Had a bunch of orange bell peppers and came up with a stuffed pepper that’s surprisingly light and very flavorful with pleasing texture. It’s creamy but not really creamy and I used some of the very flavorful cooking water from a pan of corn I cooked in the oven instead of more butter or cream. This is an easy recipe to prepare. Just throw everything in the oven and let the oven do the work. The size of the peppers I used may differ from yours so we might be a difference in servings. I used medium sized bell peppers.

Ingredients for about 9 servings

9 orange bell peppers – tops cut off and seeds and membrane removed – (you can use whatever color you want but they all taste different) (you should trim the tops and save the pepper and use)

3 brown skin potatoes (not large but good medium sized…my potatoes were about  7-8 oz each)

1 1/2  teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

5 corn ears (I cooked 5 but only used about 2 1/2 ears of corn….if you cook less corn the water that you use latter won’t be as flavorful)

2 teaspoons course sea salt

2 oz sweet butter

1/2 cup cooking water from corn

1 1/2 oz fired roasted hatch chile – stem, seeds, most of skin and core removed -chopped

1/2 roasted red bell pepper – stem, seeds, skin and core removed – chopped

1/2 roasted jalapeno – stem, seeds, core removed – chopped

3 1/2 oz pepper jack cheese – shredded

1/4 cup cilantro – chopped

1/4 cup scallions – chopped

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of white pepper

non stick canola or vegetable spray

Directions

Set oven at 350 degrees F

Wash potatoes well then dry well. Prick them all over with a fork. Rub the potatoes with oil and place on baking sheet.

Place peppers upside down on baking sheet that was lightly sprayed with non  stick spray.

Put peeled corn in a pan or baking dish and add water to cover the corn by about about three quarters. Add 2 teaspoon salt and the butter. Cover pan with foil.

Place the potatoes, the cut bell peppers and corn in the oven.

In one hour the peppers should be wrinkled but still have body to them. (you should check the potatoes but in my oven they needed another 1/2 hour. Potatoes will have a slightly wrinkled skin.

At one and one half hours or thirty minutes latter the corn will be very fragrant and should be done with the potatoes.

When corn is cool enough to handle remove from cob. Use two and a half cobs and put the rest in your refrigerator or freezer for something else.

When the potatoes are still warm but cool enough to handle then you peel the skin off. On my potatoes I was able to just pull the skin off. Place in a large bowl and mash by hand with a potato masher. Add warm corn water, white and black pepper, hatch pepper, red pepper, jalapeño, corn, cheese, cilantro and scallions. Mix gently with a spoon and try not to bust up the corn all the way. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Fill peppers tight as you can with the potato mixture and place each filled pepper in a non stick sprayed pan.

The filled peppers will take about one hour until they get some color on the top.

I chilled this pan and latter reheated two peppers for dinner.

They came out scrumptious! Forking yummy!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa is delicious on grilled meats and on tortillas. The Tomatillo is related to the Gooseberry and looks like a green tomato but comes in a husk you have to peel off.  Tomatillo do differ in flavor as some are very sweet and some have little flavor. Sometimes you get them when the husk is still green and fresh and seals the tomatillo completely. Most of the time the husk is very dry and comes with dirt inside. Either way you should peel and wash the tomatillos. This recipe is easy to prepare but involves  cleaned up peppers that are roasted, peeled with the seeds and stems of all the peppers removed. The produce always differs in flavor so some adjustments are to be expected.

Ingredients for about 10 servings

5 lbs tomatillos – husk removed, washed, cut in quarters

1 lb sweet onions – chopped

12 garlic cloves – shredded

1 Tablespoon oil (I used canola)

4 oz poblano pepper – roasted, cleaned, chopped

6 oz hatch chili – roasted, cleaned chopped

2 oz jalapeno chili – roasted, cleaned chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro – chopped

1/2 cup scallions – chopped

5 epazote leaves – torn very small (skip this if you don’t have it or use a pinch of very finely chopped fresh oregano)

1 Tablespoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cumin

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions

Turn the oven to 425 degrees F

Put the tomatillos on sheet pan (s) and keep in the oven about an hour or until the tomatoes are somewhat charred.

While the Tomatillos are roasting……

Put on a sauce pot on medium high heat and add the oil. When it’s hot add the onions and when they start to look cooked add the garlic and continue to cook till onions are translucent.

