Hide the cheese

Potato and Dill Frittata

Summertime and the living is ... outside.

Our kids have been big into swim team this summer and so we have had lots of meals at the pool. I am always looking for something to take on the road and this frittata -- that I made for a tasting card for Black Ankle's last wine shipment -- fits the bill. The lighter, fresher flavors go along with the hotter summer weather. Frittatas are among those foods that are perfect for using up leftovers, though, so don't sweat it if you don't have all the ingredients. Just substitute whatever you have on hand.

If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle, the frittata is delicious with either Black Ankle's Albarino or Passeggiata.

A toast: to summer!

2009: Smoky Deviled Eggs
2010: Red Wine Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini
2011: Pea and Potato Gratins
2012: The Whole Beet Sauté

Potato and Dill Frittata

 

Serves 6
20 minutes preparation time
35-40 minutes cooking time

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
9 eggs
1/2 cup dill, finely chopped
1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
3 ounces herbed cheese such as Boursin (approximately half a Boursin package)
salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the cubed potatoes in a small saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape, 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the potato cubes. Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a large bowl, scramble the eggs and add the chives and dill. Add the potatoes, salt (at least a teaspoon) and pepper. Crumble in the Boursin and whisk again.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 9-inch frying pan with a heatproof handle. When the oil begins to simmer, carefully swirl it around the pan to completely coat the bottom and sides. Whisk the egg mixture once or twice to unsettle the herbs and cheese and then immediately pour the mixture into the hot pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook until the edges of the frittata are set, about 10 minutes. Keeping the pan level, transfer it to the oven. Cook until the frittata is cooked through and lightly browned on top, about 15 minutes.

Remove and keep a pot holder or oven mitt over the handle. Slide a rubber spatula under the frittata and slip it out of the pan onto a serving plate. Serve immediately or at room temperature. The frittata will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

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Cooking with Mother Goose: Ramp and Asparagus Straciatella

Cooking with Mother Goose: A series of occasional posts inspired by children's stories and rhymes.

Jack Sprat

Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean.
So betwixt them both, you see,
they licked the platter clean.

My eating mood this spring has matched the weather. On any given day, I'm not really sure whether I want to eat something hot or cold, something wintery or something springy. The only thing I am sure of is that I want to take advantage of all the great spring produce that is beginning to pop up.



Last week, I bought some of those harbingers of spring -- ramps -- and some asparagus at the same time. And I got it stuck in my head that I wanted to serve them together. If you haven't tried ramps, they grow wild in these mid-Atlantic states and have a fresh, garlicky flavor. They can go into pesto, an omelette, or sprinkled over a salad.

Thinking about pairing them with eggs brought to mind a spring soup that we made years ago. It was an asparagus straciatella, an Italian soup with egg and parmesan whipped in. For years, it was the only way that Olivia would eat asparagus, but we hadn't made it in a long time. My ramps were a bit banged up, too, so throwing them into a soup seemed like a good solution.

The ramps added great flavor to the soup which suited my mood this cool spring: a hot soup with spring flavors. Olivia was happy to see the soup, but the other two kiddies, not so much.

Oscar didn't want to eat the asparagus, but poked around it with his spoon to get to the eggy broth. Chloe didn't like the broth, but picked all of the asparagus out with a fork. Neither of them finished an entire bowl of soup, but between the two of them... Well, you get the idea.

Next time they'll only get one bowl. No doubt, the writer of "Jack Sprat" had children.

2009: Asparagus with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette
2010: Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata
2011: Ramp Pesto
2012: Avocado and Radish Quinoa Salad

Ramp and Asparagus Straciatella

Serves 6

15 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time

If you can't find ramps, substitute spring onions or garlic scapes for a similar flavor.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds fresh asparagus, cleaned, ends snapped off, and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large bunch ramps, rinsed, ends trimmed, and diced
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 large eggs
1 cup shredded parmesan, plus more for serving

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the asparagus and ramps and cook just until the asparagus begins to soften about 3 minutes. Scrape the vegetables out of the pot onto a plate.

Add 10 cups of water to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of ramps or asparagus that are stuck to the pot. Bring the water to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the parmesan and stir again. When the water has begun to boil, whisk the egg mixture in. Add the asparagus and ramps back to the pot and cook until the egg has cooked and the vegetables have heated through, about 3 minutes.

To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a bit more parmesan.

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Watercress and Hot Shiitake Mushroom Salad

I always get a little thrill when I see a new vendor at the farmers' market. Last week at the Silver Spring market, I zeroed right in on the new mushroom stand, North Cove Mushrooms. I zipped over there faster than Buddy runs when he hears food drop off the dining room table.

There were two types of mushrooms, dried oyster mushrooms and fresh shiitakes. I went for the shiitakes with the thought that Gabe and I could add them to a kid-friendly meal to dress it up a little.

