Pickled Vegetables

By now your patio garden (or if you're lucky enough to have a more spacious setting) has been blooming with all kinds of vegetables.  You could be growing tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, French beans, summer squash, green zucchini and a variety of others.  If you're like me you have way too many vegetables to go around.  You have given them to friends, relatives and neighbors and you still have more.  What do you do?  Compost them?  Trash?  That’s all just a waste of time.  Spending all spring and summer nurturing your garden just to discard the leftovers is not the way to go.  If there only was a way to preserve these great fresh veggies so you could enjoy them thought the winter.

Freezing won't do any good with most vegetables unless it's flash freezing.  Most people I know (including myself) don’t have the means to flash freeze.  There is a light on the horizon though.  PICKLING!

Pickling is a great way to preserve your vegetables.  You can pickle almost anything -- it's not just for cucumbers.

Pickled vegetables can be used in a variety of things such as a topping to a sandwich, making your own giardiniera (Italian mixed picked vegetables), salads and more. Just munching on picked carrots and other assorted picked vegetables by themselves can be very satisfying.

During the summer months I love to make a Harricots Verts and Pickled Summer Squash salad.  We serve it on the menu at Bridgewaters and Twenty Four Fifth for our outdoor summer BBQs. It’s the perfect sweet and tangy vegetable salad to accompany light fare grilled items.  Here is the recipe for the summer squash salad and a generic picking recipe that you can use to pickle just about anything you see fit.

When pickling anything its best to wash thoroughly and cut into manageable pieces.  If picking peppers cut into strips and remove the seeds.  Cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, Kirby cucumbers and vegetables along this size can mostly be picked whole.  The thicker or denser the vegetable the longer it will take the picking juice to penetrate the entire piece.  So if using large carrots or bigger thicker cucumbers try splitting them and cutting to a 4” length.

Some recipes for pickling vegetables call for blanching the vegetables first.  This softens them up, helps the liquid penetrate the cells of the vegetable and also kills any bacteria that may be on the surface.  When boiling vegetables even just for a few minutes you lose precious nutrients so I chose not to pickle my vegetables in this manner.  I instead thoroughly wash, peel (if necessary), and cut the fresh vegetables to be pickled and place them together or separate in clean jars that have been run through the dishwasher.

I boil my pickling liquid and pour the hot liquid over the top.  Be sure to use jars that can take the heat or you will wind up with broken glass and pickling juice everywhere.  You could also use a non-reactive pot or vessel if you chose.  I prefer the jars because they mostly come with a screw on cover and can be stored easily in the fridge.

Once the hot liquid is in the jars, leave them on the counter to cool to room temp. then cover and refrigerate.  Let them marinate in the fridge for 2-3 days -- then they are ready.  They should last 4 months or so in the fridge but if you did them right they won't be around that long.  I am sure you will find all kinds of interesting ways to use your pickled vegetables and next season may not give away as much of your harvest. 

Picked Summer squash Salad                                                                                                    

  Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:

Pickled Summer squash ribbons

Pickled Green Zucchini Ribbons and shallots

2 lbs haricot vets or summer beans (ends snipped)

½ c Fresh parsley, Sliced

1c champagne vinaigrette

 

Blanch the snipped haricot verts in rapidly boiling salted water for 10-20 seconds.  They should be bright green and still very crisp.  Remove beans from water and shock in an ice bath to stop the cooking.  Remove beans from ice and place in a colander to drain.  Mix beans, ¾ summer squash ribbons, ¾ green zucchini ribbons and ¾ of the sliced parsley in a bowl with enough dressing to coat everything.  Season the salad with salt and pepper and transfer into a serving dish.  Garnish the salad with the remaining squash ribbons and sliced parsley.  

Pickled Summer squash Ribbons

 

2 yellow summer squash

1 tablespoons coarse salt
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander
1tsp yellow mustard seed, slightly crushed

1 tsp dry mustard

1tsp turmeric

Clean the squash with cold water and Cut off the tops and bottom. Cut into 4-5” sections and then ¼ those sections lengthwise.  Place the ¼ section skin side down and run a knife along it to remove the seeds.  Slice the seedless squash section lengthwise and on its side on a mandolin creating ribbons about 1mm thick.    Place ribbons into a heat proof jar or non reactive pot.  In a stainless steel pot boil cider vinegar, salt, sugar, cumin, coriander, mustard seed, dry mustard, and turmeric.  Pour hot liquid over squash ribbons in jar and let cool to room temp.  Store in fridge for 24 hours before using. 

Pickled green zucchini ribbons

2 green zucchini

1 tablespoons coarse salt
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup sugar

½  teaspoon ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander
1tsp  yellow mustard seed, slightly crushed

1 tsp dry mustard

1ea Med shallot, sliced thin on mandolin

Clean the zucchini with cold water and Cut off the tops and bottom. Cut into 4-5” sections and then ¼ those sections lengthwise.  Place the ¼ section skin side down and run a knife along it to remove the seeds.  Slice the seedless squash section lengthwise and on its side on a mandolin creating ribbons about 1mm thick.    Place ribbons and shallots into a heat proof jar or non reactive pot.  In a stainless steel pot boil cider vinegar, salt, sugar, cumin, coriander, mustard seed and dry mustard.  Pour hot liquid over squash ribbons and shallots in jar and let cool to room temp.  Store in fridge for 24 hours before using. 

