Lots of kohlrabi info this week, as well as some very simple dishes like the Calabrian-style potatoes and peppers that is more than the sum of its parts. The savory chard pancakes are always a winner at my house or cooking classes and the fennel and kohlrabi salad with raisins and dill I adapted from the cookbook Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi is awfully good. Happy cooking!

Farcous (Savory Chard Pancakes)
Calabrian-style Peppers and Potatoes
Weeknight Veggie Curry (with Red Lentils and Coconut Milk)
Kohlrabi Notes
Kohlrabi and Fennel Salad with Dill
Chopped Salad of Fennel, Sweet Peppers and Carrots
Potato Leek Soup

Farçous (Savory Chard Pancakes)
–adapted from Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan

I just taught these at a recent cooking class and out of 6 things we made this was the favorite dish.
They are an absolute cinch to make if you have a food processor. It takes 5 minutes to make the batter and a bit longer to fry them but they are so addictive. These are made all over Southwest France and I’m sure with variations of herbs and greens, but most typically they are made with chard, parsley and chives.

They also keep and freeze well and make great snacks. You can also experiment with different flours and combinations of flours if you’d like. Half whole wheat flour works well and I imagine spelt flour would too.

This recipe makes a lot of pancakes so you can cut it in half or make the whole thing and just save some for lunch the next day. I promise you won’t have trouble eating them up.

2 cups whole milk
Scant 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or half all-purpose and half whole wheat)
3 large eggs
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chives, chopped (optional)
10 Swiss chard leaves, washed, shaken dry and center rib and stems removed (can save for other use)
Salt (these need a lot of salt! Start with 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt. Taste the first pancake and add more if they’re bland. They really need salt to lift up the flavors of the herbs and greens)
Freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil or olive oil for pan-frying
For optional topping: a little salt, lemon zest and juice stirred into plain Greek or whole milk yogurt or just plain yogurt.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and place a baking sheet in the oven.

Put milk, flour, eggs, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Mix until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the chard leaves to the batter (little by little if you don’t have a lot of space) and blend, but don’t over blend. The mixture does not need to be homogenous and is better with a bit of variation in size of the chard leaf pieces.

You can make these pancakes large, like crepes (and use a crepe pan if you have one) or smaller, like regular pancakes. Pour about 1 tablespoon of oil into your pan (less if it’s a crepe/non-stick pan) and heat over medium-high heat. Add the batter to the pan for whatever size pancakes you’re making and cook until for a few minutes until the edges begin to brown and curl. Flip them over and cook them for a couple more minutes until evenly browned. Place in warm oven while you make the remainder of the pancakes.

These are wonderful with a dollop of yogurt (especially Greek yogurt) to which you can add a bit of lemon zest and little lemon juice. Make a green salad and you have a lovely dinner.

Chopped Salad of Fennel, Sweet Peppers and Carrots

Sweet, savory and crunchy and colorful. . . .adapt as you see fit.

1 large or 2 smaller bulbs fennel, trimmed
½ cup (or more) fennel fronds, roughly chopped
3-4 cups escarole (if you have some leftover) or any kind of lettuce or radicchio, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
2 sweet peppers, trimmed and very thinly sliced
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (if you per chance have some leftover from last week)
½ cup walnuts or hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

1 ½ tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of sugar or drizzle of honey
Salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper

Cut the fennel in matchsticks or very thin slices. Cut the carrots into matchsticks. Toss all the vegetables and toasted nuts in a large bowl. Add dressing ingredients and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Calabrian-style Fried Peppers and Potatoes

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.

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 and/or red 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.

Weeknight Veggie Curry (with Red Lentils and Coconut Milk)

This is at the top of my list for fairly quick, delicious and satisfying meals that use up most any vegetable you have on hand. You can use most any combination of vegetables from your share this week.

This recipe makes plenty so you can freeze half for dinner the following week or eat for lunches or just leftovers. You can make it more or less soupy so adjust amount of broth according to your taste.

If you have time briefly toast whole coriander and cumin seeds in a dry skillet, let cool and grind in a mortar and pestle. It only takes a couple of minutes and the results are worth it.

Oil
1 onion, diced (can add a leek here too if you’d like)
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (or half a teaspoon whole seeds–see headnote)
1 teaspoon ground coriander (or half a teaspoon whole seeds–see headnote)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 fresh jalapeno or Serrano pepper, minced
3 potatoes, scrubbed and diced
2 carrots, scrubbed and diced
1-2 sweet peppers, sliced or diced
1-2 zucchini (if you have some leftover), diced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped or sliced
½ – 1 bunch chard, washed and leaves chopped (you can add the stems, diced, to the onion at the beginning)
1 1/2 cups red lentils
6 cups water or veggie bouillon broth or vegetable stock or water (or a little less if you want it quite thick)
Salt, to taste (you need quite a bit to bring all the flavors out)
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup or more mint and/or cilantro
Lime or lemon  juice (optional)
White or brown rice or naan for serving (optional)

In a large soup pot heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and onions (and leeks, if using) and cook for about 5 minutes, turning the heat down to medium if the onion begins to color. Add the cumin and coriander and hot pepper and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often and be careful not to burn. Add a few tablespoons of the thickest part of the coconut milk and stir in well. Simmer for another minute or two and then add the potatoes, carrots, sweet peppers, zucchini (if using) and garlic. Cook for a 5 minutes.  Now add the lentils, broth, remainder of coconut milk, chard and a teaspoon or so of salt, depending on how salty your broth is. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.  Add the herbs and cook for another minute. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve hot over rice with a good squeeze of lime juice.

Kohlrabi Notes

Kohlrabi is a sweet, crunchy and versatile vegetable. It keeps very well (for weeks!) and is as good cooked as it is raw. It is also known as a German turnip and I can vouch for its ubiquity in Germany. I grew up enjoying it frequently in one of two preparations–braised and then finished with sour cream, dill and a splash of vinegar or just sautéed in olive oil. I have greatly diversified my repertoire now and love it just as much in slaws and other raw preparations.

Kohlrabi always needs peeling as the skin can be tough and fibrous. The flavor of the root is quite sweet with only a mild cabbage-y flavor.

One-line recipe from Chef Jenn Louis of Lincoln Restaurant and Sunshine Tavern: Slowly cook slivered garlic in butter. Add thinly sliced kohlrabi, lemon juice and salt. Finish with chopped parsley.

Kohlrabi and Fennel Salad
–inspired by Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

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 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
1/2 bunch dill, roughly chopped
½ cup chopped fennel fronds
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.

Potato Leek Soup

This is such a classic soup, and for good reason. It’s delicate yet complex and just lovely. I like it with croutons and drizzle of olive oil and a bit of chopped parsley. It’s also good with toasted bread with fresh goat cheese.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped (or 1-2 extra leeks)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, split lengthwise, washed, and thinly sliced
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
2 fresh sage leaves (optional), finely chopped
4 cups homemade veggie bouillon broth, chicken stock, or water
3 cups whole milk

Optional Toppings

Minced fresh parsley, sage, tarragon or a combination
Chopped fresh chives
Grated Parmesan or Gruyere
Croutons
Toasted Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds

Melt the butter in a large pot over low to medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, salt and pepper, cover cook and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft but not colored. Add the remaining ingredients, along with a little more salt unless your broth or bouillon is very salty, increase the heat, and bring to a boil. As soon as the soup bubbles, turn the heat to low, mostly cover the pot, and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, or until all the vegetables are mashably soft. Taste the soup and season generously with salt and pepper. You can serve the soup chunky or use an immersion blender to blend or transfer to a blender. The soup is good hot, at room temperature and even cold though I prefer hot. Garnish as you’d like.

It’s finally Ratatouille week. I look forward to this all year. Sweet peppers, the tail end of the summer squash, eggplants, onions and tomatoes. You’ll need a little garlic and handful of basil if you have it. It’s fun to have beets back and turnips and the beets and escarole make for a lovely, robust salad—a harbinger of shares to come. Happy Cooking!

Tomato Bread (Pa ambTomaquet)
Moussaka
Ratatouille
Beet Notes
Beet and Escarole Salad with Blue Cheese
Wilted Escarole
Choka—Roasted Eggplant and Tomato (from Trinidad)
Baked Eggplant Rounds with Tomato and Mozzarella
Turnip, Sweet Pepper and Chickpea Salad
Turnip Notes

Tomato Bread (Pa ambTomaquet)

The Spanish (and Basque) and Italian and probably many other cultures have versions of this. I have been eating it for breakfast though I realize that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s a wonderful snack or appetizer or a part of an informal dinner as well.

However many slices good, crusty bread to want to use
However many tomatoes you want to use – you need about half a medium tomato for one large slice of good, crusty bread.
Whole clove(s) of peeled garlic
Good sea salt
The best olive oil you have

Toast or grill the bread. Rub with garlic (little or lot or not at all, in fact). Cut the tomatoes in half on the equator and then rub the cut side of the tomato onto the toasted bread pressing as much juice and flesh into the bread as you can. You’ll be left holding the skin and a little pulp. Salt generously and drizzle with oil. The bread may fall part a bit and will get quite soggy—just as it should! Eat immediately, then make another!

Ratatouille

In my cook-with-what-you-have version or ratatouille, quantities are easily adapted and the ratios are not critical so scale up or down as needed. It is important to cook some of the vegetables separately so that you don’t crowd the pans and steam them rather than sautéing them. You want the browning and sweetness that comes with direct contact with the hot skillet.

This was a particularly squash heavy ratatouille, early in the season. Yours will look at little more red and purple and not so green! And it ideally is a bit softer than this photo conveys. You really want the vegetables to break down a bit.

It is a rich, stew-like dish in which the vegetables all break down a bit. It is not beautiful but it is good! Serve with some good crusty bread, another salad, fish or a frittata or some such. It’s even better the next day and delicious at room temperature as well.

