the veal shanks in the flour. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the shanks and cook, turning them occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside. Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon peel, wine, stock, tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan. Bring the ingredients to a simmer. Return the meat to the pan and spoon the other ingredients on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the marjoram or oregano. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for about 2-1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Serve topped with Gremolata if desired. Makes 4 servings

Gremolata:

• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

• grated peel of one medium lemon

• 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

Mix the parsley, lemon peel and garlic in a bowl.

Makes about 1/2 cup