Pan di Zucchero Notes
Braised Red Cabbage
Cabbage and Carrot Slaw with Dill
Roasted Acorn Squash Wedges with Herbs and Garlic
Grilled Fennel, Onions, Potatoes with Chicory (and Sausages?)
Fennel and Onion Soffrito
Lentil and Beet Salad with Toasted Nuts
Grated Beet and Apple Salad

Pan di Zucchero Notes

Like the escarole we’ve been getting the Sugarloaf chicory (Pan di Zucchero) is robust and has a pleasing bitterness that is well paired with toasted nuts, cheeses, and/or fruit in salads or good quickly sauteed and served with grains or meats. It’s also delicious cut into wedges and grilled with nothing more than olive oil and salt. By all means make the white beans soup with it, below.

Braised Red Cabbage

This is a pretty classic, German-style braised red cabbage dish. It becomes tender and fragrant with the spices and wine with plenty of acidity. It’s wonderful with mashed potatoes and any roast meats or or grains of any kind. It keeps well and in fact improves the next day. This recipe is easily scaled down if you have less cabbage.

serves 4-6

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium (2 1/2 pounds) red cabbage, quartered, core removed and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard seeds (optional)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup dry red wine
1 large tart apple, peeled and coarsely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and mustard and caraway seeds and toss until the cabbage begins to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the vinegar, wine and apple. Stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot, leaving just a crack open. Simmer until the cabbage is soft, about 45 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper, and serve.

Cabbage and Carrot Slaw with Dill

I usually add kale to this slaw but a bit more cabbage and carrots will work well. Though I haven’t tried it, I think you could thinly slice some of your chicory and add it, to good effect.

Serves 6 (it keeps well)

½ small red cabbage, core removed and sliced as thinly as you can
3-4 cups chicory, thinly sliced (optional–see headnote)
1 small hot pepper (Serrano or Jalapeno), deseeded and minced (or keep the seeds if you like it hotter)
2 tablespoons red onion, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, grated on large holes of box grater
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro chopped (optional)

Dressing:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard (or more)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
Juice of half a lemon (or more vinegar, to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put all the vegetables in a big bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients mix well with the veggies. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Roasted Acorn Squash Wedges with Herbs and Garlic
Serves 4-6

While acorn squash can be hard to cut raw, getting it into wedges or some kind of chunks is doable and makes for a wonderful dish, when roasted and tossed with an herby dressing.

1 medium-large acorn squash or two smaller ones
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Dressing:
1/3 cup cilantro, or parsley, finely chopped (leaves and stems)
1 Serrano pepper, minced (de-seeded if uncertain of heat level) or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or mashed
Salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds and strings and discard. Cut the squash halves into wedges about 1 inch thick. Don’t worry if the pieces are a bit irregular or break. Put the squash wedges on a sheet pan and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper and toss well with your hands. Spread wedges out evenly and bake, flipping the wedges about 15 minutes into the baking. Bake another 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool a bit. You can either peel the squash now or toss the cooked wedges as is and let people remove the skin as they eat.

Meanwhile mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Gently toss the squash with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.

White Bean and Chicory Soup

This is my idea of a perfect cool weather bowl of soup. You could make it heartier if you served the soup over a slice of toasted bread, rubbed with a clove of garlic. Of course you could add bacon or sausage or any kind of leftover meat but I like the simplicity of the white beans and escarole, just finished with good olive oil and black pepper. If you have cooked white beans on hand this comes together in 30 minutes, tops.  And this is even better the next day.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano or sage, finely chopped
6-7 cloves garlic, mashed and roughly chopped
3 -4 cups white beans, cooked and drained (cooking liquid reserved)
1 small-ish head escarole or Sugarloaf chicory (about 1 lb), torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
4-5 cups liquid–I use a combination of bean cooking liquid and veggie bouillon broth (you can use water or chicken stock or vegetable stock too)
Good olive oil for serving
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for a few more minutes. Add the beans, liquid and escarole and bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the escarole is tender. You can serve as is or remove a few cups of the soup and then return to the pot, for a creamier texture. Adjust seasoning with salt. Serve, not too hot, drizzled with good oil and plenty of black pepper.

Grilled Onions, Fennel and Potatoes with Lettuce and Sausages

Roast (at 400-425 degrees) a pan of fennel and onion wedges alongside some potatoes, all lightly coated in olive oil and sprinkled with salt. (I added a kohlrabi from a few weeks ago too and it was delicious!) When tender and a bit caramelized, toss them in a mustardy dressing (whole grain mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper) and serve over some lightly dressed chicory (escarole and/or sugarloaf).

Grill some sausages or fry some eggs and you’ve got a substantial dinner.

Fennel and Onion Soffritto

This is a delicious garnish/condiment/side for fish, roasted vegetables, or simply on toast.

Olive oil
1 ½ cups thinly sliced fennel
1 ½ cups thinly sliced onion
¾ cup canned (drained) or roasted and frozen tomatoes or 1 cup fresh, chopped
2 cloves garlic
Red wine vinegar to taste
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley (optional but very good)

In the largest skillet you have heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and fennel all at once and cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat until starting to brown and quite soft. Add the garlic and the tomatoes, a couple of generous pinches of salt and some pepper and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Finally add a little vinegar, you’ll probably want at least 2 teaspoons and plenty of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

This is delicious with a bunch of chopped parsley and black olives too.

Lentil and Beet Salad with Toasted Nuts

Robust, fresh and delicious! Feel free to halve the recipe or change the ration of beets to lentils.

Serves 6

4 beets, roasted cooled and diced (roast at 400 degrees tightly covered with a splash of water until tender)
2 cups French green lentils (or other small variety that holds its shape well)
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 small cinnamon stick
2 quarts veggie bouillon broth, chicken stock or water
½ a small red onion, very thinly sliced
½ cup toasted hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, arugula, sorrel (optional)

Vinaigrette
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tabelspoon sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 large clove garlic minced or mashed
1 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small jar with a lid and shake well.

Combine lentils, garlic, cinnamon stick, and stock or water and bring to a simmer and cook for 30- 40 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Drain the lentils (reserving liquid for a soup if you want) and discard bay, cinnamon stick and garlic cloves. Put lentils in a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Toss lentils with the onion, herbs/greens and about two thirds of the dressing. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add beets and nuts and toss again and add more dressing if needed.

Grated Beet and Apple Salad
–adapted from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry

This is gorgeous, refreshing, crunchy and packed with good nutrients–no surprise from the talented and wonderful Bryant Terry.

2 large beets, peeled
2 large apples, cored, peeled
1/4 cup apple juice/cider (or 1 tablespoon of maple syrup)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup golden raisins (or regular ones or dried currants)

Coarsely shred beets and apples on box grater or in a food processor fitted with large grater attachment. If you’re grating by hand the juice will splatter everywhere so cover anything you don’t want stained!

Put the grated apples and beets in large mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat apple juice in small saucepan or skillet over high heat until boiling. Cook until reduced to one tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Add apple cider vinegar to reduced apple juice and slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drizzle dressing over shredded beets and apples, add raisins, and toss well to coat and meld flavors.

So many beautiful colors these days in our CSA and a great variety of recipes here this week. As always, substitute ingredients and quantities to make it work for you. Happy cooking!

Roasted Delicata Squash with Spicy Yogurt, Cilantro and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Leek, Red Pepper and Potato Frittata
Carrot and Apple Soup with Coconut Milk
Radicchio, Fennel and Carrot Salad
Celeriac and Carrot Slaw/Remoulade
Apple Cider Syrup
Celeriac and Potato/Winter Squash Gratin
Braised Kale and Leeks (on Galette or Pizza)

Roasted Winter Squash with Spicy Yogurt Sauce and Cilantro
–adapted from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi

I’ve made this with unpeeled Delicata half moons, peeled butternut squash chunks and and sugar pie pumpkins wedges and all are delicious.

This recipe makes quite a bit but I have no doubt the whole batch will be consumed within a day, but feel free to scale it back.

Serves 4-6

2-3 delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds and membrane scraped out with spoon and cut into 1/3-inch half-rounds
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ – 3/4 cup Greek yogurt (or plain whole milk regular yogurt)
1 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream or half and half (optional–things the sauce out a bit which is nice for drizzling)
2 teaspoons Sriracha or comparable hot sauce|
½ – ¾ cup very finely chopped cilantro, stems and all
1 garlic clove, minced and then mashed with some coarse salt with the side of a chef’s knife on the cutting board until you have a paste
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
A little more salt
1/3 cup *toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts or hazelnuts (chopped up if using the nuts)

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees

Toss the squash slices with salt and olive oil and spread on baking sheet(s) and bake until tender and starting to brown. Put squash on a platter.

Meanwhile, stir the Sriracha and yogurt together in a small bowl. In another bowl mix the cilantro, garlic, salt and olive oil.

To toast pumpkin seeds put raw seeds in a dry skillet over medium high heat. Toast, stirring often, until browned and puffed. Set aside to cool

Put the warm or room temperature squash on a platter and dollop with yogurt mixture, drizzle with herb sauce and sprinkle with seeds/nuts and serve. You may need to sprinkle the whole thing with a bit more salt.

Leek, Red Pepper and Potato Frittata

I made this Monday evening, having worked 4, 14 hour days on a catering job the week before. I completely neglected last week’s share and used the leeks and peppers, and potatoes from some weeks ago. It was so delicious and so useful to be able to use those things up in combination.  Add any herbs you have on hand or any other vegetable that needs using:)!

Serves 3 as an entrée 5-6 as a side.

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed and well washed, sliced lengthwise and then crosswise into thin half rounds
3 Sweet peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
3 medium potatoes, well-scrubbed (no need to peel) and cut into small (1/3 – 1/2-inch) dice
6-8 eggs (or whatever you have or want to use–see headnote)
Grated hard cheese or your choice or feta or goat cheese (optional)
Salt, pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan or well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick (if it’s heatproof and can go in the oven). Add the leeks, peppers and potatoes and a few generous pinches of salt and sauté them over med-high heat, stirring often so as not to burn, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes.

Set your oven to broil.

Lightly whisk the eggs until they’re just broken up—no need to get them frothy or really well mixed. Add a few more pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper. Pour eggs over the vegetables and tilt the pan to evenly distribute the eggs. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the eggs, if using. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. When the eggs are beginning to set take the pan off the heat and set under the broiler until the eggs are cooked and slightly puffed and golden.

Let the frittata sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving. It will come out of the pan much more easily that way and is more flavorful. Serve with a slice of good, crusty bread and/or a salad.

Carrot, Ginger and Apple Soup with Coconut Milk
–inspired by The Splendid Table via another SIO member

Simple, warming and delicious!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced or 2 small-ish leeks
4 medium-large carrots, chopped (about 4 cups worth)
4 3/4 cups vegetable broth (I used homemade veggie bouillon)
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh peeled ginger
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh turmeric or 1 teaspoon ground
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
14-ounce can coconut milk
Salt and black pepper to taste
Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion or leeks for about  5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the carrots, apples, ginger and turmeric and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Add the broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Puree with immersion blender or food processor, until very smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the coconut milk and salt, and pepper to taste. Reheat the soup and serve.

Radicchio/Escarole, Fennel and Carrot Salad

. . . if per chance you have fennel leftover, like I do! And still make the salad if you don’t. . it will be delicious, just make/use a little less dressing.