Serves 4-6

4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 large eggplant, diced (no need to peel)
1 onion, cut into large dice
2-3 medium summer squash, sliced or diced
2 sweet peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
Olive oil
Handful of torn basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt
Good olive oil for serving

Heat some olive oil in two large skillets over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers to one pan and the zucchini to the other. Sprinkle all with a bit of salt. Cook both on high heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently and then turn down to medium high and continue sautéing until softened and browning just a bit. When the zucchini is just about tender remove it from the pan and reserve. Add a bit more oil and add the eggplant and a bit more salt. You can keep the peppers and onions sautéing on medium while the eggplant cooks. When the eggplant is tender and browning, add half of it to the pepper and onion pan and divide the zucchini between the pans–or if you have space put it all in one pan now. Now add the tomato to both (or just the one pan) and bring to a lively simmer and cook for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors and soften the tomatoes. Add the garlic and basil and cook for 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm (but not hot) or at room temperature with a drizzle of good olive oil.

Moussaka

This recipe was handed down from a long passed family friend who used to make it in Greece with her Greek friends. My mother who made this when I was growing up, sometimes dipped the slices of eggplant in beaten egg before frying and sometimes didn’t. Both versions are delicious, the egg version a little heartier and crisper.

Serves 4-5

2 globe eggplants (medium to large is best), sliced into1/2-inch rounds or slices lengthwise
2 eggs, beaten (optional) and seasoned with a bit of salt
Oil for pan frying eggplant
Generous ½ cup pureed tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (can omit if you don’t have on hand)
1 batch béchamel (recipe below)
½ lb ground lamb or beef or a combination
½ an onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoon dried and crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.

If you’re using the egg, dip the eggplant slices in the beaten egg and shake off any excess. Fry the eggplant slices in a hot skillet in a tablespoon or two of olive oil until golden on both sides and tender. Set aside.

In another skillet (or the same one you used for the eggplant) sauté the ground meat for a few minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the tomato paste (if using), pureed tomatoes and herbs and cook for 20 minutes or so until reduced a bit. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the béchamel, below.

Cover the bottom of a 8 x 13” baking dish with eggplant slices and then layer meat and eggplant with last layer being eggplant. Pour the bechamel sauce over the eggplant and meat mixture and cover with grated Parmesan and bake until golden brown and bubbling—about 30 minutes.

For Bechamel

4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
Generous 2 cups of whole milk (2% can work in a pinch)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bay leaf (optional)
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
A little grated nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
Pinch of ground cloves

Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over med/low heat. When melted, whisk in flour. Continue cooking the roux for 2 -3 min, whisking frequently. Meanwhile heat milk until it’s scalding. Whisk hot milk into roux and add several pinches of salt, grind in some pepper, add chili flakes (or omit if you’d like), add mustard and a bay leaf and a grating or two of nutmeg. Stir well and cook over med/low heat for about 10 minutes until thickened and bubbling.

Eggplant Tomato Stacks
–adapted from Martha Stewart Living

12 eggplant rounds (each 1/4 inch thick and at least 3 inches in diameter; about 2 medium eggplants)
Sea salt
olive oil
3 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
4-5 tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh oregano
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and torn into small pieces
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus shavings for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Season eggplant with salt. Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, so as to not crowd the skillet, fry eggplant rounds, turning once, until soft and pale golden, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Add a bit of oil as needed.

Heat another 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook for just a few seconds. Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes break down and are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in oregano and basil.

Place 6 slices of eggplant on a sheetpan. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon sauce and a few pieces of mozzarella, and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons Parmesan. Repeat layering twice.

Bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with oregano and Parmesan shavings.

Beet Notes

When I get a bunch of beets I roast or boil them all at once. Then I have the perfect treat at the ready to add to salads, sandwiches, make it into spread, etc. If you’re going to bake them, scrub and trim but don’t peel them an put them in an oven proof dish with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover with foil and place in a 374-400 degree oven. If my beets are big I halve them before baking to cut down on cooking time. Start checking after 35-40 minutes. They may take a bit longer still.

To boil, scrub and trim and put in a saucepan covered with cold water. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer and cook, covered for about 20-35 minutes.

Peel when cool enough to handle. Cooked/roasted beets keep in the fridge for about 5-6 days.

Beet and Escarole Salad with Blue Cheese

Pears or apples would be wonderful in this salad too. The sweetness is a nice balance to the assertiveness of the greens.

1 head escarole (or other type–see headnote), well washed and trimmed of any tough, outer leaves, and roughly torn
2-3 boiled or roasted beets, peeled and diced
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 and gently toss again. Finally add the beets and toss gently. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Wilted Escarole

–adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Escarole, crunchy and slightly bitter (in a pleasing way when dressed or cooked) can be cooked or grilled since it’s more substantial than other lettuces.

This is a very simple technique that just begs for a fried or poached egg or maybe some fish or a lovely bowl of beans and good olive oil as an accompaniment.

Wash and trim the escarole. Cut the leaves into wide strips. Saute in olive oil, covered, until wilted and bright green, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add a splash of vinegar, and serve.

Choka—Roasted Eggplant and Tomato (from Trinidad)
–adapted from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey

This dish can be considered a side dish or a salsa and is excellent along grain or bean dishes or with pita bread.

1 medium-large eggplant (about 1 lb)
3 medium tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced (divided)
½ a small-medium onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon (or to taste) sea salt
Plenty of freshly ground pepper
1 small jalapeno (maybe you  have on leftover from last week), minced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Spread the tomatoes and eggplant (all whole) on a sheet pan (baking sheet with sides) and roast for 25 minutes. At this point remove the tomatoes and set aside to cool in a bowl. Keep baking the eggplant for another 20-30 minutes until, turning it often, until is has collapsed and is quite soft.

Discard any liquid that has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl the tomatoes were cooling in. Peel the tomatoes and remove cores if they are prominent and roughly chop.

Once the eggplant is soft, peel it and chop coarsely as well and mix with the tomatoes. Add the garlic, onion, salt, pepper and hot pepper and mix well.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet and then add the cumin seeds and cook for a few seconds. They will begin popping. Add the garlic and cook another few seconds. Remove from the heat and add the oil, garlic and cumin seeds to the choka and stir well. Enjoy warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Turnip Notes

The sweet crunchy Hakurei turnips are wonderful as a snack. pack wedges or slices of them in kids or grown up lunches. Spread rounds of raw turnips with a pesto made of their greens, basil and other typical pesto ingredients. Include the diced turnips in stir-fries, fried rice, salads (see below), etc. Use the greens in soups, stir fries, simply sautéed, combined with the turnips themselves, also sautéed and finished with a splash of sherry or red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar. Stir the wilted greens into scrambled eggs. . ..

Turnip, Sweet Pepper and Chickpea Salad

This flash-pickling side/salsa comes together in minutes. So far I’ve mostly eaten it straight with a spoon, but I image it would be nice tossed with still-warm, lightly dressed new potatoes. Or maybe white fish, chicken or shrimp. Or perhaps to lend balance to pulled pork, or another rich, stewed meat. (Note: I ate this, a day old, tossed with some Israeli couscous, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a touch of leftover avocado and it was fantastic.)

Juice of 1/2 a small lime
1 ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon chili oil (or peanut oil and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
1 tablespoon peanut oil (or another oil you have)
2 tablespoons diced red onion
3 turnips, scrubbed and cut into matchsticks or small dice
1-2 sweet peppers, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
3/4 cup cooked (or canned and rinsed) chickpeas
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Add the lime juice and the rice vinegar to a small bowl, giving them a quick whisk to combine. Add the honey, and then the oil. Whisk briskly until the oil and the vinegar come together. Add the onion to the dressing right away to give it a chance to mellow a bit.

In a bowl, toss together the dressing, the onion, peppers, turnips and the chickpeas. Give it a taste. It will likely need more salt. You can eat this right away, while all the vegetables are still crisp, or you can let it sit for a bit and they will soften the flavors will meld a bit more which is also lovely.

Lots of recipes this week for this late summer bounty. It’s going to be another hot week. And if you have children who like to help in the kitchen there are plenty of hands-on activites, from making kabobs to topping pizza and chopping or grating vegetables. Happy Cooking!

Corn and Summer Squash Fritters
Chickpea, Tomato, Egg and Wheat Berry Salad
Onion, Squash and Beef Kabobs (with Jalapeno Yogurt Sauce)
Pizza with Tomatoes and Red Onion
Green Salad with Corn and Cumin Lime Dressing
Fresh Salsa (Pico de Gallo)
Bean and Salsa Salad
Cilantro Jalapeno Yogurt Sauce
Carrot and Harissa Salad
Tacos/Quesadillas with Corn and Squash

Corn and Summer Squash Fritters

This is quite similar to the plain summer squash pancake but the addition of corn, cumin and some herbs gives it a different and slightly heftier character.

2 medium zucchini or any summer squash
2 ears of corn
3 tablespoons finely diced onions
2 eggs
1/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup flour
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.

Serve with a simple fresh salsa or tomato sauce or some Greek yogurt or just plain.

Chickpea, Tomato, Egg and Wheat Berry Salad

This is a meal-in-one and can be adapted and scaled as you see fit. Use barley or frikeh or any other grain you have.

2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked wheat berries or barley or frikeh
2 hardboiled eggs, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons basil or parsley or a combination, chopped
A bit of onion diced or sliced
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons good olive oil

Combine the mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl. In a large bowl gently toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Onion, Squash and Beef Kabobs (with Jalapeno Yogurt Sauce)

This is a simple a lovely combination. If you don’t have a grill you can also broil these, with our without skewering the veggies, turning often to ensure somewhat even cooking.

The below jalapeno yogurt cilantro sauce is a lovely accompaniment to the sweet, smoky vegetables.

1-2 Red Cabernet onions, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2 inch squares/chunks, more or less
2 summer squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
Cubed beef (however much you want- ½ lb is probably about right for 4 people)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Finely chopped parsley and oregano or other herbs of your choice
Juice of one lime

In a small bowl mix the olive oil with the herbs, lime juice and plenty of salt and pepper. Taste the marinade. It should be bright and salty.

Toss the vegetables and meat in the marinade and let sit for 15 minutes, if you can. Thread the vegetables onto skewers and grill, turning occasionally, until beginning to char and the vegetables are tender but not soft.

Serve with jalapeno yogurt cilantro sauce and good, crusty bread or a bean or grain salad.

Pizza with Tomatoes and Red Onion

You can either make a super quick sauce with your tomatoes or just slice them and use them raw on this pizza. I generally like sauce but I occasionally like the combination of fresh tomatoes, red onion rings, a little oregano or basil and feta or mozzarella for a pizza too.

