Peaches and Pluots

Menu
Grilled Ribeye
Truffled Wild Mushrooms over Whipped White Beans
Spring Greens with Grilled Peaches and Pluots, Bleu Cheese and Balsamic Glaze

My husband bought enormous ribeyes to grill for dinner.  Thankfully the thunderstorms cleared so that we could grill our meal. As you know we have a ton of fresh fruit that I need to incorporate this week so tonight I added peaches and pluots to our salad.

Spring Greens with Grilled Peaches and Pluots

I used the salad I made on Father's Day as a base and then added a few twists to come up with this version.  In a serving bowl, drizzle spring greens with a little grapeseed oil and add the balsamic glaze.  To make the balsamic glaze simply add 1/2 balsamic vinegar to a pan and cook on medium-low heat until the vinegar boils. Once boiling, lower the heat and let simmer until it thickens. Let the glaze cool before adding it to the salad. Add pieces of grilled peaches and pluots.  Be sure you let the fruit cool before adding it to the salad otherwise you will wilt the lettuce. To grill the fruit sprinkle slices with a little brown sugar, grill on direct heat for approximately 2 minutes. Add chunks of Bleu Cheese.  I highly recommend getting the Point Reyes Bleu Cheese, it is divine. Toss ingredients together.

Truffled Wild Mushrooms over Whipped White Beans
I got this recipe a few years ago from one of the flyers at Whole Foods. It is so good.  It's actually a vegan recipe for anyone interested. Clearly we are not vegan since we ate this with a big ribeye.  We have had this as a side dish a number of times but its also a great main dish with a nice salad.  It's a great substitute for a side of mashed potatoes! Last night I had cremini mushrooms on-hand so I used those rather than going to buy some wild mushrooms.  This recipe was apparently in the Vegetarian Times if you would like to see the nutritional information.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 medium leek, white and pale green parts chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 lb. wild mushrooms, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp. truffle oil

Directions

1. Heat 1 tsp. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in beans, broth, garlic and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer bean mixture to food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Return to skillet, cover and keep warm.
2. Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in medium skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté 8 minutes, or until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley.
3. Spoon whipped bean mixture into shallow bowls. Top with equal portions of mushrooms. Drizzle each serving with 1/2 tsp. truffle oil, and serve.

I am not sure who my husband thought he was feeding when he purchased the steaks. They were delicious but boy were they insanely big. Needless to say I have leftovers.

This meal was rated 4 asparagus spears

Father's Day Dinner

Menu
Baby Back Ribs
Grilled Corn
Nanny's Baked Beans
Peach, Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad

My husband was quite excited when I mentioned to him that I would make ribs for dinner tonight. He even did some research on how to turn his grill into a smoker to help slow cook the ribs so they would be nice and tender.  So as I was making the rub this morning I felt a little pressure, especially since I was literally taking "a bit of this and a dash of that" and throwing it all into a bowl.  Thank goodness they turned out well!  The nice thing about the ribs was they didn't need too much attention for long periods of time so Chris was still able to watch golf! Thank you for being the grill master :)

Baby Back Ribs
When I initially started making the rub I intended for it to be a dry rub and then somewhere along the way I decided to switch it up and it became more of a marinade.

Combine the following into a bowl, mix together well
1/4 cup brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3/4 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon dry yellow mustard
2 tablespoons Hula Girl Coffee rub
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
the zest and juice of 2 navel oranges

I had 3 racks of ribs and this was more than enough to cover them on both sides.  Using a basting brush cover the ribs liberally with the rub.  Place on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap  Let sit in fridge for approximately 3 hours prior to cooking.  I would have liked to have had them marinade a little longer but we had a baby that did not want to take a morning nap today so kitchen time was limited.

The ribs were grilled on a low heat (between 225 and 250 degrees on a charcoal grill) for 2.5 hours and then wrapped in aluminum foil and kept in a warming drawer for about 45 minutes while the corn was grilled.  Right before we were ready to eat my husband put the ribs back on the grill for about 20 minutes on a high heat and brushed them lightly with Archer Farms Hawaiian-Style Barbecue Sauce.

Grilled Corn

Remove silk and the outer layer of husk from corn.  Be sure to leave enough of the husk so the corn is not exposed. Let corn soak in water for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from water and add a small pad of butter to the inside of the husk.  Make sure husk is covering corn fully and wrap ear tightly in aluminum foil.  Grill on indirect high heat (about 450 degrees for approximately 45 minutes to an hour). Rotate occasionally.


Nanny's Baked Beans
When I called my grandma, Nanny, the other night to get her baked bean recipe I realized she must be where I get my "a bit of this and a dash of that" cooking style from.  When I asked her for the recipe she said you know me I just add stuff until it tastes right, I don't measure anything.  As result the recipe is a bit vague.
Brown 1 pound of ground beef with a diced small onion. Drain grease.
Use two of the large cans of baked beans ( I used the Bush's Best Original Baked Beans) drain the liquid
Combine the ground beef and canned beans with some dark molasses (I used 1/3 cup), a little bit of Karo Dark Corn Syrup ( I used 1 tablespoon), a little yellow mustard (I used 1 tablespoon) and some brown sugar until tastes right.
Bake on 350 for approximately one hour to an hour and fifteen minutes.
I didn't take a picture of these but I can assure you they were delicious as usual!

Peach, Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad

I came across this salad when I was researching recipes for using the contents of our first veggie bushel.  You can find the recipe on williams-sonoma.com, Peach, Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad.

One note I would add to the recipe is to be sure you let the peaches cool off before adding them to the salad otherwise it melts the cheese and wilts the arugula some.  Either way though it was quite tasty!

Thanks to my mother-in-law for making a delicious white chocolate cheesecake with a strawberry and blueberry sauce for dessert.  One thing you will learn from reading my blog is that I have a lot of work to do on my baking skills.  I think the need for exact measurements for baking is my downfall!



I hope my husband enjoyed himself today and had a nice 1st Father's Day with his family! I know S enjoyed hanging out with Da-Da today:)

When I asked Chris what his rating was for tonight's dinner he said "I grilled it so I give it a six!".