Serves 4

1 smallish head radicchio, halved and (core removed and tossed if there is one) and thinly sliced or 5 cups +/- escarole, thinly sliced
2 small-medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into matchsticks or julienned (by all means use a mandolin if you have one)
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into matchsticks
2-3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1 ounce (or more) Parmesan or aged Asiago thinly shaved
1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped

Dressing:
11/2 – 2 teaspoons apple cider syrup (or honey or maple syrup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put all the salad ingredients in a large bowl or on a platter. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and then pour dressing over salad. Gently toss to thoroughly mix. Taste and adjust seasoning with more vinegar, oil or salt and pepper.

*Apple Cider Syrup

This sweet tart condiment is perfect to add to salad dressings (2 teaspoons for a salad for four is about right) especially for the stronger winter greens like chicories. It’s also delicious over Greek yogurt or used to sweeten most anything.

Yields about 1 pint of syrup

1 gallon apple cider (not apple juice)

In a large pot or saucepan bring the cider to a boil. Let boil, hard (otherwise it will take much longer), uncovered until gallon has reduced to approximately two cups of syrup and consistency is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This can take anywhere from 40 to 90 minutes depending on the size of your pan, the strength of your stove, etc. Refrigerate or freeze when cool.

Celeriac and Carrot Slaw/Remoulade

I include Remoulade in the title as it is similar to the classic French salad that uses exclusively celery root and a mustard and mayonnaise dressing with lots of lemon and vinegar.

If you have a mandoline or benriner this is the time to use it. If you don’t a sharp knife and a little patience will yield good results too. This salad keeps well and while softer the next day is just as good.

Serves 4-6

1/2 small to medium celeriac, trimmed, peeled and cut into julienne (see headnote)
2 medium carrots, cut into julienne (see headnote)
2-3 stalks celery, ideally with leaves attached, thinly sliced crosswise (optional)
1-2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
1/2 of the below dressing (or a bit more)–use the rest to dress boiled potatoes or other roots or hearty greens

Dressing:
1 shallot (or similar-sized piece of regular onion), minced
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard (you can use whole grain or classic)
1/3 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream or plain whole milk yogurt (Greek yogurt would be fine too)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and finely chopped
Salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper

Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Put the celery root, carrots and celery, if using, in a large salad bowl.

Toss with about half of the dressing and toss it with the vegetables. Taste and add more dressing or adjust seasoning. Store remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Celeriac and Potato/Winter Squash Gratin

This is a delicious combination and a useful template for most any root vegetables or winter squashes.

Serves 4-6

About 4 cups, peeled and sliced celeriac
About 4 cups, peeled and sliced potatoes or winter squash (though I think the delicata skin might be annoying so I’d go with potatoes this time)
1 – 1 1/2 cups liquid (any combination of milk or cream or half and half you want) or a bit more
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried sage, finely chopped (optional–see above)
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
3/4 cup grated Parmesan or aged Asiago (Asiago Stella) or other good, aged grating cheese

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat the milk and/or cream in a small saucepan with the garlic, mustard, thyme and black pepper and a good amount of salt  (1/2 teaspoon at least) until hot. Be careful not to boil it over.

Put a layer of celery root in the bottom of a 9 x 13  or similarly-sized baking dish. Follow with a layer of potatoes, Pour half the hot milk mixture over the vegetables and sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat with the rest of the vegetables and milk and top with cheese. If the liquid seems skimpy you can also add a bit of milk or even a little water. The vegetables will give off some liquid (depending on the type of squash mostly–Butternut squash will not give off much). Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 – 20 minutes or until tender. Run under the broiler to brown nicely.

Braised Kale and Leeks (on Galette or Pizza? as a Side, w/ an Egg?)

Leeks and kale make for a wonderful combination. You can serve this is a side dish or fry an egg in one side of the pan (or poach one) and call it dinner. Or you can spread it on buttery crust and bake a savory galette or spread it on pizza dough and sprinkle with a little Parmesan and have yourself a lovely, hearty pizza. I think it’s particularly good on Grand Central Bakery’s whole wheat pizza crust. A good, spicy pork sausage crumbled onto the pizza or galette is a wonderful adaptation.

1 large bunch kale, well washed, trimmed and cut into thin ribbons and stems finely chopped
2 medium leeks, well washed and cut into thin half-moons
1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 – 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Gruyere or sharp cheddar (if you’re making a galette or pizza)

In a large skillet heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and stir well and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add a bit of salt, the red pepper flakes (if using) and the kale, stir well and cook, covered for about 10-15 minutes until all is tender. Stir occasionally and make sure things aren’t browning or drying out. Turn down the heat and/or add a little water if that’s the case. Taste and adjust seasoning.

For a Galette pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/4 cup Greek or whole milk plain yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1-3 tablespoons ice water (just add enough to bring the dough together)

To make the pastry dough, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or pulse a few times in the food processor, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces too. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and drizzle mixture over flour and butter and using a fork, quickly stir it to combine. The mixture will turn into lumps, which you want to quickly pat into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread kale and leek mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the vegetables, crimping the dough slightly as you go. Evenly distribute the grated cheese over the greens.

Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

For a pizza:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F with a pizza stone on the bottom wrack of the oven if you have one.

Roll or stretch out the pizza dough (1 14-oz ball, more or less, is what you want) and brush a little good olive oil on the dough. Evenly spread the kale and leek mixture over the dough and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until the crust is browning and the topping bubbling.

This weather is too beautiful for words and it’s great cooking weather with these cool mornings and evenings. If you didn’t cook your way through all the pepper recipes last week here they are again in addition to some new ones below.

And don’t forget how delicious kohlrabi is raw, as a snack or tossed into any stir fry or soup. Happy cooking!

Chard Baked with Orzo, Carrots and Celery
Beef Stew with Kohlrabi and Carrots
Kohlrabi and Fennel Salad
Grilled Fennel
Miso Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas
Warm Grated Carrots with Cumin, Garlic and Sesame
Roasted Pepper Salad with Cumin, Sherry Vinegar (and Jamon Serrano)
Romaine Hearts with Red Onion and Toasted Sunflower Seeds

Chard Baked with Orzo, Carrots and Celery
–loosely inspired by Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi

This an ideal cook-with-what you have formula. Saute onions, garlic and maybe some carrots and celery; add whatever vegetable you have–in this case chard, stems and all, and add broth, lots of fresh herbs, some cheese and rice-shaped orzo pasta and bake it all until cooked and set.

Serves 4, generously

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced or cut in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into thin slices
2 stalks celery, including leaves, finely chopped
1 bunch chard, stems and leaves separated, stems finely sliced and leaves chopped
1 heaping cup orzo (I didn’t have quite enough orzo so topped it off with Israeli couscous)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or basil or a combination of other leafy herbs (oregano, mint, etc.)
3/4  cup grated Parmesan or really most any cheese (sharp cheddar, provolone, firm mozzarella, even crumbled goat cheese or feta would be good though quite different)
2 cups vegetable broth (made from veggie bouillon if you have it)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, chard stems and celery and a few pinches salt and saute for 7 or so minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened. Add the chard leaves and stir well and cook for another 5 minutes or so, then stir in the orzo. Cook for a few more minutes and then stir in the herbs, broth, cheese and plenty of freshly ground pepper and take off the heat. If your broth is well seasoned you probably won’t need more salt but taste and make sure.

Empty the contents of the skillet carefully into a baking dish. Cover and bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and bake or broil for another few minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is tender.

Beef Stew with Kohlrabi and Carrots

This is a hearty, warming stew.  It’s even better the next day, as these kinds of dishes tend to be.

Serves 6

3/4 cup all-purpose flour with several big pinches of salt and pepper
1 1/4 pound stew beef, cut into 1-inch chunks
About 1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups thickly sliced carrots
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed cut into  ~ ¾ -inch dice
1 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into ½ – ¾ -inch dice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste or thick tomato sauce
1/2 cup beer (medium to light style) (optional)
4 cups beef broth (more if you’d like it more soupy) or other broth or veggie bouillon broth
1 bay leaf
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
Salt and pepper to taste
Rice or couscous and lots of chopped parsley to serve

In a large brown paper bag, place flour, salt, and pepper.  Add diced beef.  Close the bag.  Hold it tight and shake. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven (or big soup pot), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Add as much beef as will fit in the bottom of the pan in a single layer.  Cook, browning on all sides. The beef doesn’t need to be cooked through, just browned.  Once all of the beef is cooked, remove from the pan and place on a plate.  Set aside.

In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add onions and carrots and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add tomato paste and heat through.  Deglaze the pan with the beer, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the beer steams.

Add bay leaf, thyme, and soy sauce.  Add beef and generously cover with broth or stock. Turn heat to low and let gently simmer for 25 minutes. Add the kohlrabi and potatoes and cook for another 20 minutes or so until the vegetables are cooked through. Taste add salt, and pepper as necessary.

Serve over couscous or rice with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Kohlrabi and Fennel Salad

This salad is one of my favorite ways to use kohlrabi. The original calls for cabbage too but I’ve substituted fennel (albeit not as much) and while a different twist, is very good as well.

The original recipe calls for dried sour cherries and I’ve always used golden raisins instead.

2 medium or 1 large kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks about 2 inches long and 1/8 – ¼ inch wide
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved or quartered and sliced as thinly as you can
1 small bunch dill, roughly chopped
1 cup golden raisins (see headnote)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or mashed with some salt on a cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife into a paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put all ingredients in the large mixing bowl and mix everything together really well. Use your hands if you’d like. Let sit for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. You need quite a bit of salt to counteract the lemon.

Grilled Fennel

This is a simple delicious way to serve fennel, and lots of it, if you have quite a bit. You can dip the grilled wedges in aioli or just enjoy as is.

Serves 2-3

Heat grill or preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2 medium-large heads fennel, trimmed and quartered lengthwise and each quarter cut in half again so you have 8 wedges per head (the core should keep the wedges from falling apart)
Dressing:
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 large piece aluminum foil

Mix the dressing ingredients in the bottom of a large bowl. Toss the fennel wedges in the vinaigrette and let marinate for a few minutes. Empty the contents of the bowl onto the foil and turn the edges of the fowl up a bit to create a “dish” to contain the fennel. Place on a hot grill (or in a hot oven) and grill until tender and browning around the edges.

Miso Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas (or w/out chickpeas)
–inspired by Food52

This is a CSA Heavy Hitter, recipe that is delicious with a great variety of vegetables and handy to turn to when you have a random assortment of things that need using up. This is delicious with kohlrabi, celery root, winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, turnips and pretty much any other vegetable that takes well to roasting. The quantity and combination of vegetables is completely up to you and you can easily scale the below recipe up or down.

I particularly like to add chickpeas to the vegetables, adding another dimension and texture. With a simple green salad and maybe a fried egg this is my idea of a perfect meal.

About 2 lbs kohlrabi and carrots, trimmed, scrubbed and/or peeled and cut into about 1-inch pieces
1 cup drained chickpeas (optional but very good)
2 tablespoons miso (I typically use yellow or red–red being a bit stronger but use any kind you have on hand)
1 tablespoon soy sauce or Tamari
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons oil of choice
Chopped cilantro or parsley to finish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the vegetables and chickpeas in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients, except the optional herbs, and drizzle over vegetables and chickpeas. Toss well and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, tossing the mixture occasionally, for about 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are very tender and caramelizing around the edges. Serve topped with herbs, if you’d like or with a green salad and/or fried or poached eggs.

Warm Grated Carrots with Cumin, Garlic and Sesame

I tossed this dish together for lunch one day. It took about 7 minutes to make and is a keeper in our household.

