la bella vita cucina

Lamb Chops with White Beans and Wine Sauce ~ Guest Post from “Cooking on the Ranch”

2013-05-23T22:05:28Z

Lamb Chops with White Beans and Wine Sauce

There are a lot of good food bloggers out there, and like all of you, I have my favorites that I have followed loyally for years. One foodie that I’m so glad to have found among the plethora of food bloggers is LeaAnn, the talented author of “Cooking . . . On The Ranch”. This is one busy woman that I respect for her ability to write, photograph, and prepare delicious recipes for her food blog on top of working full time in her profession!

So when I asked her if she would consider writing a guess post for my blog while I’m traveling, LeaAnn’s kindness and generosity shined through, despite her demanding schedule.

“Hello everyone and thank you for allowing me to share a little piece of myself here at La Bella Vita Cucina with Roz. It’s truly is an honor that she invited me. My name is Lea Ann and I am the home chef and photographer behind Cooking…On The Ranch. I enjoy all kinds of food, but like to focus on perfecting my skills with authentic Mexican and recipes that reflect the flavors of the West. My tag line reads “Western Flair, Rocky Mountain Air… Let’s Cook”.

Growing up on a farm in the middle of Kansas, I learned to cook from my my mother and my two aunts. They were incredible home cooks who not only taught me skills, but taught me that the kitchen was a gathering place and the foundation for celebration of food and family. They’d bring our families together several times a week and fill the table with platters of meat, casseroles, breads, pasta salads, steaming bowls of vegetables, cakes and pies. I decided to start my blog four years ago to share family recipes and memories and also how these influences have shaped my own style of cooking.

I live, work and play in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. What is now a master planned community, was once a 90,000 acre working cattle ranch. Amidst the sea of houses in the Denver urban sprawl, sits Historic Highlands Ranch Mansion. Once complete with windmills, barns, and bunkers, it’s still a working cattle ranch. This property was featured in the television mini-series “Centennial”, about pioneers heading west and settling along the Front Range of Colorado.

Pioneers who decided to stake a claim in Colorado, carved out large parcels of high plains grassland for cattle ranches. These established ranchers didn’t take a liking to sheep ranchers arriving from Wyoming. Cattlemen saw sheepherders as invaders destroying public grazing lands, which was shared on a first-come, first-served basis. Sheep wars were exceptionally violent and lasted until after the turn of the century.

The Wild West has become more civilized these days and Colorado is proud of both its lamb and beef, which we think is the best in the land. Raised with plenty of sunshine, fresh mountain air and with a variety of nutritious grasses and grains makes for tender entrees.

fresh lamb chops

This recipe, Lamb Chops with White Beans and Wine Sauce, is inspired by Restaurant Kevin Taylor one of the most highly recognized restaurants in Colorado. As fancy-schmancy as this recipe sounds, it’s really quite easy, but should be saved for for a leisurely Saturday afternoon project. If you don’t favor lamb, a nice tenderloin would work well.

The dark elegant sauce that surrounds the white beans is the star of the meal. Let’s make it first.”

Wine Sauce with Thyme (for the Lamb Chops)

What You Need:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and thin sliced
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and thin sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 cup Red Wine
2 cups Veal Demi-glace (I buy mine from a speciality market, frozen)
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat and add the olive oil.
Add shallots and garlic and cook until golden.
Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, peppercorns, red wine and demi-glace.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, covered for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and simmer until reduced by half.
Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to serve.
Pick out the peppercorns.

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Then prepare the White Bean Sauce:

White Beans and Tarragon-Garlic Sauce (for the Lamb Chops)

What You Need:

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 (14 ounce) cans white beans, drained (cannellini)
1 small jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 (15 ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts
1 Tbsp chopped tarragon

Instructions

Combine the heavy cream, tarragon and white beans in a small saute pan and heat over medium high heat until the cream begins to simmer.
Gently stir in the red peppers and artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper.

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And now here’s the recipe for the roast lamb chops and how to put this delicious recipe together:

Roast Lamb Chops

What You Need:

6 (6-ounce) bone in lamb chops
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper and sear on both sides until golden brown.
Transfer lamb chops to a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven about 5 mints for medium rare.
While the lamb is cooking, heat up the beans.
For presentation:
Spoon the white beans in the center of four plates and top each with a lamb chop.
Spoon the lamb sauce around the beans.
Garnish with a few cloves of roasted garlic.
A couple sprigs of fresh thyme will spruce it up even more.

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Such a fantastic recipe and interesting background on part of Colorado’s food scene, Lea Ann! Thank you so much for being my guest and sharing a sample of your fantastic cooking! Lea Ann can also be found at the following social venues:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Highlands-Ranch-Foodie/167992772469?ref=tn_tnmn
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lannisam/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OnZRanch
Google +: https://plus.google.com/115213912776922815861/posts

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Dining on Local Traditional Hawaiian Food

2013-05-22T00:46:47Z

Traditional Hawaiian ‘Char Siu Manapua’ stuffed bread

Sticker shock warning! Eating half-way decently on the island of Maui is expensive indeed. If you can find a good value anywhere on the islands for anything, not just food, you’d be a lucky soul! Food products in the markets are mind-blowing, outrageously high priced. However, dining on local traditional Hawaiian food is one way to get around a little more affordably.