If you have read made pizza dough (Grand Central, Hot Lips, New Seasons, Pastaworks, etc. ) this takes no time to make. You could add thinly slice rounds of summer squash as well.

1 ball pizza dough (14oz more or less)
2 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly into rounds on the equator
½ an onion, thinly sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon chopped basil or combination of basil and oregano
Olive oil
Salt
Cheese of choice (feta, mozzarella, Parmesan. . . )

Baking on a baking sheet:

Stretch out your pizza dough into a large round. If you don’t have a pizza stone on which you can bake the pizza directly, place the dough on a large cookie sheet, arrange the tomatoes evenly, top with onions, generous drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt, herbs and cheese and bake at 425 degrees until browning in spots and cooked through.

Baking directly on a pizza stone:

If you have a stone preheat your oven to 500 (probably the highest your oven will go) with your pizza stone in it. Let it heat up for 20-30 minutes if you have the time.  Remove the top wrack in the oven to give yourself more room to maneuver later. 

And if you don’t have a pizza peel (the long-handled wooden tool with which you slide the pizza onto the hot stone) then flour the back (or front if it’s flat with no rims) cookie sheet and spread your stretched out pizza dough on the floured sheet.

You can dust the back of the cookie sheet with a mix of cornmeal and flour which will help the pizza slide off onto the stone. Then top it evenly with tomatoes, onions, generous drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of salt cheese and herbs. Now with your oven and stone hot, and pizza on a well-floured cookie sheet, open the oven.  Place the far end of the cookie sheet towards the back of the pizza stone at a 25 degree angle (or thereabouts) and then with a quick jerk of the wrist pull the cookie sheet back and let the pizza slide onto the hot stone in the oven. It should come off very easily at this point. And be very sure not to have any topping pieces or even drips of oil or sauce come between the baking sheet and the bottom of the pizza. The slightest bit of this will make the pizza stick.

Bake until the edges are dark brown and the topping is bubbling and add the basil just before it’s done.

Pizza Dough

–adapted from Jim Lahey

Pizza dough freezes beautifully. So if you’re only going to use half of it or want to make a double batch and save some for future use, just lightly oil a 1 qt freezer bag and put ½ a recipe worth of pizza dough in. Thaw it thoroughly and bring it to room temperature before using. Then handle exactly the same as fresh dough.

In Jim Lahey’s original recipe he has you bake the pizzas on a sheet pan. I do that sometimes, especially for his potato pizza because there’s so much topping, but usually I bake them right on a pizza stone which makes them wonderfully crisp. If you’re using a pizza stone you don’t need any oil and just place the stretched out piece of dough onto a well-floured pizza peel (or the back of a cookie shit if you don’t have a peel) and after you’ve added the toppings you slide it right onto the hot stone.

I have tried this recipe with half whole wheat flour and half white. It turns out fine but is a bit of a different animal—not as crisp a bit nuttier and chewier—as you might expect.

500 grams bread flour (3 3/4 cups)
2 1/2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (10 grams)
3/4 teaspoons table salt (5 grams)
3/4 teaspoon sugar, plus a pinch (about 3 grams)
1 1/3 – 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
extra-virgin olive oil for pans

In a medium bowl, stir together the bread flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until blended, at least 30 seconds. The dough should be able to contain all of the flour, if it seems dry or if there is excess flour at the bottom of the bowl, add water a tablespoon at a time.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 2-3 hours.

Punch down the dough and cut in half to make two balls.

Green Salad with Corn and Cumin Lime Dressing

6 cups lettuce, washed, dried and torn or chopped
1 medium tomato, diced or ½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons thinly sliced or diced onion
1-2 sweet red peppers, seeded, quartered or halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (optional)
Kernels from one two ears corn (briefly cooked)
½ cup roughly chopped fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil, dill, mint or chives (in any combination)
1/3 cup toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Sea Salt

Put all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Mix the dressing in a small bowl and pour over salad or just add dressing ingredients to the vegetables. Toss, taste and adjust seasoning with more lime juice, oil or salt or pepper. Serve immediately.

Fresh Salsa (Pico de Gallo)

You have all the ingredients for the sweetest, freshest and most savory salsa in your share this week.

1 – 11/2 lbs tomatoes (4 medium more or less), washed, cored and finely chopped or diced
½ – 1 jalapeno, 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
1 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

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.

Bean and Salsa Salad

This is so delicious, hearty and fresh. I could eat it daily. You could add shredded cooked chicken to this for more heft too.

3 cups cooked and cooled black beans (or pinto or cranberry or pretty much any kind of bean)
1 ½ cups (or more) of the fresh salsa above
More chopped cilantro
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime
½ cup of crumbled feta (optional)

Mix everything well and taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or lime juice/zest. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Cilantro Jalapeno Yogurt Sauce

I’ve given you this idea before but minus the jalapeno. Adding some of the pepper gives it even more depth and of course heat.

Toss ½ a bunch or so of cilantro into a food processor (or chopping finally) with a 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt (or plain, whole milk yogurt), a minced jalapeno (with or without seeds and membranes depending on how much heat you like) some minced garlic, some lemon zest, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. This is delicious on any grains or fish or with steamed or roasted veggies. It would be delicious over roasted or boiled potatoes. You could put it in fish tacos or pita sandwiches, etc.

Carrot and Harissa Salad

–adapted from smittenkitchen.com

This salad is addictive. And if you don’t have harissa in your pantry it will likely be a worthwhile addition. It’s a wonderful addition to dressing and rubs and soups, etc. You can also use cilantro instead of the mint and parsley below or any combination of the three.

4-5 medium carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and grated on the large holes of a box grater
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds or about half as much, ground (I used seeds but ground them first)
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds or about half as much, ground (I used the seed but ground them first, again)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
¾ – 1 teaspoon harissa (for a solid kick of heat; adjust yours to taste, and to the heat level of your harissa)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
2 ounces feta, crumbled 

In a small sauté pan, cook the garlic, caraway, cumin, paprika, harissa and sugar in the oil until fragrant, about one to two minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Pour over the carrots and mix. Add the herbs and mix. Leave to infuse for an hour and add the feta before eating.

Tacos/Quesadillas with Corn and Squash

I made this on the fly for dinner last week and it was devoured. Alas it was devoured so quickly that I forgot to take pictures. Hardly a recipe but a good idea for this time of year. . .scale up or down as you see fit, and adapt away with herbs and/or spices.

Oil
¼ onion, cut into small dice
Kernels from 2-3 ears corn
1 medium summer squash, cut into small dice
1 clove garlic, minced
½ jalapeno, minced (seeds and all) or more
Salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro
Corn tortillas (or whatever you have)
Grated cheese or sour cream or Greek yogurt
Salsa/hot sauce (optional)

Saute onion, jalapeno and squash in a bit of oil for about 5 minutes until softening. Add corn and garlic and good for another 5 minutes. Add a little water or oil if too dry. Salt and pepper to taste

Now you have several options. You can warm up your tortillas and then spread with a little sour cream or Greek yogurt and top with the corn sauté and then top with a little grated cheese and cilantro, or you can omit the cream/yogurt and make quesadillas, filled with the corn mixture.

Either way dress up with salsa and cilantro or enjoy as is.

I’ll begin the week’s note but talking about last week’s celery. I still have plenty and luckily it keeps well so I’ve included a few recipes that I turned to thanks to the celery, including poaching a whole chicken. It served me well all last week. Plenty of other quick and easy things to do with the tomatoes and eggplant and a corn chowder recipe that uses this week’s green peppers as well. Happy cooking!

Poaching a Chicken (for Chicken Salad with lots of Celery, etc.)
Eggplant and Summer Squash Green Curry
Corn, Cucumber Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Corn Chowder with Leeks and Green Pepper
Simplest Tomato Sauce and its Many Uses
Pasta with Eggplant and Tomato
Fennel and Onion Soffrito

Poaching a Whole Chicken

When you poach a chicken, you’re doing two things: You’re making a delicious poached chicken, and you’re making a savory chicken broth that you can use in many ways.

The reason I’m including this recipe in the packet this week is that I was inspired to poach a chicken last week because of all the celery. You use it to poach and in many of the recipes you might make to use the cooked chicken—chicken salad, chicken noodle soup, etc.

• Rinse the chicken and giblets/neck (if there were any) under cold running water and shake off any water.
• Put the chicken in a large pot with ½ an onion, chopped up a bit, 2 carrots, quartered, 3-4 stalks celery and any attached celery leaves, chopped up a bit.
• Add 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns; a clove of garlic (peeled and crushed); 2-3 bay leaves and a sprig or two of thyme and parsley if you have them.
• Cover the chicken with water, add 2 teaspoons sea or Kosher salt and bring to a boil. Then lower to a simmer, cover and cook for about an hour and 10 minutes.
• If you’re making soup, after about an hour, you can add some diced potatoes, turnips, peeled and diced, etc.
• After the full hour and 10 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the chicken and transfer it to pan or a rimmed baking sheet to cool for about twenty minutes. Check to see if the chicken is fully cooked and the meat comes off of the bones easily and the juices run clear. Strain and use broth immediately for soup or strain into quart or pint jars and refrigerate or freeze for future use. Use it for soup, risotto, sauces, etc.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle pull off all the meat. The juicy poached chicken meat is wonderful in chicken noodle soup, chicken salad, enchiladas, moles, curries (like the one below) tacos, chicken pot pie, pasta dishes, etc.
• Alternately, you could let the poached chicken cool for about five minutes and then just pull it apart into the main eight pieces (two each of breast, thigh, drumstick and wing) and serve with the broth and vegetables.

Green Curry with Eggplant and Summer Squash

I have made variations of this Thai-inspired curry for 15 years. It is not an authentic green curry but a tasty, quick adaptation. You can easily add chicken (if you poached a chicken—see above—this is a great place for some of the meat) or tofu to it for an even heartier dish though it’s wonderfully rich and satisfying without as well.

The curry is even better if you have kaffir lime leaves–Whole Foods and New Seasons and many Asian grocery stores typically have them. They freeze perfectly so if you see some but plenty and freeze for future curries. But don’t worry if you don’t have any.

This version has green beans rather than summer squash in it but is otherwise identical.