Serves 2-3

4 cups grated carrots (grated on large holes of a box grater)
1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, slivered
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dressing:
¼ cup Greek yogurt (whole milk)
Juice from half a lemon (or more to taste—you want it nice and tart to counter the sweetness of the carrots)
½ teaspoon harissa, more to taste
2 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the seeds and garlic and stir to coat with oil and let cook for about 1 minute. The seeds will start popping and get very fragrant. Don’t let the seeds or garlic burn. Add the grated carrots and stir well. Cook, stirring almost constantly for about 2-3 minutes just to soften the carrot.

Mix the dressing ingredients, with the exception of the cilantro together well. You want it to be quite thin so add a little water if it’s too thick.

Serve the warm carrots with a generous drizzle of the dressing and cilantro, if using.

Roasted Pepper Salad with Cumin, Sherry Vinegar (and Serrano Ham)

This is a Spanish-style composed salad. I try to make it at least once a year when peppers are abundant and varied in the early fall. It’s a beautiful, even elegant dish and worth all the roasting and peeling time. You can skip the Serrano ham or prosciutto and it will be still be delicious

I once transported a gorgeous, beautifully composed platter of it in a box on my bike to a friends’ house for dinner. I got it there perfectly and then dropped the box as I unloaded it. The platter luckily stayed in tact but the salad was a mess. I was furious but ultimately it tasted just as good as neatly composed. And for some reason I don’t have a single good photograph of it!

Serves 4-6

8 peppers, mixture of sweet peppers broiled until blackened and blistered and seeded and peeled and coarsely chopped
4 – 5 roma or other sauce-type tomatoes, quartered, sprinkled with salt and roasted in a very hot (450~) oven until soft and browning around the edges, about 15 minutes
1/4 of a medium red onion, sliced as thinly as you can
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped
Salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sherry or champagne or red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
8-10 slices Jamon Serrano or Prosciutto

Arrange the roasted peppers and tomatoes on a platter. Scatter over the slivered onions and sprinkle the hardboiled eggs over the vegetables.

In a small bowl mix the cumin, salt, olive oil, pepper, garlic and vinegar. Drizzle the dressing over everything and top with the slices of jamon. Enjoy with some good bread.

Romaine Hearts with Red Onion and Toasted Sunflower Seeds

This is a version of my favorite salad at Noble Rot, a restaurant I worked at at its inception. I believe it’s still on the menu, 13 years later. Noble Rot uses butter lettuce but I think the romaine hearts this week would be perfect.

To make this more robust and Caesar-like add some croutons.

Serves 4

6 cups romaine hearts, washed, dried and chopped
¼ of a red onion, sliced as thinly as you can (more or less depending on how much like onion in your salad)
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
Dressing:
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 ½ tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
3-4 tablespoons good olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or shake in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Put the lettuce, onions and seeds in a bowl and pour dressing over and toss well.

I eat beans year-round but I can certainly tell that they’re showing up more and more in my meals now that it’s not so hot. Lots of ideas here this week to incorporate them with our veggies. More beautiful escarole coming your way! If you still have a delicata squash (like I do) you could roast it in chunks and then toss it with chopped escarole, lightly pickled onions and a good strong vinaigrette maybe with some Dijon-style mustard for a nice hybrid of cooked and raw vegetable salad. Happy cooking!

Roasted Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Ricotta
Calabrian-style Peppers and Potatoes
Lentils with Roasted Peppers and Parsley
Escarole Barley Risotto
Stewed Cabbage, Leeks and Beans
Stovetop Scalloped Potatoes and Leeks
Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing
Pasta with Kale and Hot Peppers

Roasted Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Ricotta
–inspired by the Annie Somerville collection on Culinate.com

These are beautiful, delicious and fun and actually easy especially if you think to roast and peel the peppers in the morning before work then all you have to do is mix together the filling and bake them. Serve with some garlicky braised kale and roasted potatoes on the side for a beautiful fall supper.

Serves 4

4-5 sweet Italian roasting peppers
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste–the filling should be well seasoned
1 ½ cups fresh ricotta
1 large egg
1 tablespoon each chopped parsley, tarragon and chives (or mince some scallions)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place peppers on a baking sheet and broil until the skins are blistered and the flesh is soft, turning often. This will take about 7-10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers, keeping the peppers as in tact as possible. Remove the stem and seeds and make a cut down the length of the pepper and scrape out any remaining seeds.

Mix together the ricotta, eggs, herbs, salt, and plenty of pepper in a small bowl. Gently fill the peppers and place them, seam side down, in a small, lightly oiled baking dish. Bake until the filling is set, about 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with a big green salad, maybe some polenta, . ..

Notes: You can roast and peel the peppers the day before. You can also make the filling and stuff the peppers a few hours ahead of time so they’re ready just to pop in the oven.

Calabrian-style Sweet Peppers and Potatoes

Sweet, salty and a bit charred . . .This was one of my very favorite things to eat when I lived in Calabria (the toe of the Italian boot) more than 20 years ago. It doesn’t really get any simpler but you need to be brave with the heat and have good ventilation. And don’t skimp on the oil either.

Serves 3-4

3-4 sweet red peppers, washed, cored and seeded and cut into chunks about 1 ½ – 2 1/3 inches
3-4 medium firm fleshed yellow potatoes, well scrubbed (no need to peel) and cut into bite-sized chunks
3 tablespoons olive oil (or a bit more if things dry out)
Sea salt

Heat the oil in the largest, heaviest skillet you have. When it’s hot but not smoking add the peppers and potatoes and toss well to coat with oil. Cook on high heat, stirring frequently until the both potatoes and peppers are tender and almost blackened around the edges. Season liberally with good sea salt. Serve hot.

Lentils with Roasted Peppers, Parsley (and Sausage)

You chop up the garlicky roasted red peppers (from a previous post–link below) and mix them with French green lentils, plenty of parsley and maybe some sausage for a delicious, hearty and pretty dish.

Serves 4

1 ½ cups small green or brown lentils (they hold their shape better than the more common, larger brown ones)
1 bay leaf
1 clove of garlic, peeled
A few parsley sprigs if you have them
1 carrot, scrubbed and cut into a few pieces
Salt
2-3 teaspoons red wine or sherry vinegar (more to taste)
2 sausages of your choice (I like Pastaworks’ Italian pork sausages best)
Olive oil
Roasted Peppers 

Put the lentils, bay leaf, garlic clove, parsley (if using) and carrot in a large saucepan. Cover generously with water and add ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook, partially covered for about 20-22 minutes. Check frequently at this point for doneness. You want tender lentils that are still more or less holding their shape. It make take a bit longer.

While the lentil are cooking roast the peppers and toss with garlic and parsley and olive oil.

Drain the lentils when they are tender and discard everything but the carrot. Chop it up more finely and add it back in. Add the vinegar and a bit of olive oil and taste for salt.

Meanwhile slice the sausages into rounds and sauté in a bit of olive oil until cooked through and browning a bit. Mix the sausages into the lentils.

Chop up the roasted red peppers and stir those into the lentils as well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Escarole Barley Risotto
–inspired Food and Wine via smittenkitchen.com

This is creamy, delicious and robust.

You can certainly use risotto rice but the barley is a fun alternative. You can also vary the vegetables to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. You could add a diced sweet pepper to the onions at the beginning or use spinach instead of escarole, skip the beans and use diced winter squash. . . you get the idea.

Serves 4

5-6 cups vegetable broth (or homemade veggie bouillon broth) or chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup red or white wine, optional (I used red in the one photographed)
1 cup pearled or semi-pearled barley (if you have hulled, not pearled barley, par boil it for 20 minutes and then proceed with the recipe)
1 cup cooked beans (pinto, borlotti, white, etc. )
4-5 cups chopped escarole
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago Stella cheese, plus more for serving
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring the stock or broth to a low simmer. In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add the barley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine if using and cook, stirring until mostly absorbed, about one minute. Add a couple of ladlefuls of stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock a ladleful at a time when the barley starts drying out.

Cook until the barley is tender then add the beans and a bit more broth–you want it a bit soupy as the beans will absorb some liquid and you want it nice and creamy.  Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the escarole. Cook for another minute or two until wilted and tender and then stir in the cheese and butter and taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Stewed Cabbage, Leeks and Beans

This dish makes me never tire of cooler season vegetables. I love this combination and it can be varied to use onions instead of leeks, more or less garlic and tomato, with or without bacon, etc. It’s inspired by the cooking of Tuscany and farther north where beans are king and cabbage is a standby. You can make a meal of this and serve it on polenta if you’d like.

This recipe makes quite a bit but it keeps well and is delicious the following day with an egg, salad, good bread, or just as is.

Serves 6 or more

2 slices bacon, chopped (optional–you can also use a crumbled pork sausage or no meat at all)
2-3 medium leeks, well washed, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/2-inch slices (you can use a combination of onion and leek or just onion if that’s what you have)
2-5 cloves garlic (to suit your taste–it all cooks for plenty of time so you don’t get a sharp garlic bite if you use the larger amount)
1/3 – 1/2 cup roasted or canned, roasted tomatoes or a few sundried ones (can omit in a pinch but I love the acidity and richness the tomato adds)
1/2 medium head green cabbage, cored and sliced into about 1/2-inch strips
3 cups cooked pinto or borlotti beans (white beans work too)
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large, heavy skillet heat a little olive oil over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes. Add the leeks and garlic and stir well. Cook, gently for about 10 minutes, covered, until the leeks begin to break down. Add the tomato and a few pinches of salt and cook for a few more minutes. Add the cabbage and a bit more salt and toss well. Cover and cook over medium heat for another 10-15 minutes until it is quite tender.

Now add the drained beans and about 1/2 cup of bean cooking liquid (or a bit or water if you don’t have any bean cooking liquid) and let simmer for another 5 minutes until all is heated through and the flavors have had a chance to marry. It shouldn’t be at all watery so increase the heat and remove the lid if it is and cook until thickened a bit. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with good olive oil, hot, warm or at room temperature.

Stovetop Scalloped Potatoes and Leeks

I love the flavors and texture of this dish–it’s much quicker than real scalloped potatoes–and it’s plenty hearty for a main dish in my book. You could add or substitute celery root for some of the potatoes. Cooking times will vary a bit but I don’t mind if the vegetables get quite soft and begin falling apart.

Serves 4, generously

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 slices bacon, diced (optional but good)
3 good-sized leeks, well washed, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
5 medium firm-fleshed potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups meat or vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

In a large casserole heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions, bacon and leeks and stir well. Turn down to medium and cook, covered for about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the broth and salt and pepper (salt according to the saltiness of your broth/stock) and bring to a boil. Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally so the potatoes don’t stick until the potatoes are just about tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed/evaporated, about 8-10 minutes. Add the cream and stir carefully to incorporate. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until the dish has thickened. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Kale Salad with Chickpeas, Tahini Dressing and Crispy Bread Crumbs

This salad is so surprisingly good, quick, hearty and adaptable. You can add grated carrot and some toasted sunflower seeds or different beans or spices. Adapt to suit your taste and pantry.

1 bunch kale, washed
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 garlic clove
1 slice good, crusty bread, well toasted and torn into small bits (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste (you’ll likely need more)
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1-3 tablespoons water to loosen dressing if it gets too thick

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into ½-inch ribbons. You should have 5-6 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

Use the side of a chef’s knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste or grate the garlic on a micro-plane. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add the tahini, yogurt, the oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes and whisk to combine. You may need to add some water to loosen the dressing a bit. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves) or work it in with your hands. Then add the chickpeas and the toasty crumbs, if using. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes or more to soften.

