August 29, 2011: Herbs de Provence Seasoning Recipe

The end of summer is almost here and chances are, if you’ve been growing a garden, you have lots of herbs. If you’re not sure quite how to use them all, go ahead and dry them. Tie together bunches at the stems and hang upside down until completely dry.

When dry, consider combining several to make this French all purpose seasoning mix, herbs de provence.

Herbs de Provence

3 T. dried marjoram

3 T. dried thyme

3 T. dried savory

1 t. dried basil

1 t. dried rosemary

½ dried sage

½ t. fennel seeds

Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container. Use to season chicken, vegetables and beef.

Tip: If you don’t have all of these fresh herbs, go ahead and use store-bought jars. If you wish, you can also add a half teaspoon dried lavender to the mix.

July 20, 2011: Sauteed Mushrooms Recipe

It’s rare that I make mushrooms the star of their own dish but it sounded good as an accompaniment to tortellini and garlic bread. This is an easy side dish that is sure to please anyone who loves mushrooms.

Sauteed Mushrooms

8 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and stems cut off
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
3 large basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
2 t. lemon juice
¼ cup fresh, coarse bread crumbs (find the bread crumbs recipe here)

Heat olive oil and butter to medium. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 – 7 minutes, until softened. Reduce heat to low. Add basil and lemon juice and cook for another few minutes, until the liquid is almost all absorbed. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and toss together. Serve immediately.

Tip: To chiffonade basil, stack leaves on top of each other. Roll up tightly, like a cigar. With a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut into thin slices.

July 15, 2011: Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Some years ago I worked at a hotel near downtown Mesa, Arizona. While I was there, I became friends with one of the maintenance workers, Bob. Bob was the quintessential Italian-American, complete with faint New York accent and proud, dark moustache. Who better, I thought, to ask for a recipe for spaghetti sauce?

Bob was gracious enough to share with me his family recipe for authentic Italian spaghetti sauce and it’s the one I always use now. As for those handy sauces in a jar like Prego? Forgedaboutit!!

Tip: If you’ve got tomatoes fresh from the garden ready for use, blanch and peel them and use them in place of the canned tomatoes in this recipe.

Bob’s Spaghetti Sauce

5 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. olive oil

Heat olive oil to medium in a large pot. Add garlic and brown slowly just until slightly brown.

Add:
3 pint cans crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste

Add to pot along with 2 empty paste cans of water; stir. Continue to cook over medium heat until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to simmer.

If using Italian sausage, boil in one-quarter inch of water until white, then add to sauce at this time.

After 45 minutes of cooking, add basil, parsley, oregano (about 1 tablespoon of each) and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Continue simmering. After an hour, taste and add more seasoning as needed. If it tastes bitter, add a bit more sugar. Spoon grease off the top of the sauce as needed (if using sausage) or place a slice of soft bread on top to soak up the grease. Add water if the sauce is too thick.

Cook for a minimum total time of two to two-and-a-half hours.