Champagne Vinaigrette

1/3c champagne vinegar

2/3c canola or vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Take a towel, twist it and make a doughnut shape.  Place it on a sturdy surface and put a mixing bowl in the center.  This will keep the bowl from moving about while you whisk.  Add the vinegar, garlic and Dijon to the bowl and whish well.  While whisking vigorously slowly drizzle the oil into the vinegar mixture.  Once all the oil is in reserve the vinaigrette I the fridge until needed. 

August in NYC can have a lot of different meanings.  To some it is the end of the hot muggy summer months, to others its the end of BBQ and outdoor activities, to a lot of chefs its TOMATO SEASON.  This year the New York area seems to have a great crop of tomatoes.  The hot climate we have had the past few months makes the tomatoes grow faster and sweeter.

There are plenty of tomatoes out there to chose from but some of my favorites are heirlooms.  Heirloom tomatoes are not your ordinary variety.  They are original strains not genetically modified like the tomatoes you get in the grocery store.  They are not perfectly round, all one color and not all the same shape.  So if you are looking for unity go your local grocer and you will be satisfied.  If you are looking to break the mold of that boring red, round, plain, unsweet and flavorless tomato head to your local greenmarket and pick up some heirlooms.  They are the exact opposite of grocery store tomatoes.  They have not been ripened with green house gasses or genetically altered.  They are passed down through generations through seed saving and are delicious, juicy, sweet and bursting with flavor.  There are a lot of different types of heirlooms, all with different flavor profiles.  Some of the more common ones are Beefsteak, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Black Krim, Oxacan Jewel, Yellow Valencia , Black Russian, Brandy Wine, German Stripe Sunday, Early Girl and Big Pink.

There is a lot of debate as what constitutes an heirloom tomato.  How long do the seeds need to be passed down for it to be considered heirloom? There is no exact answer for that but one thing everyone agrees on is heirlooms must be open pollinated.  Tomatoes mostly self pollinate and rarely cross pollinate, so if you plant heirlooms and save the seeds year after year you will most likely continue to generate the exact same fruit.  As with anything there are some disadvantages to planting heirlooms.  They are not as disease resistant as genetically modified tomatoes so they are prone to cracking and they don't have much of a shelf life.  That shouldn't be a problem though because once you taste them I am sure they will not last long.

Most people don't cook with heirlooms because they have such great flavor raw.  They are used a lot in salads.  Try just slicing an heirloom and pair it with some fresh mozzarella, sprinkle of fleur de sel and a drizzle of aged balsomic.  After the first bite you will see what I mean.  I like to use heirlooms in one dish that is cooked however: tomato tarte tatin.  This is a twist on the classic dessert, apple or pear tarte tatin.  It's normally sweet but I put some savory twists on it.  Sherry vinegar and the natural sweetness of the tomatoes combine to make this is a great first course for your next gathering.  It also can be made early in the day before your guests arrive then just popped in the oven, warmed and served.  Enjoy!

Caramelized Tomato Tarte Tatin

Yields 6 Servings

 

4-5 Medium Sized Heirloom Tomatoes

2 tsp Fresh Thyme, Chopped

2 tsp Pitted Kalamata Olives, Chopped

3 ea. Medium Shallot, Thinly Sliced

2 ea Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1/2 c Sugar

5 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter

2 Tbsp. Sherry Vinegar

1 Sheet Frozen Puff Pastry, Thawed

Salt and Pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Depending on the size of the tomatoes you get core and ¼ them or 1/6 them.  Tomatoes as they bake will give off allot of moisture.  So when they are cut remove as much of the seeds and any other goop inside to reduce the amount of moisture you start off with.  If you leave too much you will have soup rather than a tart. 

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a 9-10 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook slowly until caramelized.  When shallots are caramelized add minced garlic, cook for an additional 20 seconds, remove everything from skillet and reserve.  Add the remaining 4 tbsp butter and sherry vinegar to the skillet and melt.  Add the sugar to the skillet and mix with a wooden spatula, cook until liquefied, then remove from heat.  Spread sugar/butter evenly around that pan and arrange the tomato wedges, skin side down close together in skillet.  Try to fill in any voids. 

Return the skillet to medium heat and continue to cook until the sugar mixture is amber in color and reduced to syrup.  This should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes.  If your syrup is cooking to quickly reduce the heat.  About 10 minutes into the cooking add the olives and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.  When fully cooked your tomatoes should all be arranged as tight as possible with the skin side down.  The side that is down in the pan will be the top of your tart.  Remove from heat.

Trim the corners of the puff party to make a very rough 9 to 10-inch round.  Sprinkle the caramelized shallots and garlic mixture on top of the tomatoes.  Place pastry round atop tucking in the edges with a knife.  Cut a few small slits in the pastry.  Place skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.  Remove skillet from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Cut around the sides of the skillet to loosen pastry.  Place a large enough plate over the skillet and quickly invert.  Let the tart settle and remove the skillet.  Replace any tomatoes that stuck.  Serve slightly warmed.

