SHF #35: It's Fig-a-rific!

The most delicious fig I ever tasted was plucked from a neighborhood tree that we obsessively watch and whose fruit we gently squeeze every time we walk by. The fruit was a deep, deep purple and had a drop of figgy dew on its lips. Perfectly ripe, its sweetness melted onto my tongue, leaving behind the crunchy seeds. I believe that the fact that the fig was "borrowed" adds to its allure. The tree this fantastic piece of fruit came from grows on the side of an apartment complex and looks as if it just magically sprouted one day. During fig season we casually stroll a block up to check on the development of "our" figs. We've met a few neighbors too doing the same thing as us.

When I saw that SHF this month was all about figs, I got very excited. I am a recent convert to the Church of the Fig. I have also had my eye on this recipe for quite a while and am glad that this challenge was the kick in the pants I needed to finally make it. Of course, it comes from Claudia Flemming's inspirational book The Last Course. Unlike many other attempts, this recipe was too simple for me to screw up, nor did it involve every single piece of kitchen equipment I possess.

Dive in!

The result is a lovely puddle of golden green, accented by the dark purple of the figs. The creme fraiche center adds a welcome richness and a hint of tart so the sweetness of the melon and figs isn't overpowering. It's drop dead gorgeous too.

Chilled Honeydew Soup with Fresh Figs and Orange Blossom-Scented Creme Fraiche

1 small honeydew, about 2 lbs, or any other green melon, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/4 cup sugar
4 figs, cut into eighths
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 tsp orange blossom water

In a bowl, toss together the melon and sugar. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Puree melon. If you wish, you can strain for a smoother texture. Chill until very cold, about 3 hours.

In a bowl, whisk together the creme fraiche and orange blossom water until slightly thickened.

Divide soup into bowls. Drop a spoonful of creme fraiche into the center and garnish with fig wedges. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Sweet and Spicy

Lately, I am really interested in "different" dessert flavors, not necessarily just sweet. A hefty pinch of salt there, a bit of chile here, some fresh herbs (that aren't the ubiquitous mint) or spices there... I know this isn't that exciting or new to a lot of people, but I have just discovered it in my kitchen. I like this element of surprise and how it opens up a whole new flavor palette for sweets for me.

Mexican food is on my short list of preferred cuisines, if not my absolute favorite. While I enjoy lots of different kinds of foods, I long for tacos, salsas, beans and rice, etc. more than anything else. The staff at Los Arroyos, my favorite place to satisfy my cravings, now recognizes me, I go there so often. While I think that I make a pretty mean salsa, I don't know that much about Mexican desserts besides dulce de leche (which I now have a jar of from a different continent!) and paletas but I am more than willing to learn. Any help is greatly appreciated. The following is my twist on a Mexican inspired dessert.

Not really pretty, but definitely delicious

Mole Brownies

This was rattling around in my brain for a while and after making them, I'm glad that I finally did. Version 1.0 used dried cherries soaked in triple sec, pumpkin seeds and smoked paprika. Version 2.0 was raisins in tequila, pecans and the red gold again. I wanted to try it with powdered chipotle but I didn't plan ahead and didn't have any on hand. I tried to sneak in some cumin too but was thwarted by the partner. Both versions are equally fabulous. The recipe is a riff off of David's brownies with cherries and hazelnuts from his book Ripe for Dessert. The salt is important here, it really makes the flavors pop. If you only have conventional salt use 1/2 tsp instead.

1/2 cup dried cherries or raisins
1/4 cup triple sec or tequila
6 TB butter
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp-1 tsp smoked paprika or ground chipotle
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds or pecans

At least 1 hour, or the night before, ahead, soak the dried fruit in the alcohol of your choosing.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch square pan (the right size is important) and line with parchment paper or foil. Leave an overhang on the sides, so it is easy to lift the brownies out of the pan.

Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in suger and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time.

Add flour, salt, cinnamon and dried chile and stir quickly until batter is smooth again and glossy, about 1 minute.