Gabe had bought a beautiful bunch of watercress, though, and I started to think that the peppery crunch of the watercress would make a nice contrast to those earthy, tender mushrooms. To add another contrast to the salad, I decided to make a hot dressing and pour it over the watercress to wilt it just slightly (I had that amazing shiitake and spinach salad from Sushi Ko in mind).

When I first served this, the mushrooms and dressing had cooled by the time we ate. It was better the next time, when we ate it while the mushrooms and the dressing were still hot.

We skipped back over to the mushroom vendor again this week and bought even more mushrooms this time. They're still in their brown paper bag in the refrigerator. What should we make next?

2009: Pea Shoot Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
2010: Artichokes with Quick Hollandaise Sauce
2011: Simple Crusty Peasant Wheat Bread
2012: Avocado and Radish Quinoa Salad

Watercress and Hot Shiitake Mushroom Salad

Serves 4 as a side salad
15 minutes preparation time
15 minutes cooking time

1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and sliced (about 3 cups)
1 large bunch watercress, rinsed (about 6 heaping cups)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, sliced into a few big pieces
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons puffed rice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and spread them as evenly as possible across the pan. Let them sit for a minute or two until the mushrooms sear slightly. Keep cooking, stirring only occasionally so that the mushrooms become golden brown, until the mushrooms are tender, about 10 more minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set them aside.

Just before you are ready to serve the salad, snip the watercress with scissors into bite-sized pieces and arrange it on a platter. (I prefer using scissors rather than a knife because it better keeps the shape of the cress).

If the mushrooms are no longer hot, heat them again in the pan over medium heat just long enough to get them piping hot. Scrape them out of the pan onto the watercress.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits of mushroom. When the oil is hot, remove the pan from the heat. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper, and whisk. Drizzle the dressing over the mushrooms and watercress. Sprinkle the puffed rice over the top and serve immediately.

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Kale and Clementine Salad

Raw kale salads are everywhere now and I'm jumping onto the bandwagon. In experimenting with this recipe, I tried a few different approaches to preparing the kale. First I tried just adding the dressing to the kale. This wasn't bad, but the dressing didn't incorporate very well into the salad and didn't do much to soften the kale.

One recipe I found calls for pouring boiling over the kale to soften it. I liked this approach because it was straightforward. The salad tasted good and the kale was a bit softer, but, again, the dressing mostly ended up in the bottom of the bowl.

The last approach I tried was massaging the dressing into the kale. I resisted this approach because, well, kale just didn't seem like something I wanted to massage. I barely have time to massage the people that I love and only rarely -- and usually as the result of a gift -- have I had a massage myself. So, kale? Who has time for that?

But when my other approaches didn't work, I resigned to give it a try. The good news/bad news is that it worked very well. The dressing incorporated well into the kale and along the way, it softened the kale just a touch. The kale was still good and chewy, but the massaging took the edge off. The even better news is that it really didn't take that long. Just a few minutes of working the kale with my fingers was enough to get the job done.

This salad has been perfect for this time of year, when I'm craving the taste of spring, but the spring vegetables aren't yet available at the farmers' market. There is still a lot of kale available, but, instead of cooking it into a heavier dish, eating it raw freshens it up. The citrus and sweetness of the clementines is a bright foil for the kale, too, giving the salad a lighter touch that has seemed just right to us as the days get longer and warmer.

And when I say "us," no, I do not mean the kiddies. Although Olivia and Chloe do like kale, they haven't been wild about this salad. But Gabe and I have been happily munching through it, feeling it do its work as the antidote to the excesses of many birthday celebrations and vacation eating.
2009: Kale Chips
2010: Greens and Basil Risotto
2011: Green Lasagne
2012: Green Apple Fizz

Kale and Clementine Salad
15-20 minutes preparation time

Unlike lettuce salads, this salad can be made in advance. The salad keeps well after the dressing has been added, even for a day or two.

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch kale (about 8 cups after it is sliced)
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 clementines, peeled and broken into sections

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and soy sauce. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously.

Remove the spines from the kale. Lay the pieces flat on a cutting board and slice the kale across into very, very thin strips. Toss the kale strips in a salad bowl with the dressing, rubbing the leaves between your fingertips until all of the dressing is incorporated.

Add the scallions and clementine sections, and toss gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a day or so.

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Chloe's Cinnamon Apples

We've had a few bad apple years here. Not that the apples have been bad, but it has been hard for all of us to enjoy them. Loose teeth, missing teeth, and braces all have inhibited  that glorious seasonal tradition of biting into a crisp apple.

I began slicing the apples for the children's snacks, but they didn't have the same appeal for lunch. The kids pack their lunches in the evening and by the next day at lunch, the apples are brown with that just-over-the-edge-of-ripeness smell.