Pasta with Kale and Hot Pepper

Serves 4-6

1 – 2 bunches kale
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or a 2-inch piece of dried Joe’s Long Cayenne pepper (or other hot pepper), broken up a bit (my batch this year (2014/2015) from Ayers Creek farm is not very spicy so be sure to taste yours before you decide how much to add. You want a little kick but not too much.
3/4 lb stout pasta like orecchiette, penne, fusilli (pictured with orecchiette) or the like
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, Pecorino or other hard cheese
1/3 cup hot, starchy cooking water reserved when you drain the pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the kale and do not dry, remove any tough stems and chop the greens fairly finely (it will cling to the pasta better than in larger pieces). Heat a little olive oil in a large pot and add the greens and stir well. Add the greens with any water still clinging to them and stir well. Add a pinch or two of salt and the garlic and hot pepper. Cover and cook over medium to medium-high heat for about 7 – 15 minutes. Sometimes I like them softer than others. Check occasionally to make sure there’s enough moisture to keep them from sticking and burning. Add a little water if there isn’t.

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain but reserve 1/3 – 1/3 cup of the cooking water. Toss the hot pasta with the kale and add the cheese and a bit of cooking water–starting with 1/4 of a cup, as well as a few tablespoons of good olive oil. Toss everything well. You should have a thin, silky sauce coating the pasta and greens. Add some black pepper, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

SIO CSA Recipes Week 17, 2015

The weather and our share this week mean “soup!” You have some of the ingredients to make a vegetable bouillon paste I keep on hand in the cooler months. I’ve talked about it here before and it’s basically a delicious, fresh, economical alternative to boxed stock or broth and much quicker than home-made vegetable stock. And if, like me, you still have some celery root leftover, this is a great way to use it. And one batch of this concentrated base will make enough for about 40 meals! Happy cooking!

Veggie Bouillon
Cabbage Rolls
Caldo Verde (Portuguese Cabbage Soup)
Sweet Pepper, Sausage and Onion Pizza
Sweet Pepper and White Bean Salad with Pickled Red Onions and Basil
Celery Root, Carrot and Celery Slaw/Remoulade
Chicken Noodle Soup
Roasted Delicata Squash Slices with Rosemary
Joi Choi Stir Fry (over rice)

Veggie Bouillon
– adapted from The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin

For me this is an essential item to have in the freezer for risotti, soups, braises, to cook grains and lentils in instead of water, etc. This recipe requires a food processor–borrow a neighbors if you don’t have one.

All you do is clean the appropriate veggies (carrots, onions, celery, celery root, parsley . . . .) and process them until they are very finely chopped, add lots of salt, process again and spoon into a jar. The salt keeps the paste scoop-able when frozen so it’s easy to use. Don’t be put off by the quantity of salt. This makes about 40- 50 meals worth of broth.

You can vary the amount and ratio of vegetables depending on what you have but keep the total quantity/weight more or less the same or increase or decrease the salt respectively. A general guide is 1/3 cup salt for each 2 cups of finely processed  veggies/herbs.

5 ounces leek, sliced and well-washed 
(about 1 medium)
7 ounces carrots, well scrubbed and chopped
 (about 3-4 medium)
3.5 ounces celery (about 2 big stalks)
3.5 ounces celery root (celeriac), peeled and chopped (about a 3” x 3″ chunk) or a bit more stalk celery if you don’t have celery root
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes
 (about 6 dried tomatoes) (optional)
3.5 ounces onion or shallots, peeled (2 small shallots or 1/2 a small-medium onion)
1 medium garlic clove
6 ounces coarse sea salt or kosher salt (scant 1 cup)
1.5 ounces parsley, stems and all, roughly chopped
 (about 1/3 of a bunch)
2 ounces cilantro, stems and all, roughly chopped (about ½ bunch)

Place the first four ingredients in your food processor and process until well broken down. Add the next three ingredients, and process again. Add the salt, process some more. Then add the parsley and cilantro. You may need to stir up the vegetables and herbs, so they all get processed evenly.

You should end up with a moist, loose paste of sorts. Pack the paste into a quart jar or container and freeze it for  the next 2-3 months. Because of all the salt the bouillon stays scoop-able when frozen for easy use.

Start by using 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons of bouillon paste per 1 cup (250 ml), and adjust from there based on your personal preference.

Cabbage Rolls

These are a bit of a project but so fun to make, so beautiful to behold and so scrumptious to eat.  This makes quite a bit and they improve on day 2 so if you’re going to go to the trouble of making them, it’s worth making this many.

Serves 4-6 (about 10 rolls)

1 large savoy cabbage (you won’t use all of it)
2 thick slices good crusty bread, crusts removed and slices crumbled
2/3 cup whole milk
4  good quality plain pork sausages, skins removed or about 14 ounces of bulk sausage.
5 sage leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 28-ounce can pureed or crushed plum tomatoes (you want quite a smooth sauce so break up any bigger bits of tomatoes) or 4 cups diced, fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Clove of garlic, peeled and gently squashed with the back of a knife

Discard the very tough outer cabbage leaves and choose 9 nice, large leaves. Blanch these in boiling salted water for a few moments until supple. Drain the leaves, pat them dry and then spread them out on a clean dish towel.

Soak the bread in the milk – mashing it gently with a wooden spoon – until it forms a soft thick paste. Mix the bread paste with the sausage meat, rosemary and sage, parmesan, a grind of pepper and a few pinches of salt. I use my hands to gently but thoroughly combine it.

To make the rolls:  If necessary cut away some of the fat stalk so the leaf lies flat. Using your hands, make a ball of sausage mixture roughly the size of a golf-ball and place it about a third of the way up from the base of the leaf. Bring the bottom third up and over the ball, tuck the two sides of the leaf in and then roll the sausage filled bottom third over the top two-thirds of the leaf tucking the leaf back around the whole parcel.  Secure with a toothpick.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook the garlic clove until fragrant and turning golden, but be careful not to burn it.  Add the tomatoes, stir and bring the sauce to a gentle boil.  Lower the heat until the sauce simmers and place the rolls carefully into the sauce.

Cover the pan and gently simmer the rolls for 25 minutes, turn them, replace the lid and simmer for another 25 minutes.  Remove the lid and simmer for another 10 mines so the sauce reduces a little Let the parcels sit for 15 minutes before serving with mashed potatoes.

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Cabbage Soup)
–adapted very slightly from Tender by Nigel Slater

Savoy cabbage is very good in this traditional Portuguese soup. One fresh chorizo (about 4 ounces) is enough to flavor this soup but if you have meat lovers at the table feel free to use another. If you’d like to make this without meat, I would add 1 teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika (Pimenton) and another clove or two of garlic at the beginning. This soup is even better the next day even though it’s not going to win any beauty contests.

Serves 4

Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized chunks
6 cups broth or water (I use veggie bouillon broth, above)
2 bay leaves
1-2 fresh chorizo sausage (about 4 oz.), cut into thin rounds
 (see headnote)
4 -5 cups cabbage, cored and cut into thin strips or kale (see headnote)
Salt and pepper
Good olive oil for drizzling

Sauté the onion and garlic over medium-low heat in a large pot in a bit of olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for a few more minutes before adding the water (or broth), bay leaves and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are quite soft. Meanwhile fry the slices of chorizo in a small pan until they are crisp and the fat has been rendered.

Mash the potatoes in the pot with a fork or potato masher until partially broken down. You want the potatoes to thicken the soup but also leave plenty of lumps. Add the cabbage and cook for a few minutes until tender. Add the chorizo, adjust for salt and serve the soup drizzled with good olive oil and another grind of pepper.

Sweet Pepper, Sausage, and Onion Pizza

Sweet peppers, sausage and onions are a classic combination and probably my husband’s favorite pizza topping. And late summer/early fall is the time of year to take advantage. I often use the whole wheat pizza dough from Grand Central Bakery, though I was a whole wheat pizza dough skeptic for a long time, I’ve been totally converted. But by all means make your own if you have time.

1 (14oz) ball pizza dough
3 sweet Italian peppers, washed, halved, deseeded and cut into ½-inch slices
½ a large onion, thinly sliced
1 4-ounce (more or less) pork sausage, spicy or mild, crumbled or sliced
Scant ½ cup Parmesan or Asiago Stella
Olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven (or grill) to 500 degrees with a pizza stone if you have one.

In a large skillet heat a little olive oil. Add the peppers and onion and a pinch or two of salt and cook rapidly, stirring often over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until softening and browning. Add the sausage and cook for another 4-5 minutes. It doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through as it will finish in the oven.

Flour a pizza peel or the back of a cookie sheet. Stretch out your dough into a nice big round-ish shape and place on the peel. Working quickly brush the dough with a bit of olive oil and then evenly distribute the remaining ingredients, ending with the parmesan. You can also hold off and add the Parmesan at the end when you take it out. Sprinkle the whole thing with sea salt.

With a decisive but careful couple of jerks of your wrist transfer the pizza directly onto the hot stone. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are browned and the toppings are beginning to brown as well.

Sweet Pepper and White Bean Salad with Pickled Red Onions and Basil

As with most salads, you can scale this up or down, however, you’d like and you can change the ratio of beans to vegetables to suit your taste and what you have on hand. Just taste and adjust the dressing accordingly.  I tend to make a good amount of this salad since it keeps well and makes a good lunch the next day.

3 cups cooked and drained white beans (or canned and rinsed and drained) (navy, cannellini, lima, etc.)
2-3 sweet peppers, seeded and cut into small dice
1/3-1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped or torn
1/2 cup or so cherry or other tomatoes, diced (optional)
1/3 cup quick pickled red onion (just thinly sliced red onions in red-wine vinegar)
2-3 teaspoons red wine vinegar (from the pickled onions is fine) or more to taste
2-3 tablespoons best olive oil you have
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Mix everything together in a salad bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Enjoy with good crusty bread, some wedges of hardboiled egg or another salad.

Celery Root, Carrot and Celery Slaw/Remoulade

If you have celery root leftover make this coupled with this week’s celery.

I include Remoulade in the title as it is similar to the classic French salad that uses exclusively celery root and a mustard and mayonnaise dressing with lots of lemon and vinegar.

If you have a mandoline or benriner this is the time to use it. If you don’t a sharp knife and a  little patience will yield good results too. This salad keeps well and while softer the next day is just as good or better.

1/2 small to medium celery root, trimmed, peeled and cut into julienne (see headnote)
1 large or 2 smaller carrots, cut into julienne (see headnote)
2-3 stalks celery, ideally with leaves attached, thinly sliced crosswise
1-2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
1/2 of the below dressing (or a bit more)–use the rest to dress boiled potatoes or other roots or hearty greens

Dressing:
1 shallot (or similar-sized piece of red onion), minced
1 scallion, finely chopped, including all the green part
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard (you can use whole grain or smooth)
1/3 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream or plain whole milk yogurt (Greek yogurt would be fine too)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and finely chopped
Salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper

Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Put the celery root, carrots and celery in a large salad bowl.

Toss with about half of the dressing and toss it with the vegetables. Taste and add more dressing or adjust seasoning. Store remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Chicken Noodle Soup

You can change the ratio of vegetables, meat, stock, etc. Add other vegetables (add sweet peppers, savoy cabbage etc.). This is quite a basic version of this classic soup.