Serves 4 (generously)

About 2 cups summer squash, cut into half-rounds or ½-inch dice
1 medium Japanese eggplant or smallish globe eggplant, halved and sliced into half rounds or diced
3-4 kaffir lime leaves (optional–see headnote)
1 – 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 heaping teaspoon (or to taste) green curry paste (Thai & True is a great local Oregon brand)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2-3 teaspoons fish sauce (can omit to make it vegetarian/vegan)
1 can coconut milk (full fat preferably but light will work too)
3 tablespoons basil, packed and roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Juice of half a lemon or lime (optional but excellent especially if you don’t have kaffir lime leaves)

White or brown cooked Jasmine or other long grain rice

Heat wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup of coconut milk (use the thickest, part usually at the top of the can) and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic and ginger and fry it for about 3-4 minutes until it’s fragrant. Then add the remainder of the coconut milk plus ½ can’s worth of water, lime leaves, if using, soy sauce and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and add the eggplant and squash and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the basil and cook for another minute or two. Adjust seasoning with a bit of salt or more soy sauce and/or fish sauce or salt if needed and finish with a generous squeeze of lime or lemon juice, if using. Serve hot over rice.

Corn, Cucumber Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

This is a cook-with-what-you-have salad—add leftover diced celery if you have it or whatever else you want/need to use up. You can add 2 cups of thinly sliced lettuce to lighten up this salad if you’d like but it’d good as a denser salad too. The dressing will be more than you need for this salad but it’s a great on boiled potatoes or other vegetables or salads.

Serves 4-5

Corn kernels from 3-4 ears of cooked corn, cut off with a sharp knife
2 cups cucumber, well-scrubbed but no need to peel, cut into small dice (deseed them if you are going to need to let the salad sit for a while–it will get watery if it sits and you leave the seeds in)
1/3-½ cup of diced sweet or torpedo onion
½ cup diced or thinly sliced fennel
A little diced green pepper (optional)
2 cups, thinly sliced lettuce (optional –see headnote)
Couple of tablespoons chopped fennel fronds

Dressing:

1/4 cup buttermilk (or heavy cream or just use a bit more yogurt but you’ll need to thin it with more oil or a little water if you just use yogurt as it will be pretty thick)
1/2 cup Greek or plain whole milk yogurt
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar or lemon juice (or more to taste)
1 small clove garlic, minced and mashed with a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons good-tasting olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons chopped parsley or 1½ tablespoons chopped dill or parsley (optional)

Mix the dressing in a small bowl until emulsified. Toss the vegetables with the dressing and serve with wedges of hardboiled eggs and some boiled new potatoes for a light supper.

Corn Chowder with Leeks and Green Pepper

I love corn chowder, with or without bacon. This week’s green peppers will make for a beautiful and delicious chowder.

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, finely diced
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
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices bacon, diced (optional) or 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or dried thyme (optional but very good)
1 large or 2 small green peppers, seeds and membranes removed and diced
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
3 cups whole milk (or part milk, part cream)
3 cups homemade veggie bouillon broth (if you have it) or stock or broth of your choice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A little chopped parsley or basil (optional) for serving
Drizzle of good olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and leeks 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. Serve with chopped parsley (if you have it) and a good drizzle of olive oil.

Simplest Tomato Sauce and its Many Uses

Tomatoes, olive oil, salt. That’s it. When the tomatoes are good it’s honestly all you need. And I make sauce with slicer and heirloom tomatoes all the time. It takes longer to cook down because they’re so juicy but with a little patience and high heat it’s perfect. You can of course add a diced onion or a clove or two of garlic and it will be wonderful but it’s also good just as is. And you can blanch the tomatoes—toss the whole tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds, remove peel and proceed—or skip that step.

I made this the other day, in about 15 minutes and I topped pizza dough with it and some mozzarella and basil and had the perfect dinner. 

Dice as many tomatoes as you want to use. Add them to a wide skillet to which you’ve added a generous splash of olive oil. Cook at a lively simmer until it’s thickened to your liking. Salt to taste. If the sauce seems too acidic or not quite perfect add a tablespoon or two of butter. Butter is THE perfecter of tomato sauce. 

More suggestions for use:

• Fill crepes with a few tablespoons, some grated cheese and fresh basil; roll up and bake, topped with a bit more sauce, until hot.
• Layer the sauce with thick, eggy herb crepes (add 4-5 tablespoons of chopped parsley, chives and/or basil to the crepe batter of 4 eggs, 1 3/4 cups milk and scant 1 cup of flour, salt and pepper) and grated Parmesan or other cheese. Layer the crepes and sauce in a cake pan or other round or oval dish and bake until heated through and the cheese is melted and browning on top. This is a perfectly sublime dish and beautiful cut into wedges.
• Make eggplant parmesan by layering pan-fried or broiled slices of eggplant with the sauce and grated parmesan and baking until bubbly and browning.

Pasta with Eggplant and Tomato

This is a quick, hearty pasta dish.

Olive oil
1 medium globe eggplant or several smaller ones, cut into ½ -inch dice (no need to peel, salt or soak)
2-3 medium tomatoes, diced (depending how saucy/tomato-y you want it)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and roughly chopped (optional)
2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley (or basil or a combination)
½ cup grated Parmesan or other hard cheese
3/4 lb fusilli, penne or other stout pasta
1/3 cup pasta cooking water, reserved before draining

Sauté the eggplant in a heavy skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high, then medium-high heat stirring frequently. When the eggplant is soft, add the tomatoes, capers, if using, and the garlic and several generous pinches of salt. Cook on high heat until the tomatoes break down just a bit and some of their liquid evaporates so you have a nice thick, chunky sauce—about 10 minutes. Add the parsley and/or basil.

Meanwhile cook the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water until al dente. Right before you drain the pasta scoop out about ½ cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce, add the reserved cooking water to loosen it up a bit and serve immediately with the cheese.

Fennel and Onion Soffrito

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

Olive oil
1 ½ cups thinly sliced fennel (or more—you can use a lot of fennel in this dish, just add a bit more tomato)
1 ½ cups thinly sliced onion
1 cup diced tomatoes (or more if you’re using more fennel)
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. 

More hot weather and more, more or less quick dishes this week. The gazpacho should be a welcome, refreshing dish on these hot nights. I finally just made a batch of Veggie Bouillon with my leftover celery yesterday (and carrots and leeks from the share) so if you still have them lying around, take advantage. The poblano and corn pizza is delicious as is the slightly unusual German, braised cucumber dish I included last year as well and got rave reviews from some of you. And alas this week I’m really lacking in photos but I’ll try to add some throughout the week.

Happy Cooking!

Hot and Sour Eggplant
Gazpacho
Sautéed Celery with Tomatoes and Parsley
Homemade Veggie Bouillon
Quick Veggie “Bolognese” Sauce
Schmorgurken (German Braised Cucumbers)
Poblano Notes
Corn, Poblano and Feta Pizza

Hot and Sour Eggplant

This is quick and delicious. Serve this over rice and if you have time make the baked brown rice below. It’s converted the most ardent brown-rice haters.

2 large eggplant or several smaller ones, cubed (skin on)
1 medium Torpedo onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper (optional), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or fresh, minced jalapeno or other hot pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
3-4 tablespoons olive or sunflower or other oil

Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes (or minced hot pepper), and cornstarch in a small bowel.

In a large skillet or work heat the oil and sauté onions and pepper (if using) over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes until they soften. Add eggplant and cook until softens and browns a bit, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sauce and sir well to mix and coat veggies. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until sauce thickens and veggies are tender.

Serve hot over rice.

Baked Brown Rice
–from Alton Brown

I often make a double batch and freeze the other half.

1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sea salt
Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.

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. I’ve written it to include a poblano pepper here for a twist on the classic (and a little ground cumin) to take advantage of what you have this week.

Serves 4

1.5 – 2 lbs ripe, juicy tomatoes (about 4 medium)
1 small-to medium cucumber, peeled
1 poblano pepper, broiled until the skin is blistered and black and peeled and deseeded
About 2 tablespoons chopped Torpedo onion (optional)
1-2 slices good, day old crusty bread (crusts removed) (if you want a thinner soup use the smaller quantity)
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
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.

Sautéed Celery with Tomatoes and Parsley
–adapted from Cooking From an Italian Garden by Paola Scaravelli & Jon Cohen

This is a fun side dish–the combination of the cooked celery and the parsley both stewed and fresh at the end is delicious. It’s good with a frittata or even over pasta or quinoa or some such. You can easily halve this dish too and save some of the celery for the pasta sauce, etc.

1 medium bunch celery, trimmed and cut into 1-2-inch pieces (reserve leaves for soups, salads, etc.) (I wrote this recipe before I saw the size of the celery bunches so I would use about 8 stalks or so)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 ½ cups diced tomatoes
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, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and 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 the remaining parsley and scattering of grated Parmesan if you’d like.

Quick Veggie “Bolognese” Sauce

It really makes no sense to name a sauce in this way since Bolognese connotes ground pork and beef but somehow the classic sofritto that is the foundation of a good Bolognese is the star of the show here. And of course you can add the meat if you’d like and make it “real”. Assuming you have a couple of carrots leftover you can make this. . . .

Olive oil
2-3 medium carrots scrubbed and finely diced
1 Torpedo onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery and a handful of celery leaves, finely chopped
Sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup dry white or red wine (optional)
6 cups diced tomatoes (blanched and peeled if you’re feeling ambitious though it really is a cinch to dunk tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds and then peel them)

Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. When hot add the onion, carrot and celery and a few pinches salt. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring often. When things begin softening and browning turn the heat down a bit. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes are so until the vegetables are very soft and fragrant.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the wine and cook for a couple of minutes until evaporated. Add the tomatoes and a bit more salt. Stir well and then simmer for about 15 minutes until reduced and saucy. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with any kind of pasta, over rice or quinoa or other grains or polenta.

Homemade Veggie Bouillon

Repeat from last week. . . You may have some of the ingredients leftover from previous weeks that you need for making this workhorse (and more fresh celery this week), fresh veggie stock I always keep on hand (you can skip the celery root this time of year and use a bit more stalk celery, carrot etc. and you can also skip the dried tomato). If you made it and used it in the soup above you would need to buy more leeks so you can also just use water in the soup above and skip making the bouillon.