When my husband and I visit Hawaii we carefully watch what we spend on one of our most enjoyable travel activities: eating the local foods, whether in a restaurant or in a mini-kitchen! We spend our first morning noshing on a tropical breakfast of macadamia nut and banana pancakes with coconut syrup. Fresh guava juice and hot kona coffee top it all off! Greeting the morning by dining al fresco while overlooking the beautiful Napili Bay with Molokai and Lanai islands in the horizon is a perfect morning aloha moment!

With full tummies, we jet straight to the market to shop for groceries. Bringing along our store bonus cards helps us save at least 10%. After all, every little bit helps when eating in paradise!

To eat a bit more inexpensively, eating the native cuisine is a great option! Besides saving some dough, the food is authentic in tradition and local ingredients. Hawaiian cuisine is not only unique, it is also comfort food reflecting how the local natives create delicious foods out of inexpensive ingredients. Native Hawaiians have figured out how to defy the expense of foods marketed to tourists and the wealthy new residents. Long before food trucks became trendy on the mainland, they thrived on the islands delivering fast, cheap and filling ‘plate lunches’, shave ice, and other tropical specialities.

the tender bread is filled with Chinese pork

One super “ono” (delcious) Hawaiian food is Manapua, tender steamed breads stuffed with a Chinese BBQ or roast pork filling. Manapua can also be prepared with beef pot roast which is my husband’s preference or with vegetables for those who prefer not to eat meat. Steaming versus baking is another element that makes this dish so unusual too. The texture is perfectly soft, fluffy and tender!

Hawaiian Char Sui Manapua: Steamed Buns Stuffed with BBQ Pork

What You Need:

Bun Dough:
1 package dry yeast
3 Tbsp. lukewarm water
2 cups warm water
1-1/2 Tbsp. cooking oil or shortening
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
6 cups sifted flour
1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
Pork Filling:
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 pound char siu, diced
Few drops red food coloring, optional

Instructions

To prepare bun dough:
Sprinkle yeast over 3 Tbsp water and allow to stand until yeast softens.
To remaining water, add oil or shortening, sugar and salt, stirring until melted or dissolved.
Cool and then add yeast mixture.
Place flour in a large mixing bowl and add most of the liquid.
Begin kneading.
Add remaining liquid to make a very heavy dough.
Continue mixing until you have a smooth ball that is beginning to show signs of long strands on the outside, indicating that the gluten has fully developed.
Remove dough from bowl and rinse out bowl.
Pour sesame oil into bowl, return dough and turn it around until covered with a thin layer of the oil.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in bulk -- about an hour in a warm room.
Placing the dough in the refrigerator and allowing it to rise there, 3-6 hours, develops the flavor.
Proceed with the filling or gently deflate the dough and allow it to rise for a second time, which will further enhance the flavor.
To prepare filling:
In a pot, stir cornstarch, sugar and salt in water until dissolved.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add char siu and, if desired, red food coloring.
To stuff and steam buns:
Heat a steamer with plenty of water.
Cut 12 (3-inch) squares of waxed paper and coat 1 side with 1/2 second coat of nonstick cooking spray.
Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces.
Roll each into a ball.
Flatten into a circle about 6 inches in diameter.
Make the dough as thin as you can and try to keep the edges thinner than the center.
Place the circle of dough in the palm of your hand.
Spoon in a couple of tablespoons of filling, cupping the dough around it.
Then, with the thumb and finger of the other hand, pinch the edges of the dough as if you were making a fluted edging on a pie crust.
Pinch the folds together, twisting them as you do so.
Place the completed manapua on a square of greased waxed paper.
Allow to plump up into a globe with a taut exterior.
Place in steamer on their squares of paper about 1 to 2 inches apart.
Cover and steam vigorously for 15 minutes.
If using a metal steamer, place a folded tea towel across top of steamer, holding it in position with the lid.
This will prevent steam from dropping onto manapua.
If using a bamboo steamer, this is not necessary.
Remove steamer from heat, let stand 5 minutes, then open.
Serve hot.
Note: To bake manapua, brush top of buns with a little canola oil and bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

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Here is the recipe for the Char Sui Chinese BBQ Pork Filling:

Char Siu -- Chinese BBQ Pork

What You Need:

3 lbs boneless pork
3 Tbsp warmed honey
marinade:
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp Finely minced ginger OR 4 thin slices Ginger
3 Tbsp honey, warmed
2 Tbsp sugar, white or brown
2 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp rice wine or sherry (not cooking sherry)
1 Tbsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 drops red food color (optional)

Instructions

Cut pork into 2-3 inch wide strips; place in 1 gallon size plastic bag
Heat soy sauce, honey and sugar together in sauce pan til dissolved.
Mix all other marinade ingredients together and add to soy mixture.
Pour over pork and marinade for 6 or more hours (or overnight) up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare roasting pan with 1 inch water in bottom of pan.
Place pork strips on wire rack over pan w/ water and place on mid-rack of oven
roast 25 minutes, basting with warmed honey.
Turn and baste other side for 30 minutes.
The honey will char the edges of the pork nicely.
Slice pork across grain.

