Summer Orzo Salad with Grilled Sweet Corn and Brussels Sprouts

Whew! Grad school can take a lot of out a girl! I am happy to report that I have completed my last final, submitted my last paper, and given my last presentation. And this means...on with the making from scratch! 

With a glass of homemade white peach wine in hand, I fired up the charcoal grill in our urban oasis of a backyard. I can hear the unmistakable rhythms of Cumbia music softly murmuring from one of my neighbor's open windows. As I hear little mews coming from my own window above my head, I look up and see my sweet kitten, Lyla, inquisitively watching me as I prepare the grill. Smoldering charcoal is one of my most favorite smells - it smells like summer.

This little gem of a salad is wonderful for this time of year. The flavors are bright, but the balsamic reduction adds a little gusto for when the evening chill kicks in. Personally, I prefer this salad served cold. Also, this dish gets better after a day, so if you are planning on serving it for company, I recommend making it a day ahead of time. If you do not have a grill, you can use your broiler in the oven.

What You'll Need:

• 15 to 20 large brussels sprouts
• 1 ear of sweet corn
• 1/4 purple onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup orzo
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh curly parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh greens
• parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Prepare your grill. Shuck the corn and cut each sprout in half lengthwise. Place the corn and sprouts over medium high heat and cook until corn is done and sprouts are softened (about 5 minutes for the corn and 15 for the sprouts). Be sure to turn the corn every couple of minutes to ensure even cooking. Remove the corn and sprouts from the grill and let cool. Once the corn has cooled, using a serrated knife, cut the corn from the cob. It's okay if kernels stick together - it adds to the charm of the presentation! Combine the corn, sprouts, and thinly sliced onion in a large bowl. 
2. Next, boil 5 cups of water. When the water is at a rolling boil, add the orzo. Cook for about 8 minutes until al dente. When the orzo is done, drain thoroughly and pour on top of the vegetables. Cover the bowl with a lid. The heat from the orzo will slightly wilt the raw onion and bring out it's sweetness while still maintaining the lovely crispness of texture. 
3. While the pasta is cooking, make the balsamic reduction. In a small sauce pot, cook the vinegar for 5 minutes over medium high heat. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove. The reduction will thicken as it cools, so do not be alarmed if it does not look thick enough after the 5 minutes. Also, this is part of the dressing for the salad, so we do not want a super thick reduction anyway. 
4. Once the orzo is added to the vegetables, add the oil, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly to make sure everything is well incorporated. Serve on top of a bed of fresh greens and drizzle the reduction over the salad. Garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Golden Beet and Citrus Slaw

When it gets to be 100 degrees in Boston, it seems hard to think straight, let alone cook anything. This lovely little slaw is a breeze to whip up and goes perfectly with grilled steak or chicken. The brightness of the lemon with the earthy spice of the raw golden beet makes this a healthy twist on traditional slaw recipes.

What You'll Need:

2 medium sized beets
Juice of 1 small lemon
6 oz. plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Grate the beet, either using a food processor or a good old fashioned grater.
2. Combine the grated beet, lemon juice, greek yogurt, and dill in a large bowl and stir until combined.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.

And there you have it! A lovely little slaw that requires next to no effort for those incredibly hot days.

Serves 4

Lavender Souffle Pancakes with Persimmon and Plum Compote

This is the perfect morning breakfast for a sunny, autumn Sunday. These pancakes are light and airy (not to mention low in calories) and the persimmon and plum compote offers a seasonally sweet alternative to syrup. Try adding fresh blackberries to the mix. 

What You'll Need

For the Pancakes:
2 eggs, separated
3 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 cup milk (I like to use Vanilla Almond milk)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Compote:
1 persimmon
1 plum
2 teaspoons turbinado (raw) sugar

1. Let's make the compote first. Peal the persimmon and the plum. Cut the plum in half and remove the pit. Chop the top off of the persimmon. Dice each fruit into small 1/4" cubes. Add the cubes and sugar to a small saucepot and heat over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Set aside.
2. On to the pancakes. Add the butter and the lavender flowers in a microwave safe bowl and cook in the microwave until the butter is melted, just about 1 minute. Let the butter cool. Once cooled, strain out the lavender flowers.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of the sugar on medium high speed until they are light in color and thick.
4. Add the butter mixture and the flower to the egg yolks and continue to beat at medium high speed. Beat in the milk until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl with the egg whites, add the cream of tartar and the last teaspoon of sugar. Using and electric mixer, beat on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. (Note: if you are using the same electric mixer, be sure that the beaters are completely free of any egg yolk whatsoever. The presence of egg yolk will prevent your egg whites from fluffing)
6. Add 1/4 of the whites to the egg yolks and fold in, just to lighten the yolks. Once that is fully incorporated, add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold in. Be sure not to fold too rigorously else the batter will lose air and your pancakes will not puff when cooking.
7. Place a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Use either a light cooking spray or butter to grease the pan. Scoop out 1/4 cup full of batter onto the pan. Let cook until you see little bubbles appear in each pancake. Once the bubbles appear, flip the cake over to cook the other side. Remove the cake once each side is golden brown and the puffed sides are cooked through. 
8. Remove pancakes from heat and arrange on a plate. Serve with the Persimmon and Plum Compote. 

Serves 2

Fresh Jersey Cream Yogurt

"What is jersey cream?" you ask. Well, I will tell you. Jersey cream is cream produced by jersey cows of course! "Well then… what are jersey cows?" Jersey cows were originally bred on the island of Jersey located in the English Channel. They are much smaller than other breeds and their milk has a higher butterfat content, making it much more creamy and delicious than other cows' milk. The jersey cream gives this yogurt a rich, smooth texture. It is surprisingly easy to make and absolutely heavenly when served with fresh fruit or, my favorite, strawberry rosewater jam (keep your eye peeled for this post in July).

Where to find Jersey Milk:

There are many resources on the internet to help you find a store that sells jersey milk near you, however I have found the best website to use is the Jersey Cattle Association website. I have provided the link below:

Jersey Cattle Associaition

What You'll Need:

Half Gallon of Jersey Milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole will do)

½ cup plain starter yogurt*

Thermometer

Slow cooker

*For the starter yogurt, just buy plain yogurt at the grocery store. Whatever yogurt you purchase will dictate the type of yogurt you will make. We love greek yogurt, so that is the type that we bought. Just be sure it says "Active Live Cultures" in the ingredient list. Once you have made your first batch of yogurt, you can use ½ cup as a starter for your next batch.

1. Place a few paper towels in the bottom of the ceramic bowl of your slow cooker. Fill half way with water, cover, and switch it to the "warm" setting.
2. Next, in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat, heat the milk to 185^oF, stirring constantly to make sure it heats evenly.
3. Next, turn off the heat, remove the pot from the burner, and let the milk sit until it reaches 110 ^oF. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Once the milk has reached the right temperature, mix in the starter yogurt. Make sure the yogurt is fully incorporated. Make sure there are no clumps other wise the texture of your yogurt will suffer.
5. Next, pour the mixture into mason jars and loosely secure the lids. Place the jars in the water bath in the slow cooker for 12 hours.
6. When the 12 hours are up, refrigerate the yogurt for 12 hours.

And there you have it - delicious yogurt at a fraction of the cost!