If necessary, drain the fruit and stir into the batter with the nuts. Pour into the prepared pan and bake about 25 minutes. This makes a really fudgy brownie, if you prefer yours more well done, bake for an additional 5 minutes.

What I Learned Today

My hands have gotten quite a beating over the last few weeks. I grated a knuckle, sliced a finger on something mysterious and sharp (and never discovered) in the kitchen sink while doing dishes, and today was quite a doozy. Onto the lazy bloggers' favorite type of post:

1) I'm getting pretty good at sharpening my knife.
2) Under no circumstances should I lose track of my fingers as I dice canned tomatoes (Maybe I should have gone with my original plan of using the pre-diced ones).
3) I'm not as squeamish as I thought.
4) I really ought to look into health insurance plans because if I needed to go to the E.R., I would be in huge financial trouble (Reminder that the health care options in this country are deplorable).
5) Animal-based sources of iron are called heme, veg sources are non-heme.
6) Non-heme iron is absorbed more easily by the body if it is consumed with Vitamin C or white wine.



Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon

We had this with whole-wheat (more iron) mustard-cheese toasts and Au Bon Climat 70% Pinot Gris 30% Pinot Blanc 2005. Not only is this crisp, bright wine delicious, it's also super affordable considering its from an excellent winery. If I had the space, I would buy a case of it.

2 TB olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups stock
1.5 cups brown lentils, rinsed
lots of spinach
3 TB chopped parsley
3 TB chopped cilantro
1 TB chopped mint
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add garlic, Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock and lentils. Bring soup to a simmer and lower the heat. Let cook until lentils are soft, about 25 minutes. Add spinach and stir until spinach begins to wilt. Right before serving, stir in herbs, zest and juice. Taste for salt, pepper and acid. Serve with white wine.

Serves 4 generously

Transitioning: Vegetable Ragout

The space between the seasons is most interesting to me. I love the nature of being inbetween. My favorite time of day is at dusk, the moment right before or after a rainstorm, the sensation of being just waking but still dreamy, or slipping off into sleep...

So far the official start of spring brought us cloudy gray skies and a few showers. With the last of the Brussels sprouts and the first of the asparagus, a vegetable ragout for the transitioning seasons was made. We welcome the spring.

Vegetable Ragout with Herbed Dumplings, adapted from Vegetarian Suppers by Deborah Madison

The original is more of a wintery dish, but I springified it here with leeks, green garlic, asparagus and chives.

2 TB butter
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 green garlic bulb, sliced thinly
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 TB chopped parsley
juice of half of a lemon
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
4 oz asparagus, in 1-inch lengths

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm milk
3 TB melted butter
1 egg
3 TB chopped parsley
3 TB snipped chives

Melt butter in a large saute pan with a lid over medium-high heat. When foam subsides, saute leek until soft. Add mushrooms, green garlic and parsley. Cook until mushrooms begin to brown, then add lemon juice, stock and wine. Salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer then add Brussels sprouts. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let cook 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine milk, butter, egg and herbs. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined. You will have more dumpling batter than you need.

To the ragout, add the asparagus stalks, but not the tips. Using a spoon, drop dumpling batter over the ragout, leaving space for expansion. You'll probably use about 3/4 of the batter, depending on the size of your pan, or make about 12 dumplings. Cover and cook for 12 minutes. When there are two minutes remaining, add the asparagus tips. Serve, giving each person about 3-4 dumplings.

Serves 4

P.S. I am currently working on a top secret project and I have my first test run tomorrow. Hopefully, all will be successful and I shall share soon!

It's Spring! It's Spring! (Boing! Boing!)

I cannot tell you what a boost it is to see things growing and blooming right now. At the market on Saturday, it seemed like everyone was in great cheer and I'm sure the extra sunshine had a lot to do with it. I love these first few tentative steps into springtime. There were the first of the season peas, strawberries and favas. The strawberries still need a few more weeks of warmth but the peas and favas are (were) great. We were also pleasantly surprised to see Barbara with her tomato plants and we spent about 20 minutes at her stand trying to pick out which lucky ones were going to go home with us. In the end, we chose Aunt Ruby's German Green, Royal Chico and a Sweet 100. Yesterday afternoon was spent in the garden, planting our new acquisitions which also included some more herbs and flowers for the rose bed.

