No oven? No problem

We recently moved back into our home after a 16-month renovation. I now have the kitchen of my dreams: a Wolf double-wall oven, a subzero-degree refrigerator, a state-of-the-art electric cook top, a Bosch dishwasher and granite countertops. Will it make me a better cook? Probably not.

Learning how to use my new appliances has been challenging. Everything has unfamiliar gadgets and manuals the size of small tomes. I am waiting for Tony from ABC Discount Appliances to come over and explain how to use my ovens.

The solution to the confusion has been cold dinners and anything that can be prepared on the stovetop. We’ve been eating lots of shrimp cocktail, salads, pasta, burgers, steaks and fish.

Regular readers know nothing pleases my family more than roast capon — I always make it in the oven. But when we had the yen for chicken, I had to figure out a way to make the dish a different way. Ina Garten of "Barefoot Contessa" on the Food Network prepares the classic with 40 cloves of garlic on top of the stove, so I decided to adapt her recipe. It turned out well and I had leftovers for chicken salad.

I’ve been having a lot of fun creating salads, especially with avocados because they’re $1 each in the market.

Israeli tomatoes are ripe and luscious, as are the Lancaster County beauties I buy from Farmer Ben in the Reading Terminal Market. Hot Spaghetti with Raw Tomato Sauce is one of our favorite stovetop dinners.

Jersey blueberries have finally arrived and I purchased a pint for $1.99 at Reading Terminal. The price should fall to 99 cents within a week or so. Edward brought home a pint of local raspberries, which were juicy and sweet. The local strawberries have been delicious, too.

Hot Spaghetti with Raw Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into small cubes
Kosher salt, to taste
2 fat cloves of garlic, sliced
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia or red onion, diced
Handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 pound of spaghetti

Directions:

Place the tomatoes in a colander. Sprinkle on the salt to release their liquid. Press on the sides of the tomatoes with a spoon from time to time, if desired. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl. Add the garlic, oil, onion and basil. Blend well.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and divide among four plates.

Top with the sauce and serve.

Serves four.

Avocado, Endive and Radicchio Salad

Ingredients:

4 Haas avocados, peeled, cored and sliced
4 heads of endive, sliced
1 small head of radicchio, shredded
1/2 cup of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place the avocados, endive and radicchio in a salad bowl.

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.

Serves four to six.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Ingredients:

1 (5-pound) chicken, cut into eight pieces
Olive oil, to coat the bottom of a pot
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
1 onion or 3 shallots, peeled and sliced
4 heads of garlic, separated into cloves
Dry white wine, to cover the chicken
Freshly chopped Italian parsley leaves

Directions:

Dry each piece of chicken with paper towels.

Pour the oil in a heavy pot, at least 5 quarts, with a tight-fitting lid. Heat on medium-high.

Sear the chicken, in batches, on each side for at least five to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Sprinkle each with the salt and pepper. Once browned, remove to a bowl.

Add the onion or shallots to the pot. Sauté over medium for about five to eight minutes, or until translucent.

Add the chicken back to the pot. Some of the pieces may overlap each other.

Scatter the garlic over the poultry. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Lower to simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. When done, the juices should run clear when pierced with a fork.

Serves two to four.

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Note from Phyllis: Prepare this recipe using chicken breasts and/or thighs on the bone, if desired.
It isn’t necessary to peel the garlic as the papers fall off.
I used a dry Sauvignon Blanc in this recipe. A Pinot Grigio works well, too.

Edward’s Berry Salad

Ingredients:

1 pint each of Jersey blueberries, Jersey or Pennsylvania strawberries and Jersey or Pennsylvania raspberries, washed

2 tablespoons of brandy or liqueur of your choice, such as Cointreau

Vanilla ice cream

Whipped cream, if desired

Directions:

Place the berries in a serving bowl. Add the brandy or liqueur. Blend carefully.

Serve over the ice cream.

Top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Serves four to six.

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Note from Phyllis: These berries are delicious over poundcake, but berries, ice cream and whipped cream on poundcake tastes even better.