It’s going to be a hot week! Most of this week’s recipes are quick and cool. The exception is the Zwiebelkuchen (German/Alsatian onion tart of sorts), an old family recipe I grew up with and love. It’s worth the effort and makes a lot so you can have several meals taken care of in one go. Enjoy!
Recipes
Fresh Salsa
Jalapeno Notes
Zwiebelkuchen
Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Beet and Sweet Onion Salad
Chopped Kale Salad with Grated Carrots, Jalapeno and Sesame
Summer Squash with Green Lentils, Parsley and Bacon
Summer Squash with Tomatoes, Basil and Lemon
Fresh Salsa
You have all the ingredients for the sweetest, freshest and most savory salsa in your share this week. I made this tonight for a crowd and it was devoured and enjoyed even by those who purportedly don’t like spicy salsa. The jalapenos are so flavorful and subtly spicy.
2 large tomatoes, 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 Walla Walla Sweet
¼ cup cilantro, well washed and dried and chopped
1 small 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.
Jalapeno Notes
The jalapenos can be added cooked or raw to many of the dishes in this week’s packet—the cilantro yogurt sauce, the kale and carrot salad in raw form and cooked with the onions in the Zwiebelkuchen, the German onion tart. The peppers adds a lovely depth and subtle heat.
Summer Squash with Lentils, Parsley and Bacon
This is basically last week’s recipe with quickly seared summer squash instead of beans. It’s better than the bean version. It’s a new favorite in my household.
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.
1 cup small French green lentils or other small lentils that keep their shape when cooked
Splash of olive oil
1 Walla Walla Sweet, diced
4 cups summer squash, cut into small chunks –for zucchini I quarter them lengthwise and then cut them into 1/3-inch chunks
4 slices bacon, diced
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 (or cilantro)
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.
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
This is the one 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.
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 Kosher 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
1 – 2 jalapenos, minced (seeds and all for more heat or deseeded for a subtler flavor)
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.
Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
I could put cilantro on anything. I especially love it made into a sauce by tossing ½ a bunch or more into a food processor (or chopping finally) with a ¼ – 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt (or plain, whole milk yogurt), 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.
Beets and Sweet Onions with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
The above sauce is lovely drizzled over or tossed with boiled or roasted beets and thinly sliced sweet onions.
Chopped Salad with Kale, Carrots, and Tahini Yogurt Dressing
This is a robust, bright salad that is begging for seasonal adaptations depending on the greens at hand. I could also imagine it being delicious tossed with some cooked, cooled soba noodles. And it’s just as good if not better the next day.
6 cups lacinato kale, thoroughly washed and cut into ¼-½ ribbons
2 carrots, grated (on large hole of box grater)
1 beet, scrubbed, peeled and grated (on large hole of a box grater—be careful it makes a mess)
½ cup sweet onions, thinly sliced
½ jalapeno, minced (with or without seeds depending on how spice you like things)
2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame or sunflower seeds (or 1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds)
Dressing
2 tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste)
2-3 tablespoons Greek Yogurt (or sour cream or mayonnaise)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 small clove of garlic, minced or mashed with side of knife
Juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
Salt and pepper
Put all vegetables in a large bowl, excepting the beets. Whisk dressing ingredients until emulsified and smooth. Taste for seasoning. The dressing should be quite strong since it’s going to dress a lot of veggies. If the dressing is too thick thin it out with a little water. Toss veggies with dressing, mix well and adjust seasoning. Add the grated beets last and toss lightly
Summer Squash with Tomatoes, Basil and Lemon
–inspired by Tender by Nigel Slater
This is a new favorite summer squash dish. The addition of the lemon juice is critical. It calls for a handful of basil leaves and I’m guessing many of you have a basil plant in a pot or garden close by.
3-4 medium summer squash, well washed and cut into thick fingers, homemade French-fry sized
½ a Walla Walla Sweet or other onion, diced or thinly sliced (optional)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 medium to large tomatoes, roughly chopped
Handful of basil leaves, roughly torn
Salt and pepper
½ a lemon
Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan and add the onion and squash and cook, fairly undisturbed for 6-8 minutes over medium to medium-high heat until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the tomatoes, the basil, salt and pepper, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Stir and then cover with a loose fitting lid and let simmer for 10 -12 minutes until the squash is completely tender. Adjust seasoning and serve with good crusty bread to mop up the juices.