Last night, we had a celebration of the changing of the seasons on the table. While my love affair with Bon Appetit is dwindling, they still manage to publish a few interesting recipes in an issue and I had my eye on the grapefruit-avocado salad. So there was that, as well as tagliatelle with favas, homemade ricotta and spring herbs then a meyer lemon-buttermilk sorbet. I was disappointed with the sorbet. It was almost overwhelmingly tart and the elderflower syrup that I snuck into it was totally lost, as was the meyer lemon. Ah well, they can't all be winners. We cracked open a bottle of bubbly some friends gave us and toasted the season. Hurray!

Grapefruit-Avocado Salad with Cassis Dressing, adapted from Bon Appetit

The original recipe calls for sherry vinegar, but we were out, so I subbed in the grapefruit vinegar from TJ's. Any mild vinegar would be fine here, champagne, perhaps, if you have it handy. A Kir Royal is an excellent accompaniment.

1 TB fresh ginger, finely minced
1 TB shallot, fine dice
1 1/2 TB olive oil
1 1/2 TB mild vinegar
1 1/2 TB cassis, black currant liqueur

1 pink grapefruit
1 avocado, sliced into eighths
1 small head of lettuce, or equivalent

Combine ginger through cassis in a bowl. Taste for salt and pepper.

Using a paring knife and working over a bowl, carefully remove all of the rind and pith from the grapefruit. Cut between the membranes of the fruit to loosen the segments. Set aside.

Line plates with lettuce. decorate with grapefruit segments and avocado. Taste the dressing again, if it's too sweet, you can add some of the grapefruit juice. Whisk dressing to reincorporate and drizzle over salad. Salt and pepper

Serves 2

Tagliatelle with Ricotta, Fava Beans and Fresh Herbs

If you decide to make your own ricotta, and I hope you do, you can have the leftover cheese drizzled with honey for breakfast the next day. It's what I eating right now, actually. The picture is what the dish looks like when everything is combined and tossed. The directions below make for a much nicer presentation.

2 lbs favas in pods, shucked, parboiled and peeled, you'll end up with 1 1/2 cups beans
8 oz tagliatelle, cooked, 1 cup cooking water reserved
fresh spring herbs, we used chives and green garlic
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cups fresh ricotta (we use Heidi's recipe)
pecorino romano

Toss hot pasta with favas, herbs, zest, juice and enough reserved pasta water to help evenly distribute. Salt and pepper. Divide on plates. Dollop each portion with ricotta. Serve, passing pecorino.

Kir Royal

Special bonus recipe! You didn't think that I would hold out on you, did you?

sparkling wine
cassis

Method 1: Place 2 tsps cassis in the bottom of a champagne flute. Gently pour wine into flute.
Method 2: (My favorite) Gently pour wine into flute. Drop 2 tsps cassis into wine. Watch cassis sink to bottom.

Red Gold

(Full credit for the title of this post goes to the super-fabulous AM, who is my borrowed big sister. I hope you don't mind GG)

Have I told you about my new favorite ingredient? I purchased it at Dean and Deluca when I was in New York and ever since I opened up the tin and took a good whiff, I've been schemeing about how to cook with it. First, I used it in place of the cayenne in this recipe. Then, I tossed it with cauliflower florets, olive oil and salt which makes a deliously spicy, smoky version of cauliflower popcorn. After that, there were the oven fries. Finally, I made Mushroom Paprikash, harkening back to my Hungarian roots. When I first mentioned this particular incarnation though, M. Pants (aka the partner) wrinkled his nose and thought it sounded odd. I made it anyway. And its bloody fantastic. Absolutely perfect for the chilly weather we've been having. I highly encourage you to pick up your very own tin of red gold and start experimenting, then let me know the results. I need to fill my new smoked paprika fix. Perhaps in brownies with toasted almonds and cinnamon?