Serves 4-6

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into rounds or half-rounds if large
3 stalks celery and a handful or two of celery leaves, chopped
2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/ 1/2 – 2 quarts chicken stock or combination of chicken stock and veggie bouillon broth (above) or just vegetable broth
2 cups chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces (cooked or raw)
1 -2 cups pasta (1 cup if it’s a small shape like small elbow macaroni, etc. or 2 cups if it’s fusili like in the photo or penne or egg noodles)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh parsley and/or scallions for garnish (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onions, carrot, celery and parsley and sauté for 5-10 minutes until softened. The longer you cook it the richer the flavor. Add the stock or broth and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and the chicken meat and cook until the pasta is just al dente (it will continue to soften as it sits.) Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and  plenty of freshly ground pepper.  Garnish as you’d like and serve.

Roasted Delicata Squash Slices with Rosemary or Sage

This is always the first thing I make with Delicata squash in the fall. Use however much you have–it will disappear, no matter how much you make. It’s quick as you don’t need to peel the squash as it’s tender enough to eat the skin once roasted.

1-2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed and sliced into 1/3-inch thick half rounds
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or sage
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 – 1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Toss the squash slices with the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Spread onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until browning and tender. Flip the slices half way through the baking time.

Joi Choi Stir Fry

This is a delicious way to prepare joi choi. And the sauce works beautifully for any other quick vegetable stir fries as well. The Sichuan peppercorns are pretty key here–it’s worth getting a jar of them and they keep well. They’re more floral and complexly flavored than black pepper though you could use 1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper corns in a pinch here.

Serves 3-ish

1 large or several smaller heads joi choi, stalks separated and washed and stems and leaves cut into 1-inch or so ribbons/slices
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 scant tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed a bit (see headnote)
2 whole star anise
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 ½ tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine (Mirin) or dry sherry
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Steamed rice

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt lightly.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the garlic, ginger, star anise and crushed pepper corns and sauté for a minute or two until very fragrant and just starting to brown, stirring often. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the joi choi and rice, and bring to a simmer and cook for about 4-5 minutes at a simmer. Scrape all of the sauce out of the sauce pan and transfer to a wok or large skillet though discard the star anise.

Drop the choi into the boiling water and cook for about 3-5 minutes—taste after 2 minutes. The length of time will depend on the size of your pot/amount of water and strength of burner. Drain the joi choi and add it to the sauce in the skillet. Cook over high heat for just 1 minute or so to combine well. Serve hot over rice.

Fall is around the corner if we have celeriac in the share–one of my favorite vegetables. Don’t be put off by it’s messy looks. Just trim it carefully and then cut it into thin french fry batons and pan fry it in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt when tender and enjoy. . or make the delicious salad with toasted filberts and lentils below.  And add bit of jalapenos to most anything this week, if you’re not pickling them with carrots. A little would be good in the beet pesto, the slaw of course and particularly in the chicken dish. Happy cooking!

Beet Pesto
Warm Celeriac and Green Lentil Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts
Escarole, Beet and Feta Salad with Cumin
Roasted Sweet Peppers with Garlic and Parsley
Simple Italian-style Chicken with Peppers and Tomatoes
Kale and Carrot Slaw with Garlic Lime Dressing
Escabeche

Beet Pesto

This is a delicious and beautiful variation on regular pesto. And if you have cooked or roasted beets on hand it’s very quick to pull together. You can serve over grains, hardboiled eggs or other egg dishes or roasted veggies or as a spread or dip. I don’t tend to use it over pasta, however, as somehow the even pink coating doesn’t seem quite right to me.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 cups cooked, diced beets
Generous handful of walnuts, toasted or raw (or hazelnuts or almonds)
1 small clove garlic
About ¼ -1/3 cup grated Parmesan or other hard cheese
¼ cup good-tasting olive oil, more to taste
Salt and pepper
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of cider, white wine or sherry vinegar

Process the cheese and nuts first until finely ground. Then add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Adjust seasoning to your liking.

Warm Celeriac and Green Lentil Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts
–adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi 

This dish is substantial enough to make a light main course. The earthy flavors of the nuts and the lentils are balanced by the sharpness of the vinegar and the fresh mint. Don’t skimp on the salt – lentils need a lot of it. You can serve this warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

1/3 cup hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped (optional but very good)
1 cup small French green lentils 
(these hold up well when cooked and are thus good for salads—don’t use the larger, brown lentils as they’ll get too mushy)
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
Sprigs fresh thyme
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into ¾-inch x 1/4 –inch chips 
(more or less)
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons fresh mint, roughly chopped (or parsley)

Put the lentils, water, bay leaves and thyme sprigs in a small saucepan. Simmer for about 20-22 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but just a bit al dente, then drain in a sieve. Remove and discard the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring plenty of salted water to a boil, add the celery root, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

In a large bowl, mix the hot lentils (make sure they don’t cool down – lentils soak up flavors much better when they’re hot) with the olive oil, the vinegar, a few grinds of black pepper and plenty of salt. Add the celery root, stir, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add the mint and hazelnuts and stir again.

Roasted Sweet Peppers with Parsley and Garlic

This is the way sweet red peppers are prepared in many parts of Italy. It’s very simple and very good. This dish keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days so make extra and enjoy it for a while. And use however much parsley and garlic you like. It’s really a matter of taste.

4 sweet (red, yellow, green) peppers
10 sprigs of parsley, big stems discarded, chopped
1 medium clove garlic, minced
Good-tasting olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Set oven to broil.

Rinse peppers. Place them on a baking sheet and place about 4-6 inches under the broiler. Broil, turning as one side blisters and turns black. When they are blackened all around remove from oven, place in a bowl and cover with a dishtowel. Let steam and cool until you can handle them. Remove the stems and seeds. Chop into large-ish pieces (1 ½ – 2-inch square). Toss in a bowl with the remainder of the ingredients. Adjust seasoning. Let sit to let flavors marry for 15 minutes if you can. Serve with bread, cheese, grilled anything, salads, a frittata, etc. . . Great on sandwiches as well.

Simple Italian-style Chicken with Peppers and Tomatoes

This is a simple and delicious preparation that just needs a salad or some good crusty bread to make a meal.

Serves 4-6

3-4 sweet yellow or red peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chicken, cut into 10 pieces
¾ cup dry white wine
1- 1 ½ lbs tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup halved, pitted, cured black olives (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, optional

Preheat the broiler. Roast the peppers, turning until all sides are blackened and blistered. Remove from oven and put in a bowl, covered by a plate to steam. When cool enough to handle, peel and seed and cut into strips.

Heat the oil in large, deep skillet. Add the chicken pieces, working in batches if you need to, and cook, turning to brown all sides. Return all the chicken to the pan (if you had to work in batches) and season generously with salt and pepper, add the garlic and the wine and cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes and peppers and simmer, loosely covered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the olives, if using, and cook another 5 or so minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through. If the sauce is too thin for your taste (as it sometimes is for mine) remove the chicken pieces and keep covered on a plate and reduce the sauce on high heat for a few minutes. Then put the chicken back in.

Serve with some chopped fresh parsley if you have it.

Kale and Carrot Slaw with Garlic Lime Dressing

This is a nice alternative to a cabbage slaw.  You can change the ratio of vegetables to suit your needs.

1 small to medium bunch kale, tough stems removed (I leave the ribs in), washed, dried and very thinly sliced
3 small to medium carrots, scrubbed well and grated on large holes of box grater
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced or 1 small shallot or small piece of onion of any kind, thinly sliced
1 sweet pepper, washed and seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped (parsley and/or mint would be good too)

Dressing:

1 large clove garlic, minced and then mashed with a bit of coarse salt on the cutting board with the side of a chefs knife to create a coarse paste (skip this step if you’re in a hurry)
Juice of 1 lime or 1 1/2 tablespoons white, cider or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 a jalapeño, minced (deseeded if you want less heat)
1/3 cup or more good olive oil
1/3 – 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds (about 10 minutes at 350 degrees)

Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Toss dressing with salad and mix well to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning.

This salad holds up well and you can dress it an hour or more before serving. I tend to add the toasted seeds right before serving to preserve their crunch but adding them earlier is fine too.

Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots (Escabeche)
–adapted from Davidlebovitz.com

This is the ubiquitous spicy, pickled condiment found in many parts of Mexico, called escabeche (that name describes many different kinds of dishes around the world, not just this one). It’s a bright, hot pickle to have on hand and is a cinch to make. I use it on tacos, with bean and grain salads with seafood or meat or eggs. . . .once you have it you’ll find plenty of uses for it. You can easily halve this recipe if you don’t have enough peppers or just want a smaller batch.

About 1/2 lb jalapenos (8-9 peppers typically), sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
3 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Brine:
4 small garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
3/4 cup water

You’ll need four 1/2 pint glass jars.

Heat the brine ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan until it simmers and the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add the vegetables and stir well and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the vegetables sit in the hot brine for 10 minutes. Fill the clean jars with the vegetables and press down and cover with brine. Store in the refrigerator.

Oh this is blissful cooking weather! The beautiful escarole (and frisee for some) will stand up nicely to strong flavors like the blue cheese in the recipe below. It likes mustardy dressings and toasty nuts and most any strong cheese. Happy cooking!

Corn and Sweet Pepper Sauté with Dill
Sweet Pepper and Onion Tian
Spiced Red Lentils with Tomatoes and Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Deviled Eggs with Lots of Dill
Farro (Barley, Wheatberry) Salad with Carrots and Dill
German-style Kohlrabi with Dill
Kohlrabi Pickles (link)
Eggplant and Green Sauce Sandwiches/Wraps
Escarole with Apples and Blue Cheese

Corn and Sweet Pepper Saute with Dill

This is a quick, savory pan-full of late summer goodness. The dill adds a nice herby touch. And this is more technique than recipe. You can omit the potatoes, use Anaheim or Poblano peppers for some heat, add mushrooms. . . you get the idea.

Serves 3-4 as a side

Olive oil
1/2 an onion, diced
Kernels from 2-3 ears corn
2 sweet red peppers (or other–see headnote)
2-3 red (or other waxy) potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped dill
Just a little sherry or red wine vinegar, if needed and to taste

In a large heavy skillet heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peppers and potatoes and several pinches of salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the peppers and potatoes are tender. Add the corn and a tablespoon of water and cook for another 3-5 minutes until everything is tender. Stir in the dill and taste and adjust seasoning. Add a little vinegar if you’d like.

Sweet Pepper and Onion Tian
–slightly adapted from Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison

If you have a full share and can part with your onions and peppers in one dish, make this. It’s very, very good. All you need is some time. The preparation is dead simple but it takes 90 minutes to bake. It’s just as good or better the next day so you could make it one night while you’re making something else for dinner and then have it the next day.

The first day, prepared according to  Deborah Madison’s simple recipe in Vegetable Literacy, this is delicious. The second day (breakfast) it’s even better with a fried egg, and the third day it might turn into a most memorable pasta sauce.

Serves 4-6 (makes great leftovers, see headnote)

2 regular red onions or 3-4 small-ish Torpedo onions or any onions you have
2-3 sweet red peppers
2 medium-sized tomatoes
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
5 to 6 thyme branches or several pinches of dried
6 small garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine, sherry or balsamic vinegar (or to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Peel and quarter the onions, leaving the base intact. Halve the peppers both crosswise and lengthwise, remove the seeds and veins, and cut them into pieces roughly 1/2 inch wide. Remove the core from the tomatoes and cut them into sixths.

