Summer Panini Sandwiches

What's Going on Today: Returned from high school reunion yesterday, tired but happy. Re-group with fresh groceries, playgroup, pick-up new library books.

Naptime Goals: Monday Catch-Up: Mail, laundry, general house-cleaning, put away groceries.

Tonight's Menu: Paninis, salad, seltzer (no more wine!)

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Kids don't have much sympathy for Mom when she's tired.

My high school reunion was a blast, though it did make me feel a little old. Some of the younger girls at reunion were born in the late 80's and early 90's and had just graduated from college - what?! When did we get so old? Despite feeling slightly out of date, my classmates and I had a blast. We even held our own staying out late at a local pub catching up, something I haven't done in ages.

The day after I got home was a typical Catch-Up Monday. There were laundry piles, bills, emails and loads of other little things to attend to. I usually have a day like this every couple of weeks. I find that dedicating one entire day to running the household seems to be the most efficient way to do things. This way I can spend a lot of time doing fun activities like going to the beach, strawberry picking or visiting local museums.

Luckily, last week when my friend Nicole came to visit she'd followed the wonderful tradition of bringing us Bread, Salt and Wine. I couldn't have been more grateful for her thoughtfulness. With the bread still in it's bag I decided to forgo major Naptime Chef-ing that afternoon in order to concentrate on household stuff. In the evening I used the bread to make up some yummy pressed sandwiches for all of us. As you know, I swear by paninis as a great, healthy dinner in a pinch.

My friend Cecily shared with me a cool secret she'd come up with recently to make her sandwiches even more flavorful, marinating the tomatoes. By tossing them with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt the tomato flavor is enhanced and the extra oil gets soaked into the bread, giving everything a little more moisture and taste. I gave her technique a go with this sandwich and I think it works really well. We devoured these so quickly that I barely had time to take a picture. The good news is that after my Catch-Up Monday I was ready for the rest of the week. And, boy, I have some great Naptime Chef-ing planned!

Summer Panini Sandwiches with Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 2

2 flatbreads or 4 slices of country bread

4 slices of thinly cut prosciutto

6 pieces of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, washed and patted dry

2 T. balsamic vinegar

2 T. good quality olive oil

1 pinch Kosher Salt

6-8 fresh basil leaves

1. Cut grape tomatoes in half or into thirds. Place them in a bowl and toss with vinegar, olive oil and salt. Allow them to sit for at least 10 minutes, or up to an hour at room temperature.

2. Lay bread open on the counter. Place 2 pieces of prosciutto on one slice of bread. Layer on 3 slices of mozzarella, then 3-4 basil leaves. Top with half of the tomatoes. 

3. Drizzle the remaining slice of bread with some of the balsamic/olive oil mixture at the bottom of the bowl. Close sandwich.

4. Sandwich can be toasted on panini press, in a skillet or eaten as is.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variations & Ideas: Sandwiches are a great dinner, especially in the summer. Try substituting roasted red peppers or eggplant for a new, flavorful, twist on this old favorite.

Naptime Stopwatch: Making this sandwich takes 10 minutes from start to finish.

Naptime Recipe Props: This is definitely a family friendly meal, my daughter eats pressed sandwiches like there is no tomorrow. Though she did pick out the basil leaves this time because she didn't know what they were for...

Babble Week Round-up

Lot's more great stuff on Babble this week, can you tell it's strawberry season?!

- Uncle Will's Chimichurri Sauce: We revisit this awesome steak recipe just in time for Father's Day!

- Strawberry Parfait Pie: YUM! A classic custard-like pie dressed up with whipped cream and a chocolate cookie crust.

- The Breakfast Sandwich that Rocks My World: Yes, it's that good.

Summer Fruit Crumble: Webisode #27

What's Going On Today: Rainy day in CT, sing-along at the beach before cloudburst, errands in the afternoon.

Naptime Goals: Strawberry-Raspberry Cobbler, roast vegetables, marinate chicken.

Tonight's Menu: Chicken with Veggies, Cobbler (our second one this week!) with Strawberries from the farmer's market.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: When conversing with toddlers always have a pen handy, they say the funniest things!