Smoky Cauliflower Popcorn
1 medium head cauliflower
olive oil
salt
smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut cauliflower into florets and toss in a large bowl with enough olive oil to lightly coat, salt and paprika, to taste. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes then remove from oven and toss gently. Return to oven and roast for about another 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is cooked through and slightly browned. Taste for more salt then devour!


Mushrooms Paprikash, adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

1 oz dried wild mushrooms
1 lb crimini mushrooms
1 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 bunch chives, chopped
1 lb cooked egg noodles

Place dried mushrooms in a bowl. Cover with very hot water. Set aside for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are softened.

Wash and quarter criminis. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Remove tough stems from wild mushrooms and discard. Chop mushrooms.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter and oil. When hot, add criminis and cook until lightly browned. Add chopped mushrooms, paprikas and salt. Stir to combine. Pour in 1/4 cup reserved soaking liquid and sour cream. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Add half of chives and stir well. Taste for salt. Serve mushroom mixture over noodles. Sprinkle chives over and serve.

Serves 3

P.S. I switched over to Blogger 2.0. What do you think of the links? Are there any others that would be helpful?

Southern Comfort

I don't know if you've heard or not, but it's been cold in California, really, really cold. When it gets like this, my body goes into hibernation preparation mode and demands warm, filling foods to prepare me for the long winter ahead. (The readers who live where it snows are scoffing at me now, but I'm a Southern Cali girl, I've only been in the snow once. Freezing cold weather is not good for the citrus, avocados or me)

It's traditional in the American South to harvest green tomatoes before the first freeze or even if you have too many growing during the summer. Because we live in sunny, usually freakishly warm California, we have tomatoes almost year round at the Farmers' Market. However, since the frost a lot of people harvested their tomatoes early and brought the remainder of the crops, still green, to sell. It's a hard job, but someone needs to help those farmers make good on a somewhat disappointing crop.

Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches with Chipotle Spread, adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

While I was making these, I realized that if one, who is of the pork-eating persuasion, added bacon to this it would make a good winter-time BLT.

1/2 cup mayonnaise (if its not homemade, I highly recommend the organic mayo from TJ's)
3/4 cup non-fat yogurt
2 chipotles, finely chopped
juice from 1/2 lime
1 large green tomato, sliced thickly
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
3 TB veg oil
6 slices sourdough bread
lettuce leaves


Combine mayo, yogurt, chipotles and lime juice in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour cornmeal onto a plate. Salt and pepper. Mix well. Using one hand as your clean hand and the other as your messy hand, coat both sides of the tomato slices in cornmeal. Set aside.

Heat veg oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat, when hot, add tomatoes. Fry until lightly browned, about 6 minutes per side. Line a plate with paper towels. When the tomatoes are done cooking, place them on the plate.

Toast bread. When cool enough to handle, spread chipotle mixture on toast. Line one side with lettuce and place tomatoes on the other. We all understand the mechanics of making a sandwich, yes?

Makes 3 sandwiches

If you're feeling particularly in need of comfort serve with oven fries.

Oven Fries

3/4 lb potatoes (I like Yukon Golds)
olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F.

Slice potatoes into fry-like shapes. Toss in a large bowl with as much olive oil as you can in good conscience consume, with salt pepper and/or any other seasoning that strikes your fancy. I like smoked paprika or seasoned salt.

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in oven for 15 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is browned to your liking. Very carefully, flip fries over and return to oven for about another 15 minutes. Serve with extra chipotle sauce for dipping.

And The Feasting Continues...

It's nice being able to spend time with the fam and this extended weekend, I got a triple dose. Along with T-day, my newly parental cousins were in town and took the partner and me wine tasting with them. Then last night, I do what I always do for almost any celebration, make dinner. They brought their teeny-tiny one with them and, gosh darn it, she's cute. She is by far, my favorite first cousin, once-removed.