Spread a bit of olive oil over the bottom of a gratin dish, scatter the thyme over it, and add the vegetables, including the garlic and arrange in the dish. Drizzle the remaining oil over the vegetables, being sure to coat the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover the tian and bake for 1 1/2 hours. The vegetables should be very soft, the tomatoes melting into a jam. Remove it from the oven and  pour the liquid that has collected into a small saucepan. Add a teaspoon of vinegar, bring the liquid to a boil, and reduce until it is thick and syrupy. Taste for vinegar and salt; then pour the syrup over the vegetables.

Serve warm or at room temperature with most anything–good crusty bread or fried slabs of polenta is excellent.

Spiced Red Lentils with Tomatoes and Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
-adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

This is a bit similar to a previous red lentil dish I’ve posted but this is thicker a bit spicier and doesn’t haven any coconut milk. If, like me, you have jalapenos and cucumbers left over from the last week, this will be a great dish—and of course it uses this week’s tomatoes.

The ingredient list looks long but once you make the spice paste it does come together pretty easily.

Serves 4

1 small bunch cilantro (stems and roots if possible), well washed and shaken dry
½ a red onion, roughly chopped
2 1/2 inches ginger, peeled and roughly hopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds removed or left in for more heat, roughly chopped
1½ teaspoons black mustard seeds
3 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 ¾ cups tomatoes, chopped
1 cup red lentils
Salt
1½ tablespoons lime juice
Reserved chopped cilantro leaves

¾ cup Greek yogurt
1 cup finely diced cucumber
Salt

Cut the cilantro bunch in two to get a leafy top part and a stem/root bottom part. If you don’t have a bunch with roots just use all the stems for this part. Roughly chop the leaves and set aside. Put the stems/roots in a food processor with the onion, ginger, garlic and chili and process to a rough paste, see above.

Put the mustard seeds in a heavy-bottomed pot and place over medium heat. When they begin to pop, add the oil and onion/cilantro mix, stir and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the spices and continue cooking and stirring for a few minutes longer. Add the lentils and 3 cups water, the tomatoes and a couple of pinches of salt. Partially cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, until the lentils are nice and tender but still have just a bit of their shape.

Before serving, whisk together the yogurt, cucumber and some salt. Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro, taste and season with salt if needed. Divide into bowls, spoon yogurt on top. You can serve this over rice if you’d like or enjoy as is.

Deviled Eggs with Lots of Dill

I like lots of fresh herbs in my deviled eggs and preferably homemade mayonnaise, which really is quite simple to make. You can scale this recipe however you’d like. You want a creamy consistency for the filling so just start adding and adjust and taste as you go.

6 hardboiled eggs*, peeled
1-2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
3 tablespoons homemade (or store bought) mayonnaise
2 tablespoon finely chopped dill
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out yolks and put into a bowl. Mash with a fork and add the remainder of the ingredients until well mixed. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Fill mixture back into egg halves with a teaspoon. Decorate with a bit of the chopped herbs if you like.

*Note on hard boiling eggs: Cover eggs generously with cold water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils turn off the heat. For eggs where you want the yolk firm but not dry, leave in hot water for 10-11 minutes depending on the size of the eggs. Drain and fill pot with cold water to stop cooking. For eggs that have solid yolks but have a slightly creamier interior (for salads, Salad Nicoise, etc.) take out of hot water after 8-9 minutes.

Farro (Barley, Wheatberry) Salad with Carrots and Dill

This is a substantial but light grain salad. Carrots and dill are a classic combination and with the addition of plenty of lemon juice and green onions (or red onions) it’s a beautiful and fresh dish that keeps well–good for potlucks and picnics. You can also add kohlrabi or use those instaed of the carrots. You can substitute most any grain here and quinoa would work well too and be quicker cooking if you’re in hurry.

1 cup farro, hulled or pearled (pearled cooks more quickly but I prefer just hulled—more of a whole grain)
2 cups carrots, cut on the bias into ¼-inch slices and/or 2 cups kohlrabi, peeled and diced ½-inch
3 tablespoons dill, chopped
1 medium clove garlic, minced
2 greens onions, thinly sliced or 1 tablespoon finely diced or sliced red onion (optional)
3-4 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted (optional but very good)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more to taste or red wine vinegar)
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the farro in a sauce pan with 3 cups water and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, until the farro is tender—some kernels will break open which is just fine. This will take about 45 minutes if it’s hulled farro and a bit less for pearled. Test occasionally for doneness. When tender, drain well and put in a bowl and let cool a bit.

Meanwhile, sauté the carrots, and/or kohlrabi in ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat with a few pinches of salt until tender and caramelizing a bit—about 10 minutes.

Add the carrots (kohlrabi) to the farro and all the remaining ingredients. Stir well and adjust seasoning.

German-style Kohlrabi with Dill

I grew up in Germany eating kohlrabi where it is often par-boiled and then sautéed with dill and cream and finished with a little lemon juice or vinegar. An elegant, simple and satisfying preparation.

2 medium kohlrabi, peeled and cut into ½-inch or slightly larger dice
1 1/2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup kohlrabi cooking water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or sour cream
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar (more to taste)
2 tablespoons chopped dill

Put the kohlrabi in a sauce pan, barely cover with water and simmer until its tender—about 7-10 minutes. Drain the kohlrabi reserving 1 1/2 cups of cooking water.

Melt the butter in a skillet, add the flour and whisk until smooth and cook this roux for about 2 minutes over medium-low heat, whisking almost constantly. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of reserved, hot cooking liquid. Season with salt and cook until thickened a bit which should just take a minute or two. If it’s too thick add more cooking liquid and if quite thin continue simmering until it thickens. Add the cooked kohlrabi and cream or sour cream to the pan and mix well. Add the dill, freshly ground black pepper and let is all bubble for a minute. Finish with the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Kohlrabi Pickles (recommended by a SIO member–they sound delicious!)

Eggplant and Green Sauce Sandwiches/Wraps

Messy and delicious. We have these for dinner in the summer. And you can skip the brad or wrap and just compose all the ingredients into a lovely salad of sorts.

Enough for 4 sandwiches/wraps

1 small globe eggplant, sliced ½-inch thick and broiled or panfry or grilled until browning and tender
1/4 cup very thin red onion slices
2 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/4 -inch thick
2 ounces Feta or goat cheese (optional)
Green sauce (see below)
Good crusty bread, pita bread or large tortillas (warmed or toasted if you’d like)

Green sauce:

Handful of mint leaves
2 tablespoons dill
1 cup of cilantro leaves and stems (and roots if you have them) well washed and dried
Juice of a quarter lemon
1/3 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts or pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon raw sugar
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Process all the ingredients for the sauce starting with 1 tablespoon water, in a blender or food processor until smooth. If the sauce is too thick add a little more water.

Layer the eggplant with some thinly sliced Walla Walla Sweet, a slice of tomato if you have it, a bit of feta or goat cheese if you’d like and generous amount of green sauce in pita bread, between slices of regular bread or tortillas or any other vehicle you can think of.

Escarole with Apples and Blue Cheese
–adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Pears, apples, figs, and even persimmons would all be wonderful in this salad. The sweetness is a nice balance to the bitterness of the greens.

Serves 3-6 (depending on size of head of escarole that is—scale ingredients below up if the head is huge and your using it all)

1 head escarole, well washed and trimmed of any tough, outer leaves (you can save those and add them to a soup or to any sauté or sauce) and roughly torn
1 apple or pear (see headnote), peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 cup walnuts (toasted at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes and then cooled)
3-4 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoons sherry or white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Whisk together the salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. Dress the greens with the vinaigrette and toss thoroughly. Add the nuts and cheese at the end and gently toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning.

So many exciting things to make this week, from raw salsas to chowders to a simple and divine tomato paella that really lets the tomatoes shine. Happy cooking! Sorry my computer died as I was working on this post. I was able to recover most photos but not quite all!

Cold Beet Borscht (link)
Beet Salsa
Pico de Gallo (fresh tomato salsa)
Roasted Salsa
Poblano, Corn and Feta Pizza
Corn Chowder
Raita (with Beets)
Gazpacho
Simple Tomato Paella

A SIO member sent me this link for a cold borscht. It sounds perfect for this week.

Beet Salsa
–adapted from Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibanaz

Another SIO member sent me a variation of this salsa she had made and I varied it again for the share this week. It’s fresh and delicious and I ate it more like a salad than a dip/salsa but serve it any way you like.

Yields about 2 ½ cups

About 3 medium beets, boiled, peeled and finely diced
2 tablespoons Walla Walla onion, minced
½ green bell pepper, minced
1 Jalapeno, minced (they vary so widely in heat level so taste before you decide how much to use and whether or not to use the seeds—I used a whole one, with seeds and had barely any heat and then I used two whole ones with seeds in the Roasted Salsa, below, and the salsa was on fire!)
Juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Splash of olive oil
Salt

I tend to boil my beets these days because it’s quicker and I don’t want to heat up my house with the oven. I rinse the beets, cut any larger ones in halves or quarters and cover with water and bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, until tender—30 minutes or so. Drain, cool and then peel and trim away any roots and stem ends.

Dice the beets finely and mix together with all other ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning as you like.

Pico de Gallo

Fresh, sweet, savory and good as is with chips, in tacos, mixed with black beans, etc.

I haven’t yet tried any alapenos from SIO this season but from experience they generally vary in heat level so taste before you start adding to determine how much you want to use and remove seeds to reduce heat if it seems like too much. 

Yields about 2 1/4 cups

1 1/2 lbs tomatoes (4 medium more or less), washed, cored and finely chopped or diced
½ – 2 jalapenos, finely minced (de-seed the pepper if you’re unsure of your comfort with the heat level—my guess is that you can leave the seeds in, for at least part of it)
2 tablespoons, finely chopped onion
¼ cup cilantro, well washed and dried and chopped (more to taste)
1 large clove garlic, minced and then mashed with some coarse salt and the side of a chef’s knife into a paste (or just mince)
Sea salt
Squeeze of lime juice (optional)

Mix everything together well and adjust seasoning with salt. Serve with chips or with fish tacos or any kind of tacos or with quesadillas or as a side for grilled fish or vegetables or pretty much anything.

Roasted Salsa

This is a nice variation to the fresh pico de gallo like salsas. The roasted peppers and garlic add nice depth and smoky flavor. Jalapenos vary widely in their spice level. You might start by using the flesh but not the seeds and add the seeds if you want more heat.

Yields about 2 cups

2 jalapenos
3 cloves garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 ½ lbs tomatoes, diced
1/3 – ½ cup chopped cilantro
Salt
Fresh lime juice (about 2 tablespoons)

Dice the tomatoes and put them in a strainer over a bowl and let sit while you prepare the rest of the salsa.

In a dry, ungreased skillet over medium heat roast the garlic cloves (unpeeled!) and jalapenos. You want them to get brown, in spots here and there and to soften and do it fairly slowly. The garlic will take 12-15 minutes and the peppers about 10. You want to turn both frequently to evenly brown and soften them.

When the garlic and peppers are done, peel garlic and remove stems from jalapenos. If you’re very averse to spice you can remove seeds and membranes from peppers (see headnote) but they add flavor and heat so leave them in if like a bit more spice. And Jalapenos vary so much in heat level so it’s best to taste before adding all teh seeds. Now you can either chop them both very finely or process briefly in a food processor or blender.