Turn down the heat to medium low.

Add all the peppers.

It should be aromatic by now.

Around now or soon the tomatillos are done.

Add them to the pot.

Add all dry spices and simmer about a half an hour. Stir occasionally.

Shut the heat off and add the fresh herbs and lime juice.

Taste and adjust.

This is a bright light salsa…The sweetness of the Tomatillos cuts all the heat from the hot peppers.

 

 

 

I was inspired to create this dish after dining at Deseo Latin Restaurant in Scottsdale AZ. Deseo’s version was different but some of the flavors that stood out to me are in this dish. I did write about this dish before about three years ago but at the time didn’t actually post a recipe. Everyone who has tried this dish in my house said that it was very good and delicious! This is a very easy mostly one pot recipe.

Ingredients for about 6 servings.

1 lb red lentils – washed and inspected

1 bunch rainbow chard – cleaned – leaves torn off in pieces from stems and stems chopped

12 oz roasted tomatoes (or canned whole with puree is fine…over 12 oz works too)

1/2 sweet onion – chopped

3 garlic cloves – chopped fine

4 cups vegetable stock (or slightly more if you want it thinner)

17 dates – pit removed and chopped

1/2 cup almonds – skinless is preferred

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (1/2 in the beginning with the onions and the other half with the almonds)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Nora pepper ( you probably don’t have Nora Pepper and the second choice would be Aleppo pepper that is very similar…both are fruity pepper with very mild heat…Nora pepper is slightly smoky. If you don’t have either Nora or Aleppo pepper just add a pinch of paprika and a little bit of any pepper you like to taste)

7 oz manchego  cheese – shredded

Directions

Two Tablespoons of olive oil on medium high in a pot. In few minutes the onions will be transparent and then add rainbow chard stems. Keep it going another minute or two till chard stems are soft and then stir in garlic. Now stir in rainbow chard till wilted. (about a minute). Remove from pot and put to the side.

To pot on medium high heat add stock, tomatoes, black pepper,  lentils and bring to boil. Now reduce to simmer till lentils are soft. (about 1/2 hour or so)

Set oven to 300 degrees F.

During this time toast your almonds. On a sheet pan drizzle a Tablespoon of olive oil on the pan and add almonds. Drizzle another Tablespoon all over the almonds and put pan in oven till almonds got a butterscotch color. (Around 20 minutes)

Add remaining ingredients and almonds when they are done. Stir in cheese last.

Taste for seasoning adjustments and adjust if needed.

You will find this dish unique and delicious. Maybe the most delicious lentils you’ve ever tried!

#crowdpleaser

 

 

 

These are those OMG Mashed Potatoes with Hatch Chile and Cheddar Cheese. I had no idea that many people have trouble making mashed potatoes. This past Thanksgiving I saw on the news that the most looked up recipe on the internet in Phoenix AZ was mashed potatoes. Who Knew! I happen to have a few tricks for better tasting mashed potatoes. I infuse the boiling potatoes with garlic, onion and a hot pepper…(for this recipe I used a jalapeño) and sea salt. For Thanksgiving I do rice the potatoes but here I just hand mashed the potatoes, seasoned them perfect and added cheese and fire roasted Hatch Chile till it tasted perfect. The Hatch Chile is popular in the fall time here in the South West. People that live here where the New Mexican pepper Hatch Chile is sold stock up on them for year round cooking. I find that the flavor of them is just right now for all your cooking needs as the Hatch Chiles I purchased in the fall were incredibly fiery hot and now they are toned down and just delicious!

Ingredients for about 12 servings

3 lbs potatoes – peeled – big ones cut in half. ( I like reds but either potato is fine)

1/2 onion – skin removed and leave whole (just for boiling with potatoes)

3 garlic cloves – (just for boiling with potatoes)

1 jalapeno – cut in half longways – (just for boiling with potatoes)

1 Tablespoon course sea salt (for boiling with potatoes)

2 teaspoons course sea salt – (for seasoning the mashed potatoes)

4 oz unsalted butter

1/2 pint heavy cream

1 cup xtra sharp aged cheddar cheese – shredded – (white cheese will look better)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

5 oz Fire Roasted Hatch Chiles – stem, seeds, and most of skin removed. – chopped -(******NOTE the amount of Hatch Chile may differ depending on how the heat is or how fresh or how long the chiles were in the freezer and also by your taste…) THIS REALLY MATTERS…..because the heat can be 10x hotter sometimes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Directions

Add potatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño and 1 Tablespoon of salt to your pot. Fill with water till the potatoes are covered well. Boil till fork tender. (about 10-15 minutes)

With a slotted spoon remove the potatoes to a colander and drain. Discard onion, garlic, jalapeño and water.

