Yesterday I wanted to try a new recipe for the large head of cauliflower I had in the refrigerator. I stumbled upon this Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad from Bon Appétit. It sounded fantastic and had rave reviews so I gave it a try.

The recipe is very easy to make, and it’s substantial enough to make a fine vegetarian main course. (You could make it vegan with vegan mayonnaise.) It can be served warm or at room temperature. It holds up well, so it would be perfect for a picnic or potluck. Leftovers make a great lunch the following day.

I chose to serve it as a side dish with quickly roasted Copper River Sockeye Salmon. The dinner was a hit at Chez Dedon!

I would definitely make Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad again. I might add a clove of garlic to the dressing next time. Garlic is always a good idea!

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Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad

(Adapted from a Bon Appétit recipe)

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I couldn’t find gigante beans, so I used butter beans which were very good.

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a side dish

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½ cup pearled barley

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 (15-ounce) can gigante, corona, or butter beans, rinsed

½ cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, divided

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, divided

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1. Put the barley in a large pot and add enough water so it’s covered by about 2 inches. Stir in about a teaspoon of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so it’s gently boiling for about 25 – 30 minutes, or until it’s tender. Drain, rinse under cold water. Set aside in the strainer.

2. Whisk together the lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, and 5 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. The cauliflower will start to have a few browned spots.

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4. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Put the cauliflower in a large bowl. Stir in the beans, barley, ¼ cup parsley, and 2 tablespoons of the tarragon. Toss with the dressing. Garnish with the grated lemon peel and additional parsley and tarragon leaves.

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The original recipe is from Eating Well magazine. Although tomatoes and cucumbers are classic ingredients in a Greek salad, the folks at Eating Well suggest substituting other vegetables you like. They mention broccoli and bell peppers. I think cauliflower and fresh corn kernels would be good, too.

Chopped Greek Salad with Chicken is a terrific light dinner on its own. Keeping with the Greek theme, warmed pita bread and hummus would go well with the salad.

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Chopped Greed Salad with Chicken

(Adapted from an Eating Well recipe.)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 4 (Halve the ingredients for 2 servings.)

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Dressing:

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried (I used dried oregano)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

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Salad ingredients:

6 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

2½ cups chopped cooked chicken (about 12 ounces)

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or a cup or so of grape tomatoes, sliced in half)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

½ cup finely chopped red onion

½ cup sliced kalamata olives

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

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1. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, dill or oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

2. Add all of the salad ingredients to the bowl. Toss well until the dressing is evenly distributed and serve.

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Talk about easy!

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We had classic all-American cheeseburgers (with Special Sauce) and Oven Fries for our Memorial Day dinner. I wanted to round the meal out with a light, nutritious side dish. Massaged Kale Salad was perfect!

I’ve noticed massaged kale recipes all over the Internet. Massaging the kale tenderizes the leaves making them much more appealing as a salad. I liked the simplicity of Eating Well’s version so I decided to give it a try.

Eating Well suggests that you can use any type of kale for this salad. I used the curly-leaf variety. Whatever type you use, just be sure to tear the leaves from the tough stems. The stems are not used in this salad.

So how did the Massaged Kale Salad taste? I loved it!

The Caesar-like dressing is a great match with the kale. Eating Well says the anchovy paste is optional, but it adds just the right amount of umami. I highly recommend it.

One thing I really love about this salad is the fact that it can be made ahead of time. The kale will not wilt. In fact, I discovered that it is still fantastic the next day and any leftover salad can be a great addition to lunch.

Give Massaged Kale Salad a try. It’s easy, delicious, and nutritious! I know I’ll be making it again. I’m looking forward to trying it with other varieties of kale.

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Massaged Kale Salad

(Adapted from a recipe in the September/October 2012 issue of Eating Well magazine)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 3 – 4 (doubles easily)

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1 bunch kale

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (use 1/3 cup, if doubling)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1½ teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

¼ teaspoon anchovy paste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

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1. Tear the leaves of kale from the tough stems. (Discard the stems.)

2. Wash and dry the kale leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, anchovy paste, pepper and salt.

4. Add the kale and the Parmesan cheese to the dressing. With clean hands, massage the kale into the dressing. Keep massaging, spreading the dressing throughout the salad, until the kale has reduced in volume by about half and the leaves are a bit darker and more tender.

