Death at the Day Lily Cafe (33 page)

12 to 14 fresh mozzarella pearls

6 eggs

½ cup shredded whole milk organic aged white cheddar cheese

4 to 6 basil leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 425º

Pour olive oil into a large skillet. Add onion, both peppers, and garlic. Sauté over medium/high heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until peppers and onions have softened, stirring occasionally.

Pour in tomatoes and add the olives, oregano, and salt. Stir together and cook until mixture has begun to thicken. Remove from heat. Fill ramekins if using at this point. Scatter the mozzarella over the top. Push the pearls into the sauce with a spoon. Crack an egg over each ramekin or crack six eggs over mixture in the skillet spacing them evenly. Top with basil and shredded cheese.

Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the egg whites are solid but the yolk is still slightly runny.

Serve with a side arugula salad, thick crusty bread, and a potato cake.

Variation:
Replace mozzarella and basil with feta crumbles and fresh oregano.

Potato Cake

4 to 5 Yukon gold potatoes

1 small yellow onion

1 egg

3 tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon Rosalie's aromatic salt

2 small chive stalks, snipped into small pieces

2 tablespoons butter

vegetable oil

Peel potatoes and boil until softened but not mushy, 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Let cool. Grate the potatoes and onion and drain in a sieve, compressing them with your fists to induce drainage. Cover with a dish towel and let them sit for ten minutes. Pour off additional fluid. Place potatoes in a bowl and combine with remaining ingredients.

Form the potatoes into patties and prepare either of the following ways:

Fry:
Melt butter and oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Patties should be partially immersed. Place the patties in the skillet and cook on medium to medium/high heat flipping frequently until the outsides are crispy.

Bake:
Brush a baking pan generously with oil. Place cakes on the pan and brush tops with oil. Bake 10 minutes at 350º then broil until crispy and browned, flipping once.

Easy Arugula Side Salad

I know arugula leaves are usually served whole, but when dining out or with friends at home, I always appreciate a chopped salad. It is much easier to eat and you aren't caught with a lettuce stem sticking out of your mouth or your salad falling onto the table while you try to toss it.

1 small bag organic arugula, coarsely chopped

1 lemon

⅛ to ¼ cup olive oil (to taste)

½ to 1 cup freshly grated or shaved parmesan cheese

Rosalie's aromatic salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Squeeze the lemon over the arugula. Add olive oil, parmesan, salt, and pepper and toss. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese and Ten-Minute Tomato Soup

Although the pesto mayonnaise grilled cheese offered by the Day Lily is a crowd favorite, I recently traveled to New York to visit my brother, Oliver, and had the most incredible grilled cheese made with sweet caramelized onions. I came up with my own version and although it takes a little time to caramelize the onions, it's well worth the effort.

Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese

For one sandwich:

Crusty roll or 2 slices of deli bread

4 slices organic Baby Swiss cheese

4 slices organic aged white cheddar cheese

Chipotle mayonnaise (available in most grocery stores)

6 tablespoons caramelized onion or more if you have room on the bread (see recipe below)

Butter for the bread

Slather the mayo over the inside of both slices of bread. Spoon onions over the bottom slice. Top with both types of cheese. Cover with second slice of bread. Butter outside of sandwich and grill in a panini maker until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Slice in half diagonally and eat with the soup. I particularly enjoy dipping the edge of the sandwich into the soup before taking a bite. This sandwich can also be grilled on a stove top.

Caramelized onions

4 to 5 yellow onions, sliced

1 large shallot, sliced

3 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan. Add onions and shallot and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook until onions are soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in sugar and salt and increase heat to medium high. Cook onions until caramelized, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Store in refrigerator until ready to make the grilled cheese. Warm to room temperature before making the sandwich. Leftovers are perfect for a bowl of French onion soup.

Ten-Minute Tomato Soup

2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press

1 28-ounce can whole Italian tomatoes

2 cups broth or stock

½ teaspoon Rosalie's aromatic salt

1 tablespoon tomato paste (Buy it in a tube and nothing goes to waste.)

2 small sprigs of each: basil, oregano, and thyme tied together with a clean string

½ to 1 cup heavy cream or half and half

Sauté the shallot and garlic in melted butter on medium heat until aromatic. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the stock or broth, tomato paste, and salt. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Using an immersion blender, puree ingredients until the soup is smooth and creamy. Drop in herbs and simmer 5 minutes or longer. Remove herbs and swirl in the cream.

