Right now in Madison it is too hot to do anything.  114 degree heat index about a million percent humidity……good thing I did three rounds of roof top dining before this swath of the south moved up passed the Mason Dixon line.

Night One Menu:

Grilled Lemon Cumin Chicken

Salt and Pepper Corn

Arugula Salad with Sunchokes, Roasted Yellow Beets in a Basil Vinaigrette

Beer, Wine and G&T’s

Nothing better than watching the sunset and your male friends puzzle over coals that refuse to light! (Three heads and a little estrogen in the situation get us straight.)   No, I am  teasing, everyone and everything turned out perfectly.

Matt and Alex achieved the illusive: a perfect caramel-y skin on the chicken without drying the meat in the slightest. Atop the cumin/cayenne/thyme marinade, a fresh squeeze of lemon cut through the spicy heat like a blast from an edible watergun.

Personally the salad was my favorite.  Sunchokes are a crunchy sweet discovery that will become a staple on my table.  More than anything though  Madison in the summer with friends greatly missed is what makes life good. Oh, and a really good gin, that makes life really, extra good. Here is the first in a series of recipes for roof top fun.

Grilled Chicken with Cumin, Thyme and Lemon

Serves 4

4 bone-in-skin-on-yum- Chicken Breasts

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoons chili pepper (cayenne is fine)

1 teaspoon salt to taste

2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme if you have it. (sounds weird I know but it is good)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoons pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cups olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice  plus an extra lemon for later

Mix all dry ingredients and fresh thyme in a small bowl. Make sure it smells delicious. Grab a large gallon bag and add spice mix, chopped garlic, olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Moosh it around to mix and add chicken breasts. Allow to marinate for at least an hour. The longer the better, but who really can marinate chicken for 3 hours and not get hungry?

Prepare the coals in a chimney starter (judge the coals on the size of your grill, 60-70). When they get started, pour them onto one side of the grate and allow them to turn grayish white. Place chicken, skin side up partially over the coals. Allow to cool, flipping half way through for 30 minutes. If the marinade starts to burn, move to the non coal side.

When the chicken ready, squeeze the juice of one lemon over the top. Let the breasts sit for 5 minutes before cutting through the skin.

THE DANE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET IS BACK! Finally the vibrant fuchsia center of beauty heart radish graces my plate, tender arugula leaves are passed out as samples by the man who harvested them in the Saturday dawn and bunches of aromatic ramps catch my eye for a spring pesto.

This is undoubtedly my favorite time of the year to be eating. (ok, the lush tomatoes and sweet corn of late summer provide stiff competition). I have an east-facing apartment so on that glorious first-market day 6:15 am rolled around and I was up and at ‘em. With the promise of a pasty and a market dinner later that night, and I cajoled my handsome man to meet me on the capital square.

This week my loot included fresh arugula, Spanish Black Round radishes, fresh salsa and two massive bunches of ramps and young goat feta (In all, we sampled a dozen different cheeses, salsas, and infused oils; we sipped strong black coffee, indulged in chocolate filled croissants, a raspberry oatmeal muffin and I seriously considered bison beef jerky, goodness I love snacks!)

The ramps were far and away the most exiting purchase. For the virgin ramp consumer, a ramp is a wild leek, its’ flavor bridges the gap between an onion and young garlic. Their tender leaves don’t need any cooking before they are incorporated into most dishes, including this pesto recipe. The vibrant green of this sauce coats the pasta in a restaurant worthy elegance.

Seared Salmon with Linguini and Wild Ramp Pesto

1 bunch wild ramps, bulbs and stems thinly sliced (about ½ cup), green leaves reserved and chopped

¼ basil, chopped

1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, + 1 tbsp for sautéing

Half a lemon

Salt, pepper

½ pound linguini (you can get it fresh at the Dane Co Market!)

2 pieces of salmon, about 6-8 oz per piece (this recipe provides abundant pesto for two people, I used it the next day on a pizza

Set a large pot of water to boil, cover and go about your business.

In a large pan, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and sauté the ramp bulbs and stems until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked ramps, green tops, pine nuts, cheese and basil to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until finely chopped and nearing a pasty composure, now slowly with the blade a-spinning, add 1/4 cup olive oil. The oil will emulsify as it integrates into the sauce. The result should be smooth, but toothy.

(Hopefully your pasta water is ready, add linguini)

Heat extra olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on the salmon and cook, skin side up first about 4-5 minutes per side.

Drain pasta and save a little of the water. Return to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the pesto. If sauce is too think add pasta water one tablespoon at a time. Divide pasta between two shallow bowls, top with salmon and smear remaining pesto across fish.

