prosciutto

Yesterday was the first day of summer; the longest and most wonderful day of the year. The solstice begins a series of long days! Since we are so far north it can remain light up to 10:30pm. We were charmed by perfect weather, not always the case on June 21st in Seattle! We worked in the yard most of the day; weeding, trimming, mowing, sweeping. Feeling inspired and motivated, we tore into our garden shed. The shed was in total disarray and begging for reorganization. By disarray, I mean knowing you have string for the weed whacker, a washer for the sprinkler, twine for the tomatoes; but cannot find any of it! With hooks replaced, tools rehung, gloves, hand tools, washers, sprinklers and clippers all sorted and placed in bins the shed has returned to a state of organized usefulness! We pinky swore we would keep it that way! Rewarding ourselves, we relaxed on the patio for a couple of hours; listening to music and drinking in the beauty of the day.

It was (all too) soon time for dinner. Armed with my bounty from the farmers market and a piece of Copper River Salmon, dinner was quick and easy. I knew I wanted to use my peas, fava beans, and garlic scapes, somehow. Catching up on my favorite blogs in the afternoon, I came across a dish posted by Aran Goyoaga at Canelle et Vanille: Fava and Peas with Prosciutto and Fried Egg. Not really a salad and not really a vegetable, it was more of a first course. The dish was exactly what I was looking for. I modified the recipe to include tiny, new potatoes. The dish would be a wonderful meal on its own, and was also perfect with the grilled salmon.

I prepped the peas and the fava beans the day before. If you have never worked with fava beans, there are a couple of steps. First, remove the beans from their velvety outer jacket.

Next, blanch the beans for about 30 seconds in a pot of boiling water, and immediately place in ice water. This makes it easier to remove the white, outer shell from the bean. Remove the outer layer and set aside.

Shell the peas and set aside. Can you tell Dave shelled and photographed the peas?

For the Fava and Peas with Potato, Prosciutto and Fried Egg

Adapted from the original recipe Canelle et Vanille: Fava and Peas with Prosciutto and Fried Egg.

About 1 pound of Fava Beans, shelled, blanched and peeled

About 1 pound of English peas, shelled

4-6 tiny, new potatoes (not in original recipe)

3 tablespoons of olive oil, plus additional for frying the eggs

1 small leek, cleaned and sliced, white parts only

5-6 garlic scapes, or 2 finely sliced garlic cloves if you do not have scapes

4 slices prosciutto or Serrrano

2 eggs

1 cup watercress, – I had arugula which I used instead

Chopped mixed herbs, I used parsley and tarragon

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the fava beans and peas about 2 minutes. Remove and drain in a colander.

Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until a sharp knife can easily be inserted, about 10 minutes. Drain and slice in half.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan. Sauté the leeks and scapes (or garlic) until soft, but not brown. Add the fava, peas and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté to warm through and to ensure all vegetables are coated with the oil. Set aside and prepare two fried eggs.

When ready to plate, place the vegetables on a plate of arugula (or watercress). Top with the prosciutto and fried eggs. Garnish with the chopped herbs. I also added some sliced radishes at this stage.

A perfect summer meal and a perfect summer day. Cheers to many more!

This is one of Dave’s all time favorites, usually reserved for special occasions. In honor of Dave getting in three dog walks between storms on Saturday, I made Chicken Cordon Bleu for dinner! Yes it was the same day I made the Apple Blackberry pies. And yes, I was in the kitchen all day… but what a lovely meal it was. Ingredients 1 chicken breast half, per serving 3 slices prosciutto, per serving 1/4 cup grated gruyere cheese, per serving 2 eggs 1 cup flour 1 cup Panko bread crumbs Salt and Pepper 1/2 cup regular bread crumbs 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup Brandy, per two servings Cooking twine for tying the rolls up Parsley for garnish. Rice pilaf and vegetable du jour for serving. Pound the chicken to about 1/4 inch thick. I do this in a bag of seasoned flour, as it contains the mess. Place the prosciutto on the flattened chicken breast. Add the shredded cheese. (Shredding the cheese makes them easier to roll up.) Roll the chicken up, from the longer edge. Tie it up with the twine, rolled roast style. There is a great video by Epicurious on the technique, here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbMsXEz_LtE. We could not get a good shot of this process, unfortunately. Heat the oven to 350′. Break the 2 eggs into a bowl that will fit the chicken rolls. Add 1/4 cup of water to the eggs, mix well with a fork. Mix the Panko and regular bread crumbs together on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the rolled and tied chicken into the flour, then the egg wash and then the seasoned bread crumbs. Heat the butter and olive oil on low heat in an oven-proof skillet. Brown the chicken rolls slowly on all sides. Once the chicken is brown, add the brandy and flambé by tipping the pan toward the stove flame. Cook until the flames go out. (If you do not have a gas range, ignite the brandy with a lighter.) Place in the pre-heated oven to finish cooking, about 20 minutes. Prepare your rice pilaf and vegetable while chicken cooks. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Cut the twine with kitchen scissors and remove. Slice the chicken rolls, plate with the rice and vegetable, garnish with parsley and Enjoy!

First Day of Summer!

Chicken Cordon Bleu!