 Executive Chef Michael Goldsborough

New York’s Premiere Event Locations

Twenty Four Fifth • 24 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011 • tel: (212) 505-8000

Bridgewaters • 11 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10038 • tel: (212) 608-7400

www.theglaziergroup.com 

Rosemary Stuffed Grilled Rack of Lamb....

As the month of August begins it always sets off an alarm in my head.  The grilling weekend will come to an end soon and we must all retreat back into our kitchens.  The good news is that summer isn’t over yet!  There are a few more good grilling weekend left, so don’t waste them.  One meat I love to grill is lamb, which may not be the most popular (or the cheapest) but it is great choice done right.   There are a few different lamb chops to choose from for grilling:

Lamb Shoulder Blade Chops:

Lamb shoulder blade chops are cut from the blade portion of shoulder and contain part of the blade bone and backbone.

Lamb Shoulder Arm Chops:

Lamb shoulder arm chops are cut from the arm portion of shoulder and contain cross-sections of round arm bone and rib bones.

Lamb Rib Chops:

Lamb rib chops contain backbone and, depending on the thickness, a rib bone. The chops have a meaty area consisting of rib eye muscle. The outer surface is covered by fat but with the fell (a thin, paperlike covering) removed.

Lamb Loin Chops:

Lamb loin chops contain part of the backbone. Muscles include the eye of the loin (separated from the tenderloin by T-shaped finger bones) and the flank. Kidney fat is on the top of the tenderloin, and the outer surface is covered with fat, but with the fell (a thin, paperlike covering) removed.

Lamb Loin Double Chops:

Lamb loin double chops contain top loin (larger muscle) and tenderloin (smaller muscle), but with the flank removed from the cut. They are called double chops since this is a cross-cut of loin containing both sides of the carcass.

Lamb Leg Sirloin Chops:

Lamb leg sirloin chops are cut from the sirloin section of the leg and contain backbone and part of the hip bone, which vary in shape. Muscles include the top sirloin, tenderloin, and flank. There is fat on the outside, but the fell (a thin, paperlike covering) is removed.

* Source: http://www.mealsforyou.com/cgi-bin/customize?meatcutslamb.html

There is also ground lamb and leg of lamb.  Try ground lamb burgers, or mix lamb and beef and put a spin on your next bbq gathering.  Lamb legs works best B.R.T. (bone rolled and tied) but before you tie it up stuff it with some feta cheese, olives and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper and slowly grill it.  You won't be disappointed.

I personally like a good old rack of lamb which would be lamb rib chops in the list above.  You will also have to chose from Australian, New Zealand, or domestic/American lamb.  Domestic lamb runs bigger in size due to the way they are fed and finished, and they also tend to have a milder flavor because of this.  Australian and New Zealand lamb will have more of a gamey flavor compared to domestic but will be smaller in comparison as well.

I stuff my lamb with a blend of oven dried tomatoes, garlic, rosemary and olives, which brings an extra layer of warm Mediterranean flavor to it.  The markets are overflowing with ripe seasonal tomatoes right now, it's the perfect time to work with them.  When you dry them in the oven they retain more moisture than sun-dried and keep the inside of the lamb juicy.  I recommend making a big batch and serving some as a side for the lamb.

Rosemary Stuffed Grilled Rack of Lamb

Yield 4 portions

For the Lamb:

2 racks of lamb, cut into 4 bone-in portions

1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil

kosher salt and ground black pepper

For the Stuffing:

4 med cloves garlic, minced

8 sprigs fresh rosemary from the garden

¼ cup Kalamata olives, chopped

--combined with, for oven-dried tomatoes--

6 whole ripe plum tomatoes from the garden

3 sprigs fresh thyme from the garden, chopped

2 springs fresh oregano from the garden, chopped

1 med clove garlic, minced

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp sugar

Procedure for Stuffing:

First prepare oven-dried tomatoes.  Halve the 6 tomatoes and remove the seeds.  Toss tomatoes in a bowl with vegetable oil.  Arrange on a baking sheet atop parchment paper cut side up and season with herbs, garlic, salt and sugar.  Place into a preheated 250° oven for approximately 2 hours or until the tomatoes appear dried, and have shrunken slightly.

Roughly chop the oven dried tomatoes and mix with garlic, rosemary and olives.  Set aside until lamb is ready to be stuffed.

Procedure for the Lamb:

Insert a paring knife into the cut side of the lamb and push it through to the other end.  Insert the handle of a wooden spoon in the cut and make a ½ in diameter hole.  Mix together the garlic, rosemary, tomatoes and olives and stuff this mixture into the lamb from both ends being sure it is evenly distributed.  Coat the lamb with oil and season generously with salt and black pepper. 

On a med-high preheated grill cook the lamb approximately 8-10 minutes each side for medium rare.  Once cooked let the lamb rest 5-10 minutes before serving.