Shake the tomatoes around in the strainer a bit just to remove a little of the juice. Now either finely chop them or toss them briefly in a processor as well. Mix with the remainder of the ingredients and taste and adjust for seasoning with lime juice and salt.

Corn, Poblano and Feta Pizza

(I had a beautiful photo of this pizza I tested for you and it seems to be the one casualty of the crashed computer and recovery saga! Trust me it’s a beautiful and delicious pizza!)

This pizza was a last minute creation one fall night and was a big hit. I grabbed some whole wheat pizza dough from Grand Central Bakery and used it—it was perfect. By all means make your own if you have time.

1 ball pizza dough (14 ounces, more or less)
Kernels form 3 ears of corn
2 tablespoons minced onion (optional)
3 anaheims (or poblanos), broiled until black and blistered, peeled and deseeded and finely chopped
½ cup crumbled feta
½ or so cup finely diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven (or grill) to 500 degrees with a pizza stone if you have one.

Flour a pizza peel or the back of a cookie sheet. Stretch out your dough into a nice big round-ish shape and place on the peel. Working quickly brush the dough with a bit of olive oil and then evenly distribute the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle the whole thing with salt.

With a decisive but careful couple of jerks of your wrist transfer the pizza directly onto the hot stone. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are browned and the toppings are beginning to brown as well.

Corn Chowder

Corn chowder is quick to make, adaptable, and a rich yet fresh late summer dish that takes advantage of corn, peppers of any kind, potatoes and herbs. You can cook the potatoes longer and have them thicken the soup a bit or less long and have distinct chunks. Adapt as you see fit.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced or 1/2 and onion and 1-2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced
1-2 leeks, trimmed (though I use a fair amount of the green parts) washed well, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch half rounds (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices bacon, diced (optional) or 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or dried thyme (optional but very good)
1 large or 2 smaller sweet green or red peppers, seeds and membranes removed and diced or 2 anaheim or poblano chiles roasted, peeled and deseeded and chopped
1 small jalapeño or serrano, minced (if you want a little heat, especially if you’re using sweet peppers instead of anaheims or poblanos)
Kernels from 4 ears of corn (or more if you have it), sliced off the cob
2 cups (or more) potatoes, well scrubbed but not peeled and cut into 1/2 –inch dice
2 1/2 cups whole milk (or part milk, part cream)
3 cups homemade vegetable broth or stock or broth of your choice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A little chopped parsley (optional) for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and bacon (if using) and thyme (if using) and sauté for about 5 minutes. If you’re not using bacon and have smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton) add a teaspoon of it at this stage. Add the garlic and the peppers and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and all the milk (or milk and cream) and stock or broth. Add salt if your stock is not very salty. Bring to a boil and let simmer briskly for about 8 minutes. Add the corn, and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes until everything is tender. The potatoes should be falling apart and will help thicken the chowder. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped parsley if you’d like.

Raita

Raita is a cool yogurt and cucumber dish that’s used as a dip, topping, or sauce in Middle Eastern and Indian foods. It’s versatile, delicious and easy to make.

Yields about 2 cups

2 smallish cucumbers (you want about 2 cups grated cucumber)
½-2/3 cup of plain whole-milk yogurt or Greek yogurt
Juice 1 lemon
A little minced onion or scallion
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of ground cumin and ground coriander
Salt

Cut the cucumber(s) in half lengthwise (no need to peel). Scoop the seeds out with a spoon and then grate the cucumbers on the large holes of a box grater. You want small pieces so if they come out long, chop them a bit with a knife when you’re done. Squeeze some of the liquid out with your hands and place in a bowl. Sprinkle a little coarse salt on the garlic and mash with the side of a chef’s knife until you have a paste. Add this and all the remaining ingredients to the cucumbers. Gently mix and let stand for a few minutes so the flavors can come together.

You can serve this as a dip for pita (or other) chips. Serve it with rice, dhal or any Indian (inspired) food. It’s also very good with roasted beets and its cooling qualities are particularly good with spicy dishes, particularly lamb, beef and chicken.

Gazpacho

There are many versions of this classic Spanish soup, served cold or at room temperature (when it was first made, before refrigeration) and most include tomatoes, cucumbers, stale bread, a bit of sweet pepper and olive oil and wine vinegar. You can play with the ratio based on what you have and/or your tastes.

Serves 4

2 lbs ripe, juicy tomatoes (about 4-5 medium)
1 small-to medium cucumber, peeled
1 poblano or Anaheim pepper, roasted and peeled and seeded
About 2 tablespoons chopped onion or shallot (optional)
1-2 slices good, day old crusty bread (crusts removed) (if you want a thinner soup use the smaller quantity)
Generous pinch of ground cumin
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup water
Salt

If you have the time, bring a small pot of water to a boil and dunk the tomatoes in the boiling water for few seconds. Remove and peel the tomatoes. The skin should slip right off. You can omit this step and the soup will be fine.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process for a few seconds. You can leave it a bit chunky or puree it until quite smooth. I prefer a bit of texture. Taste and adjust seasoning.  Refrigerate briefly. I prefer mine not too cold but chill as you please.

Garnish with a drizzle of good olive oil and/or finely minced red onion, sweet pepper or cucumber (or any combination of them) or toasted bread crumbs.

Simple Tomato Paella
–inspired by Mark Bittman

This is a delicious, quick, and inexpensive (and vegetarian) twist on a classic paella. It’s perfect this time of year with beautiful, juicy tomatoes. It’s very important to season the ingredients properly as you go. It’s really a shame to under salt this dish. Taste your stock or bouillon to make sure it’s well seasoned.

3 1/2 cups stock, water vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds ripe, slicer/heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into thick wedges (about 4 medium to large tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Large pinch saffron threads
2 teaspoons Spanish pimentón (smoked paprika), or other paprika
2 cups Spanish or Arborio or other short-grain rice (I use Arborio)
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt (if the stock isn’t very salty or you’re using water)

Warm stock or water in a saucepan. If using water, add a teaspoon of salt to the water. Put tomatoes in a medium bowl, sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat. Put remaining oil in a 10- or 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in saffron if you are using it and pimentón and cook for a minute more. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is shiny, another two to three minutes. Add hot stock or water and stir until just combined.

Put tomato wedges on top of rice and drizzle with juices that accumulated in bottom of bowl. Cook over medium heat undisturbed, for 15 -20 minutes. Check to see if rice is dry and just tender. If not, keep cooking for another 5 minutes. If rice looks too dry but still is not quite done, add a small amount of stock or water (or wine). When rice is ready, turn off oven and let pan sit for 5 to 15 minutes. If you like, put pan over high heat for a few minutes to develop a bit of a bottom crust before serving. If you have time you should definitely do this last part. The crust is fabulous.

And . . . another hot week! I’ve tried to include some no/little heat dishes like the panzanella–it’s definitely panzanella week with the tomatoes, cukes, onion and basil. And if you didn’t make the chickpea and celery salad from a few weeks ago, do. It’s such a winner!

Sauteed Celery with Tomatoes and Parsley
Panzanella
Pasta with Sweet Corn Pesto and Basil
Chard and Chickpea Stew with Tomatoes and Cumin
Long-cooked Chard and Onions
Cucumber, Watermelon, Tropea Onion Salad with Feta and Black Olives
Corn and Zucchini Fritters
Raw Zucchini Salad with Basil and Toasted Nuts

Sauteed Celery with Tomatoes and Parsley

This is a delicious dish–the combination of the cooked celery, tomatoes, garlic and parsley is unusual—inspired by an old Italian cookbook I have and totally worth making. It’s good with a frittata or even over pasta or quinoa or some such.

Serves 4

1 small bunch celery, trimmed and cut into 1-2-inch pieces (about 8-10 stalks)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes or 1 14-ounce can tomatoes, roasted or plain
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Steam celery for 5-7 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the heat and drain.

In a large, heavy skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until it’s  fragrant, about 30 seconds and then add the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir together, then stir in the celery. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve with grated Parmesan if you’d like.

Panzanella

This is the classic Tuscan bread salad made at the height of tomato season. Tuscan bread goes stale very quickly so there are lots of recipes to use it up in flavorful ways. The success of the dish depends on using really flavorful, ripe tomatoes and good olive oil. And you can use fresher bread if you don’t have stale—see directions below.

I know that when you order Panzanella in restaurants in the US you get toasted chunks of bread more like croutons, tossed with tomatoes, etc. This version is what I learned and ate in Tuscany. Please give it a try. The texture is completely different than what is served here but much more integrated and I think better. Would love to hear reports if you make it.

Serves 4-6 (I serve this almost like a main dish)

4 cups diced stale bread (white or partial whole wheat is fine – Grand Central Como or Peasant is perfect for this or something similar—it just can’t be soft, enriched sandwich bread)
4 ripe and juicy medium tomatoes, cut into large dice
1 cup or more chopped cucumbers
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 small Tropea onion, very thinly sliced and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, drained and patted dry if the onion is sharper than you like to eat raw. I probably won’t soak them.
1-2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

If the bread is quite stale, soak it in water for 15 minutes (Tuscan bread gets much harder than the bread we typically have here) If it’s not terribly stale you can just sprinkle it with a bit of water to moisten it slightly. If your bread is fresh then just tear or cut it up as is and skip any moistening steps.

Combine the vegetables, basil and garlic in a large salad bowl. When ready, drain the bread cubes (if you soaked them) and squeeze all the water out of them using your hands. Crumble the bread over the vegetables. In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir well. Pour over salad and toss to combine really well. Adjust seasoning to taste. This salad should have a good vinegary kick and be strongly flavored with the basil, capers and garlic.

Pasta with Sweet Corn Pesto and Basil

This dish is ridiculously good and I include it every year. It’s sort of height-of-summer comfort food, in a very good way. To make this vegetarian, instead of the bacon you can sauté the corn in butter or olive oil and add 1 teaspoon of pimenton (smoked Spanish Paprika) and then add a few squeezes of lime juice at the very end.

Serves 4

3 bacon slices, diced
3-4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 5 large ears)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 serrano chili minced (with seeds if you like heat)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or aged Asiago or Pecorino cheese
1/4 cup almonds, pine nuts, walnuts or hazelnuts (I typically use almonds because that’s what I have on hand)
1/3 cup good olive oil
3/4 lb penne or fettucine or tagliatelle
3/4 cup torn basil leaves, divided

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Pour off all but 1-2 tablespoon bacon fat (and reserve for frying potatoes or some such). To the skillet with the bacon fat add corn, garlic, about 1 teaspoon sea salt, red pepper flakes or serrano pepper, and some black pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernel mixture to a bowl and reserve. Process almonds until finely ground, add cheese, process again, then scrape remaining corn mixture into processor. With machine running, add olive oil and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, bacon (if using) and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer pasta to a serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining basil leaves and serve immediately.

Chard and Chickpea Stew with Tomatoes and Cumin

I think this was inspired by a photo in Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty but it came about in a great hurry one night when I had cooked chickpeas on hand and a few other things in the crisper and dinner needed to happen soon. Also, my six-year-old loves pretty much any dhal or Indian-inspired dish so I added cumin and brown mustard seeds to this dish and sure enough, he loved it. If you have carrots on hand by all means use a couple here if you’d like.

You could add ground lamb or beef to this dish after you’ve sauteed the onions if you’d like.