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)
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes
 (about 6 dried tomatoes)
3.5 ounces onion or shallots, peeled (2 small shallots or 1/2 a small-medium onion)
1 medium garlic clove
6 ounces sea salt or kosher salt (scant 1 cup)
1.5 ounces parsley, loosely chopped
 (about 1/3 of a bunch)
2 ounces cilantro, loosely chopped (about ½ bunch)

This recipe requires a food processor. As Heidi notes you can also just make this with what you have. Onions, celery, carrots and parsley are enough. Use the proportions that work for you. Use 1/3 cup salt for each 2 cups of finely processed veggies/herbs.

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 2 teaspoons of bouillon per 1 cup (250 ml), and adjust from there based on your personal preference.

Schmorgurken (German Braised Cucumbers)

There are many variations of this dish in Germany and I grew up with this simple, sweet and sour vegetarian one. Often ground beef or small meatballs are added to the mix and sometimes also tomato. I don’t know of any cooked cucumber dishes in the states but having grown up with this one it doesn’t seem odd to me and is well worth a try. The quantities are squishy for this recipe, confirmed by my mother when I called her about the recipe. Just scale up or down to taste and depending on what you have.

Olive oil
2 large or 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed with a teaspoon
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon white wine or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and lots of freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (you can substitute parsley but dill is best)
Cooked rice for serving.

Put your rice on to cook—we grew up eating this over long grain white rice but you could by all means use brown as well.

Cut the halved cucumbers into ½-inch half rounds. In a large, heavy skillet sauté the cucumber slices in a bit of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring frequently. They will release quite a bit of liquid, which is great. It will add to the sauce. When they are translucent and softening (about 10 minutes) add the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes more until the cucumbers are completely tender and the sauce has thickened a little. Add the dill, taste and adjust for salt and pepper and serve hot over rice.

Poblano Notes

Poblano peppers are central to Mexican cuisine. They are meaty, fragrant and very flavorful and greatly vary in their level of heat/spice with most of them being fairly mild. They are usually roasted (or broiled) and peeled and seeded before either stuffing or adding to salsas, soups, sauces, etc.  Chiles en nogada  and chile relleno are the two most famous Mexican dishes featuring poblano  peppers. Poblano peppers turn red and almost black when fully mature and when dried are called chili ancho. 

Corn, Poblano and Feta Pizza

This pizza was a last minute creation last year and became part of the repertoire. Grand Central Bakery’s whole wheat pizza dough is perfect here. 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 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.

See the post below for Recipes, and scroll down to the next post for the Share Photo, Share List and news from the farm.

If you don’t use your leeks in the parsley soup or the veggie bouillon below, or have some leftover, I would sauté them in a little butter with some diced carrot until soft, then add corn kernels cut off the ears and cook just a bit more. Season well with salt and pepper and some chopped parsley and serve as a side to anything or stir in some eggs for a lovely scramble with a bit of cheese.

I included a few recipes that call for celery in case you have some leftover from last week like I do.

Happy cooking!

Salad with Creamy Miso Dressing
Lentils, Eggplant, and Roasted Tomatoes with Feta
Watermelon, Cucumber, Feta and Black olive Salad
Grated Carrot Salad with Parsley and Jalapenos
Parsley Soup (with Leeks and Potato)
Homemade Veggie Bouillon
Simple Pumpkin Seed Sauce (with Fish or Chicken)

Salad with Creamy Miso Dressing

This dressing is delicious and mellow and appropriate for great variety of salads. I used it on a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, sweet onions, celery (from last week), cilantro and toasted sunflower seeds. This week I would use some fresh (raw) sweet corn, cucumbers, lettuce, parsley and tomatoes.

Serves 4

6 cups lettuce, washed, dried and torn or chopped
1 medium tomato, diced
2 tablespoons thinly sliced or diced onion
½ cup thinly sliced celery (if you have some leftover)
1 cup diced cucumber
Kernels from one ear of corn (raw or briefly cooked if you’d like)
½ cup roughly chopped parsley leaves
1/3 cup toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds

Dressing:
1 tablespoon yellow or red miso
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Mirin (rice cooking wine)
3 tablespoons Greek or regular, plain yogurt (full fat preferably)
1 tablespoon heavy cream or olive oil
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Sea Salt

Put all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Mix the dressing in a small bowl and pour about 2/3 of the dressing over the salad. Toss, taste and adjust seasoning or add more dressing. Serve immediately.

Lentils, Eggplant, and Roasted Tomatoes with Feta
–inspired by an old recipe of Ottolenghi’s in the Guardian

I made this on the fly last night with what I had–I didn’t yet have the eggplant from pick up so I skipped that part. I sautéed the vegetables instead of roasting them to save time and I mixed the feta with some Greek yogurt and lots of chopped cilantro and some lemon juice. It was a tasty, simply supper.

2 medium or 1 large eggplant (use whatever you get this week—you might as well roast them all if you have several)
Sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/3 cups small green or brown lentils
3 small carrots, scrubbed
2 sticks of celery
1 bay leaf
1 small onion
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Large handful chopped parsley
Feta

Put the eggplants on an sheet pan and place about 6-8 inches under the broiler (or on hot grill) for 35-45 minutes, turning them a few times, until the skin cracks and the flesh is cooked through  – they will likely burst open.

Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle scoop the flesh into a colander, removing the blackened skin. Leave to drain for at least 15 minutes, then season with salt and stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vinegar.

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a medium saucepan with one carrot and half a celery stick chopped into rough chunks. Add the bay and onion, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20to 25 minutes or until lentils are tender but still keep their shape. Drain, discard the carrot, celery, bay and onion, and transfer to a bowl. Add the rest of the vinegar and two tablespoons of oil and salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir and set aside.

Set your oven to 350. Cut the remaining carrot and celery into ½ inch dice and mix with the tomatoes, a tablespoon of oil, some salt and the sugar. Spread in an ovenproof dish and roast for 20 minutes.

Add the cooked vegetables to the lentils, then the chopped parsley, stir. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Spoon on to serving plates. Top with the eggplant and crumbled feta and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil.

Watermelon, Cucumber, Feta and Black olive Salad
–inspired by Racheleats.com

Serves 4 as a starter. If serving as a starter you might serve it alongside a plate of prosciutto.

1/3 cup thinly sliced Walla Walla Sweet (if you have some leftover from last week) or sliced, mild red onion
A handful of parsley, tough stems removed and leaves just chopped a little (you want nice leafy pieces)
A sprig of mint, roughly torn
A few black olives, pitted
1 lb juicy watermelon, peeled, deseeded and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 small cucumber, peeled if skin is tough/chewy, and diced
4 ounces feta, cut in medium cubes or crumbled
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Lemon or lime juice to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Pull the parsley leaves from the stalks, wash and dry them.

Put the watermelon, cucumber, feta, parsley, mint, onion and black olives into a shallow bowl or on a platter. Then spoon over the olive oil, add a good squeeze of lemon juice and a twist of black pepper. Then using your hands toss the salad very 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.

Grated Carrot Salad with Jalapenos and Parsley

I make a variety of carrot salads. They add bright and fresh flavors year-round. Carrot salads are the perfect foil for the cook-with-what-you-have approach. Cumin, coriander, chili flakes, jalapenos, lemon, lime (juice and zest), rice vinegar, parsley, mint, cilantro, tarragon, and basil are all wonderful complements to the carrots. Toasted nuts and seeds of many kinds are good too.

You can add cooked white beans to this salad for a more robust version. Make a little extra dressing and you have a great lunch or light supper.

With a simple frittata and a piece of good bread, this makes a lovely dinner.

Serves 4

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 generous pinches of sea salt
4-5 medium carrots, grated
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ jalapeno, seeded and minced (or more or less to taste)
feta, crumbled (optional)

Dressing:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, a generous amount, to taste
3 tablespoons good olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Toss the sunflower seeds with a teaspoon or two of oil and several pinches of salt and roast on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes, turning frequently, until they are crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.

Place the grated carrots, jalapeno and parsley in a serving bowl. To make the dressing whisk together the lemon juice, salt, pepper and oil. Pour the dressing over the carrots and mix well. Sprinkle with the seeds, mix again, and adjust seasoning and serve.

Parsley Soup
–slightly adapted from Racheleats.com

I loved discovering this idea and it’s a great soup for hot weather as it’s best at room temperature or cold.

Serves 2-4

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2-3 good-sized leeks, white and light green part, well washed and sliced
2-3 small-medium potatoes scrubbed well and chopped
1 large bunch parsley – leaves separated from stems and stems coarsely chopped.
½ cup dry white wine (optional)
4 cups water, vegetable broth (homemade veggie bouillon, see below) or chicken stock
Salt

Warm the oil and butter in a soup pot and then sweat the leeks and parsley stalks gently, uncovered for 20 minutes. Add the potato, stir and then the wine. Allow the wine to evaporate away and the add the water or stock, a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Simmer for another 20 minutes.

Coarsely chop the parsley leaves and add them to the pan and simmer for two minutes.

Blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor but don’t overprocess—some texture is good, and taste, adjust seasoning. Serve at room temperature or chilled with a dollop or Greek yogurt or some good olive oil and bread.

Homemade Veggie Bouillon

You have some of the ingredients this week you need for making this workhorse, fresh veggie stock I always keep on hand (you can skip the celery root this time of year and use a bit more stalk celery, carrot etc. and you can also skip the dried tomato).

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)
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes
 (about 6 dried tomatoes)
3.5 ounces onion or shallots, peeled (2 small shallots or 1/2 a small-medium onion_
1 medium garlic clove
6 ounces sea salt or kosher salt (scant 1 cup)
1.5 ounces parsley, loosely chopped
 (about 1/3 of a bunch)
2 ounces cilantro, loosely chopped (about ½ bunch)

This recipe requires a food processor. As Heidi notes you can also just make this with what you have. Onions, celery, carrots and parsley are enough. Use the proportions that work for you. Use 1/3 cup salt for each 2 cups of finely processed veggies/herbs.

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 2 teaspoons of bouillon per 1 cup (250 ml), and adjust from there based on your personal preference.