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For a complete step-by-step photo series on how to prepare Hawaiian Char Siu Manapua, click on this link.

aloha!

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Google Reader is Retiring Soon — How To Continue Following ‘La Bella Vita Cucina’

2013-05-25T18:30:15Z

You may already know this: Google Reader, one of the top blog subscription services, will retire at the end of June, 2013.

I don’t want to lose connections with you if Google Reader is how you follow my blog . . .

So to make sure that you’re not caught in a jam and to insure that you continue to receive new posts and recipes from La Bella Vita Cucina, here are the most recommended options to sign up for non-stop delivery of new blog updates to you:

#1 Subscribe to e-mail updates (on the top right-hand side bar under my photo),

#2 Follow “Roz Corieri Paige” on Google + (located at both the top and bottom of this blog).

the links to follow through Google + are at the top and bottom of this blog!

If you enjoy reading my posts through your reader, than Feedly is the new reader to use. In my opinion, I think it is far better than Google Reader!

following through “Feedly” is the best ‘reader’!

#3 Follow by ‘liking’ my page on Facebook “La Bella Vita di Rosalinda” (located at the top and bottom of this blog),

the links to follow through facebook are located at the top and bottom of this blog

#4 Follow through ‘bloglovin’ (the link is also on the righthand sidebar for your convenience),

please click through the link on the right hand sidebar –>

I have enjoyed following all of you through Google Reader, but alas, the powers that be have decided to end this service.

PLEASE let me know if you are still blogging and how I can continue to follow your blogs that I have enjoyed through the years via Google Reader!

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Happy Mother’s Day ~ ~ Flowers For You!

2013-05-14T02:05:02Z

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day and so I’m sending flowers for you via my blog in cyberspace!

Home-delivery of flowers to each of you was a tad bit too difficult, so I’m sharing a peak into my Mother’s Day garden with you. The azaleas are late for us this year due to the colder spring temperatures, but all of the rain brought abundant blossoms with stunning colors!

I hope that you spent your day doing whatever brings joy into your lives!

What a joyful day for me — I just found out that I am going to be a grandmother today! Our prayers are being answered for our daughter and her husband! My Mother’s Day gift was a framed photo of the ultrasound image. Fun times lie ahead!

Along with this wonderful news, nothing could be finer than to spend a warm, sunny, breezy and lazy day in my gardens!

Once again, Happy Mother’s Day!

a perfect spring day to rock on the front porch among the roses

the variegated azaleas are so beautiful!

double knock-out red roses are such wonderful bloomers!

Conversation Piece, my favorite azalea!

vivid purple in the iris that we’ve moved everywhere we have lived!

Renee Michelle azaleas (a late blooming variety)

Nelly Moser clematis

another David Austin rose

‘encore’ azaleas of which I’m sorry I forgot the name of this color!

blue and white iris for contrast

vivid color and detail inside an azalea blossom

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! If you’ve enjoyed this gardening post, please consider leaving a comment and subscribing to my blog to receive e-mail notices of any new posts and recipes! I would love to follow your site back as well!

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Risotto alla Milanese

2013-05-09T11:25:54Z

Risotto alla Milanese is one of those all-time Northern Italian classics! Personally, I think that rice is just one of those blessings from God in that you can prepare so many, many recipes with rice . . . from salads, to side dishes, to main entree’s and even desserts (think rich rice pudding)!

This month, I was able to decide the theme for the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. With many of us trying to reduce the amount of meat in our nutrition (I know that I’m on that journey), I selected “Rice and Beans” as the focus for May. Instantly Risotto Milanese came to my mind to find a ‘lighter’ version. It really wasn’t difficult at all; there are numerous recipes for Risotto with less calories.

I hope you enjoy this golden-colored rice ‘i primi’ (first course/entree in Italy) that gets its color from the addition of precious and rare saffron. The recipe is from Cooking Light and I added the traditional saffron for greater authenticity and of course the beautiful yellow color!

Risotto alla Milanese

What You Need:

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons finely chopped prosciutto (about 1 ounce)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
a dash of saffron
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Combine saffron and broth in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer (do not boil).
Keep warm over low heat.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add shallots, prosciutto, and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until shallots are tender.
Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
Add broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total).
Remove from heat; stir in cheese, saffron and pepper.
Serve immediately.

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Here are the wonderful recipes that the rest of the group prepared for the “Rice and Beans” theme for May:

Val of More Than Burnt Toast prepared Turkey Jasmine Rice Meatballs with Baby Bok Choy.
Jerry of Jerrys Thoughts, Musings and Rants made a Farro Salad with White Beans and Artichokes.
Sandi of The Whistlestop Cafe Cooking brought along a tasty Smoked Gouda Risotto with Spinach and Mushrooms.
Susan of The Spice Garden prepared Barley Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Pine Nuts and Raisins.
Sarah of All Our Fingers in the Pie added a Hearty Sour Rye Bread.

