Garlic Ranch Burgers And Sautéed Romanesco Cauliflower With Pine Nuts And Garlic. New Music From Andrew St James.

This pink monstrosity is NOT what Romanesco cauliflower looks like. Pretty gross, huh?

Well, that made me lose my train of thought.

Oh yes, I was getting to today’s dinner menu.

As wonderful as it was to have Italian food for two weeks straight, what everyone here wanted when we got home was charcoal grilled hamburgers.

So our first night home I cooked up some simple burgers enhanced with a little garlic, a splash of Worcestershire and a touch of ranch dressing. Fantastic.

Earlier in the day, my husband and I visited the fabulous Killdeer Farmstand, our local farmstand, and spotted a bunch of Romanesco cauliflowers. I have been reading about them for awhile, but never came across any. Have you tried them?

Romanesco cauliflower is bright chartreuse and shaped somewhat like coral from the sea. It looks like an odd cauliflower, but tastes mostly of broccoli. It was especially lovely cooked up with garlic and shallots, a hint of red pepper and lemon, and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

Garlic Ranch Burgers

Ingredients:

2½ pounds ground chuck
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs ranch dressing
Cheese slices, optional

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, using your hands mix together beef, Worcestershire and garlic. Form burger patties.

2. Grill the burgers to your liking. Top with a slice of cheese, if you like, 1 minute before the the burgers are done.

Serves 6

Sautéed Romanesco Cauliflower With Pine Nuts And Garlic

Ingredients:

1 Romanesco cauliflower or a few if smaller heads
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs thinly sliced shallots
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tsp crushed red chilies
1 Tbs pine nuts
1 Tbs lemon juice

Directions:

1. Remove the tough edges of the cauliflower and separate the florets, taking care not to break the individual florets.

2. Place the florets in a sauce pan with 2 Tbs water. Bring to a boil and cover pan with a tight lid. Let cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, then remove and immediately plunge the florets in cold water to stop the cooking.

3. Heat a large skillet. Add the pine nuts and stir a few minutes until toasted. Remove pine nuts to a plate.

4. Add the oil and sauté the shallots till soft. Season with salt and the crushed chilies. Stir in the garlic and the drained florets and sauté gently on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the pine nuts and remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and mix well. Serve warm.

Serves 4

Recipe from Live To Eat

Here’s my new favorite song.

‘Cassidy’ is by 18 year old Andrew St James, a singer out of San Francisco.

Simply gorgeous.

“I was so young when you left
And with you took my breath
For with your trails in the sunlight,
I’d dance alone,
Scream into the dog fight,
Just to see you”