Super (and spendy) Saturday: Part Two

She's baaaaaaack!  Part Two's menu is brought to you by none other than Martha Stewart.  To get an idea of what I was grappling with let me lay it all out:  Goat Cheese Ravioli with Lemony Swiss Chard, and Pistachio Ice Cream for dessert.

Martha went the parsley sauce route, but I decided to go the pesto route.  Pesto is easy to make in bulk and then freeze.  Plus! Matthew has the BEST youth group kids, who threw us and AWESOME shower and gave us AMAZING recipes.  The pesto recipe is brought to you by a University Lutheran Church of Hope family.

Pesto

4 cups basil leaves, stems removed
2 small cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts (expensive)
3/4 cup parsley, chopped, and stems removed
3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup melted butter
Salt
Pepper

I combined all the ingredients except for the cheese and butter in our NEW food processor!  I blended it until it was coarse.  I added the cheese and butter, and then fancily pulsed it in my new food processor for 15(ish) seconds.  I added some salt and pepper and...VOILA!  Pesto!

I actually began by making dessert, but I will go in "meal order", because it makes my brain happy.  The Goat Cheese ravioli.

3 oz goat cheese (expensive)
1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese (expensive)
1 small garlic clove
Pinch of nutmeg (I substituted with ginger)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 wonton wrappers (mildy expensive)

Are you sensing a theme?

I first put the garlic through a garlic press, and thus conquered my fear of garlic.  I then mixed the cheeses, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper.  It was cheesy goodness.

I then laid out 6 wonton wrappers on a baking sheet as Martha (Stewart, not Griffin) commanded.

I filled each one with a tablespoon of cheesy deliciousness, and wet the edges to seal them.  This was tedious, so I made Matthew do it.

These bad boys took a bath in water that had been boiled and then brought down to a simmer for 5-7 minutes.  You will see them later.

Ahhhh, Swiss Chard.  It all began in Byerly's.  The conversation went like this.
Husband: What is swiss chard?
Wife: Martha says it has red stalks.
Husband:  Is it this?
Wife: No.
Husband: This?
Wife: Sure.  I think so.

Turns out it was indeed swiss chard.  It was a bit intimidating.

Lemony Swiss Chard

One bunch Swiss Chard
1 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tsp lemon juice
Salt
Pepper

Basically I tore off all the leaves, and cut the red stalks into chunks and threw them in the pan with oil.  I cooked the stalks for about 5 minutes, and then added in the leaves, a little bit at a time.  When all the leaves had cooked down I added the lemon juice and seasoned the greens.

And finally...DESSERT!  The Pistachio Ice Cream recipe actually comes from Bon Appétit.

1 cup unshelled salted (this is a change from the recipe) pistachios
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp almond extract

4 large egg yolks

1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup unshelled salted pistachios (roughly chopped)

First I finely ground 1 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup of the sugar in our NEW food processor!  I then added this to the milk and brought it to a boil.  I added in the (heavenly smelling) almond extract.

Then Matthew beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl, we added in the milk mixture, stirred it, and returned it to the pan.  I cooked it on low heat until "my finger left a trail on the back of the spoon" seriously, who comes up with these things?!?!?  The whole mixture went into the fridge to cool for about an hour. We waiiiiiiiiiitttteeeed.

When it came out I added the chopped pistachios and whipping cream.

Then it was time to whip out my Kitchenaid mixer and ice cream attachment.  Why yes, my mixer is "Martha Stewart Blue".

I mixed it on low speed for about 15 minutes.  Matthew loves having the honors of transferring the ice cream into its freezing container.

We sent it into the freezer to set.  Then, dinner and dessert were done.  Not in that order.  But, how did it taste?  Well, I leave you in suspense a while longer. Here is our table in our teeny tiny kitchen, all set, with the "nice silverware".

It almost looks like a normal person's kitchen.

Ok, ok, here it is.

The verdict?  Well the ravioli and the pesto were wonderful.  I mean, it's goat cheese, what's not to love?   Swiss chard?  Matthew you said very kindly that it was "rooty", but then said it tasted like dirt.  I think we both concluded that we would have been better off not knowing what swiss chard was.

Our "accidental/on purpose" purchase of salted pistachios was perfect.  The ice cream was the perfect salty-sweet creation.  Plus, it went with my green-themed meal.

And I'm done.  Whew.  It's hard to be Martha!