I have pretty much gone strawberry-crazy these days. As you'll see above, last week my daughter and I picked 12lbs of strawberries together at a local farm. It took me two full naptimes to preserve, freeze and bake with all of the berries, and even that was barely enough time. I would have loved to have taken all weekend, but strawberries are so delicate I had to act quickly before they turned. Luckily, I managed to preserve the little rubies to the best of my ability and now have a nice stash for the rest of the year. This also means I'll most likely be garnishing everything I make - from risotto to pancakes - all summer with my jams and syrups. My daughter seems to be game for this, as it is I'm expecting her to turn into a strawberry any second she's eaten so many already!

When we had our barbecue last Sunday, I decided to make a fruit cobbler to bring along in addition to Uncle Will's Ribs. I still had some fresh strawberries on hand as well as a small packet of raspberries I'd picked up at the market. It was almost a no-brainer to make a fruit cobbler during my daughter's afternoon naptime. I washed and sliced the fruit, made the crumbly topping and popped it in the oven to bake while I prepared the meat. 

I love this particular cobbler recipe because it works with almost any kind of fruit. Also, the loose oatmeal topping has a taste reminiscent of an oatmeal cookie with the added cinnamon. Of course, you can omit the spice if you'd like, but I love it. Since the heatwave was particularly awful when I made this the first time I opted to serve it with vanilla ice-cream, though whipped cream would work well, too. And, best of all, when it was finished baking I simply let it cool on the counter before taking it next door for dinner. It was the perfect make-ahead dessert. I know I'll be making this again when we bring back a big haul of blueberries next month.

Strawberry-Raspberry Cobbler

3 c. fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and cut in half.

1 c. fresh raspberries, washed (optional - if not using use 4 c. of strawberries)

1 1/2 c. Oats (not quick cooking)

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. dark brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 sticks (12 T.) unsalted butter

1 t. Kosher salt

3 T. good quality honey

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2. Place the fruit in a 9" pie plate or 9x9 baking dish.

3. Blend the oats, flour, butter, sugar, salt and honey together in a food processor until it forms a sticky dough.

4. Layer the topping on top of the fruit evenly so that the top is covered.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly and cooked through.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Ideas & Suggestions: This is a fantastic make-ahead dessert for any family meal or larger event. After it has cooled pop it in the fridge tightly covered with plastic until you want to serve it. It can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. This recipe works well with apples, rhubarb, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and peaches. (Try more fruits if you want!)

Naptime Stopwatch: Washing and slicing the fruit takes about 10 minutes. Preparing the topping takes 5 minutes. Baking time is approximately 30 minutes.

Naptime Reviews: This is a great dessert for kids and adults alike. It is also healthier then pie and is a great way to persuade children to try new fruit.

Babble Strawberry Love and Mini-Update

I know you all see the button to the right indicating my blog on Babble's The Family Kitchen, but I want to tell you a little more about it as well. I write a daily column for Babble about loads of great family and food related things that I think you would all really enjoy. From here on out I am going to give you mini-updates during the week on my Babble posts. I also include these in my weekly newsletter, if you are interested in receiving that. Enjoy!

- Strawberry Season 101: Picking, Freezing, Preserving and More!: A play-by-play on how I preserve one of summer's most precious fruits (while my daughter is napping, of course).

- Simple Syrup for Simply Everything: The uses for simple syrup are practically endless. Here are some of my favorite uses and ideas for flavoring this simple sweetener.

Uncle Will's Ribs for a BBQ

What's Going on Today: Planning on Sunday bbq with the neighbors, waiting out the last of the heatwave indoors doing puzzles.

Naptime Goals: Marinate Ribs, make Strawberry-Raspberry Cobbler, catch-up on new magazines.

Tonight's Menu: Ribs (us), Mashed Potatoes (neighbors), Corn on the cob (neighbors), Fruit Cobbler (us), Wine and Beer (both)

Parenting Lesson of the Day: When kids have playdates it's hard to get them to concentrate on eating.