Simple Pumpkin Seed Jalapeno Sauce (with Fish or Chicken)
–from Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibanez

This is delicious and rich from the pumpkin seeds. It’s wonderful with fish, poached chicken or shrimp. Or use it to make enchiladas or toss it with boiled potatoes or roasted vegetables or over eggs. If using white fish fillets or shrimp you will add them to the sauce raw, if using chicken, have it poached or pre-cooked in some way and then add—see below.

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup chopped onion
2-3 jalapenos, chopped (de-seed if you want it less spicy)
1 small garlic clove
½ teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tsp fresh)
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon or more, sea salt
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided (could use veggie bouillon if you make it—recipe above)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges if you’re serving with fish

Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring and tossing often until they are puffed and slightly browned, about 6-8 minutes.

Put he pumpkin seeds in a blender along with the onion, chiles, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and 2 cups of stock and blend until the mixture is very smooth.

Heat the oil in a large pan (if you’re going to add meat/fish later) or a smaller pan, if not, over medium heat and carefully pour in the sauce. It will splatter and use a splatter screen if you have one to avoid a mess. Cook the sauce until thickened a bit, about 5 minutes. Add just enough stock to thin the sauce to a velvety consistency that thickly coats a wooden spoon. Simmer, partially covered, adding more stock to maintain the consistency for about 20 more minutes.

Return about 1 cup of the sauce (or all of it if the sauce has broken and looks curdled) to the blender, then add the cilantro and blend until smooth. Be very careful when blending hot liquids and do it in batches to avoid a hot mess. Now return the sauce to the pot and simmer for a few more minutes. Swish a little water around in the blender to get all the sauce loosened up and add it to the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you’re using cooked chicken add it to the sauce and cook on low until heated through. If you’re using fish or shrimp season it well with salt and add to the pan and cook gently until the fish is cooked through and serve with lime wedges and more cilantro.

See the post below for Recipes, and scroll down to the next post for the Share Photo, Share List and news from the farm.

Some hearty salads and complex flavors this week. It’s supposed to be a bit cooler so maybe you’ll want to spend a little more time cooking.

While putting together this’ week’s recipes I was thinking that really you can ignore all the below recipes and simple blanch the beans in well-salted water, grill the squash and fennel with nothing more than olive oil and salt, boil the potatoes and toss them with butter and parsley, add thick slices of sweet onion to any sandwich or burger and munch on the celery and cukes for snacks and it would all be perfectly delicious. . . or maybe do some of this super simple stuff and a recipe below. Happy cooking in any case!

Potato, Bean and Celery Salad with Mustardy Dressing
Summer Squash with Lentils, Parsley and Bacon
Zwiebelkuchen
Eggplant, Summer Squash, Potatoes and Fennel with Chermoula, Bulgur and Yogurt
Celery, Fennel and Sweet Onion Salad with Parsley and Capers

Potato, Beans and Celery Salad with Mustardy Dressing
–adapted from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson

Delicious, crunchy, and savory.

Serves 4

4 small to medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces
½ lb (or more) green/yellow beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons or so chopped celery leaves
6 stalks celery, trimmed and diced or thinly sliced
1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and cut into small dice
1/3 cup diced Walla Walla Sweet onion (or more if you’d like)

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Good olive oil (about 1/3 cup or a bit more)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped dill and/or parsley

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 12 minutes, or until just fork tender. 3 minutes before the potatoes are done, add the beans. Drain everything and set aside.

Make the dressing with the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, parsley and/or dill and sea salt and set aside.

In a salad bowl, gently toss the potatoes, green beans, celery, celery leaves, cucumber, sweet onions and dressing and let sit for 15 minutes if you have the time to let the flavors marry.

Summer Squash with Lentils, Parsley and Bacon

Lentils get overlooked a bit in the summer but I especially love salads with small green lentils in the summer. You can make them ahead of time and then have a robust, room temperature dish for whenever you need it. You want to cook the beans well for this recipe, getting them a bit browned in the pan.

1 cup small French green lentils or other small lentils that keep their shape when cooked

Serves 4

Splash of olive oil
1 medium Walla Walla Sweet, diced
4 cups summer squash, cut into quite small chunks –for zucchini I quarter them lengthwise and then cut them into 1/3-inch chunks
4 slices bacon, diced (optional)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or more red wine vinegar if you don’t have sherry vinegar)
2 small-ish garlic cloves, crushed and then minced
3 (or more) tablespoons good olive oil
Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
¼ cup chopped parsley

Cook the lentils until tender, about 15-20 minutes (this will vary depending on the kind of lentil you have). You want them to be tender but keep their shape so check frequently.

Drain them and immediately toss them with the vinegars, garlic and olive oil. Set aside.

In the largest skillet you have, heat a splash of olive oil over high heat and add the bacon and onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. You want the onion softened and bacon rendered but not crisp. Remove the onions and bacon from skillet and add to lentils. The onion may release a lot of liquid in which case cook it a bit longer to let it all cook off.

Add another splash of olive oil and the summer squash and a few generous pinches of salt. Cook the squash over high heat for about 7-8 minutes until browned and beginning to soften.

Add the warm squash to the lentils along with the chopped parsley and the additional olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or vinegar.

Zwiebelkuchen

I include this dish every summer—a lifelong favorite from my German upbringing that never fails to garner rave reviews. It is a bit more involved recipe in this packet but it’s wonderful for picnics or potlucks since it’s great at room temperature and keeps and travels well. And it makes a lot so you can have dinner, and a few lunches out of it.

This is a 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. And as noted above, you add jalapeno for an unorthodox but excellent twist.

Serves 10  (but it’s not really worth making a smaller amount-it keeps so well and is so good)

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 Walla Walls Sweets (can supplement with regular onions if you need), 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.

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 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.

Eggplant, Summer Squash, Potatoes and Fennel with Chermoula, Bulgur and Yogurt
–adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tammimi

I took some distinct liberties with this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks. You can also just roast the vegetables with the spice mix (chermoula) and enjoy those as a side and skip the bulgur salad and yogurt or just make the veggies and top with the yogurt, cilantro and mint. It is a fun take on plain roasted vegetables in any case. And I think it is best with eggplant (what the original recipes uses exclusively), though my six-year-old definitely preferred the potatoes. This dish takes a bit of time but makes a lot.

Serves 6 (also keeps well)

2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Grated zest of one lemon
2/3 cup olive oil, plus extra to finish
2 medium-large eggplants, cut into bite-sized pieces (no need to peel)
2 medium summer squash, halved and then cut into bite-sized pieces
4 new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup bulgur
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup golden raisins soaked for 10 minutes in warm water, then drained
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped, plus extra to finish
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 green onions, chopped or 3 tablespoons sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 -3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To make the chermoula, mix together in a small bowl the garlic, cumin, coriander, chili, paprika, salt, lemon zest and two-thirds of the olive oil.

In a large bowl toss all the cut vegetables with the chermoula until evenly coated with the spice mixture. Spread on a large sheet pan so that the vegetables are in one layer (or use two if you need to). Put in the oven and roast for 40 minutes, tossing occasionally, or until the vegetables  are tender and browning in places.

Meanwhile, place the bulgur in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water and cover with a plate.  After about 15 minutes the bulgur should be tender but still have a good bite. If it’s too hard still add more boiling water and steam for a bit longer and then drain out any extra water.

Chop the raisins up a bit and add to the bulgur, along with the remaining oil herbs, almonds, green onions/onions, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Stir together the yogurt with a bit of salt.

Serve the vegetables topped with the bulgur and then some yogurt and some more chopped cilantro.

Celery, Fennel and Sweet Onion Salad with Parsley and Capers

This is a simple, crunchy, cool salad that I imagine would be good alongside fish or anything grilled.

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced as thinly as you can
3 stalks celery, trimmed and tough strings removed and sliced thinly at a steep angle
½ cup Walla Walla Sweets, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and dried and chopped up a bit
Zest and juice of half a lemon (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Good olive oil
Crumbled Feta

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.

See the post below for Recipes, and scroll down to the next post for the Share Photo, Share List and news from the farm.

SIO CSA Recipes Week 10, 2014

Mostly salads again here for this hot week. The Green Curry is quite quick so won’t keep you at the stove for long. And I noticed quite a few recipes call for lime juice or zest so pick up a couple of limes if you can. Happy cooking and stay cool!

Caprese Salad
Nicoise-like Salad with Grilled Onions
Cucumber, Sesame and Peanut Salad
Green Curry with Eggplant and Basil
Cucumber Salad with Tropea Onions, Dill and Blue Cheese Dressing
Farcous (savory Chard Pancakes) with Dill

Beans and Dill

And a late addition idea for the beautiful dill:  I’ve been adding plenty of chopped fresh dill to bowls of black beans (cold), tomatoes, Tropea onions, and some good olive oil and I’m really enjoying the dill and beans combination. Give it a try!

Caprese Salad

You don’t really need a recipe for this classic. Just slice the tomatoes thickly on the equator and overlap with slices of fresh mozzarella and whole basil leaves and drizzle it all with the best olive oil you have and plenty of good sea salt. A little balsamic, sherry or red wine vinegar is good too but not a must. Good crusty bread is a bonus. And  few thin slices of Torpedo onion wouldn’t be authentic but would be awfully good.

Nicoise-like Salad with Grilled Onions

I take the idea of Salade Nicoise and adapt it all summer long, i.e. take fresh and/or cooked vegetables, good Oregon Albacore (usually canned), and hardboiled eggs, drizzled with an herby and/or creamy dressing, as a complete, fabulous dinner.

Quantities are of course to be adapted to suit your needs and can be varied in all ways. You just want enough dressing for everything so scale that up if you’re using more vegetables.

This week grilled or raw Tropea Onions would be a lovely addition/variation. You could certainly also add roasted squash or diced cucumber to the mix.

Serves 4

¾ lb  green beans, trimmed
¾-1 lb potatoes, scrubbed and cut into thumb-sized chunks (optional)
1 large or several smaller tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch wedges
4 eggs, hardboiled
1-2 Tropea onions, thickly sliced into rounds and grilled or broiled with a little olive oil and salt or thinly sliced raw Tropea onion
1-2 cans albacore (5-6 oz) or fresh if you have it, seared
4 cups lettuce, washed and torn (optional)

10 sprigs of parsley (more or less), finely chopped or handful of basil leaves or 1 tablespoon chopped dill
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar (more to taste)
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
5 tablespoons good-tasting olive oil (more to taste)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (or aioli if you happen to have some made) or Greek yogurt (optional)
Salt and pepper

My favorite way to hard-boil eggs is to bring the water to a boil and then immediately turn off the heat and set your timer for 9 minutes. Then drain the eggs and run under/let sit in cold water. This will give you perfectly cooked eggs with firm but slightly creamy yolks—no chalkiness or gray lines in site. Eggs like this are perfect for this kind of a composed salad. Peal eggs and cut into quarters.