If you love risotto, I know that you’ll really enjoy the other risotto recipes that I’ve shared previously:

Risotto Quatro Formaggi (Risotto with Four Cheeses)

Authentic Risotto Milanese (non-lightened up)

Risotto with Tomatoes and Basil

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

Creamy Risotto with Lemon, Asiago Cheese, and Rosemary

Enjoy!!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! I’m delighted to share my recipes with you! If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and subscribing to my blog to receive e-mail notices of any new posts and recipes! I would love to follow your site back as well!

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Mediterranean Egg Salad with Green Olives, Pancetta and a Touch of Gorgonzola Cheese

2013-05-13T00:31:57Z

Green olives are everywhere in the Mediterranean! In fact there are so many olives in Italy, that you might step on them (if you’re not looking down on the ground) after they fall from the olive trees! We just love huge, colossal, pimento, garlic or blue cheese-stuffed green olives. If you can get your hands on some freshly jarred green olives from Italy, you won’t believe the difference in taste, especially added into an egg salad! (Just click on ‘green olives in the previous sentence and you’ll have a huge array of authentic Italian olives at your fingertips to select from)!

olive trees growing in the tiny garden of our villa on the Amalfi Coast, Italy . . . watch where you step, the ripe olives fall on the ground everywhere!

olives were everywhere underfoot, especially when I hung my freshly washed clothes out to dry on the Amalfi Coast, Italy

Green olives enhance the flavor of this egg salad in addition to olive oil, freshly snipped garlic chives, Italian parsley and dill straight out of the kitchen garden!

chopped pimento-stuffed olives blended into an ordinary egg salad

But that’s not all!

Pancetta and gorgonzola cheese take this egg salad to a new level (of course you can decrease the amount of gorgonzola or eliminate it all together, as my husband does)!

creamy Italian gorgonzola with veins of blue throughout take an ordinary egg salad recipe to a new taste sensation!

Always add in the freshest herbs that you can find . . . my garden is directly outside of my kitchen, so I just walk outside with a basket and a pair of kitchen sheers and bring the herbs in just minutes before using them in my cooking.

Now that’s pretty fresh!

for egg salad, I add in some chives that are so pretty in my spring garden with their lavender flowers

beautiful, delicate dill in my garden

Italian parsley from my garden also adds another layer of flavor to egg salad

my small herb gathering basket with freshly-cut chives, Italian parsley and dill . . . ready to add to the egg salad

for a pretty presentation, set the egg salad in a loaf of ciabatta bread hollowed out AND lined with some colorful leaf lettuce (this lettuce is ripe from the garden since it’s spring — and will be gone soon when the weather gets warm).

garnish your beautiful egg salad with fresh dill, chives, and sliced hard-boiled eggs! such a beautiful spring-time entree!

Mediterranean Egg Salad with Pancetta, Green Olives & Gorgonzola

What You Need:

8 thin slices of pancetta
9 jumbo eggs
1 cup celery, chopped, including any leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
9 large, colossal, pimento-stuffed green olives
3 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, minced
1 tsp. fresh dill, minced
3 Tbsp. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup olive-oil based mayonnaise
freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper to taste
Lettuce
Ciabatta bread
Garnish: green olives

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
Lay the pancetta slices in one layer on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until brown and crispy.
When finished baking, allow pancetta to cool and then chop it up into small pieces.
Gently place eggs in a medium pot.
Fill with water.
Bring to a boil.
Boil for 10 minutes only so that the yolks do not develope a greenish-blue outer ring color.
One by one, crack eggs and run (individually) under cold running water while peeling off the shell.
Cool eggs in sealed container or plastic bag in frig.
Chop/dice all eggs, celery, onion, garlic, green olives, chives, Italian parsley, and dill; mix well.
Mix in the gorgonzola cheese.
Gently mix in mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
Blend in the crumbled pancetta.
Serve with lettuce on very fresh, soft white bread for a sandwich or on a bed of lettuce for a salad.
Garnish with green olives.

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If you are thinking of creating something traditional, yet with a twist for Mother’s Day or any luncheon celebration, your guests will simply love this wonderful and unusual egg salad!

Enjoy!!

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Top Secret Tips on How to Grow The Best Tomatoes

2013-05-02T14:37:22Z

“How do you get such huge, flavorful tomatoes and how do you get such a bumper-crop of tomatoes?”

I’m always asked this question and so now I’m going to give you all of my ‘dirty’ little secrets to growing the best, most flavorful tomatoes that produce in large quantities!

I have been growing tomatoes since I don’t know when. And through the years, I’ve figured out what works and what doesn’t work. I also live in the South (USA), where the soil is mostly red clay. This gardening environment has an incredibly different soil and weather reality than my home state of Iowa where you can grow anything in the rich, dark black soil (Iowa is known as the “bread basket of the nation” for a reason)!