While your pot is hot melt the butter and add remaining spices. You can turn off or turn to low after butter is melted because the potatoes and the pot will remain hot and the rest goes by fast. Add the potatoes and mash with a hand masher. Add cream and mash more and then add cheese and mash more. Lastly add in the Hatch Chiles….(maybe not all at once so you can control the taste)

These Hatch Chile and Cheddar Cheese Mashed Potatoes are certainly a #Crowdpleaser (if you make the right call on how much hatch to add)

 

I got these beautiful locally grown Pink Lemons and Lemon Verbena from the Farmers Market so I thought of Lemon Verbena Water Ice since it’s already heating up in sunny Phoenix Arizona. It’s easy to make and comes out delicious, light and refreshing.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 bunch of lemon verbena – chop very fine about 1/2 a teaspoon and leave the rest whole

1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice plus all of the zest from the lemon grated ( I used 4 bigger and very juicy lemons)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

Directions

Bring the water and sugar to a boil with the lemon verbena (minus the 1/2 teaspoon of chopped)

Reduce to simmer and let it go about five minutes.

Turn off heat and let it sit till just warm.

Remove verbena branches and throw away the branches.

Pour sugar water in a freezable container. Add the lemon juice, zest, and 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped lemon verbena.

Set in freezer. Fluff about six or seven hours latter with a spoon. Over the course of the next fourteen hours you need to fluff the ice mixture up about three more times. I thought the texture becomes most perfect on day two after one day of sitting.

Enjoy! It’s really delicious! It’s the most refreshing water ice I ever tried!

 

This Chinese INSPIRED recipe is based on a Chinese Recipe vegetable recipe where all the vegetables are fried separately and then combined quickly in a stir fry. I tried this similar dish at Miu’s Cuisine that used to be in business in Tempe AZ. On Miu’s menu the dish was named #102 Triple Delicacy. All these years latter I keep remembering how delicious the combination of potatoes, eggplants and green bell peppers are. I do fry eggplants sometimes but I know that eggplants can absorb a great amount of oil so I opted to roast all the vegetables till I got them brown like fried. I then made the sauce and tossed them all together. The potatoes and bell pepper brown up very easy but the eggplant is a lot of work and would have been easier and much quicker to just fry. If you have a few hours you might want to give this recipe a try. After I whipped up this dish my husband ran into the kitchen and said the house smells like a Chinese Restaurant. What I came up with isn’t  Miu’s but it’s not oily  and does taste great!

Ingredients for about 4 servings

2 medium sized eggplants (I used regular eggplants) – peeled and cut into stir fry size pieces.

1 1/2 cups water

2 green bell peppers – core and stem removed – rough cut to bite size pieces

3 potatoes (I used 3 very large red potatoes) sliced about 1/4 in. thick big pieces cut in half

fresh ground sea salt ( a light sprinkle)

fresh ground black pepper ( a light sprinkle)

neutral non stick spray I used canola

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil

1 inch ginger – grated

4 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 teaspoon asian chili sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon corn starch

1 1/2 cups water

2 Tablespoons black vinegar

2 heads black garlic – peeled – cloves chopped.

1/2 cup scallions – chopped

Directions

set oven to 400 degrees F

Spray baking sheets with non stick spray.

The sheet with eggplant needs to be covered and water needs to be added to the pan about 1/2 way up the eggplant. This pan needs to be cooked covered for about an hour before it’s browned.

Put the eggplant, green pepper and potato sheet pans in the middle and lower racks of oven.

Check oven in 30 minutes. Green peppers are either done or close to done. Potatoes might need to be turned over to brown on other side for at least 15 minutes or so.

Take the potatoes and green peppers out when they look like this and give them a light hit of salt and pepper.

After an hour remove the cover on the eggplant and it should have brown water in the pan. The water is bitter and you need to dispose.

Now place the eggplant on the top rack and get it to brown slightly.

Flip them over and brown the other side.