Eat!

Oscar results are in and the Kings Speech cleans up. Personally, I think it was the safest choice of the 10, a goodie but not a risky decision by the Academy. But that is just my little aside. Speaking of results, I owe you some restaurant week feed back!

If Kings Speech was the compelling emotional film that cleaned up, Sardine stole “best in show” for overall meal experience. Interestingly enough, Madison culinary judges (you guys) couldn’t find an Academy-like consensus for individual dishes. However, let’s relive our best dishes a little. Our favorites included the Sautéed Calamari at Graze, Arugula Salad and polenta at Harvest, and for the meat eaters, Steak and Ribs from Quively’s. In the dessert category, the anything chocolaty seemed to be the winner, and it worked quite well as an aphrodisiac: 60% of our diners enjoyed a different kind of dessert after leaving the restaurant.

While I didn’t create any golden statues for the RW winners, I think the Oscar night meal on Sunday deserves a lifetime achievement accolade. Meatballs, those timeless spheres of love got a makeover with healthy-chic ingredients like young arugula and San Marzano tomatoes. There are many ways to cook meatballs, but simmering them in the tomato sauce creates a velvety texture and adds depth to the sauce itself.

Ingredients

One package whole wheat spaghetti
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
1 8 of 16 oz can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ red onion
4 cloves garlic, minced and divided.
1 pound lean ground turkey
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
½ cup breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese plus more for sprinkling
1 egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 package

First, get that pasta water boiling.

For the Meat: Combine turkey, parsley, two cloves garlic, breadcrumbs, parm, egg and mustard in a large bowl. Grind some pepper over the top and a dash of kosher salt. Now get your hands dirty. Aim for forming meatballs about an inch and a half in diameter or about 3 tablespoons meat mixture. Be gentle, if you compact the meat too much, they will be come dense after cooking. Set aside for now.

For the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan (aka, pot) and sauté onion and two cloves garlic until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sauce and bring to a simmer. (If you happen to have any red wine open, add a dash along for a deeper, rounder flavor.) When sauce begins to thicken after about five, add the meatballs and simmer until cooked through, about 12 minutes. Add arugula, stirring to wilt.

For the Pasta: Meanwhile, when the water reaches a rolling boil add pasta cooking until aldente (timing will vary, but roughly 8- 12 minutes. Drain and add directly to the sauce. Top with remaining parmigiano cheese, parsley and a grind of fresh pepper.

Serve, enjoy and criticize the worst dresses on the red carpet.

Why make your own granola when it is so readily available and in so many varieties? Because it’s a new year, maybe you’re going to a “new you” and in truth, store bought yuppified granola (Bare Naked etc)* is laden with oil, fat and a heavy hitter in the pocket book department.

Save a buck and your gut by whipping up a batch of your own with whatever you have laying around the house. The basic concept is this: you need something sweet and a little sticky, you need some egg whites to help bind the oats together and then you needed the goodies—fruits, nut, spices.

Here is a good base recipe to get you started:

Maple Granola with Cranberries and Walnuts

• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup real maple syrup
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups old fashioned oats.
• 1 cup walnut halves, chopped if desired
• 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees positioning two racks in the center. Pam two sided baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Heat sugar and syrup in a small heavy bottomed pot until sugar is dissolved. If the mixture sticks to the pot sides while you’re stirring, brush down with damp pastry brush. Set mixture aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Add spices and vanilla and whisk a bit more. In a slow stream, add the sugar mixture, whisking as you go. When this scrumptious sauce has taken on some body, add the oats and stir to coat. Next, toss in the walnuts and stir to combine. Place oats on prepped baking sheets and pop them in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes then switch the cookie sheets, you want the granola to cook evenly. After another 10 minutes, stir to break up large lumps and add the dried fruit. Continue to cook for 15 more minutes. Depending on your oven and the size of the baking pans, the granola cook time will vary so keep your eye on it; you want it to be a golden brown color, but not any darker. It will tasted burned if you do.

* I’m not knocking these granolas entirely, they are delicious, no question about it.

500 Chicken. It could be 500 cloves of garlic; it could be 500 minutes of marinating, but no. 500 Chicken means firemen, frantic phone calls and the only way to accurately roast a bird. The number 500 is actually the temperature inside your oven just before the alarms start blaring- that’s you know the chicken is done.

Preparing a whole bird delivers a wonderful bonus gift every time: the glorious wishbone. Known in England as the Merrythought, the wishbone isn’t actually good luck itself, but only releases its fair favor when broken in two.  The person who wins the longer half in a face off is granted his or her wish. It is like a thumb war but you have the a shot at world peace.