Bring a large pot of water to which you’ve added 1 tablespoon or so sea salt to a rapid boil. Put in the beans and brink back to a boil as quickly as possible. Cooking really brings out the flavor in green beans and after 5 minutes you loose the “squeak” that you get if they’re not quite done enough. Drain them and run under cold water. I don’t bother with the ice-bath method but you certainly can.

Cook potatoes until tender.

Mix all dressing ingredients together.

Toss the lettuce, if using, with a little of the dressing and spread on a platter and arrange the quartered eggs, beans, potatoes and onions on top. Put the tuna, broken up into pieces in the center. Drizzle the remaining dressing over everything. Serve with good crusty bread.

Cucumber Salad with Peanuts and Sesame

This slightly unusual combination of ingredients and flavors is crunchy, cool, sweet/tart and rather addictive. Enjoy!

Serves 2-3

1 large cucumber, halved, seeds removed and thinly sliced or diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (Remove the seeds for a milder salad.)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
1 lime, zest and juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds (regular are just fine—the black ones look great but the flavor is very similar)
2 tablespoons salted and roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/3 cup roasted, flaked coconut (an inspiration from a different recipe on 101cookbooks.com)(optional)
Fresh basil, mint, or cilantro or a combination of them, chopped

Place the cucumber slices or dice, and chile pepper in a large bowl, toss to mix. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, ginger, lime zest and juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, and honey. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the cucumbers and toss until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to deepen. Before serving add the sesame seeds, toasted coconut (if using) peanuts, and herbs and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve right away.

Thai Green Curry with Green Beans and Eggplant

I have made variations of this Thai-inspired curry for 15 years. It is not an authentic green curry but a tasty, quick adaptation. You can easily add chicken or tofu to it for an even heartier dish though it’s wonderfully rich and satisfying without as well.

The curry is even better if you have (kaffir) lime leaves–Whole Foods and New Seasons and many Asian grocery stores typically have them. They freeze perfectly so if you see some but plenty and freeze for future curries. But don’t worry if you don’t.

Serves 4 (generously)

2-3 handfuls of green beans, washed ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium Japanese eggplant, halved and sliced into half rounds
3-4 kaffir lime leaves (optional–see headnote)
1 – 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 heaping teaspoon (or to taste) green curry paste (Thai & True is a great local Oregon brand)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2-3 teaspoons fish sauce (can omit to make it vegetarian/vegan)
1 can coconut milk (full fat preferably but light will work too)
1/4 cup basil, packed and roughly chopped or torn
Salt to taste
Juice of half a lemon or lime (optional but excellent especially if you don’t have kaffir lime leaves)
White or brown cooked Jasmine or other long grain rice

Heat wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup of coconut milk (use the thickest, part usually at the top of the can) and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic and ginger and fry it for about 3-4 minutes until it’s fragrant. Then add the remainder of the coconut milk plus ½ can’s worth of water, lime leaves, if using, soy sauce and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and add the beans and eggplant  and simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the basil and cook for another minute or two. Adjust seasoning with a bit of salt or more soy sauce and/or fish sauce or salt if needed and finish with a generous squeeze of lime or lemon juice, if using. Serve hot over rice.

Cucumber Salad with Tropea Onion and Blue Cheese Dressing (& Vegan Alternative)

This is crunchy, fresh and delicious! The lime juice and zest are prominent and balance the richness of the Gorgonzola. You can certainly use shallots or regular onions, red or not for this but if when you have Torpedo onions, by all means use them.

This makes more dressing than you’ll need but it’s so good and if you think you’ll use it something else (with the tomatoes or green beans maybe), make it all and save the rest for something else.

1 large cucumber, washed, and sliced into about ¼-inch slices
½ – 1 Tropea onion, very thinly sliced (depending on how much onion you like)
2 tablespoons dill, chopped

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons Gorgonzola Dolce blue cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
Zest and juice from one lime or white wine vinegar if you don’t have a lime
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the blue cheese, sour cream or yogurt, lime juice and zest, sugar, salt and pepper until well combined. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving in a large bowl toss the salad ingredients; add about half the dressing and mix well to combine. Taste for seasonings and serve. Add more dressing if needed.

** Vegan alternative:

For a very different but very good variation on this make this dressing.

2 teaspoons orange zest
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk orange juice, lime juice, jalapeño, 2 tablespoons dill, and zest in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup oil; season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a mason jar with a tight lid; keep in refrigerator and use as much as you need for the salad

Farçous (Savory Chard Pancakes)

–adapted from Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan

These are an absolute cinch to make if you have a food processor. It takes 5 minutes to make the batter and a bit longer to fry them but they are so addictive. These are made all over Southwest France and I’m sure with variations of herbs and greens, but most typically they are made with chard, parsley and chives but they are delicious with dill as well.

They also keep and freeze well and make great snacks. You can also experiment with different flours and combinations of flours if you’d like. Half whole wheat flour works well and I imagine spelt flour would too.

This recipe makes a lot of pancakes so you can cut it in half or make the whole thing and just save some for lunch the next day. I promise you won’t have trouble eating them up.

Serves 6

2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or half all-purpose and half whole wheat)
3 large eggs
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped dill
2 tablespoons of chives, chopped (optional)
1 large bunch chard leaves, washed, shaken dry and center rib and stems removed (can save for other use)
Salt (these need a lot of salt! Start with 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt. Taste the first pancake and add more if they’re bland. They really need salt to lift up the flavors of the herbs and greens)
Freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil or olive oil for pan-frying
For optional topping: a little salt, lemon zest and juice stirred into plain Greek or whole milk yogurt or just plain yogurt.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and place a baking sheet in the oven.

Put milk, flour, eggs, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Mix until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the chard leaves to the batter (little by little if you don’t have a lot of space) and blend, but don’t over blend. The mixture does not need to be homogenous and is better with a bit of variation in size of the chard leaf pieces.

You can make these pancakes large, like crepes (and use a crepe pan if you have one) or smaller, like regular pancakes. Pour about 1 tablespoon of oil into your pan (less if it’s a crepe/non-stick pan) and heat over medium-high heat. Add the batter to the pan for whatever size pancakes you’re making and cook until for a few minutes until the edges begin to brown and curl. Flip them over and cook them for a couple more minutes until evenly browned. Place in warm oven while you make the remainder of the pancakes.

These are wonderful with a dollop of yogurt (especially Greek yogurt) to which you can add a bit of lemon zest and little lemon juice. Make a green salad and you have a lovely dinner.

See the post below for Recipes, and scroll down to the next post for the Share Photo, Share List and news from the farm.

A wide range of dishes this week and pick up some dill and basil if you can and some lemongrass if you’d like to make the homemade green curry paste that uses your whole bunch of cilantro, roots and all. You can also substitute lime or lemon zest for the lemon grass. Enjoy!

Green Curry with Summer Squash and Homemade Green Curry Paste
Summer Squash Sauté with Cream and Tarragon
Sweet Onion and Kale Galette or Pizza
Fennel Pilaf with Toasted Cumin and Golden Raisins
Beet, Cilantro, Avocado (and Bread) Salad
Cucumber and Sweet Onion Salad

Green Curry with Summer Squash and Homemade Green Curry Paste

The beautiful bunch of cilantro, roots and all, is perfect for a batch of homemade green curry, which, if you have a food processor does not take long to make. The batch of curry paste will make more than you need for the soup so feel free to use it as a part of a dressing or marinade or make another curry.

Curry paste:

1-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1-2 Serrano chilies deseeded (or seeds kept in if you like it spicier) and roughly chopped (I sometimes use 1/3 -1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes if I don’t have any fresh chilies)
1½ lemongrass stalks, outer layer and tough ends removed, chopped (can omit and use more lime zest which is what I sometimes do)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 shallot-sized chunk of onion, peeled and chopped
½ tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, finely ground
Grated zest and juice of half a lime or more if you don’t have lemon grass (see above)
2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
1 bunch  cilantro, stalks, roots and all, washed and shaken dry

3-4 medium zucchini or other summer squash like yellow crookneck or patty pan, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 a medium onion (sweet or regular yellow onion), thinly sliced
4 small potatoes (new potatoes if possible), scrubbed and cut into small dice (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (or more) homemade green curry paste, above (or use 2 teaspoons of a store bought variety such as Thai and True or Mae Ploy)
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 cups veggie bouillon broth (or other veggie or chicken stock)
Salt
Squeeze of lime juice to taste (optional)
A bit more chopped cilantro, optional
Cooked white or brown, long grain rice

Start by making the curry paste. Put all the paste ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor and blend to a paste.

Put a large soup pot on medium high heat. Add about 3-4 tablespoons of the solid part of the coconut milk that makes up about the top fourth of the can, to the hot pan. Add the green curry paste and whisk it into the coconut milk. Fry this mixture for a couple of minutes until it becomes fragrant.

Add the sliced onion and fry for a few minutes until it softens. Add the squash and potatoes, if using, several generous pinches of salt and cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic, the remainder of the coconut milk and the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add most of the basil (reserving some for a garnish) and cook for another minute or two. Adjust seasoning and add a squeeze of lime juice, if using.

Serve hot over rice and garnished with more cilantro if you’d like.

Summer Squash Sauté with Cream and Tarragon

I learned this simple technique from a friend and it’s a lovely way to vary my more basic “zucchini in the frying pan” routine. It’s particularly good with tarragon if you have some but basil is a good substitute.

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil though butter is very good here and how my friend insisted it is done
3 medium zucchini or other summer squash, washed, trimmed and cut into ¼-1/3 inch rounds or half-rounds if larger or something similar
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped or 1 tablespoon or more thinly sliced basil
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and the squash and a few pinches of salt and stir well to coat. Sauté, turning occasionally to ensure evening browning until tender and nicely browned. Add the cream and herbs and a few grinds of pepper. Cook for another  minute or two to let the cream thicken and the flavors marry. Taste and adjust seasoning.