I grew up in a family of Italian gardeners and farmers in the Midwest. Everyone in Italy has a garden even if it’s just in a pot on a windowsill! Every inch of the little country of Italy is planted with vegetables and fruit (except in the mountains of rock and stone). When on the Amalfi Coast, I had to take a photo (below) of how the homes are stacked on top of each other hugging the side of the mountain. Gardening in pots on patios gives Italians who live ‘vertically’, opportunities to sratch in the dirt.

Both of my grandfathers who immigrated from Italy had gardens that included grape vineyards (of course) from which they made their own wine (and that was some pretty good stuff, I might say so myself)! We always had fresh veggies every spring and summer from their gardens . . . and those tomatoes! Oh my goodness, nothing could be finer in the summer than home-grown, juicy, red tomatoes!

So fast forward to my life and my gardens here in South Carolina with its fairly unforgiving clay soil. What to do?

Not to worry, it is possible to overcome adversity in the garden! If I’m facing a challenge, I’m going to figure out how to overcome it . . . including gardening challenges!

Here is what we do for a successful harvest of outstanding tomatoes:

1) Pick a SUNNY spot in your garden to plant your tomato plants — they need at least 6 hours of full sunlight. While you’re selecting that perfect spot, don’t forget to plant in a completely different place each year — rotate your veggies so the soil can recover every year. Tomatoes are hungry feeders and really deplete the soil’s nutrients, so you have to move them around your garden each year.

2) Amend that soil!! We have horses on our acreage, so we have a lot of horse poo, if you get my drift! We let the manure age for one year and then blend it into the soil (PS: Rhubarb especially digs poo from horses, cows and other livestock). That ‘crap’ is good stuff, so hang on to it or find a friend who will give it to you. If not, go to your garden center and buy manure, but who wants to pay for ‘sh…t”?. Sorry to be so blunt, but it’s the truth!

3) Get your hands on some BLACK COW in the big yellow bag at your garden center. Buy a LOT of this stuff! It’s full of composte and more goodies that your soil and plants thrive on. Blend it in the soil big time!

4) We LOVE Miracle Grow Garden Soil . . . not potting soil, but gardening soil. It’s full of food for your tomatoes. Blend it in as well. I don’t know if it’s organic enough for some of you, but it works for us and we use bags and bags and BAGS of it!

5) Got any leaves saved over from fall? Chop ‘em up and blend ‘em in the soil; they are full of nutrients!

6) We composte, that’s right we throw every vegetable and fruit-based ‘garbage’ in a composte pile . . . let it age and blend that stuff in too!

YOU GET THE PICTURE!

7) Wait for your soil to be WARM to plant your tomatoes. If you’ve got neighbors who are planting early . . . don’t worry, your patience will pay off as your tomatoes will not only grow to the same height and width of your neighbors’ earlier planted tomatoes, they will SURPASS those earlier planted tomatoes with healthier vigor and productivity because you waited for the soil to warm up!

8) Plant on an overcast, cloudy day so as to not shock the plants as much.

8) Dig a deep, deep hole for each tomato plant.

9) Sprinkle in each hole, a handful of crushed egg shells into each deep hole. WHY? The eggshells provide something that tomatoes thrive on and can’t get enough of: CALCIUM! The calcium from the egg shells is absorbed up into the roots and into the stems of the tomato plants. If you have yellowing tomato plants, you have a calcium deficiency! Buy a bunch of eggs, make egg salad sandwiches, top your salads with chopped boiled eggs, and make some delicious deviled eggs! Its’ worth it! NEVER throw away an egg shell if you are a gardener! And when you boil eggs, don’t throw away the water, it’s full of calcium from the egg shells, so let the water cool off and water your tomato plants with it.

10) Sprinkle in a handful of (ICK!) worm castings! (click on ‘worm castings’ and you’ll be taken to a link where you can purchase worm castings)

11) Sprinkle in some bone meal!

12) Place the tomato plant in and pinch or clip off all of the layers of leaves except for the top one or two layers of leaves. Yup that’s right, bury them deep so that the roots will grow super, super strong! All of those little hairy things growing on the stems will grow into roots when planted under the soil! Better soil, better roots, better plants, better tomatoes!

13) Mix up some sea/fish emulsion in warm water and fertilize those plants immediately. We also use Miracle Grow’s “Quick Start” to help the roots get a head start in growth. We use it only at planting time.

14) Stake and cage the tomatoes correctly!

14) Continue to feed your organic fertilizer every 2 weeks or so.

15) I don’t know if “Osmocote” is organic or not, but this is what we sprinkle around all of our plants . . . this helps the production of large quantities of tomatoes. One fertilizer helps the plant grow and leaf out, this fertilizer helps increase the production of ‘fruit’ (which is really what tomatoes are).

