summer salad daze

Whoever came up with the phrase "lazy hazy days of summer" was nuts. Hazy perhaps, but lazy? Not around here!

Lonesome Road Studio is a bit of a late bloomer this year regarding summer shows and markets (nothing like waiting until the hottest part of the year to emerge from hibernation!) and will be kicking off a short summer show season with the new Downtown LaSalle Canal Market on Saturday, July 28th. In the midst of all the preparations for shows, our garden has come alive as well and we're currently up to our eyeballs in cucumbers. Lazy? No way!

Typically I make cucumber salads with a more savory-salty flavor, but this year I experimented a bit with a dressing that I used earlier for a classic spinach and strawberry salad. I discovered that this sweet and tangy dressing was also a great match for cucumber slices and we've been enjoying it in abundance.

Simply combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Shake in a jar or whisk briskly to dissolve the sugar completely. Then, add 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I prefer to use a light sunflower oil for this dressing. You can use olive oil but I like the lighter taste of the sunflower oil, and I hate waiting for refrigerated olive oil dressings to "unthicken." I also like to experiment with different types of balsamic vinegars and found that using a raspberry-infused white balsamic vinegar is wonderful with salads featuring fruit.

If you're in the LaSalle, Illinois area, come and visit me at the Downtown LaSalle Canal Market! I heard a rumor that The Olive Gallery will be there also - could be dangerous for me. Having a bit of a vinegar obsession, I'm hoping that they'll bring their Coconut White Balsamic Vinegar to the Market - doesn't that sound wonderful? Their Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar is already on the Lonesome Road shelf - decadent, delicious and so different, and it also makes a wonderful vinaigrette for spinach and strawberry salad! So, you might just see a lot more wildly experimental salad dressing recipes here at the Lonesome Road kitchen blog... what better time than during the salad daze of summer?

Homemade Corned Beef part 2

Here's how that wonderful

homemade corned beef turned out!

Cook the corned beef after brining for at least five days and up to ten days (see previous recipe here). Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Drain the meat and discard the brine. Place the brined brisket in a covered baking dish with water up to 3/4 of the sides of the meat. Add 4 small cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon whole cloves. Cover and place in oven to cook low and slow for about three hours (it depends on the size of your brisket).

Add traditional vegetables if you wish (potatoes, cabbage, carrots, etc.). They will taste absolutely fabulous after cooking in this liquid. To serve, slice corned beef brisket against the grain and surround with vegetables. And don't forget to make enough to have reuben sandwiches also!

Homemade Corned Beef

Above: "uncured" corned beef brisket, after five days of brining and just about ready to simmer to perfection.

With a little planning, you can prepare the best corned beef you'll ever eat - homemade. It's just as simple as buying a prepared corned beef brisket at a store, and much better. Nitrate-free corned beef is technically "uncured." This recipe uses none of the chemicals that make corned beef pink, it is much healthier (and tastes better, in my opinion!). Start preparing this at least five days ahead of time, up to seven to ten days.

This recipe uses a four to five pound beef brisket (if your brisket is larger, simply double the ingredients). There is always much discussion about which cut is better to use, the point or the flat. Generally the point cut has more fat and will result in a very tender brisket, but as it should be, this brisket is cooked low and slow and will come out delicious whichever cut you use. The flat cut is easier to find in an average store, and, you could eliminate the problem altogether by buying the entire brisket. Just something to think about, especially if you really like corned beef!

In a saucepan, combine:

1 quart water

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar (I used raw sugar)

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 pinch ground cloves

Heat slowly and be sure that sugar and salt are completely dissolved in the liquid. Allow to cool completely then pour into a resealable plastic bag.

Add the four to five pound beef brisket,

plus three large cloves of garlic, sliced,

seal, and place in a glass dish (in case of leakage) and refrigerate at least five days, up to 10 days.

Tomorrow I'll publish the recipe for the simmering liquid and a photo of the finished corned beef brisket!

January is National Soup Month, part 2 - albóndigas soup with chicken-chorizo meatballs

Delectable little meatballs made with chicken and chorizo, plus fresh carrots and zucchini in a tomato broth richly flavored with garlic, cumin and oregano... toss in some rice and you've got a healthy and delicious soup that everyone will love!

Albóndigas are meatballs and can be made with whatever you like: beef or beef mixed with pork is commonly used, and usually the meatballs are added right to the soup and simmered until cooked through. I've changed things up a bit and used ground chicken in place of the beef, and the albóndigas are browned separately before adding to the soup. This method works nicely because I've also added chorizo to the chicken albóndigas for incredible flavor. We all know how much fat chorizo can exude; best to leave that in the skillet and not have it floating in greasy puddles on top of your beautiful soup (or in your arteries). After making the albóndigas, the rest of the soup comes together easily. While you're standing around making the albóndigas anyway, enjoying the therapeutic effect of leisurely preparing slow food, why not double up on the ingredients and make two batches, one to use for today's soup and another to freeze? Ground chicken is often sold in one pound packages and chorizo in eight ounce links, making it incredibly sensible to make twice the amount and save half for a later time. You'll be glad that you did!

Finally, albóndigas soup can be appealing to all family members by shredding some of the vegetables. This not only effectively "hides" some of the veggies but it also makes a thicker soup. If you like a thinner, more brothy soup, the carrots and zucchini can be sliced or cubed. But if you're looking to surreptitiously stuff nutrient-rich veggies into picky eaters, try shredding the carrots and zucchini then adding to the soup. The self-proclaimed veggie-haters will never realize the bounty they're consuming, and the soup will also be more substantial without being full of empty calories and fillers.

Try this; I think you'll like it.

Start out by preparing the albóndigas (meatballs). Combine the following ingredients thoroughly and brown in a large skillet, in batches, until browned:

1/2 pound ground chicken ~ 1/4 pound chorizo ~ 1/4 cup shredded zucchini ~ 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro ~ 1/4 teaspoon salt ~ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin ~ 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Remember to keep an eye on the albóndigas as they're browning because chorizo can burn really, really quickly when you're not paying attention. And once they're done, try not to keep nibbling on them. They're really hard to resist. *wink*

For the rest of the soup, you'll need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

7 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

12 drops chipotle hot sauce and 3/4 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring, OR 1 canned chipotle chili plus 1 teaspoon sauce

(I go with the hot sauce method; too many times I've used one or two of the chipotles and wasted the rest of the can, unfortunately.)

2 small carrots, shredded (or sliced thinly, if you prefer)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 medium zucchini, grated (or sliced thinly, if you prefer)

1/4 cup uncooked rice

In a large soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in the oil, with the cumin and oregano, until onion is transparent. Pour in the broth and crushed tomatoes, the hot sauce + liquid smoke (or chipotle chili), carrots and salt. Bring to a boil then turn down heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the browned albóndigas, zucchini, and rice and simmer for another 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

I like to serve this with a heap of fresh cilantro leaves because I just love the stuff - but I do know that not everyone is so enamored with the flavor. Julienned carrot and/or zucchini adds a colorful touch, and homemade fried corn tortilla strips add a welcome crunch.

If you prefer a more beefy flavor, albóndigas soup can be prepared using ground beef and beef broth. Try adding roasted corn to the soup, as well as poblano chili slivers, and change up the recipe with a handful of fideos or other quick-cooking noodles. The choice is yours!

Makes six servings.