Serves 4

Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, scrubbed and cut into small dice (see headnote)  (optional)
1 bunch chard, well washed and chopped, stems washed and chopped fairly finely
11/2 teaspoons whole cumin seed (or 2 teaspoons ground)
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 minced, seeded Serrano or jalapeño pepper
1 cup diced tomatoes, juice too
2-3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained (you can use some cooking liquid if you have home-cooked ones)
1 cup water or chickpea cooking liquid
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Greek yogurt for serving

In a large skillet, heat some olive oil. Add the onions, chard stems, and carrots, if using, and sauté for about 10 minutes until softening and browning. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and red pepper flakes or hot pepper and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and chard and water or cooking liquid, stirring well, and a few pinches of salt. Bring to a lively simmer, then turn down and cook gently for about 10 minutes so the chickpeas have a chance to absorb the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. You can add a squeeze of lemon juice at this point if you want. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and enjoy.

Long-cooked Chard and Onions

This is a bit of an atypical way to cook chard since you cook it for a quite a long time. It is well worth it though—silky and rich.

Wash a large bunch of chard. Separate the leaves from the stems and reserve stems for another use or slice them thinly and use them in this dish. Cut the leaves into 1-2 inch ribbons. Slice a large onion and begin stewing it and the stems, if using, in some olive oil in a good-sized sauté pan. When the onion has softened a bit add the chard, season with salt and pepper, cover and stew, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes. The moisture from the leaves and onions should be enough to cook it, slowly, but if it gets too dry you can add just a little water. Remove from heat when the vegetables are silky and tender.

I’ve used this as a pizza topping with some feta, as a pasta sauce or just a side to whatever else I made for dinner. It’s also wonderful with eggs.

Cucumber, Watermelon, Tropea Onion Salad with Feta and Black Olives
–Slightly adapted from Racheleats.com

Sweet, salty, cool, crunchy and full of herbs. This is just a powerfully fun combination.

Serves 4-6

1/3 cup thinly sliced mild red Tropea onion
2-3 tablespoons just barely chopped parsley leaves
About 12 mint leaves, torn a bit
1/4 cup black olives, pitted and cut in half
1 lb watermelon, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 medium cucumber, peeled if skin is tough/chewy, and diced (if the cucumber is quite seedy remove the seeds–this will also prevent the salad from getting too watery)
4 ounces feta, cut in medium cubes or crumbled
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Lime or lemon juice to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt (go easy with the salt because of the olive and feta)

Put the watermelon, cucumber, feta, parsley, mint, onion and black olives into a shallow bowl or on a platter. Drizzle with the olive oil, lime juice and some pepper and just a touch of salt. Toss the salad gently so that the feta and melon don’t lose their shape. Taste, and add more lemon or lime juice, olive oil or pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Corn and Zucchini Fritters (panfried)

Addictive!

Yields about 14 – 16 4-inch fritters

11/2 lbs zucchini or any summer squash
2-3 ears of corn
3 tablespoons finely diced Torpedo onions
2 eggs
1/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup flour (of any kind)
Salt and Pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons oregano, parsley or basil, chopped (optional)
Olive oil for frying

Grate the zucchini/squash on the large holes of a grater onto a clean kitchen towel.  Sprinkle with some salt and let it rest while you gather and prep the remaining ingredients.

Wrap the zucchini in the towel and wring as much liquid out of it as possible, discarding the liquid.

Cook the ears of corn in boiling water for just a minute or two. Cut the kernels off the cob. If you do this in a large bowl the kernels will be pretty much contained and not fly all over the kitchen.

In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with the water and flour and then add the drained zucchini, onion, corn, cumin and freshly ground pepper. Add herbs if you’re using any. Mix well and taste and adjust seasoning.

Add a scant tablespoon of oil to a large skillet.  Place the pan over medium-high heat.  Spoon about 2 tablespoons (about a ¼ cup) of batter into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan you should be able to fry about 3-5 at once.  Flatten them a bit with the back of a spatula and cook until the fritters are golden brown on each side, 4 to 6 minutes.

Raw Summer Squash Salad with Toasted Almonds and or Basil

I am not generally a fan of raw zucchini or summer squash but this salad I like. The toasted almonds are key to the success, offering a nice crunchy contrast to the soft vegetables.

3 small or 2 medium zucchini or other summer squash (use the smallest, densest ones you have)
2 tablespoons, finely chopped Tropea onion
1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Juice of 1 lemon (might need a little less so start with ½ a lemon)
Good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Trim the squash and depending on what shape/kind they are, you have various options of cutting them. You can use a vegetable peeler which takes some time but gives you lovely, thin ribbons. Or if you have a box grater with a single slicing blade on one side you can use that or you can just use a sharp knife and cut them as thinly as you can by hand.

Put the thinly sliced squash in a colander and toss with a little salt. Let sit for 15 minutes. Gently squeeze out any liquid you can but don’t try too hard or you’ll break down the pieces. Put the squash in a bowl and loosen it up a bit. Add all the remaining ingredients and toss well and taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, salt and/or olive oil.

Lots of quick ideas this week. This bounty doesn’t need much fuss to make it sing. Happy cooking!

BLTs
Quick-Pickled Cucumber Salad
Grilled Onions
Vegetable Skewers
Eggplant (or Squash), Tomato and Onion Gratin
Zwiebelkuchen
Soba Noodles with Bok Choy and Tahini Sauce
Caramelized Corn with Fresh Mint

BLTs

You don’t really need a recipe but maybe just a reminder–if you like BLTs–that it’s time. We have these for dinner once or twice every summer.

Bread of choice (I like good crusty bread like Grand Central Bakery’s Peasant Levain (pictured)
Mayonnaise or aioli 
Tomatoes, thickly sliced into rounds, on the equator
Sea salt
Lettuce
Bacon, fried, not too crisp
Sweet onion, thinly sliced (unconventional but very good)

Assemble and be sure to salt the tomatoes. Enjoy!

Quick-Pickled Cucumber Salad
–adapted from Pure Beef by Lynne Curry

This salad is perfect alongside a good hamburger or some thinly sliced flank steak or meatloaf (as Lynne does) etc.

Serves 4

2 medium cucumbers, washed but not peeled
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or a little more, to taste)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce (or tamari)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch or two of red pepper flakes

Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise and use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds and discard. Slice the cucumbers very thin on the diagonal and put them into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, salt and pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers, stir, and let the flavors develop at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.

Grilled Onions

The sweet, crisp, giant Ailsa Craig onions are superb for grilling or broiling. Cut them into thick rounds and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and grill until charring around the edges. Eat as is, dip in aioli, layer on burgers or sandwiches or pizzas. . ..

Vegetable Skewers

Tomatoes, summer squash, eggplant and sweet onions are all delicious skewered and grilled. Chop the vegetables into large, bite-sized pieces (they shrink a bit as they cook). I make a vinaigrette with minced garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, a bit of Dijon-style mustard, olive oil and salt and pepper and maybe some fresh thyme. Toss the vegetable pieces in the vinaigrette and then thread them on to skewers. Grill or roast in a very hot oven, turning occasionally until tender and beginning to color around the edges.

You can certainly add fish or meat or tofu to the skewers.

Serve with more vinaigrette on rice or quinoa or any other grain with a cucumber salad. Summer dinner!

Eggplant, Tomato and Onion Gratin
–adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Simple and delicious. You can add oregano or basil and top with a little cheese if you’d like though the simplicity of the dish as is, is just lovely.

Serves 4

1 giant onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
1 ½ large globe eggplants (or 2-3 summer squash, see headnote)
3 medium to large tomatoes (or more smaller ones)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and chop both the onions and garlic and sauté them in half the butter and half the oil for about five minutes with the thyme leaves, bay leaf and salt and pepper.

Slice the eggplants into ¼-inch-thick slices. Slice the tomatoes slightly thicker.

Butter a shallow baking dish. Remove the bay leaf from the onions and spread them over the bottom of the dish. Cover with overlapping rows of alternate tomato and eggplant slices. Each slice should cover two thirds of the preceding one. Season generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft.

Uncover for the last 15 minutes or earlier if the tomatoes are giving up too much liquid. Brush or spoon the juices over the top occasionally to prevent the top layer form drying out.

This is a perfect accompaniment to grilled or roasted lamb or as is more common in my household with a simple piece of fish, frittata or green salad and a piece of bread.

Zwiebelkuchen

This Southern German style tart/quiche/pizza is a mainstay in my family. This can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon. You can also add herbs (parsley and/or chives are particularly good) and change the cheese to suite your taste or what you have on hand.

Serves many!

Crust:
Scant 2 cups all-purpose flour (I’ve also used half whole-wheat pastry flour and half all-purpose and feel free to play around with other flour combinations)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
½ cup sour cream or plain, whole-milk yogurt
1 egg

Topping:
2 lbs, or slightly more onions, sliced into ¼-inch half rounds
Olive oil
3 ounces bacon, diced (or ½ cup of chopped parsley –added to the custard mix right before baking, see headnote)
4 ounces grated sharp cheddar, Emmental, etc.
2 eggs
½ cup sour cream or plain, whole-milk yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, in the medium bowl beat the egg with the oil, water and sour cream (or yogurt) until just mixed. In another bowl mix the flour, salt and baking powder and stir into the wet ingredients with a fork or wooden spoon. Mix well – you may want to use your hands at this point—until it’s smooth. Place the dough in a 13 x 18 rimmed baking sheet (sheet pan) and roll it out to fit the pan. You may have to stretch it a bit with your hands to get it into the corners. It does not need to come up the sides at all. It takes time and a bit of practice to do this quickly and may take a while at first. It will fit the pan even if it seems unlikely.

For the filling, slice the onions in half and then into ¼ thin half rounds. Thinly coat a large sauté pan or pot with olive oil and heat it over med-high heat. Add the bacon, if using, and cook for a few minutes until the fat is partially rendered. Add the onions and a few generous pinches of salt. Cover and stir occasionally (and adjust heat if onions stick and brown) until the onions are quite soft and some of the liquid they’ve released has cooked off. This will take between 15 to 25 minutes depending on your onions. Ideally they don’t brown but no harm done if they do.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sour cream (or yogurt), a few grinds of pepper. Add the grated cheese and the onion bacon mixture. Spread on the crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are starting to brown.

Eat warm or at room temperature. This is even better reheated the next day in a hot cast iron pan in a little bit of olive oil.

Soba Noodles with Bok Choy and Tahini Sauce

You could add scallions, grated carrots, cucumber, cilantro or mint or basil or most anything else you have on hand.

Serves 4-6

8 ounces soba noodles
3-4 cups bok choy, washed and chopped, stems and all

Dressing:
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Cook the soba noodles in boiling water for 6-8 minutes (or according to package instructions). 10 seconds before you’re going to drain the noodles toss in the bok choy. Drain the noodles and greens and rinse with cold water. Drain well and put in a bowl or on a platter.

In a small bowl stir together the dressing ingredients. Tahini can really thicken up a dressing. Add a bit of warm water to loosen it up if needed. Toss the dressing with the noodles and greens and add any other vegetables (grated carrots, diced cucumber, etc), if using. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may want to add a little salt and a bit more vinegar or lemon juice.

Caramelized Corn with Fresh Mint
-inspired by Julia Moskin

This theoretically serves 2 but of course scale up as you like. I eat this whole dish by myself with ease.

Kernels from four ears or corn (or more—this is so good you’ll eat as much as you make I guarantee)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Salt

Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring often, until golden and browned. This will take about 10 minutes. Stir in the mint and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately.

If you have any leftover you can toss it into a cold bean salad or green salad or make it into a taco filling or add it to pico de gallo salsa.