For dinner, we started with smoked trout mixed with creme fraiche, horse radish, shallots, dill and lemon in endive "spoons". There was mystery squash soup with fried sage leaves (mystery because the vendor said it was Mexican squash and just seemed like a butternut with a few bumps and more seeds.). The main was stuffed cabbage, hippie-style and then, believe it or not, I finally made a recipe out of this book that turned out well. I slavishly followed the directions and my prune-Armagnac bread pudding came out so well that all though everyone said they were full, we polished the whole thing off.

This takes a while to make. There are quite a few parts and will dirty perhaps all of your dishes, but if you get somewhat organized and have a fantastic kitchen assistant who makes you laugh and a great martini, you're good to go.

P.S. This can be made vegan, by using egg substitute or 1/3 cup mashed tofu for the egg and by omitting the cheese.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce, adapted from Vegetarian Suppers by Deborah Madison

1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 oz dried mushrooms
2 TB olive oil
2 onions, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
4 TB chopped parsley
4 TB chopped dill
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, more or less
1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 whole head savoy cabbage, 12 leaves separated and removed whole

1 TB olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 TB tomato paste
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup wine, red or white
1 28 oz can of tomatoes
1-2 TB brown sugar, to taste
1-2 TB red wine vinegar to taste

2 TB olive oil
flour, for dredging


For the rolls:

In a medium bowl, combine bulgur and dried mushrooms. Pour 1 cup hot water over and let sit until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prep your veg.

Heat 1 TB oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add onions. Saute just until onions begin to turn brown in spots, about 3-4 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms and walnuts. Let cook until mushrooms throw off their liquid and re-absorb it, about 10 minutes. Add tamari/soy and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

In a food processor, combine bulgur mixture, sauteed veg mixture, herbs, egg, cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture resembles ground meat.

In the same large skillet, heat 1 TB oil over medium heat. Add bulgur mixture and pat down into a smooth layer, as much a possible. You're cooking the egg and browning your "meat". Saute a few minutes, until mixture is cooked and browned. Set aside.

Steam cabbage leaves a few minutes, to make pliable. Try not to overcook them or they will have that characteristic cabbage-y smell. Yuck.

Fill the center of each leaf with about 2 TB filling. Roll up carefully, trying not to tear the leaf, and dredge in flour. Set rolls aside.

For the sauce:

In a sauce pot, heat 1 TB oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and tomato paste and mix together. Cook until onion is slightly brown, about 10 minutes. Add allspice, canned tomatoes with juices, wine and brown sugar. Let simmer about 15-20 minutes to meld flavors.

Meanwhile, heat 2 TB oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add rolls, with the seams face down, to the pan. Let cook until slightly brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Back to the tomato sauce, right before serving, stir in the vinegar to taste. To plate, place a few spoonfuls of sauce down and place rolls on top.

Makes 12 rolls, enough for 4-6 people.

Middle Eastern Deliciousness

I all ready mentioned how I came into possession of this book and how a more than handful of recipes from this book are utterly fantastic. I neglected to say that the only other positive thing to come from that class was meeting my good friend GG. The past few recipes she hasn't been able to make because some of the ingredients aren't available in Montevideo. I hope that you can make this though. It's perfect for a cold night. I love the combination of heartiness from the rice and lentils, sweetness from the onions and tanginess from the yogurt. It's one of those dishes that is perfectly balanced. We upped the amount of onions in ours because they're our favorite part. There is such a thing as too much though, I think 1 lb or even a little more is good, but not too much more than that. This is really meant to be a side dish but we have it dinner. A green salad would be nice to get in some veggies.

Megaderra, adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden

3 TB olive oil
1 lb onions, sliced
2 pinches ground coriander
2 pinches ground cumin
1 1/4 cups whole brown lentils
1 1/4 cups long-grain rice
Plain yogurt
Good quality olive oil

Heat 3 TB olive oil in a large skillet with a lid. When hot, add onions. Stir to coat onions in oil then turn heat down low. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes; stir occasionally.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add coriander, cumin and lentils. Return to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes, or until lentils are about halfway done.