5. Taste to see if the seasonings need adjusting and serve. (The salad keeps well and can be made ahead of time.)

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Cooking Light’s The New Way to Cook Light (which just last weekend won the 2013 James Beard Award in the “Focus on Health” category) has a terrific recipe for fish tacos. They used tilapia, but I chose to use fresh lingcod fillets instead. Blackened Fish Baja Tacos made a fantastic dinner which Bob and I both enjoyed.

The tacos would be equally good, I think, with true cod, mahi mahi, or any fish that you enjoy. Cooking Light suggests using shrimp as an alternative as well.

Although it took a little longer to make than I was expecting, the recipe is very easy and I will definitely be making Blackened Fish Baja Tacos again!

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Blackened Fish Baja Tacos

(Adapted from Cooking Light’s The New Way to Cook Light)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 4 (2 tacos each)

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¼ cup reduced fat sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup thinly sliced white onion

1½ teaspoons paprika

1½ teaspoons brown sugar (I used maple sugar.)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon oil

4 (6-ounce) lingcod fillets (or fish of your choice)

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

½ ripe avocado, thinly sliced

4 lime wedges

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1. Put the sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeno pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. (My small processor worked fine.) Put in a bowl and stir in the sliced onions.

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2. Stir the paprika, sugar, oregano, garlic powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.

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3. Coat the fish fillets on both sides with the spice mixture. Use all of it.

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4. Preheat the oven to warm. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Put the tortillas in the dry skillet, heating them for about 30 – 40 seconds on each side. When all of the tortillas are done, wrap them in foil and keep them in the warm oven.

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5. Add the oil to the skillet and heat until it’s hot. Add the fish fillets and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 3 minutes on each side.

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6. Divide the sour cream mixture, fish, and avocado slices evenly between the tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.

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I’m so excited to be able to share this Quick and Easy Thai Panang Curry! It tastes very much like the Panang Curry we enjoyed so much at Thai Thai Restaurant.

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Thai Panang Curry with Chicken (Panang Gai)

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For many years we loved eating at Thai Thai.  The owner, Sam, took the orders and served the delicious food. His wife was the cook. She was often helped by her sister, and, boy, could they cook! Their food tasted the way I imagined the best Thai home cooking would taste. It was Thai comfort food.

Bob and I often had lunch there, and it was our go-to place for takeout when I didn’t feel like cooking dinner. (We most often ordered Pud Thai and Panang Curry. And Tom Yum Gai or Tom Kah Gai, their excellent chicken soups.) Sam became a friend and we enjoyed conversations with him when we lunched there. He even brought us a bottle of Thai wine from one of his visits back to Thailand! (It was very good, too.)

Sadly, Sam succumbed to cancer two years ago and Thai Thai, after being a local favorite for almost 30 years, was closed. There was talk that his wife and sister-in-law were going to partner with a friend to reopen the restaurant, but that has not happened.

There are many fine Thai restaurants in our fair city, and many of them are quite good. We have not found another restaurant, though, that delivers the wonderful home-cooked taste that we enjoyed at Thai Thai. (Nobody even comes close to Thai Thai’s Pud Thai; I’ve learned not to order it at other restaurants.) 

So you can see why I am so glad that I discovered Mae Ploy curry pastes! My local Safeway carries Mae Ploy Red, Green, and Yellow curry pastes, but I really wanted Panang which I found at our local Asian market. The curry I made tasted so much like Sam’s wife’s Panang curry, I had to wonder. Could it be that she used Mae Ploy’s curry paste? I don’t know, but it is from Thailand (authentic), and it’s available in large restaurant-sized tubs, so maybe she did use it.

Quick and Easy Thai Panang Curry will now be in my regular rotation. I hope you can get the curry paste so you can try it and enjoy this Thai dish in your home.

Maybe now I should try to figure out how to make a Thai Thai-style Pud Thai.

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I still have our Thai Thai Restaurant takeout menu. Yes, they had over 100 wonderful Thai dishes on the menu.

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Thai Panang Curry with Chicken (Panang Gai)

 (Inspired by the wonderful Panang Curry that was served at Thai Thai Restaurant)

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I made the curry with chicken, but you could use beef (Panang Neau), Pork (Panang Moo), Shrimp (Panang Goong), or mixed seafood (Panang Talay). Feel free to substitute any vegetables that appeal to you for the bamboo and red pepper.