16) Water in the morning and ALWAYS water underneath the tomato plants. Do not use a sprinkler and water from above. Do not get your tomato plant leaves wet; it promotes disease! Depending upon the weather, it is a good idea to water every other morning. Here in South Carolina, when the temperatures hit 90 – 100, we water every morning.

17) Continue to pinch / clip off any stems that may begin to touch the soil. NEVER let either leaf, branch or tomato touch the soil . . . this is one of the ways that disease enters the plants. Keep it clean underneath at all times.

18) Remove weeds on a daily basis, don’t let them get out of control. If you see a weed, get it out of the garden right then and there.

And that’s it! It’s a lot of work and a labor of love, but you won’t believe the flavor, the quality and the bounty of tomatoes that you will have as a result of all of your dedication!

Later this summer I’ll tell you how to preserve all of your tomato bounty to enjoy throughout the cold months of winter!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! If you’ve enjoyed these gardening tips please consider leaving a comment and subscribing to my blog to receive e-mail notices of any new posts and recipes!

photo by: NRCS Soil Health

The post Top Secret Tips on How to Grow The Best Tomatoes appeared first on la bella vita cucina.

Strawberry Layer Cake & Sweet Mascarpone Cheese Frosting

2013-05-15T04:45:07Z

Fresh strawberries are perfectly ripe for picking right now . . . a little bit late this year, but bursting with extra sweet flavor! With Mother’s Day in just a few weeks, I wanted to share our favorite Strawberry Layered Cake recipe with you. This cake is so full of flavor, especially with the extra layer of fresh strawberries tucked in between each layer!

Strawberries, when picked at their peak level of freshness have the most beautiful vivid, rich red color. The soft shimmer studded with the tiny seeds adds to their beauty, just tempting us to bite right in.

This cake just SINGS spring . . . even if it did snow last week in Colorado. To all of my friends out there, just whip up this cake and you’ll be feeling spring right away!

The pool of pureed strawberries adds another level of berry-goodness! You can also use the puree with ice cream, smoothies, and parfaits! It also freezes nicely for using later and through the winter when you’re really wanting some fresh strawberries!

Strawberry Layer Cake & Sweet Mascarpone Cheese Icing

What You Need:

2 cups white sugar
1 (3 oz) package strawberry flavored gelatin
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 jumbo eggs (room temperature)
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup strawberry puree made from fresh or frozen strawberries (make an additional 2 cups of puree to drizzle over the cake slices or to lay the slices on top of a pool of puree).
For the Strawberry Filling:
1 to 2 cups of the mascarpone cheese frosting (ingredients listed next)
1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
For the Sweet Mascarpone Cheese Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2 8-oz packages/tubs mascarpone cheese, softened
8 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
1 teaspoon butter extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or three 8 inch round cake pans.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
Combine the flour and baking powder.
Stir into the batter alternately with the milk.
Blend in strawberry puree and vanilla.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
Gently tap the cakes out of their pans to finish cooling completely.
To prepare the frosting:
Beat the butter, mascarpone cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and butter extract until creamy.
Spread the first cake layer with a thick layer of frosting.
Evenly distribute the strawberry slices over the frosting.
Place the top cake layer on top.
Spread remaining frosting on top of cake and all around the sides.
Garnish to decorate: Large, beautiful strawberries presented any way that you like.

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Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and subscribe to my blog to receive e-mail notices of any new posts and recipes! I’d love to follow you in return.

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Creamy, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

2013-05-12T21:57:09Z

The merry month of May brings so many wonderful events to celebrate life in a delicious and beautiful way!

Where does one begin?

On Mother’s Day we pay tribute to all of our wonderful mothers. We applaud at Graduations for those who have worked so hard for years to achieve their educational goals (my personal favorite as an educator). We honor all who have passed away and those who’ve served in our military to protect us on Memorial Day. . . . and so many more events in May that we celebrate with family and friends!

Of which includes the festive CINCO de MAYO!

Our Latin neighbors simply have one of our absolute favorite cuisines on the planet — Mexican/Hispanic food! My husband and I are so fortunate to have an incredible, locally-owned Mexican restaurant in our little community that is literally 5-star in quality, taste, and ambiance! It’s the kind of place where they know your name and have ready and waiting on the table some home-made salsa prepared at just the right level of heat that you prefer . . . and even before being seated (they see us enter the front door). The people who work in this restaurant and the food that they create instantly compel one to fall in love with this delightful little eatery and to return religiously!

Whenever we eat at “La Hacienda” (lovingly known by the locals as “La Ha”) during our weekly visits when we work late, we feel just like family. Because this little eatery is so amazing, my husband and I rarely, if ever, prepare authentic Mexican cuisine at home.

But I do have a super recipe that I’d like to share with you. Over the years I have prepared this creamy, cheesy chicken enchilada entree for my family who now serve it to their friends!. So get out your tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream for a mouthwatering feast to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!!!