Cover the vegetables and leave in a 200 degree oven till needed.

With a large fry pan on medium heat. In a small bowl combine 1 1/2 cups water and the corn starch. Mix well and put to the side. To the fry pan add the sesame oil. Once hot add ginger and garlic. then add chili sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, black vinegar now mix the cornstarch water and add to pan stirring. The sauce should thicken slightly and smell very aromatic. Turn down heat to low and add black garlic. Stir well leave on low heat a few minutes. Stir in the the vegetables. Add scallions and serve.

 

 

 

 

Macaroni and Cheese is pretty easy to prepare. I do some things different so I have a nice cheese sauce that doesn’t break. Some of the secrets to not breaking the sauce is to cook over medium – low heat most of the time. But it’s more about the ingredients. Most of the fat in the recipe should come from the cheese. You also have to use half or more mild cheese and slightly less than half xtra sharp cheese. This recipe contains delicious fired roasted Hatch Chile for a delicious kick! Don’t you dare use canned Hatch Chile……… because it will not taste similar. If you are in the Phoenix Area I do know that Fry’s and Walmart do sell frozen Hatch Chile. I haven’t tried them but they are recommended over canned.  I do note that you have to wing the amount of * Hatch Chile you add to the sauce because your peppers may not have the same heat and flavor as mine and your love of Hatch Chile may differ. I’m using these fire roasted Hatch Chile Peppers after they’ve been in my freezer since the fall and I think they are much more mellow now but still delicious. I note that when you make this kind of macaroni and cheese you add ONLY ABOUT HALF of the macaroni that you think you need because the pasta will drink up the sauce and the next day this will be very dry. I suggest to serve half a day latter or the next day after.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

2 cups cooked macaroni****** (or more) 2 cups is prefect if you are serving this latter or the next day because the pasta absorbs the liquid. Boil more if you are serving right away. – ( boil pasta for three minutes less than box suggest in salted water add the one Tablespoon of butter to the hot macaroni so it doesn’t stick)

1 1/2 cup xtra sharp aged cheddar cheese – shredded – packed really tight

1 1/2 cup Colby jack cheese  – shredded – packed really tight

4 oz fontina cheese – shredded

2 Tablespoons sweet butter – one Tablespoon for pasta so it doesn’t stick and the other for the cheese sauce

1/3 cup nonfat dry milk

1/3 cup flour

1 cup cold water

2 Tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce (Frank’s Red Hot is preferred)

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 lb *hatch chile peppers – fire roasted, seeds, stem and most of skin removed – chopped (* amount of hatch chile may differ depending on heat and your love for hatch chile)

2 tablespoons of i’itoi;s onions – green parts – chopped fine or you can substitute scallions – the i’itoi’s have a slightly shallot taste to them but are similar to scallions.

Directions

In a small mixing bowl combine dry milk and flour. Add water and mix well till the mixture is lump free.

In your sauce pot on medium high heat add the remaining one tablespoon butter and let it melt. After the butter is melted whip in the contents of the small bowl. Mix well and bring it to  bubble, let it bubble a little and then add the cheeses and TURN DOWN the heat to medium low. Stir and add in the hot sauce, paprika, cayenne and white pepper.

By this time turn the heat down again to low.

Now you add the hatch chile to your liking. I used around a pound that were very hot when I froze them. So you might want to start with a cup of chopped hatch and then taste and see what you think and add maybe a half cup more at a time till you think you have the hatch chile taste you like.

Shut the heat off and add the scallion or i’itoi’s onions and lastly add the macaroni. I prefer to let the macaroni set and to reheat latter.

Comes out Forking Delicious! I didn’t get to eat much of this one. My husband kept running back for more and was bummed when it was gone.

 

 

 

 

I picked up some really nice beets from the farmer’s market and I roasted them this time like the way you do carrots…but with the stems and part of the leaves on. (I used the bigger parts of the leaves for salads). A little water in the pan covered in a 350 degree F oven for about an hour.  I saw on a cooking show that the beets keep more flavor in if you leave the tops on when you cook them. I also heard that beets keep in more flavor when you roast them. These beets did come out very flavorful and very earthy. I read that Chestnuts pair with earthy flavors like mushrooms so I thought why isn’t anyone pairing beets with chestnuts?  I found out that beets do indeed pair very well with chestnuts…so I decided to make some sort of salad of the two together. I made a green garlic vinaigrette…(light on the e.v.o.o…..because that’s how I roll) and added other ingredients that I thought went together. The salad looked prettier on a dish or in bigger pieces more layered but I thought it was best tasting as a chopped salad so that’s how I prepared it.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 bunch green garlic – (washed cut in half and chopped. Place in water to remove dirt. Repeat as many times as necessary. Remove with a mesh ladle and put to the side)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more if desired)