Add rice to lentils. Salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cover. Cook for about another twenty minutes or until both lentils and rice are tender.

Remove lid from onions and and turn heat to medium. Cook off all water and turn heat up to medium-high. Stir often until onions are a deep brown. This will probably take about twenty minutes.

Once everything is done, you can serve this two ways. Combine all components together or leave them separate, which is more attractive. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of the good oil on top. Mmmm.

Tofu-y Goodness

Believe it or not, this dinner has a miniscle amount of fat! It's also high in protein, includes a serving of veggies, and once you get the hang of it can be made in half an hour. One of the more important things I've learned in school so far is how much quicker things can be expedited if you have everything ready before you start cooking. I sort of knew this before but never really did it. Honestly, mise en place (fancy French term for having your crap together in advance) makes cooking so much easier. I highly reccommend doing it, even if you're just making dinner at home. It's very good practice for cooking in more stressful situations.

Thai Tofu over Green Rice, adapted from Bon Appetit

2 cups chopped cilantro, packed
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 chili of your choice, chopped
2 limes
2 tsp soy or tamari sauce
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1 cup basmati rice
1lb firm tofu, cubed (the firmer the tofu, the less oil you need)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/4 tsp fish sauce, optional
1/4 cup peanuts or cashews, chopped

In a food processer or blender, combine cilantro, ginger, garlic, chili, 2 TB coconut milk, juice of 1/2 lime and soy/tamari sauce to taste. Blend well. Taste for salt.

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add salt to taste and rice. Return to a boil and then lower to a bare simmer. Cook about 14 minutes, or until rice is done.

Heat oil in large saute pan. When hot but not smoking, add tofu. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring every so often until tofu is lightly browned on all sides. Combine 1/4 cup coconut milk, curry paste, soy/tamari and fish sauce. Add to the tofu. Cook until simmering. Add the tomatoes and cook until just beginning to soften. Remove from heat.

Combine cooked rice with cilantro sauce. Mix well. Plate rice and spoon tofu and tomatoes over. Garnish with chopped nuts, lime wedges and cilantro sprigs. Serve.

P.S. No one's made a guess yet about the mystery produce. Don't you want to win an as of yet unannounced prize?

Bronzed Eggplant Pizza

This pizza is so good we've had it twice in the last two weeks. Both times we ate the whole thing in just one sitting. The only other meal that we've greedily eaten repeats of this summer is our home grown tomatoes on sourdough with mayonnaise (why did I never try this before? It's mind-boggingly delicious). Of course, we couldn't just follow the recipe as is though. We upped the eggplant in a major way (try three times as much) and included chilies from our garden, instead of using dried chili flakes. Do yourself a favor and try it at least once while eggplant is still in season. You won't be sorry. Here it is with our modifications:

Bronzed Eggplant Pizza, adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook

Procure:
your favorite pizza dough
2 lbs small-ish eggplant, cut into 1/3-inch thick slices
5 TB olive oil
salt
1-2 TB cornmeal
3/4 cup coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella
1/3 cup Asiago or Parmesan
2 TB minced garlic
2 TB chopped chilies or 1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes

Preheat your broiler, or if you don't have a usable one like us, heat your oven up to 500F. If you have a pizza stone, leave it in the oven (if you don't all ready) so it can warm up. Arrange eggplant on a baking sheet in a single layer. You might need to use another sheet or do this in two batches. Brush eggplant with 3 TB oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil about 2-3 inches from the heat source(or bake), turning once, until golden brown and tender, anywhere from 6 to 16 minutes total. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a small fry pan and cook garlic and chili, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute.

Shape pizza dough to a 14-inch round. If you don't have a stone, roll it so it will fit on a large baking sheet (or you could make 2 smaller pizzas). Sprinkle evenly stone or baking sheet with cornmeal. Place dough on heated stone or baking sheet. Combine cheeses in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 of cheese on pizza, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Layer eggplant over the cheese. Pour garlic-chili oil evenly over the eggplant. Sprinkle pizza with remaining cheese. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Cut into wedges and consume. Try not to fight with dinner companion(s) over last piece.