Creamy, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

What You Need:

4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned, cut in cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped black olives (4-1/2 oz. can), more for garnish
1/3 cup (canned) green chilis, chopped
1 small jar chopped pimentos, drained
1 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 envelopes chicken gravy mix
2 cups chicken broth (canned is OK if you don't have homemade)
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups sour cream
1-1/2 tsp. salt
8 flour tortillas
2 cups Monterey Jack with Jalapeno Pepper cheese (Pepper Jack)
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese (or Mexican Blend cheese)
Paprika
Nature's Seasons
Lawry's Chicken Spice or Weber Kickin' Chicken
For GARNISH / to SERVE in bowls on the table for guests:
Diced tomatoes
Chopped lettuce
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, diced
Guacamole
Salsa

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute' chicken and onions in butter until tender (about 5 minutes).
Sprinkle generously with Nature's Seasons and Lawry's Chicken Spices/Weber Kickin' Chicken.
Mix in well.
Stir in olives, cilantro and pimentos.
Set aside.
Combine chicken broth, milk and gravy mix in a medium-sized skillet.
Heat to simmering, stirring often.
Stir in the sour cream and salt; heat gently.
Keep the sauce warm on the stove.
Place a generous large spoonful of chicken mixture at one end of each tortilla and roll up.
Butter the bottom of a large rectangular baking dish.
Place each chicken enchilada in the baking dish.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pour the cream sauce all over the top of enchiladas.
Sprinkle the shredded cheeses all over the top.
Scatter additional chopped black olives on top.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup diced cilantro on top.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until hot and when cheese is golden on top.
Serve immediately with garnish on top or on serve without garnish on the table for guests to individually garnish their enchiladas

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before baking

after baking . . . nice and golden, cheesy top!

garnish with chopped tomatoes and cilantro for some additional pretty colors!

How can it get any better than some spicy Spanish/Latin love in your tummy?

A giveaway for an authentic, made-in-Mexico, PURCHASED in Mexico, transported-in-my-suitcase-from-Mexico, rich, deep cobalt blue glass flower vase! Valued at $50.00, it measures about 12″ tall by 5″ wide. This vase is truly gorgeous and it is my pleasure to give it to one fortunate reader of La Bella Vita Cucina.

When I was in graduate school, I went on a study tour to Oaxaca, Mexico where the culture is rich, the shopping is unique, the weather is divine in January, the food is fresh and sublime, the air is filled with aromas of open-air markets, and the famous hand-made native crafts are beautiful!

Within one suitcase, I packed an extra empty ‘expandable’ suitcase, courtesy of my parents who know how much I like to buy authentic, local, native, and indigeneous, hand-made crafts from every spot on earth that I visit. In this 4 foot high suitcase, I stuffed my treasures of Mexican pottery, woven blankets, jewelry, kitchen linens, food products, and hand-blown glass!

Included in that suitcase, I brought home this beautiful cobalt blue glass vase. This is the real deal and is directly from an artisan’s hands in Oaxaca, Mexico.

The winner of this beautiful cobalt vase was Kathy B.P. of New York, #383 out 414 entries on Rafflecopter and was selected randomly by the Rafflecopter software. The vase was shipped to her in May, 2013.

Other delicious Mexican recipes that you may enjoy include:

Fabulous Spicy Chili

Absolutely Awesome Guacamole

Black Bean Salsa

Tres Leches Cake

Sangria

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and subscribe to my blog to receive e-mail notices of any new posts and recipes! I’d love to follow you in return.

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Bucatini all’Amatriciana

2013-05-12T21:52:46Z

A classic Roman sauce, “Amatriciana” is named after the nearby town of Amatrice, Italy. This sauce in “Bucatini allAmericana” is pure simplicity with an intense flavor all blended together and gets its robust gusto from only a handful of ingredients. Numerous interpretations for this recipe abound, but every version always includes perfectly red, sun-ripened Italian tomatoes, pancetta or guanciale, onions, garlic, and a sprinkle of fiery hot peperoncini (hot red pepper flakes). Amatriciana sauce is traditionally served with bucatini, similar to spaghetti, but with a long hollow tube through the entire noodle.

Purists will only use guanciala that has until recently, been difficult to locate in the States. But I’ve provided a link on Amazon for you to purchase it from where Mario Batalli sources it for his restaurants. It’s pricy stuff, but you can freeze what you don’t use for later. I’ve also provided less expensive cuts through my Amazon store on the sidebar.

The reason for the preference for guanciale (that originated in the Roman Lazio region of Italy) is that it is a cut of pork that has significantly more marbling and fat therefore imparting a richer, more intense meaty flavor than pancetta. But good pancetta makes a nice substitute.

When preparing this sauce, make sure that you use the best imported San Marzano Italian tomatoes that you can find and a high quality pancetta or guanciale, each of which is like bacon on crack!

This is not exactly a heart-healthy recipe. But if you’re like us and believe that pork rules, than you’ll be just fine with some fat every now and then. Eat your cabbage soup the day after you splurge on this pasta!

My husband and I prefer recipes a bit more ‘amped up’, yet perfectly balanced, so I’ve added my usual embellishments that accomplishes extra flavor very nicely.

