Saying Goodbye to Summer - Fig & Brioche Tartines

There are few things that make me happy about the end of summer, but the beauty of the fall season to come is one of them. With that comes great produce - Pumpkins and Pumpkin flavored foods get all the attention (or should I say, overexposure?), but for me, the humble Fig is the most worthy harbinger of the changing season. Earthy green or purply brown on the outside and bright and beautiful on the inside, it's as if they carry the last of the sweet summer memories into the autumn the chill.

Fig & Brioche Tartines, Photo: NK

If you you look back through Neurotic Kitchen's late summer posts, you'll almost always find a Fig recipe to try. This year's is the simplest, and was inspired by a decadent Grilled Cheese Sandwich I enjoyed from one of the food trucks at the lovely Hallockville Museum Farm Country Fair. Hallockville is a not-for-profit and working farm featuring landmark historic buildings. The organization seeks to "preserve and interpret the history of farming on the North Fork of Long Island." The Country Fair had lots of great food, farm-themed amusements for the kids, and lots of really interesting old-time tractors and farm equipment. This city girl was shocked by how much she enjoyed the antiques! If you have the chance, make sure to visit next summer. 

Anyways, on the drive home, we stopped by our favorite farm stand where they were selling some really good looking, ripe black figs. Seeing as I can almost never resist them, I just knew they'd need to be worked into our dinner somehow. The next stop was to the supermarket where I grabbed a log of Brie and, when additional inspiration struck, some sliced Brioche. What followed was one of the easiest and yummiest pre-dinner bites I've had in a while. I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Fig & Brioche Tartines
Serves Six

Ingredients:
About 8 Ripe Black Figs, cut into 1/4 inch slices
8 Ounce Log or Wheel of Brie (doesn't need to be a fancy Brie)
6 slices Brioche
Fig Preserves (Optional)
Salted Butter
Coarse Sea Salt 
Fresh Thyme Sprigs (Optional)

Method: 

Hollow out the Brie Log or wheel and reserve the soft inside in a bowl or on a surface until it reaches room temperature. 

Just as you would a grilled cheese, butter both sides of each slice of Brioche and lightly toast until one side is deeply golden and close to fully toasted. Lower the flame all the way. 

Remove Brioche to heatproof surface, toasted side up. Lightly spread each slice with optional Fig Preserve (a thin layer) and a healthy amount of Brie. Butter the griddle again and return the toast, Brie Side up to the griddle where you'll heat until the Brie Fully Melts. 

Remove toasts and top with slices of Fig. Now give them a light sprinkle of Sea Salt and a garnish of fresh Thyme Sprigs (with a few of the leaves removed and scattered on top. Enjoy! 

Neurotic Kitchen Tip: This would make for a great brunch dish too!

In Season - Kale & Apple Salad With Dates & Pecorino

Apple Picking at Seven Ponds Orchard, Watermill, NY Photo: NK 

I renew my love for Kale around this time each year. I think it's the chill in the air that gets my mind wandering to heartier, darker veggies. However, the inspiration for today's salad actually came from another kind of in-season produce - the gorgeous Apples we picked last weekend out on Long Island's Seven Ponds Orchard.

Sweet red Apples, so delicious this season, and bitter Kale, are really natural companions. We'll combine them today into one very well rounded salad. Dried Dates add a note of honey and Pecorino Romano Cheese provides the salty counterpoint. This superfood salad also travels well and does not get soggy overnight (thanks to Kale's sturdy leaves) It's great to pack as a lunch or if you need a make ahead dish for a potluck. For more ideas from our Kale archives check out Kale & Coconut Salad With Garnet Yams, Kale & Parsnip Panzanella, Kale & Turnip Salad With Honey Lemon Vinaigrette. 

 Now let's get to it. 

Kale & Apple Salad With Dates & Pecorino, Photo: NK 

Kale & Apple Salad With Dates & Pecorino
Serves 6-8

Fresh Picked Macoun Apples, Photo: NK

Ingredients:
1 Head of Curly Kale, ribs removed and discarded, leaves cut into thin ribbons
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (plus a bit more) 
1/4 Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Honey, Maple Syrup, or Agave
1/4 of a small, sweet White Onion, thinly sliced, or one Shallot thinly sliced
1 small Red Apple or 1/2 a large Red Apple, cored & thinly sliced 
3 Ounces of Pecorino Romano Cheese, diced
5 Dried Dates, diced 
Salt to taste

Method:

Photo: NK 

1. Combine Kale in a bowl and toss with Lemon Juice and Olive Oil. Toss very well and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, tossing several times. 

2. Add the Honey and toss again. Next, add the Onion, Dates and Pecorino Cheese. Sprinkle a little Lemon Juice on the sliced Apples and then add them to the salad. 

3. Combine again and taste for Salt. Add a few dashes to taste if needed. 


Serve and enjoy! 

Weekend Roundup - Good Eats + Pumpkin Beer

Hello Fall! Let's keep it simple this week with quick look into the food we enjoyed during our recent autumn weekend out on Long Island. Of course, we won't let you leave without at least one recipe for food or drink, so we'll close with an awesome way to serve everyone's seasonal favorite, Pumpkin Beer. 

First, there was breakfast - delicious French Toast made using Panettone. If you haven't tried making it this way, you should!

Mom's Panettone French Toast. Photo: NK

That evening, after a day filled with apple picking and scenic drives, a simple dinner sounded most appealing. We put together an Antipasti plate using some of the leftovers we had on hand. Just a little something to whet our appetites. With only a few appetizing items like Prosciutto and Mozzarella, you have all you need to start a really satisfying and shareable plate. For tips on how to craft a winning Antipasti Platter, check out our post about the Italian Family Table. 