I used 3 tablespoons of the curry paste and we all agreed that it was 2 ½ stars on the 4* hotness scale. Use more or less to suit your taste.

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 4

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1 can (8-oz, 5-oz drained) bamboo shoots

1 large red pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil (other cooking oils are fine)

1¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized slices

1 (13.66-oz) can of coconut milk (not lite)

3 tablespoons Mae Ploy Panang Curry Paste

1½ teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Steamed rice for serving

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1. Put the bamboo shoots in a strainer to drain.

2. Cut the pepper into thin strips.

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3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the chicken and cook, stirring often, until it is cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan.

 Not done yet

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4. Put the coconut milk, curry paste, and sugar in the pan. Whisk it until the curry paste is blended well into the coconut milk. Heat it until it’s boiling.

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5. Stir in the chicken, bamboo shoots, and red pepper. Reduce the heat so the curry is just simmering, and cook for 5 – 10 minutes.

6. Stir in the fish oil and serve over steamed rice.

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 Mae Ploy Thai Panang Curry Paste

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What’s not to love about these real food ingredients? 

Authentic? It’s from Thailand.

Note that it is NOT vegetarian; it contains shrimp paste.

Last night I dusted off my cast iron grill pan to make Grilled Eggplant Parmesan. The recipe, created by Grace Parisi, is from the April 2013 issue of Food and Wine magazine. It is lighter than many other eggplant parmesan recipes since the eggplant is grilled instead of fried and it uses grilled fresh tomatoes instead of a heavy tomato sauce.

I wanted to keep it light and not use too much olive oil. I decided to grill the tomatoes first and I just brushed the grill pan with a bit of olive oil instead of brushing the tomatoes with oil. That worked just fine. I did, however, brush the eggplant slices with olive oil. I probably used a total of about ¼ cup of olive oil.

The recipe calls for oil-packed Calabrian chiles, which my local QFC does not carry. Instead of using the Italian peppers, I substituted a local oil-packed pepper, Mama Lil’s Kick Butt Peppers, which added just a bit of heat.

Food and Wine tags the recipe as “Fast” and claims that it can be made in 45 minutes. Maybe I’m slow in the kitchen, but it took me well over an hour to make the recipe. It was very easy to make, though, and it was sort of meditative to grill the 4 batches of eggplant slices and 2 batches of tomato slices.

Despite the fact that it is not a quick recipe, I recommend that you try Grilled Eggplant Parmesan because it is fantastic! It’s a very satisfying vegetarian main dish and I can’t wait to have some of the leftovers for lunch.

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Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

(Adapted from Grace Parisi’s recipe in the April 2013 issue of Food and Wine magazine)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 4

4 large plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise in ¼-inch slices

1 large eggplant (1½ pounds), peeled and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch slices

Extra-virgin olive oil (I used about ¼ cup)

Salt

1/3 cup chopped green olives

2 tablespoons chopped Mama Lil’s Kick Butt Peppers, or other hot chiles

¼ cup finely shredded basil, plus whole leaves for garnish

5 ounces Fontina cheese, thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 450˚ and heat the grill pan over medium heat.

2. When the grill pan is hot, brush it with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle the tomato slices with a bit of salt, and put them salt-side-down in the grill pan. (They will not all fit; you will be grilling them in batches.) Grill for about 1 minute, until lightly charred. Sprinkle with a bit of salt (this is the side that was unsalted when put in the pan) and turn the slices over. Grill for an additional minute and then remove to a plate. Continue cooking the tomato slices until they are all done. (I was able to cook them in two batches.) Set the tomatoes aside.

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3. Brush the eggplant slices on one side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Put some eggplant slices oil-side down in the grill pan and grill for about 2 minutes, until softened and lightly charred. While they slices are grilling, brush the top side with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Turn the slices over and grill the second side for about 2 minutes. When done, remove to a plate and continue to cook the eggplant slices in batches. (It took 4 batches for me to cook all of the eggplant slices.)

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4. Stir the green olives, peppers, and shredded basil together in a bowl.

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5. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange half of the eggplant into about a 9-inch square, overlapping the slices a bit. Layer half of the tomato slices on top and then add half of the olive mixture.