Although this is a typical dish found in Roman homes, ristoranti and trattorie, it was in Northern Italy where we first enjoyed Bucatini all’Amatriciana. For our last dinner at the home of my family in Modena, my cousin Silvia (who works full time outside her home) insisted that we stay for one more meal. Since she works, we felt that this was too much for her. But Silvia insisted and said that the pasta she was preparing was neither difficult or time-consuming, “Not to worry, stay for dinner before you get on the road and drive to Florence.”

A huge, gigantic platter of Pasta all’Amatriciana was graciously presented to us to enjoy. We devoured the pasta in a perfectly spiced sauce studded with bits of pancetta. We loved it and asked Silvia about the recipe. My mother and I simply could not get over the flavor that resulted from such a simple combination of ingredients! Nor could we get over how quickly she had dinner ready on the table for us!

Delicious, easy, and fast enough to pull off in less than an hour! Works for me! I always keep canned Italian tomatoes in my pantry, as well as pasta, so all I have to do is get the pancetta/guanciale and pick the fresh herbs from my garden right outside my kitchen. I’ll always buy a little more pancetta/guanciale to freeze (as I do with almost every food item that freezes) because we live so far out of town on the acreage. By doing this we keep our freezers constantly stocked so all I have to do is just pull something out when I need it after work.

For my version, I added some basil, rosemary, sage, Italian parsley and red wine . . . simply because my herb garden is ripe and ready to use. And I had a nice bottle of red wine given to me from a student in one of my classes whose Italian father produces a delicious family wine.

Totally irresistable and seductive!

Print

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

What You Need:
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
12 oz. pancetta or guanciale
1 onion, chopped
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. peperoncini (dried red pepper flakes)
2 Tbsp. red wine
28 oz. can San Marzano pureed tomatoes
freshly grated sea salt
freshly grated black pepper
2 tsp. sugar (or 1/2 cup shredded carrot)
2 large basil leaves
1 large sage leaf
1 sprig rosemary
1/4 cup Italian parsley, minced
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
1 lb. Bucatini pasta noodles
1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water
Garnish: minced Italian parsley and chopped sautéed pancetta (previously set aside)
Pass the grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiana)
Instructions
Heat a heavy sauce pan on the stove.
Add the olive oil and warm it up, but do not burn.
Add the chopped pancetta or guanciale; saute' for about 10 minutes until darkened.
Remove about 1/3 cup of the pancetta for garnishing later.
Add chopped onion, saute' until clear, about 5 minutes.
Add minced garlic and cook for another 5 minutes; watch closely and do not burn the garlic.
Add the peperonicin (red pepper flakes)
Add the wine.
Cook all of the above for about 5 minutes for the alcohol to cook out.
Add the tomatoes/tomato puree.
Season to taste with freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper.
Add sugar (or shredded carrots) sauce to the point that it is no longer bitter (taste, taste, taste).
Cook the sauce on a low simmer temperature until thick, about 15 - 20 minutes.
(Place a metal baking pan between the stove heat source and the pot of sauce so that the sauce does not burn while simmering).
Occasionally stirring the sauce to prevent sticking to the pan.
Meanwhile, fill a large, deep pot full of water and bring to a boil.
Add about 2 Tbsp. salt to the water.
When boiling, place the bucatini pasta into the hot water and cook until 'al dente' (about 10 minutes)
Strain the pasta, but KEEP about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and add to the tomato sauce to desired level of thickness.
Garnish with some of the sautéed pancetta that was set aside earlier.
Garnish with some minced Italian parsley for a pretty addition of green color.
Pass the grated Pecorino-Romano cheese around to guests.
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Just look at this beautiful pancetta!

Slice the pancetta into 1/4″ thick slices (or have your butcher do this for you).

Then slice the pancetta into 1/4″ wide strips.

Chop up the strips of pancetta.

Saute’ pancetta in the olive oil.

Add the onions, saute’ and add the peperoncini (red pepper flakes).

Set aside about 1/3 cup of sauteed pancetta for garnishing later.

Add chopped garlic, rosemary, sage, and basil.

Add the pureed San Marzano tomatoes.

Blend all ingredients thoroughly.

Finally, add the chopped Italian parsley to give the sauce a lovely green accent and additional flavor!

Simmer on the stove for about 20 – 30 minutes. The sauce should be THICK, not runny, thin or liquidy. When you strain the pasta, pour about a half cup of the pasta water into the sauce. There will also be a little bit of water in the tubular pasta. This adds flavor and a little more thickener for the sauce.

Enjoy! This is a very hearty, filling pasta that I hope you will try!

Garnish with the chopped pancetta that you previously set aside.
Sprinkle a little more chopped Italian parsley over the pasta and sauce.
Pass the Pecorino-Romano cheese around to your guests.

Below is another recipe using the bucatini pasta noodle with a red pepper sauce that is especially great for those who prefer to eat less or no meat in their nutrition:

Bucatini with Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Sauce

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and subscribe to my blog to receive e-mail notices of any new posts and recipes! I’d love to follow you in return.

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