I love this dish. I remember smelling the chicken roasting downstairs as I toiled away at my fifth grade homework on the second floor. The scent meant it was fall again, and we would continue to make this warming, comforting meal all winter. As the older (and wiser) sibling, I liked when the wishbone split exactly in half, which mean both Jake and I were granted our wishes.

Much like the legend of the wishbone, the perfect roast chicken is something of an enigma, often eluding the chef, coming out too dry or with an unwanted blackened skin. Not 500 chicken, provided you take it out of the oven before the fire engine rolls to the door. We eventually asked the volunteer team in Minneapolis if they would like to stay for dinner. They apparently had real emergencies on their hands. Boy did they missed out.

Famous 500 Chicken

1 roaster chicken (any size will work, cooking time must be adjusted accordingly

2 cloves garlic, peel and sliced in have horizontally

1 lemon sliced in half

1 onion sliced in half

1 bunch basil (optional)

Tons of Kosher Salt

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees!!**

Rinse the chicken and rub with sliced garlic. If you can handle it, place the sliced cloves under the skin of the chicken breasts. Do the same with a handful of basil leaves. If this doesn’t sound appealing to you, I don’t blame you, reserve herbs and garlic cloves. Now, salt the entire chicken, covering all surfaces. Place lemon and onion (and potentially unused garlic and basil) into the cavity of the bird and place wing side up on a v shaped wrack (or regular slatted rack) in a roasting pan.

Now put the bird in the oven and wait. I used a 2.5 lb’er and it took roughly 40 minutes including cooking. When a thermometer plunged into the breast reads 160, and the juices run clear from a small cut into the meat, the your ‘goose is cooked.” Remove it from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy with absolutely anything your heart desires.

**Truth be told, there is no reason your oven needs to be 500 degrees, and in fact that is a little extreme. I would recommend starting it at 375 for 10 minutes then increasing to 450, however, just leavening the oven at 450 will do the trick.

Happy eating everyone! This Monday is another movie night (500 chicken was the dish of choice along with White Russians of course for a screening of the Big Lebowski). I’m thinking of mussels next week, but you never know.

Over and out.

Waking up this morning in the icy darkness of the Wisconsin dawn, I could hear my coffee pot humming, preparing my essential brew. I really wanted to curl up with a book and my drink and a scone…but instead I jumped in the car and headed to work….only to be distracted by writing a pasta recipe for New Years Eve.

On December 31^st our dinner needs to be carefully planned out: the correct balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to ensure the longevity of the evening. (And support our system during several hours of boozing).

Hunting for a tasty recipe, I found plenty of winter pastas fully of rich ingredients like boar sausage and fennel, goat cheese and pine nuts, but I found myself yearning for the bounty of the Dane county farmers market in August.

This is recipe is born out of my desire for color in the winter. It isn’t the carbon-footprint- friendly recipe, but sometimes one needs a little summer lovin.

Photo thanks to Lynne Bouchard

Happy Eating! And Happy New Year!

• 3 pounds gemellini or other small twisty pasta
• 4-5 yellow or green zucchini, sliced lengthwise into quarters and then into 1 inch pieces
• 2 lbs tomatoes, preferably cherry, divided.
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• 2 bunches basil
• 3 lbs chicken breasts
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 hunk of good parm cheese
• Olive Oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced.
• 2 lemons
• Salt, pepper

Place a big ass pot of water to boil over medium heat and preheat the oven to 350.

Combine a good swig of olive oil, juice of one lemon, half the minced garlic and a pinch of garlic in a heavy duty plastic bag. Add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.

While the chicken gets groovy, place zucchini and half the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and rest of the minced garlic. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes, depending on their size.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan and add chicken. Turn after 5 minutes and sauté till done, about 8-12 minutes total. Remove chicken and allow to cool before slicing. Add ¼ cup water to the pan and scrape up any brown bits. Reserve reduced sauce.

While veggies roasts, chicken cooks and that water attempts to bubble, grate the parmesan cheese and chiffonade the basil. Chiffonade is a French term meaning “made of rags,” but when we cook it means that the herb or veggie in question is cut into long thin strips. To achieve this elegant look with a bunch of basil, stack the leaves, roll them together and slice into thin strips.

Quick! Check your veggies;.no one likes mushy veg. When the pasta finishes cooking according to the instructions on the package, drain and immediately add the fresh tomatoes, roasted vegetables with pan juices, chicken and pan sauce , and ¼ cup balsamic vinegar (add a little less at first and test it out.) Finally, add the cheese and basil and top with salt and pepper to taste or a dash of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.

Enjoy with friends and a good bottle of dry chardonnay, or rioja.