This dish will not be beautiful and the squash will be quite soft—don’t let that put you off as the taste will make up for the humble looks.

Sweet Onion and Kale Galette or Pizza

Onions (or 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
1 large or two smaller onions, thinly sliced into half rounds
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 onions and stir well and sauté for about 7-8 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
1/4 cup ice water

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.

Fennel Pilaf with Toasted Cumin and Golden Raisins

–adapted from Culinate.com from the Megan Scott collection

I adapted the original recipe to use much more fennel, added some garlic and topped it with lemony Greek yogurt. I’m a bit of a fennel skeptic and just loved this dish. I also don’t typically love raisins in my savory food but this dish has a mellow sweetness that’s just lovely.

Serves 4 as a main, topped with Greek Yogurt sauce or 6 as a side

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed of any fibrous exterior layers, diced; fronds removed and a few reserved
1 onion, diced
4 cloves fresh/new garlic, minced or 2 regular, mature cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup long-grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
¼ cup golden raisins
2 cups veggie bouillon broth, chicken or vegetable stock or water
½ teaspoon salt (unnecessary if your stock is salty)

For serving:

About 1/3 – ½ cup Greek yogurt (whole milk) into which you stirred just a little lemon zest, about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, a bit of salt and a glug of olive oil.
A couple tablespoons chopped fennel fronds (optional)

In a large skillet for which you have a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the cumin seeds and the rice and mix well to coat the rice with oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and browning. Then add the raisins and broth or water and salt, if your stock isn’t very salty. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, fluff the rice with a fork. Top with Greek yogurt and fennel fronds, if you’d like.

Beet, Cilantro, Avocado (and Bread) Salad

When I get a bunch of beets I often roast the whole batch and then have the pleasure of having roasted beets on hand to use, however, I want.

I also have a habit of toasting a slice of good, crusty bread and tearing it into bits and adding it warm to salads–often just for me, for lunch, but it’s such an easy trick to add a little heft to salads. It also changes the texture and temperature just enough to make it interesting. Feel free to omit the bread though, if you’d like.

And you can also omit the lettuce here (since you don’t have any this week) and add some thinly sliced fennel instead and use a bit less dressing. 

3 medium beets, roasted and peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 avocado, diced
2 slices of good, crusty bread, toasted and cut or torn into bite-sized pieces (optional- but makes it nice hearty)
4 cups or more lettuce, washed, dried and torn
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, leaves and stems and finely minced roots, if they’re attached
2 tablespoons finely diced Walla Walla sweet
2 ounces feta or fresh goat cheese
Juice of half a lemon or about 1 ½ tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar or more to taste
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss everything but the cheese and beets together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Gently add the cheese and beets and just barely mix so the beets don’t bleed onto everything.

Cucumber and Sweet Onion Salad

Sweet, fresh and crisp–a lovely salad that you can easily halve as this makes quite a lot. You can also add other herbs you have/like.

This makes a lovely side to salmon.

Serves 4-6 as a side

2 cucumbers, scrubbed and peeled if the skin is tough, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 Torpedo or small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large bowl, toss together cucumbers, onion, dill, oil, lemon juice, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Vietnamese-style Napa Cabbage and Chicken Salad
Tzatziki
Fennel and Torpedo Onion Salad (with Fish)
Grilled Summer Squash and Tropea Onion Kabobs (with Tzatziki)
Napa Cabbage and Tropea Onion Green Pancakes
Grated Carrot Salad with Tropea Onion Greens

Vietnamese-style Napa Cabbage and Chicken Salad

This is a Vietnamese-inspired salad that is spicy, sweet, and delicious. You can omit the chicken and add more/other grated veggies. You can use Napa, Savoy or green cabbage though it’s particularly good with Napa though it doesn’t hold up as long.

Serves 4

2 Serrano or 1 jalapeño chili, seeded (unless you like more heat) finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
2-3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small Tropea onion (or half a large one), thinly sliced
5 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups grated carrots (on large holes of box grater), more or less
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Cilantro and/or mint, chopped

In a large salad bowl mix the chilies with everything except the cabbage, carrot and chicken. Let sit for a few minutes and make sure sugar dissolves. Add the veggies and chicken. Mix well, adjust seasoning and stir in cilantro or mint.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki improves most anything, in this case chickpeas and tomatoes.

This cool, creamy Greek side/spread/dip is one of my all time favorite foods. I pile it on toasted bread and I add it to pita or regular sandwiches. I eat it with boiled potatoes or thinly sliced broiled beef and sometimes I dollop it on toasted baguettes (sliced the length of the loaf) after I’ve rubbed the bread with garlic and layered with tomatoes and sprinkled with salt.

You can invert the ratio of cucumber to yogurt or change it in any way you want just taste and be sure it has plenty of garlic, salt and acidity. And when I don’t have dill I use cilantro, basil, parsley oregano–not authentic but all delicious!

1-2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeds scooped out and fairly finely chopped
1 1/2-2 cups Greek yogurt or plain whole milk yogurt strained in cheese cloth of 2-3 hours to remove the whey and make it dense and richer (or much less–see headnote)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped dill (or cilantro, oregano, basil or parsley–see headnote)
1 tablespoon white wine, cider or champagne vinegar (or lemon juice)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Scooping out the cucumber’s seeds may seem silly but you want to remove as much moisture as possible for this dish and keep the firm-fleshed part. Sprinkle with a little salt and set in a strainer over a bowl and let drain for 20 minutes if you have the time.

Mix all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill for at least an hour if you can. It keeps well for about 3 days and gets a bit stronger (from the garlic) as it sits.

Fennel and Torpedo Onion Salad (with Fish)

If you have any fennel left from last week, make this. I tend to neglect my fennel since it keeps better than most things this time of year so I’ll be making this, this week. This salad is a perfect accompaniment to some very simply grilled or pan-fried fish of your choosing.

2 small-medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved and sliced as thinly as you can (see note at the top of the post)
1 Tropea onion, trimmed, halved and sliced as thinly as you can and some of the green, thinly sliced
1-2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or julienned (if you have a mandolin, use it)
2 ounces feta
2 teaspoons capers (optional), chopped up a bit
Juice of 1 lemon
Good olive oil
Salt and pepper

If you are sensitive to the bite of raw onions you can soak the sliced onions in a small bowl of ice water for 10 minutes and then drain well and pat dry and then proceed. The soak reduces the bite quite a bit and gives the onions an extra nice crunch.

Put the sliced vegetables in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and optional capers. Taste and adjust seasoning remembering that the feta will add saltiness. Add feta, gently toss and taste again.

Grilled Summer Squash and Tropea Onion Kabobs (with Tzatziki)

This is a simple a lovely combination. If you want to add cubes of beef or chicken or tofu by all means do so. If you don’t have a grill you can also broil these, with our without skewering the veggies, turning often to ensure somewhat even cooking.

The above tzatziki is a lovely accompaniment to the sweet, smoky vegetables.

about 4-5 kabobs

2 Tropea onions (or more), trimmed and cut into 1-1/2 inch squares/chunks, more or less
2-3 summer squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Finely chopped parsley and oregano or other herbs of your choice
Squeeze of lemon juice

In a small bowl mix a little olive oil with the herbs, lemon juice and plenty of salt and pepper. Taste the marinade. It should be bright and salty.

Toss the vegetables in the marinade and let sit for 15 minutes, if you can. Thread the vegetables onto skewers and grill, turning occasionally, until beginning to char and the vegetables are tender but not soft.

Serve with tzatziki and good, crusty bread or a bean or grain salad.

Napa Cabbage Pancakes with Tropea Onions and their Greens

I typically make these with savoy or regular green cabbage but they are tender and lovely with Napa cabbage as well and the Tropea Onion greens make a great substitute for the typical scallions.

Makes 12- 14 pancakes

4 large eggs
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 – 11/2 teaspoon sea salt (it takes a lot of salt—taste the first pancake you make and add more salt to the remaining batter if they’re a little blah tasting)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
about 5-6 cups Napa cabbage, very finely sliced (you can also pulse wedges in the food processor briefly but you don’t want it too fine or the batter will get watery and not be as good)
1-2 Tropea onions, trimmed and thinly sliced (greens and all)
Sunflower, olive, coconut or peanut oil for frying
1-2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Sauce:

Scant ½ cup mayonnaise (store bought is just fine)
Scant 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha or other chili sauce (or less if you don’t like much heat)

Whisk the first set of ingredients together for your sauce. Set aside while you make the pancakes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt. Gradually add the flour until incorporated. Fold in cabbage and onions.

Warm a couple glugs of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until glistening. Ladle the batter into the skillet as you would for regular old pancakes. I usually make them about the size of saucer. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Keep pancakes covered in a warm oven as you make the rest. Scatter sesame seeds on top of pancakes and serve with dipping sauce.

Grated Carrot Salad with Tropea Onion Greens and Toasted Sunflower Seeds

I make a variety of carrot salads. They add bright and fresh flavors year-round. Carrot salads are the perfect foil for the cook-with-what-you-have approach. Cumin, coriander, chili flakes, serrano chilies, lemon, lime (juice and zest), rice vinegar, parsley, mint, cilantro, tarragon, and basil are all wonderful complements to the carrots. Toasted nuts and seeds of many kinds are good too.

You can add cooked white beans to this salad for a more robust version. Make a little extra dressing and you have a great lunch or light supper.

With a simple frittata and a piece of good bread, this makes a lovely dinner.

Serves 6-8 as a side

3/4 – 1 cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds) (this may seem like a lot but use it all if you can–it really makes the dish)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt
6 medium carrots, grated
3 tablespoons very thinly sliced onion tops/greens

Dressing:

3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus possibly more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, a generous amount, to taste though
about 3 tablespoons good olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Toss the sunflower seeds with a teaspoon or two of oil and several pinches of salt and roast on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes, turning frequently, until they are crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.

Place the grated carrots in a serving bowl. To make the dressing whisk together the lemon juice, salt, pepper and oil. Pour the dressing over the carrots and mix well. Sprinkle with the chives and the seeds, mix again, and adjust seasoning and serve.