RECIPE: Squash Blossom Frittata

This was our flowery lunch yesterday. We had zucchini blossom frittata with an arugula salad decorated with nasturium and chive blossoms from our garden. I feel a bit foolish that I spent $2 on 6 zucchini blossoms from the Very Expensive Farmer's Market Stand (tm) especially since if I had my dream garden, I'd be tearing my hair out over how many squash we have all ready and plucking the flowers off the vines just to hold back any more squash production. One day, I will have the garden of my dreams and on that day the heavens will open, angels will sing and I will curse my overabundance of produce. Today is sadly not that day.

Squash Blossom Frittata from Gardeners Community Cookbook edited by Victoria Wise

Gather:

6-8 squash blossoms
2 TB butter
2 small summer squash, sliced thinly
2 green onions, sliced thinly
4 eggs
1 TB milk
2 TB chopped fresh herbs, I used parsley but I think mint would also be lovely
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino

Wash blossoms extremely well. Buggies like to hide in them. If you're feeling particularly exact, you can pat them dry too. Guess what I did? Slice blossoms thinly.

Combine eggs, milk, herbs and salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well.

Preheat broiler.

Melt butter in oven-safe saute pan. Add green onions and squash. Saute two minutes. Add squash blossoms. Stir to combine quickly. Add eggs. Cook for three minutes, or until eggs are mostly set. Sprinkle cheese on top and run under broiler for three minutes, or until frittata is puffed and golden. Serve with flowery arugula salad and good toast with butter.

RECIPE: Dal (Meredith's White-Washed Version)

Mmmm, dinner. (Results may vary. Especially if someone doesn't have enough red lentils and mung beans and adds black lentils too, not naming any names)

Gather:
2 TB vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-inch piece ginger, chopped fine
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 tsp whole brown mustard seeds
3/4 cup skinned red lentils
3/4 cup split yellow mung beans
2 tsps garam masala
2 tsps curry powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
steamed rice (I prefer basmati)
plain yogurt, or raita (plain yogurt mixed with grated cucumber, mint, salt and pepper)
lime wedges

Onwards:
Heat oil in soup pot over high heat. When oil is hot, add onion. Cook until soft. Add garlic, ginger and whole cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Cook until mustard seeds turn dark and begin to pop. Add beans. Stir to combine and add 4 cups water. Add garam masala and curry powder. Bring to a boil then turn down heat and let simmer for 25 minutes.

Check beans for doneness. Taste for sesaonings and salt. It will probably need a good deal of salt. Add half of the cilantro and all of the tomatoes. Stir to combine. Serve dal over steamed rice. Pass the yogurt (or raita), remaining cilantro and lime wedges.

Serves 4 (with leftovers)

RECIPE: Delicious Dinner in Under 20 Minutes

Guaranteed or your money back!

When tomatoes are ripe, I eat this at least once every two weeks. It's well balanced, spicy, a bit salty, a little sweet, cheesey and mostly healthy. It's also a snap to put together.

Pasta with Tomatoes, Olives and Arugula

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef Takes Off

Gather:
8 oz dried long skinny pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, etc.)
2 TB olive oil
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 chile, minced (or however much you like)
1/3 cup good quality black olives (I prefer Kalamata), pitted and coarsely chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if large
4 oz arugula, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan or Pecorino, freshly grated

Heat a large pot of salted water over medium heat (This would be a good time to start prepping the veg). When water is rapidly boiling, add pasta. Cook until al dente, about 5-7 minutes.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large saute pan. When hot, add garlic and chile. Cook until fragrant. Add olives and tomatoes. Cook just until tomatoes begin to break down. If the pasta is not ready, set aside.

When pasta is done, drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add tomatoes and arugula. Toss until well combined. The heat of the pasta will wilt the greens. If dry, add some of the cooking water to moisten. Salt and pepper generously. Serve, passing cheese to grate over.