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6. Place half of the Fontina cheese slices on top.

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7. Repeat the layers: the rest of the eggplant, the tomatoes, the olive mixture and the cheese.

8. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Let it rest for 10 minutes, top with a few basil leaves and serve.

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An unfortunately poor iPhone photo of the finished Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

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The roasted sugar snap peas are tossed with the toasted sesame salt, which is actually a Japanese seasoning called gomasio. You can buy gomasio in Asian markets or well-stocked grocery stores, but it’s easy enough to make your own.

I doubled the recipe to serve eight, but I roasted the sugar snap peas in two batches so they weren’t too crowded.

I really liked the Quick-Roasted Sugar Snap Peas with Toasted Sesame Salt and I’m happy to add it to my arsenal of make-ahead vegetable side dishes.

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Quick-Roasted Sugar Snap Peas with Toasted Sesame Salt

(Adapted from Molly Stevens’ recipe in All About Roasting)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 4a

Doubles easily, but use 2 large baking sheets so the sugar snap peas aren’t too crowded.

I used Mann’s Stringless Sugar Snap Peas. If yours have strings, you’ll need to remove them first.

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1 pound stringless sugar snap peas

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white or black sesame seeds (preferably not hulled)

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

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1. Preheat the oven to 475˚.

2. Spread the sugar snap peas out on a large rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper if you wish.

3. Drizzle the olive oil over the peas and toss them so they are well-coated. Spread the peas out so they are in a single layer.

4. Roast the peas for about 12 minutes, stirring them once or twice, until they are done with a few browned spots.

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5. While the peas are roasting, make the toasted sesame salt. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet, stirring constantly, for a minute or two. They are done when they have become fragrant and are just starting to deepen a bit in color. Immediately put them on a plate to cool.

6. Grind the sesame seeds with the salt in a mortar or a spice grinder. You can partially grind them so there are still some whole sesame seeds.

7. When the peas are roasted, toss them with the toasted sesame salt. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

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Raghavan Iyer actually has three different recipes for hard-boiled egg curries in his excellent book, 660 Curries. The one I chose to make is called Easter Eggs with an Onion-Garlic Sauce. He came up with this one because he had a surplus of Easter eggs. Love it!

Iyer uses his own garam masala blend, and the recipe for it is in the book. It probably would have taken my Easter Egg Curry to a whole new level, but I had some commercial garam masala that I used. It was still great.

He recommends using 2 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles. My grocery store only had the serrano chiles, so that’s what I used. Simmered in the sauce, they infused a lot of flavor and heat. I chose to not actually eat the peppers and it was perfect for me. Bob ate them and proclaimed them to be quite hot! The choice is yours.

Since tomatoes are so pitiful this time of year, I used 2 canned plum tomatoes. (I’ll probably roast the leftovers today.)

I highly recommend this Easter Egg Curry if you still have hard-boiled eggs lurking in your refrigerator. After all, you can only eat so much egg salad.

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See that half serrano chile? I didn’t eat it. The curry was spicy enough for me.

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Easter Egg Curry

(Adapted from a recipe in Raghavan Iyer’s 660 Curries)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 3 – 4

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2 tablespoons oil (I used light olive oil)

1 cup finely chopped red onion

6 medium-size cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 cup water

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt

2 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, stems removed, cut in half lengthwise (do not remove the seeds)

1 medium-size tomato cored and finely chopped (or 2 canned plum tomatoes finely chopped)

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

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1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 – 10 minutes. The onion should just be starting to brown.

 Onion and garlic

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2. Add the garam masala. Cook for about 1 minute.

3. Put all of the onion/garlic mixture and the 1 cup of water into a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Put the sauce back into the skillet and add the cilantro, salt, chiles, and tomatoes. Add the eggs and spoon some of the sauce over them.

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Tomatoes (2 canned plum tomatoes diced), chiles, and cilantro ready to be added to the pan.

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5. Simmer the eggs for 5 – 8 minutes, spooning the sauce over them occasionally. The sauce will thicken up a bit.

6. Serve the eggs with the sauce over them. (I served them over steamed rice.)

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Slow Roasted St. Louis Style Ribs couldn’t be easier! Just use your favorite barbecue rub and roast them on a rimmed baking sheet for 4 hours or so. After helping Byron dig trenches all day, Bob was very happy to dig into these ribs!

