Archives for posts with tag: plums

Every Wednesday morning I eagerly await my subway ride so I can read The New York Times’ Dining Section. First I check the restaurant review, hoping for either a 4-star or 0-star review – the two ends of the spectrum yield the most entertaining writing – and then the latest recipes from Melissa Clark and David Tanis. Rarely am I disappointed and this week was no exception. In fact, I was thrilled to see that the entire section was devoted to homecooking. They pulled out all of the stops, with all of their writers devoting an article and recipe to either a simple cooking technique or style – from vinaigrette to scallops to tarts.

The goal of this blog, since its inception, has always been to provide my readers with unintimidating recipes, organized into meal plans with grocery lists so everyone could see that they can squeeze 30 minutes into their evenings to cook. It’s nice to see that my blog is in the good company of some of my favorite writers and cooks!

Fall's here!

Fall’s here!

Meal #1: Mediterranean Chicken Thighs with Polenta
Meal #2: Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp + Green Salad
Meal #3:Pork Tenderloin with Plums and Red Onion + Corn on the Cob
Meal #4: Salmon with Potatoes in Tomato Sauce

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

lettuce – 1 large head
lemons – 2
orange – 1
plums – 4
red onion – 1
white onion – 1
corn – 1 per person
white potatoes – 3/4 lb.
parsley – 1 bunch
linguine – 1 box
polenta – 1 tube
reduced-sodium chicken broth – 1 1/4 cup
diced tomatoes – 2 cans (28 ounces each)
tomato paste – 1 small can
Kalamata olives – 1 cup
red wine vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
bone-in, chicken thighs – 8
pork tenderloin – 1 1/2 lb.
shrimp – 1 1/2 lb.
salmon – 4 (6 ounces each)

Pork Tenderloin with Plums and Red Onion
Plums_web

I posted this recipe in the winter using apples instead of plums and apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Here’s the original. As you can see, this recipe is wonderful because you can adapt it (are you sensing a theme here?) and even use a combination of peaches and plums, or just peaches.

Note 1: If you are serving this dish for four people I would probably use 1 1/2 to 2 lb. of pork (probably two tenderloins). One pound for four adults doesn’t seem like enough.

Note 2: I think that 2 TB. of vinegar is plenty. Remember, you can always add more but you can’t take it away!

Corn on the cob

Boil water in a pot, put shucked corn in the water, turn off the heat and put a lid on your pot. Wait 10 minutes or so. Eat with lots of butter, salt and pepper.

This is the best time of the year to cook and I’ve left you all stranded – I’m sorry! The thing is that while it is the easiest time to throw something delicious together, for me it has also been the busiest. In the last four weeks, I’ve been to Ottawa, Omaha, Vermont, Boston and Baltimore! Consequently, I have not had a chance to cook as much as I would like. But in Vermont, which was vacation, I had a chance to make a bunch of great, summertime dishes, many of which will show up here throughout the next several weeks.

Upon my return to New York I was greeted with all of summer’s best – green beans, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, corn and even the season’s first tomatoes! Total inspiration. This week’s recipes take advantage of the season’s bounty and none of them take too long to prepare so you have plenty of time to get out there and catch some fireflies!

I've been waiting all year for this!

I’ve been waiting all year for this!

Meal #1: Grilled Sausages and Summer Beans with Herbs, Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions
Meal #2: Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, Squash, and Basil + Corn on the Cob
Meal #3: Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Meal #4: Pork Tenderloin with Plums and Red Onion + Corn on the Cob

Note: For the next several weeks you will see a LOT of corn here. The season is so short so we tend to eat either corn on the cob or corn salad every night. You’ve been warned.

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

summer squash (such as zucchini and yellow crookneck) – 2-4, depending on size
shallots – 2
red onion – 2 large
thyme – 1 bunch
parsley – 1 bunch
basil – 1 bunch
cherry tomatoes – 2 pints
green and/or wax beans – 1 lb.
tomatoes – 3-4
corn – 1 per person for two separate meals
plums – 4
pasta (penne or rigatoni work well) – 1 box
fresh mozzarella – 1/2 lb.
sausages – 2 lb.
pork tenderloin – 1 1/2 – 2 lb.
skinless white flaky fish fillets (such as Atlantic cod or halibut) – 4 6-ounce fillets
white wine