Thayer in the Kitchen

This is an Iranian recipe from the cookbook, World on a Plate by Mina Holland.  We used the book for one of our Books for Cooks meetings.  For the most part we didn't particularly like the book.  I made this dish and made a number of adaptations.  We all thought it was very good.  It was supposed to be served with chelow rice which seemed too complicated and I substituted some naan that I bought at Whole Foods. Holland said the barbarries can be purchased at Middle Eastern grocers, however Madison doesn't have any Middle Eastern grocery stores.  I ordered mine from Amazon. 1 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup olive or sunflower oil 2 medium onions, thinly sliced sea salt 2# boneless, skinless chicken thighs Penzey's pepper 2 large oranges 1-2 large pinches of saffron 1/4 - 1/3 cup of dried barberries, rehydrated 1/4 cup of sliced toasted almond to garnish (optional)  actually I forgot to add the nuts Strain the yogurt through a strainer lined with...

This is a recipe that I found on the New York Times cooking website and have adapted somewhat.  In this case it is not a healthier dish than the original but it is delicious and easy! 2 tablespoons butter (divided) 1 cup full fat ricotta cheese 2 cups 1/2 and 1/2 1/4 pound cream cheese 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard Pinch cayenne (these are both optional--I actually forgot them) Pinch nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I used Hook's white cheddar) 1/2 pound elbow macaroni (I used 2 different whole wheat pastas and it came out fine) 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease a 9 inch square baking pan.  In a blender, puree ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/2 and 1/2, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, and pepper.  In a large bowl, combine all but 1/4 cup of the grated cheese, the liquid mixture and uncooked pasta.  Pour into the prepared pan.  Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for a few hour...

This is a recipe I adapted from a PBS food blog Fresh Tastes by Adrianna Adarme.  My husband loved it and thought it made a great breakfast. Apple Mixture:  1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 apples, peeled and diced  1 tablespoon brown sugar  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Note:  I substituted 1-1/4 tsp. Oatmeal Spice from Just Spices (justspices.com) Oatmeal:  2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup slivered almonds + a handful more for the top  1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 cups milk or almond milk (I used a combination of both) 1 large egg 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup fresh cranberries (frozen is fine too) Directions To make the apple mixture: In a small skillet, set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until apples have softened. Set aside.  ...

In the summer we seem to get inundated with cucumbers.  This is another good way to use some of them.  It makes a good first course for a meal or a light lunch. Soup 1 medium cucumber peeled and seeded (about 11 ounces) 2 cups plain Greek style yogurt 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt pepper to taste Puree the cucumber, yogurt, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Garnish or Salad Topping 16 grape tomatoes cut in quarters or about 1 cup of chopped tomatoes 1 small cucumber, peeled and diced 1/2 cup either fresh or frozen (defrosted) corn kernels 2 green onions, sliced thinly 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon sunflower or olive oil salt and pepper 1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves Combine.  Top each bowl of soup with some of the salad topping. Adapted from The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet by Barbara Rolls

These are delicious light blueberry pancakes with lots of berries that are easy to make.  If the batter seems too thick, add a bit more buttermilk. We got 10# of delicious blueberries from a Michigan blueberry cooperative organized by a generous neighbor in Madison who ordered 2000#!  We kept 5# and shared the other 5# with my daughter.  It didn't take us long to go through our 5#. 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups buttermilk 2 large eggs 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 1/2 cups blueberries Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.  Crack the eggs into the buttermilk.  Pour the slightly cooled melted butter into the other liquid ingredients and whisk everything together.  Do not over beat.  Some lumps are fine.  ...

This is the time of the year that many of us find ourselves with lots of zucchini and yellow summer squash.  I'm never unhappy to find lots of it in my CSA box because you can do so many different things with it.  I know that the latest thing is zucchini noodles.  I don't have a vegetable spiralizer yet.  Maybe something I'll need to get?  These squash cakes are good for breakfast as well as other meals.  The recipe came from Madison Magazine. 1-2 tablespoons of sunflower oil or oil of your choice for frying the cakes 2 cups shredded zucchini or yellow summer squash 3/4 to 1 cup corn (I used frozen corn) you could use 1-2 ears of fresh corn kernels 1/2 cup finely diced red onion (I used a white onion from our farm) 2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced)  It is only available for a short time of the year.  It is milder than the cured garlic and must be refrigerated or it will get moldy. 1/2 cup organic cornmeal 1/...

This is a delicious dessert utilizing rhubarb.  If you don't happen to have enough mangoes, peaches or nectarines work well in this recipe as well.  I happened to have a little homemade peach ice cream that my son-in-law had made to serve with it.  It would also be good with store bought ice cream, whipped cream or vanilla yogurt. Rhubarb & Mango Filling 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2-3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces (I only had 2 cups) 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, cored and cubed (I also added I ripe nectarine, peeled, pitted and cubed) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Grated zest of 1 lemon Combine sugar and cornstarch.  Add fruit, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Toss to combine and set aside. Butter or pan spray for baking dish.  I used a 9" x 9" square pan. Topping 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened grated coconut (yo...