The “St. Louis Style” designation refers to the cut of the meat, not the style of preparation. St. Louis Style ribs are spareribs that have been trimmed. They are a bit higher in fat than baby back ribs and are perfect for “slow and low” cooking in a barbecue or in the oven. As they’re cooking, the meat pulls back from one end making convenient “bone handles” for picking up the ribs.

We enjoyed the ribs with just the flavorful Southern Barbecue Rub. If you prefer saucy ribs, just brush the ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce when the ribs are done and roast them for about 20 more minutes.

If you have a free afternoon to turn the rack of ribs a couple of times, give Slow Roasted St. Louis Style Ribs a try!

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Slow Roasted St. Louis Style Ribs

(Adapted from a recipe in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything the Basics)

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(print the recipe)

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Serves 3 – 4

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One 3 – 4 pound rack of St. Louis Style Ribs

Your favorite barbecue rub (I used Southern Barbecue Rub*)

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1. Preheat the oven to 250˚.

2. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. This is easily done by loosening an end with a knife and then grabbing the piece with a clean paper towel and pulling it off.

Bad photo, but you get the idea.

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3. Place the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Rub a generous amount of the barbecue rub on both sides of the rack.

4. With the ribs bone-side down, put the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast for 2 hours.

5. Turn the ribs over and roast for another hour.

6. Turn the ribs over so they are again bone-side down and roast for one more hour, or until the ribs are fork-tender and practically falling off the bone. (Total roasting time will be 4 - 4½ hours.)

7. Cut the ribs into serving pieces and enjoy!

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*Southern Barbecue Rub

(Adapted from a recipe in Joy of Cooking)

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¼ cup sweet paprika

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons ground pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)

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Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. The rub can be used with pork or beef.

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This Lamb Neck Stew turned out even better than I expected! It was Comfort Food Supreme for a chilly February night. It made two generous servings, but I saved a tiny bit that I savored for breakfast the next morning.

I know one of the reasons it was so good is because I used top-quality lamb, a gift from our good friends in California. Mike and Liz raise sheep on their Southern Cross Ranch. Their lamb is, without a doubt, the best I have ever tasted! The last time we visited, they generously sent us home with a few pieces to put in our freezer!

One of the pieces was lamb neck. I had never seen lamb neck in the store* and I didn’t really know how to prepare it. Searching the Internet, I learned that lamb neck is well suited for slow braising, making it perfect for stew.

I found a recipe from a woman in Australia for Lamb Neck Stew. Mike is Australian, so this seemed like a fitting recipe for his lamb!

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* (3/6/13) I looked at my local Safeway today and, lo and behold, they had lamb neck! I will be making Lamb Neck Stew again, and probably soon! :) 

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I didn’t plan to blog this one, so I just snapped some quick iPhone photos which don’t do it justice.  It was so tasty, though; I just had to share!

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Lamb Neck Stew

(Adapted from a recipe from “Shiho” on allrecipes.com.au)

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If you can’t find lamb neck, you could try substituting lamb shanks or a shoulder cut.

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(print the recipe)

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Generously serves 2

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1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lamb neck

3 tablespoons flour (or potato starch flour for gluten free)

½ medium yellow onion (about 4 ounces), quartered

1 large carrot (about 5 ounces), sliced

10 ounces fingerling potatoes, with skin, cut in smaller pieces

Salt and pepper, to taste

2⅓ cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

6 sprigs thyme

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1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Dust the lamb neck with the flour and cook it in the hot oil until it is lightly browned. Remove the meat from the pot.

3. Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring, for 3 – 4 minutes until it is starting to soften.

4. Add the carrot and potatoes. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for an additional minute or two.

5. Stir the Worcestershire sauce into the chicken broth and pour into the pot. Add the thyme and stir.

6. Put the lamb back into the pot, cover, and simmer over very low heat for about 2½ hours or until the meat is very tender. (I had to set my stove to the lowest heat possible to keep the stew at a simmer – with just a few gentle bubbles appearing at a slow rate.) I set the cover ajar for the last hour to help the stew thicken.

Simmering

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Lid set slightly ajar during the last hour or so

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7. When the lamb is tender, take the meat out of the pot and remove the lamb from the bones. Cut, or shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot.

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8. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the thyme sprigs and serve.

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