If you don't have time to make the sandwich, add some garlic croutons and/or freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve with a small salad of chopped romaine lettuce and a good Italian vinaigrette.

Kevin's Key Lime Bars

Crust

6 tablespoons chilled butter

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 organic egg yolk (save the egg white for the filling)

½ teaspoon Mexican vanilla

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350º

Blend the butter, sugar, and salt on low speed in a mixer until creamy. Add the yolk and vanilla and blend until combined. Add the flour and mix again. Spread into an 8 x 8 baking dish and tamp down with your fingers and the palm of your hand until it is evenly spread and firm. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until starting to brown a little around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Filling

1½ cups sugar

¼ cup flour

4 organic egg whites

Juice from 3 to 5 key limes (enough to make 6 tablespoons of juice)

Powdered sugar

Sift flour and sugar together. Add egg whites and lime juice and whisk for a minute or two. Pour over crust and bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. If filling isn't quite set, refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Sift the powdered sugar over the cooled filling and slice into squares.

Aromatic Seasoned Salt

A good friend introduced me to homemade seasoned salt a few years ago and I have been making it ever since. I use it in just about every dish I make. I've gifted salt cellars to friends and family over the years and when the holidays roll around I replenish their stores. The best way to make it is with a group of friends and a bottle of wine (or two). We each contribute bunches of fragrant herbs and chop and snip together while the hostess is in charge of the food processor. The warmth from the wine, the heavenly scents, and the hearty laughter are stimulating to the senses and soothing to the soul.

2 small sprigs of any of the following herbs (the first four are my favorite): thyme, basil, oregano, chives, rosemary, or cilantro

1 cup coarse sea salt

3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

zest of one lemon

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Spread the salt out on a baking dish and let dry for two days, stirring frequently. Your kitchen will take on the aroma of an Italian cucina.

Roasted Cumin Seed Salt

This is something I just started to make and it is perfect for Mexican, Cuban, and Spanish food. I also use it in stir-fries and curries. It was one of the key ingredients for the black bean soup special at the Day Lily.

1 tablespoon cumin seed

3 to 4 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Place the cumin seed in a nonstick frying pan and toast over medium heat, stirring frequently. When the seeds are aromatic and beginning to change color, remove from heat. Place in a food processor or mini chop with the salt and blend. Store in a sealed container.

Black Garlic Salt

I recently discovered black garlic and am only scratching the surface of ways to work with this exotic delicacy. When I used it to flavor sea salt, I was wowed by the results. The flavor is rich and smoky. It is definitely worth making and takes less than five minutes to prepare.

3 to 4 cloves black garlic

1 cup coarse sea salt

Process together until thoroughly blended. Spread onto a baking sheet for a few days, allowing the salt to dry the garlic. Stir frequently. Black garlic can be found in the larger grocery chains and specialty food stores, and ordered from the Internet.

More recipes are available at
www.wendysandeckelauthor.com
.

 

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to the talented people at Thomas Dunne Books. Most importantly, to Anne Brewer, Shailyn Tavella, and Jennifer Letwack, for your support, enthusiasm, and insights.

Thanks to Ken Atchity, the best agent ever, for first believing in me and for your ongoing wisdom and guidance. And to Michael Neff for getting the ball rolling.

Thank you to my immensely gifted critique group: Jon Coile, Denny Kleppick, Mary Bargteil, Terese Schlachter, and Susan Moger. You are my brilliant North Star when I am at the helm of a novel.

Thanks to all the wonderful people who read
Murder at Barclay Meadow
. Meeting you at events, book clubs, signings, and via the Internet has been one of my favorite parts of being a writer. Thank you for making the muffins, falling in love with Tyler, getting scared at the scary parts, and looking forward to my next book.

And, thanks to all of you who sent me your favorite family recipes. They were inspiring. Check them out at
www.wendysandeckelauthor.com
.

Love to Elizabeth Piotrowski and Madeline Eckel for enriching my life in every way. And to my sisters, Chris Sand-Ashley and Stacy Sand, for being my rocks.

And to MBR. A big fat thank-you, baby.

 

A
LSO BY
W
ENDY
S
AND
E
CKEL

Murder at Barclay Meadow

 

A
BOUT THE AUTHOR

WENDY SAND ECKEL
is the author of
Murder at Barclay Meadow
and
Death at the Day Lily Café
. She lives in Annapolis, Maryland, where she enjoys her family, multiple pets, and life on the water. Visit her Web site at
www.wendysandeckelauthor.com
. Or sign up for email updates
here
.