In New York we used to eat out with our neighbors and now, in the country, we cook out with them. On Sunday we were really excited to have a fun potluck style family bbq with our friends next door. Never mind that rain was in the forecast, the arrival of summer put us all in the mood for a casual get together where we could let loose and enjoy a cold beer.

Since none of us wanted to spend the entire afternoon cooking I chose to make my brother's ribs recipe since, as you all know, Uncle Will never lets us down. I also made a yummy fruit cobbler to use up the remaining fresh berries I had from last week's strawberry picking extravaganza. Our neighbors took care of some yummy sides dishes and food for the kids who did not eat ribs (mine included). When it was time for dinner we simply carried everything across the driveway, grilled up the ribs and enjoyed a great meal. 

I love making Uncle Will's Ribs because they are the epitome of summer flavor. When left in the fridge for the afternoon the ribs become infused with a light citrusy tang that lightens the meat without making it too heavy or sticky. Served with potatoes and corn it makes a great summer meal that begs to be paired with icy cold beer and eaten on the porch. Of course, we didn't actually get to eat on the porch since it did, in fact, rain, but no matter - there is always next weekend!

Uncle Will's Baby Back Ribs

8lbs lean baby back pork ribs

8 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Juice of 3 large lemons

1/4 t. oregano

1/2 c. lime juice

1/2 c. fresh orange juice

5 t. Kosher salt

2 t. olive oil

Cayenne Pepper

1. Cut ribs into 5-7 inch sections, rinse under warm water and pat dry.  Set in a large baking dish that will fit in the refrigerator.

2. In a large bowl add the garlic, orange juice, lime juice, oregano, olive oil and 1 t. of salt. Scoop out about 1/2 c. of the mixture and set it aside for pour over ribs right before serving.

3. Rub the remaining 4 t. of salt on the ribs. Pour the marinade over the ribs, cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

4. To cook the ribs, set the grill at low and cook them slowly, turning occasionally, for 30-40 minutes. Once they are cooked, increase the heat to high or place them directly over high charcoal heat to brown all sides. If you want a little extra heat when you serve them sprinkle on some cayenne pepper.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Serving Suggestions: This recipe would double or triple well making these great for a large cookout. They would be safe in the fridge marinating for up to one day, so feel free to prepare them in the morning before you leave the house if that is easier for you.

Naptime Stopwatch: Preparing the marinade takes about 15 minutes. Grilling time is about 30 minutes.

Naptime Reviews: This is always a crowd pleaser for adults and children, if they like ribs. Since mine does not she nibbled at some pasta and then got to distracted and went to play with her friends. Oh well.

Scallops and Pasta for Memorial Day: Webisode #26

What's Going on Today: Returning from Martha's Vineyard with a pile of laundry and an overtired kid.

Naptime Goals: Sort through mail, laundry and fridge. Make grocery list. 

Tonight's Menu: Meatballs for Choir Boys from the freezer, Salad, Wine.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: There is nothing like a visit to the grandparents to tire kids out!

On Tuesday we returned from Memorial Day on Martha's Vineyard with a car full of laundry and sand. It was a great vacation. As you'll see above, our time away included amazing weather and mellow days. Our time was mostly spent browsing local art fairs and peaking into our favorite shops. These low-key activities were the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

This trip was our first family getaway since the move last month and we both seized the opportunity for a mental break. My husband caught up on novels and crossword puzzles while I caught up on cheesy iTunes movies. As for cooking, I mostly relied on old favorites. One day we cooked up some hot dogs, another we enjoyed some fresh scallops with pasta and, get this, our last night we even had a date night while my in-law's babysat. (Yeah!) 

I began looking forward to scallops with pasta the week before we even arrived on the Vineyard. It is one of my favorite simple dinners and I haven't made it in a bit since I haven't found a good fish store in CT yet. So, the minute my daughter went down for her nap I raced to The Net Result and picked up almost a pound of diver scallops for dinner. Then, instead of cooking them during the day, I waited until just before dinner and whipped up this simple and elegant meal. I hope that scallops come your way this summer and, if they do, here is one great way to enjoy them. 