RECIPE: Meredith's Slightly Healthier, Slightly Easier Lasagne

Mmm, lasagne. Delicious combination of pasta, tomato sauce, cheeses, fakey meat and tofu. Here's how I do it:

Procure: two cans of TJ's Tuscany tomato sauce (about 1 lb each), garlic, onions, soft tofu, 1 lb ricotta cheese, a large bunch of parsley, 2 eggs one lemon, Parmesan cheese, a bag of fakey meatballs, 1 lb mozzarella, and a 1 lb box of no-boil lasagne noodles.

First: Doctor up your sauce with sauteed onions, garlic, a few sprinkles of dried oregano, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper for good measure.

Second: Break out your handy dandy food processor. Blend up your ricotta, soft tofu, parsley, lemon zest, as much Parmesan as your heart desires, salt and pepper. Dump out in a bowl, unless you have a monstrous processor, which could hold all of this. Mine cannot. Taste for salt, pepper and more cheese. Beat the eggs. Mix thoroughly with cheese-tofu mix.

Third: Defrost frozen"meat" balls in microwave. Cut into quarters. Grate or cut mozzarella into bits. Preheat oven to 350F.

Fourth: Cover a baking sheet in tin foil. You'll thank me later, promise. Put baking sheet in the bottom third of oven. Grease a huge glass dish. I use a 15x12x2 1/2 Pyrex. Pour a bit of sauce on the bottom to coat. Add a layer of the noodles. Put on a half of the cheese mixture, a half of the "meat" a third of the mozzarella. Pour on some more sauce. Layer with noodles going in the opposite direction from the first layer. Repeat layering of cheese-tofu, "meat" mozzarella and sauce. Layer with noodles going in the same direction as the first layer. Pour as much sauce as can fit over noodles. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over and more Parmesan, if you like. Put dish on top of baking sheet. Bake for one hour. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a green salad and some fantastic bread. Feeds a small army, a large dinner party or two people dinner for one week.

RECIPE: Tagliatelle with Asparagus, Brown Butter and Almonds

Looks like browned butter with nuts is my new party trick. I'd been eyeing the tagliatelle at TJ's for a while and I caved and bought a package. We had some asparagus that the boy's mommy sent us home with that needed to be eaten. Here's what I did.

I think that I started off with a pound or so of fat spears. My new asparagus trick is to snap off the ends instead of cut them off. The spear seems to know which part is good for eating and which part is good for stock. Then the spears were cut into quarter lengths. Boil up some salted water, threw in 8oz of pasta. While cooking the pasta, 8 minutes only , not the 10-12 the instructions said, I melted about 4 TB butter in a saute pan and added about 1/4 cup of slivered almonds. I let the butter and nuts brown a bit before taking the pan off the heat and adding the zest of a Meyer lemon. I would have preferred a Eureka for its tartness, but one works with what one has. Also, how ridiculous is it that I'm complaining about having too many Meyer lemons? I am spoiled. 2 minutes before the pasta's done, I added the trimmed asparagus. Drain the pasta and veg together, threw back in the pot. Salted, peppered, buttered squirted with lemon, and Parmesan cheesed.

I loved the texture of the pasta, very satiny. I felt like I was eating ribbons. Delicious! I will definitely make again, probably with more butter and nuts.

RECIPE: Pasta with Chickpeas, Garlic and Parsley

This is my second favorite quick pasta recipe.

Add 1 lb orecchiete or farfalle to boiling salted water.

While pasta is cooking, heat 5 cloves chopped garlic and 3 TB olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add 3 14 oz cans of drained chickpeas to pan. Cook until beans brown in places.

By this time the pasta shold be done. Save some of the cooking water and drain the rest. Return pasta to the pot and add the bean-garlic mixture, about 1/3 cup chopped parsley and lots of salt and pepper. If the pasta looks dry add some of the cooking water. You can add a few sprinkles of crushed red chili flakes here too, if you like. Serve with a chunk of Pecorino (or some other Italian hard cheese) to grate over pasta. Mmm, dinner in 15 minutes.