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 bunch  beets (don’t use golden unless you boil them soft)

1 apple – chopped

1/2 oz fresh basil – chopped

7 oz vacuumed packed chestnuts (hard ingredient that’s only fresh one week a year here) – chopped (not too small)

1/4 sweet onion – chopped

3/4 oz fresh sage

2 oz sweet butter

2 Tablespoons canola oil

2 oz sharp hard Italian Cheese – shaved

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash your beets (yellow beets are not recommended for roasting because they oxidize from roasting and need to be boiled)  really well and if they are very large cut them in half. You can leave the leaves on if your not putting them in a salad. Place beets in pan with about a half inch of water and cover the pan. Roast till fork tender. (about an hour)

Allow to cool. When cool enough to handle peel beets and cut in desired shape. (something bite size)

In a large bowl combine the beets, basil, chestnuts and onion and put to the side.

In a small fry pan on medium heat add butter and 2 Tablespoons canola oil. When hot add the sage leaves. They crisp up fast. Remove leaves and place on paper towel to drain. Put to the side when done.

Add the apple to the flavored oil and quickly sauté the apple just for less than a minute just to pick up a little flavor. remove the apple pieces with a slotted or mesh spoon and add to the big bowl with beets.

Use the oil and add green garlic till soft about four minutes.

When the green garlic is cooler or just warm blend together the green garlic, sea salt, dijon, 1/4 cup olive oil, white vinegar, white pepper till smooth.

Add desired amount of dressing to portion of beet salad you are having and finish with sharp cheese and crisp sage leaves.

I thought of a better presentation. I should have presented on a flat plate and just made rows of everything. It taste delicious the way I made it in photo. You will be pleasantly surprised. Something different and original to do with beets.

 

 

 

 

 

These Kabocha Squash and Chestnut Gnocchi and Forking Delicious…….The Kabocha Squash is so sweet and chestnut- like tasting that they are meant to go together. So I combined some chestnut flour into the squash gnocchi and had some chestnuts cooking in the browning butter and the flavor really is off the charts great. I MUST ADMIT that this recipe is not recommended for people who are beginners at gnocchi making because these are harder to make than regular potato or cheese gnocchi. The squash doesn’t work as well with the flour and you might have trouble if your squash is too watery for this recipe to come out right. My squash was too hard for me to cut so I pierced it all over with a knife. Threw it on a pan with maybe 1/3rd of an inch of water at 400 degrees F. Covered the squash checked it at 45 minutes and it was still rock hard. It was a big kabocha. Checked every 15 minutes and it was “knife tender” not fork tender. At 90 minutes I got a knife tender kabocha.

The Squash should be cooked like this dry and not too moist or you have to make something else with it.

Ingredients for about 4 servings

1 cup mashed kabocha squash.

1 XL egg – slightly beaten

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 oz chestnut flour

3/4 cup ap  flour ( only up to 3/4 cup should start with 1/2 cup do a tester and work up if necessary )*

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

pinch nutmeg

pinch white pepper

1 Tablespoon kosher or sea salt – for boiling the gnocchi

4 oz sweet butter ( for sauce )

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ( for sauce )

5 oz chestnuts – roasted, peeled ( for sauce )

one bunch sage leaves – cleaned  ( to flavor butter and to top gnocchi with )

4 heaping Tablespoons ricotta cheese -preferably home made ( to finish plate of gnocchi )

Directions

In a large bowl with a for mix together the squash, egg and chestnut flour and let it sit on a counter for about thirty minutes.

While the squash mixture is sitting prepare the sauce.

In a sauce pan add the butter and olive oil. Once melted turn to medium high. let it go a few minutes and then add the chestnuts on one half of the pan . You can break them down a little with a spoon here if you want too.  Place the sage leaves on the other half of the pan. When sage leaves are crisp remove and let drain on a towel. When the chestnuts are lightly browned remove them. Let the butter go till it looks a little lighter than caramel. Take off heat and leave to the side.