Summer Scallops with Pasta

1 1lb. fresh diver scallops

1 1lb. Fettucini or any long strand pasta

3-4 T. unsalted butter

2 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Pinch of Kosher salt
Serves 4

1. Rinse the scallops under warm water and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Add olive oil and butter to a skillet over medium heat. Then, add the garlic and saute until lightly golden and softened.

3. Meanwhile, as the garlic is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta.

4. Once the garlic is soft and golden add the scallops to the pan and make sure there is a little space between each one. Saute until golden on one side - about 2-3 minutes - then turn each scallop over with a pair of tongs and cook the other side. When the scallops have cooked remove them to a plate covered with a paper towel.

5. Drain the pasta briefly and add it to the skillet in which the scallops where cooked. Twirl the pasta briefly to coat with the sauce. Divide amongst serving plates and top the pasta with scallops. Serve hot.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Ideas: This dish would be beautifully enhanced by some fresh herbs. Parsley or basil would taste especially delicious.

Naptime Stopwatch: Preparing this meal takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Naptime Reviews: My daugher isn't a big scallop fan yet, but she loves the pasta!

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi

What's Going on Today: Enjoying Memorial Day weekend on Martha's Vineyard.

Naptime Goals: Whip up some Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi during naptime, pop it in the fridge until dinner. Read magazines in the sun.

Tonight's Menu: Ricotta Gnocchi with butter and cheese, green salad, fish on the grill.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Fresh air + sun = happy children.

Memorial Day on the Vineyard was relaxed and low-key, just the way we like it. The weather was so nice that we didn't really want to spend any time indoors, even during naptime. In order to maximize our time at the beach, I mostly concentrated on prepping food after my daughter's bedtime and, for dinner, I stuck to recipes that could be completed in a relatively short time-frame.

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi is exactly one of these dishes. I make it a lot and really should have told you about it before now. To prepare the gnocchi I simply mix the four ingredients in a  bowl, form the logs and cut out the dumplings during naptime. Then I place them in plastic container and leave them, covered, in the fridge until dinner. Cooking them is amazingly easy and efficient. Bring salted water to a boil, add the gnocchi and cook them until they rise to the surface. This takes about five minutes, which is just enough time to make some browned butter with sage and get the Parmesan cheese out of the fridge.

Combined with our favorite fish from the grill and a green salad, our gnocchi rounded out a gorgeous dinner. It was also a hit with our daughter, ever the fan of anything with browned butter. Rest assured, gnocchi is not the only homemade thing I cooked over the weekend. In fact, I did an entire film about another dinner I made and will be writing about that on Thursday. Not surprisingly, the meal was also centered around some amazingly fresh seafood. I swear, there is nothing like a trip to The Net Result, our local Vineyard fish store, to signal the beginning of summer.

P.S. While you're waiting for the next post, pop over to my blog on The Family Kitchen at Babble for the chance to win a trio of Tessa Kiros books! (The contest runs for one week.)

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi

adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

2 c. good quality ricotta cheese

3 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 c. all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.

2. While the water is heating up, mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, flour and salt in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

3. Lightly flour your hands and roll out the dough into thin sausages about 1/4" thick. Be careful not to add too much flour on your hands or the surface of the counter or the gnocchi will get tough.

4. Cut gnocchi with a sharp knife into pieces about 3/4" long. Drop into boiling water and cook for about 45 seconds, or until they float to the surface. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place in serving bowls. Serve with pesto, tomato sauce or browned butter sauce.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variations and Ideas: Gnocchi tastes great with many different toppings. I recommend Perfect Pesto, Tomato Pesto, Fresh Tomato Sauce, Butter and Cheese or any kind of light butter and herb sauce.

Naptime Stopwatch: Preparing the dumplings takes 10 minutes, cooking them in boiling water takes 5.

Naptime Reviews: This is a wonderful dish for both adults and children. It is soft and easy to chew for toddler and goes well with almost any topping they might like.