INGREDIENTS
2 ounces olive oil
1 pound turkey sausage
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup fresh fennel stems, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup whole grape tomatoes
2 cans (15 ounce) or 1 pkg POMI (26 oz) diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups dry white table wine
1 cup dry red table wine
1 pound dry lentils
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon dry basil
METHOD
In a large skillet or sauce pan, add the olive oil over medium heat. If the sausage is encased, remove it from the casings. Add the sausage meat to the olive oil and cook it while you break it up into small bits using a fork or other implement, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the celery, carrots and fennel stems to the pan and continue to cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the whole and diced tomatoes,broth, wine, lentils and spices to the pan, stir well, lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 hour. Season with salt if so desired and serve hot. This recipe will make 6 to 8 large servings or 10 to 12 medium servings.
INGREDIENTS
1 large, skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium shallots, sliced
2 cups fresh tomato sauce (see recipe in this blog)
1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary
METHOD
Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch cubes, set aside. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken cubes and sear on all sides, turning often. Add the shallots, tomato sauce and rosemary, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a serving bowl, increase the heat to high and cook the sauce until it becomes very thick, about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the serving bowl and serve immediately. Will make two medium servings and pairs well with Reserve Sangiovese, Barbera or Charbono.
INGREDIENTS
5 medium cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup Arborio rice
3 cups fresh tomato sauce (see recipe below)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or butter substitute
1 tablespoon freshly grated hard Italian cheese
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Cut the stem ends off of the garlic cloves and place into a glass or pottery baking dish. Bake for 18 minutes. remove from the oven and allow to cool. When cool, remove the outside skins from the garlic, transfer to a blender or food processor, add 1/4 cup of water and puree. Set aside. (If the puree looks real thick, add a bit of water and re-process.)
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the rice. Cook until the rice begins to sizzle a bit, about 5 to 6 minutes, and add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Stirring constantly, wait until each batch of liquid is almost absorbed before adding another 1/4 cup of tomato sauce. After about 15 minutes, pour in the garlic puree and stir. Continue adding tomato sauce until the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat, stir in the salt, butter and cheese. Serve immediately. This recipe will serve about two people and pairs well with Reserve Sangiovese, Barbera or Charbono.
INGREDIENTS
10-12 medium sized tomatoes, garden grown or farmers market
6 cups boiling water
6-8 cups cold water
METHOD
Place the tomatoes into the boiling water, in batches if necessary, and boil them for 4 to 5 minutes. Be sure all parts of the tomato are under water for the majority of the cooking time. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon to the cold water and let them cool.
Peel the skins off the tomatoes and remove the hard stem portion. Cut the tomatoes in half and place them into a large sauce pan. Add 6 cups of boiling water and cook, covered, over medium-high heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor, working in batches if necessary, and process to a puree. Strain through a sieve to remove any seeds and set aside to cool. If you need the sauce in another dish immediately, set the required portion into a sauce pan and either set on low heat or set aside to cool also.
NOTE: Do NOT use supermarket tomatoes for this sauce. They generally are too hard and do not have enough flavor to make a good sauce.
INGREDIENTS
4 medium zucchini (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees. Cut the zucchini into two parts lengthwise and then slice crosswise into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces. Place into a large bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt. Toss to coat all pieces as evenly as possible and transfer to a sided baking dish making sure the pieces are skin-side down. Roast for 18 minutes or until the zucchini begins to brown on the edges. Remove to the original bowl.
Change the oven setting to broil. Grind the fennel seeds to a powder, mix with the cumin and sprinkle over the zucchini, evenly coating all pieces. Place back on the sided baking dish, skin side down, and broil for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with the freshly ground Parmesan and serve immediately. Provides 2 to 3 servings.
2 ounces olive oil