Our impromptu Antipasti Platter, Photo: NK 

House Specialty Linguine with Clam Sauce, Photo: NK 

For the main course, we reverted to our house specialty, an easy and fast bowl of Linguine with White Clam Sauce. We make this dish quite a bit but it never gets old. 

Here's the how to. Important Note: the recipe linked above was intended for make-ahead preparation (i.e. for a large party). To adapt it for everyday use, prep/measure your ingredients and simply set a large pasta pot of salted water to boil. Then you can begin to cook the clam sauce base and clams as per recipe instructions, and finish the pasta according to package instructions. Pasta should be done a bit before the clams if possible. 

Relaxing weekends may also call for a little beer, wine and general merriment. Since it's the season of pumpkin everything, we knew just what we'd be drinking. Despite some palpable pumpkin fatigue in the general public, we're still not bored of this gourd. For a great, quick pumpkin fix, try Pumking, our favorite of the many pumpkin beers on the market. If you're looking for an easy pumpkin-inspired dinner, check this silky Pumpkin Orzo. 

As promised, here's how to serve your Pumpkin Beer with a little extra pizzaz: 

Pumking Beer With Cinnamon Sugar Rim
In a plate, mix equal parts Cinnamon and Sugar and add optional dashes of Nutmeg or Pumpkin Pie Spice. Dip your pint glass in another saucer of water or a little of the beer. Place the wet rim in the Cinnamon Sugar Mixture to rim the glass. Pour in the cold Pumking Beer. Serve and enjoy! 

Blue Point Brewery Tour + Uncle George's Local Mussels in Beer

Oatmeal Stout fresh from the brewery, Photo: NK

Don't you just love it when a plan falls into place? Actually ... never mind.

Let's try this again:

Don't you just love it when you can work BEER into your plans?

Yeah, that feels right. 

This very thing happened to us a few weeks ago when a random errand brought us to Patchogue, New York. What joy was ours when my intrepid husband remembered that Patchogue is also the site of Blue Point Brewing Company - a place we'd been talking about visiting forever. That guy continues to surprise me ... and he sure knows how to entice me into chores as well! 

Beer Tasting at Blue Point Brewing Co! Photo: NK

Our little tasting session and brewery tour was a blast. Blue Point tasting room is kinda like visiting your best friend's basement - if said basement was filled with tasty beers, cool t-shirts and other merch, a fridge full of freshly filled growlers, and a super friendly staff of knowledgable beer mavens. 

Now, wait for it ... you can taste three kinds of beer FOR FREE. Seriously, how friendly can you get? 




Sufficiently buzzed from a tasting of Blue Point Oyster Stout, Oatmeal Stout, and the limited release "Wet Hop Experiment," it was the perfect time to take a little tour of the facilities. While most of the production of Blue Point beer takes place in Upstate New York, there's still some action at their original Patchogue hub, and we got to see it all. Michelle, our tour guide, was both funny and adorable. She shared a wealth of information on Blue Point's origins, as well as on brewing in general. Among the many facts we picked up (like that home-brewing was illegal until Jimmy Carter legitimized it - thanks, Prez!), I learned that hops are related to the marijuana plant (no comment:)) and that for much of the past century, the crop of hops that had been readily available in the Northeast were blighted by disease, which is why most of today's brewers ship their hops from the West Coast. 

The good news is that our Northeastern soil is starting to bounce back, and as a result, the future looks brighter for locally sourced hops. Want proof? Look at the autumn crop that my BFF, Natalie (one of the original urban farmers for the better part of the last decade), grew at her parent's gorgeous farm in Pennsylvania: 

Black Krim Tomatoes, a Red Pumpkin, Chilies, and Dank Hops (foreground)
Grown By & Photo By: Natalie Brickajlik

She's talented, what can I say? 

Upon leaving the brewery, my head was spinning. For the usual reason, to be sure, but also, for others; all I could think about was cooking with beer, preferably Blue Point Beer. And then, just like that, an opportunity presented itself:

Toasted Lager, Photo: NK

I returned to our weekend home to find that our neighbor had stopped by to drop off some freshly harvested Mussels that he plucked from the local bay. Using what I had on hand, and of course, some widely available and uber drinkable Blue Point Toasted Lager, I came up with the following recipe that I hope you'll enjoy. 



Very special thanks to my Uncle George and his wife, my Aunt Freddie for being super sweet and thoughtful - the mussels were delicious and the freshest I've ever had. I hope I did them justice. Enjoy the recipe!

Spicy Mussels Cooked in Blue Point Toasted Lager and Thai Chilies + Lime and Cilantro, Photo: NK 

Uncle George's Local Mussels Cooked in Toasted Lager
Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a light appetizer

Ingredients:
2 Pounds fresh scrubbed and debearded Mussels
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 a large White Onion, chopped
2 large Garlic Cloves, sliced
1/2 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
8 Ounces (2/3 bottle) Blue Point Toasted Lager (or other dark beer)
3 dried Red Thai Chilies,(or other) finely chopped (discard seeds if you don't like extra spicy)
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice 

Method:
1. Heat butter in a very large pot over medium-low flame. Next, add the garlic and sauté until slightly golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes, taking care not to burn.

2. Add the chopped onion and sauté another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add the beer and chilies and turn up the flame to medium to bring the liquids to a boil. 

4. Put the mussels in the pot, cover, and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. 

5. At this point, mussels should begin opening. Remove them from the pot one by one as they open and place in a large, communal serving bowl. Take care to remove them as they open so they do not become tough. Discard any mussels with broken shells or those that have not opened in a reasonable amount of time. 

6. Add the tablespoon of lime juice to the broth remaining in the pot. Taste for seasoning and add a tiny bit of salt and pepper if needed (mussels should have plenty of natural saltiness already so taste before you add!). Pour the broth over the mussels and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!