Put on a sauce pot to medium boil with a tablespoon of water. Tie some kitchen string to a handle. The string cuts the gnocchi like so. But be careful not to catch the string on fire.

In the squash mixture bowl you need to add the remaining ingredients of balsamic, *flour (read note at flour ingredients), 1 teaspoon sea salt, nutmeg, white pepper and brown sugar. Mix well.

Snip disposable pastry bag, fold and fill like picture.

Twist end.

Apply pressure and cut gnocchi off with string.

Gnocchi will float in about a minute. Let them cook about a minute after floating.

Scoop them out with a slotted spoon into a dish and top with a little bit of the butter from the pan and shake the dish so the gnocchi get buttered. Don’t worry about pasta water getting mixed in because you want that! It’s better that way.

Refill pastry bag and repeat.

Add the chestnuts. Top with sage and a dab of ricotta.

Forking Delicious!

 

 

 

 

I watched Lidia Bastianich on her TV Show on PBS Cooking with Lidia making this incredible sounding Crostata. It is a bit of work. Lidia recommends to make your own ricotta cheese and I’m totally understand that so that’s ok for me. The taste is not the same if you purchase the cheese. It doesn’t compare. You also need a lot of zucchini and a lot of scallions. Lidia recommends to make the dough with a food processor. I find the recipe is very good and you can make the dough by hand like I did……Also a  baking stone is also recommended to get the bottom of the crust brown. The only issue I had with the recipe is that it doesn’t contain pepper. In my mind the recipe should have some pepper in it but I didn’t want to change the recipe so I finely chopped 4 Calabrian Chili Peppers in to the mix and they gave a nice little mild bit of heat in the finish. The recipe makes a generous amount of filling so you can do a little tester in an oven with a small amount of filling and taste it and then decide if you want to add a little bit of pepper or not. This recipe is considered an Appetizer or Hors D’ Oeuvres ……..?…..but I think it can be a breakfast, lunch or light dinner  (If you don’t cut it too large). I didn’t try it yet but Lidia wrote that leftovers freeze well.

Ingredients to make about 15 servings

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup cold water – plus more if needed

1 pound small zucchini (I needed three)

1/2 cup arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano rice

2 cups ricotta – preferably fresh drained over night

1 cup grated Grans Padano

2 bunched scallions finely chopped – (about two cups)(bunches by me are not big enough to make a cup)

3 large eggs slightly beaten

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons kosher salt

butter for baking pan – (I used non-stick spray)

Directions

If your making your own ricotta do that first…It will take about an hour plus. (basically 1 gallon milk, between 1 pint- 1 quart heavy cream 1 scant Tablespoon salt bring SLOWLY to rolling boil on medium heat. This will take at least an hour. Let it rolling boil a few minutes and add about fresh squeezed lemon juice SLOWLY until you see curds from about three medium sized lemons (you might not need all the juice if the lemons are very juicy but usually I need 3 lemons. You should see it curds now.

Let it cook just a few minutes and you can drain quickly with a mesh strainer. Your cheese will be ready as soon as it cools slightly. You will have more than double the cheese you need. Leftover cheese freezes very well.

Now make dough. If you have a food processor pour the flour, 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 olive oil and 1/3 cup cold water and pulse. Pulse and you should have a smooth dough but if it’s pebbly you might need a little more water. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at least a 1/2 hour.

For the filling.- In a large bowl shred the zucchini on the course holes. Toss in the rice.and let it sit together 30-60 minutes. Then fold in the ricotta, grated cheese, eggs – beaten, milk and salt and mix well.

Add your baking stone to the oven on a middle rack and set the temperature to 375 degrees F.

On a floured surface roll out the dough till it’s about 4 inches larger than your pan. (if you can).

Butter your pan.

Roll the dough around the rolling pin so you can roll the dough off into the pan.

Place the dough in the pan the best you can and then add filling and fold the ends over the filling.

You might want to turn the crostata half way during cooking for even browning. In 45-60 minutes the Crostata should be done. (In my oven it took an hour to be done)

Let it rest and cool down a little before you put in the refrigerator. You are suppose to serve this slightly warm or at room temperature.

It’s delicious and very rich. I recommend to cut in small pieces. It’s a crowd pleaser!

Thanks to Chef Lidia for a great recipe!