Clay Oven Revisited - 2015

Last year I completed building a clay woodfired oven. Here is a link to the post - Building and Enjoying a Wood-fired Clay Oven

I've enjoyed cooking a wide variety of things in it - pizzas, bread, pies, pork roasts, chicken, root vegetables, lasagna and much more, with very good success.  I've learned a lot and want to share with you here because so many people have said they would like to have one of these ovens and have asked for advice on how to build one and how to cook in them. I'll be adding more to this post over the next few weeks and months so check back regularly.

Cooking tomato sauce for the pizza that will soon be baked in the oven

June 28 - Made:

Roasted whole chicken stuffed with lemon slices, garlic and rosemary

Flatbread with rosemary and sea salt

Grilled Eggplant with mint

Roasted stuffed cherry peppers

Roasted tomatoes to spread on the flatbread

June 22 - Made:

Garlic Flatbread
Roasted eggplant and sausage
Goat Cheese with tomatoes, shallots, capers and basil
Cannellini Beans with pancetta and sage cooked in a "Beever Bean Pot"

Goat Cheese with tomatoes, shallots, capers and basil to spread on the flatbread -  

Roasted eggplant, sausage and onions - 

Cannellini Beans with pancetta and sage cooked in a "Beever Bean Pot"

May 30 - Made:

Mediterranean Pork Spare Ribs
Roasted corn on the cob
Lentils with herbs - in the clay pot - a "pignata"

Grilled Japanese Eggplant

2 - 4 Japanese eggplants

Kosher salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 heaping tablespoon crushed garlic
Fresh flat leaf parsley
Fresh mint

Juice from 1 lemon

Trim the ends from the eggplants and slice in half the long way. Carefully score the flesh with short diagonal cuts then generously sprinkle with sea salt. Allow the eggplant to sit for 20 minutes, until some liquid is drawn out.

Use a paper towel to wipe the moisture from the eggplants. Line the eggplant on a baking sheet, flesh side up.

In a small cup combine the remaining ingredients.

Generously coat the tops of the eggplant with the garlic mixture.

Grill in a grill pan for 5-8 minutes per side, starting with the skin side down. Let the eggplants get soft and creamy on the inside while the skins crisp slightly.

Remove to a plate and squeeze a little lemon juice on them.

Enjoy!

Michael Pollan's Book - "Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation"

Michael Pollan on his book "Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation"

How to Build Super Garden Soil

Proper soil preparation is the key to a good vegetable garden success. Here are a few articles that tell you what you need to do to have nutrient rich soil for your veggies.

How to Build Super Garden Soil