When I was packing a snack for a hike recently, I wanted to bring along some apples but faced the same problem. I thought of tossing the apple slices with a bit of lemon juice, but knew Chloe would object if they were too tart. My compromise was to add a sprinkle of brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon for good measure.




The result tasted like apple pie filling before being cooked, and it was a big hit.

Chloe has been the biggest fan and has gotten very good at making them herself. She slices them right into a storage container, adds the lemon jiuce, sugar, and cinnamon, puts on the top and gives the whole thing a shake. Presto! They're done and she pops them in the fridge to be enjoyed over the next couple of days.





Now the only bad apples in our house are of the human variety.

2009: Butter Crackers
2010: Crêpes
2011: Clementine Sorbet
2012: Lemon Cake Squared (Have the leftovers from Olivia's birthday party in the fridge!)

Chloe's Cinnamon Apples

Serves 4 for lunch or snack
15 minutes preparation time

2 whole apples, washed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon

Slice the apples into quarters and remove the cores. Slice each quarter into 2 or 3 more pieces. If making these for later, put the slices in a storage container, add the lemon, sugar, and cinnamon, and put the top on. Shake gently until the apples are uniformly coated.

Alternatively, slice the apples into a bowl, and the remaining ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon until the apples are completely coated with the cinnamon sugar.

The apples will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

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Delicata Squash and Stilton Pizza

While we're on the subject of foods that my children won't eat, here's another one that I have been loving.

On Friday night pizza night, my dilemma is that if I make the pizza to please everyone, we will end up with tomato and mozzarella pizza. Always. And Only.

There's a reason that that classic combination has endured, and I am a fan. But it's the lowest common denominator of pizzas, really. The pizza that appeals to everyone. No matter how good it is, something about its universal appeal tempts me to get in there and mix it up.

I usually just see what is languishing in the vegetable bin or the cheese drawer, or what leftovers are hiding in the back of the refrigerator. Pizza is a great way to use up the odds and ends. Sometimes the combinations work and sometimes they don't, but it is always fun to play.

One night I had a bit of delicata squash left over and I decided to try slicing it thinly to see whether it would cook sufficiently in the 10 minutes or so that it takes to cook the pizza. Delicata squash is great to cook with because it doesn't have to be peeled; the rind is tender enough to eat. I had a bit of Stilton on hand and some sage wintering over in the yard. Thrown together, they were quite tasty: the sweetness of the squash was a great foil for the earthy sage and tangy Stilton.

Because squash and Stilton will send Chloe and -- depending on the day, Oscar -- in the opposite direction there was plenty left for those of us that wanted more adventure on the plate.

2009: Sage Risotto with Wild Mushrooms
2010: Cauliflower Soup with Stilton
2011: Caramelized Onion Dip
2012: Curried Apple Slaw

Delicata Squash and Stilton Pizza

We prefer a light touch on the toppings and the measurements for the toppings on this pizza reflect that. If you prefer a cheesier pizza, add some mozzarella, too.

1 batch pizza dough (this is our favorite)
one medium delicata squash, scrubbed
olive oil for drizzling
4-5 ounces Stilton, crumbled
4-5 ounces mozzarella (optional)
handful of sage leaves, torn
pinch of sea salt

Make the dough ahead and when you are ready to cook the pizza, place a pizza stone or baking tiles in the oven and heat the oven to as high as your oven will go (usually about 450 to 500 degrees).

Lay a piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet. Roll out the dough and transfer it onto the parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil over the dough and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula.

Cut the delicata squash in half and set half aside for another use. Scoop the seeds out of the middle of the squash with a spoon. Slice the delicata thinly into rings. Arrange the rings on top of the dough and sprinkle with salt. Flip the rings over. This is my cheaters way of coating both sides of the rings with a bit of olive oil.

Sprinkle on the Stilton and the sage leaves and the mozzarella, if you are using it. Transfer the pizza on the parchment paper onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust is lightly brown and the cheese has melted, 8-12 minutes.

 Print Recipe

Shiitake Mushroom Soup with Parsley Pesto

Our children have staged a soup mutiny.

Gabe and I have been coasting along, doing our usual winter thing of working through the rotation of our favorite soups. We recently have made caldo verde, minestrone, creamy tomato soup, and of course, that timeless classic, potato-leek soup. And more.

But when I said this weekend that I planned to make a butternut squash soup this week, there was a revolt. A revolt of the tween variety, with eye rolling, deep sighs, and dramatic pleas."Please, please, PLEASE, not another soup!" Accompanied by head flopping onto the table forehead first.

Apparently they are tired of soup.

In that case, we may as well make something that they won't eat anyway. Mushrooms were the obvious choice.

I came across a recipe for a creamy mushroom soup in the New York Times and it fit the bill for a parents-only soup. I tweaked it a bit, of course, skipping the step of making separate stock and adding a parsley pesto on top. The soup ended up being just what I wanted for the latest wine club recipe card for Black Ankle's just-released 2010 Leaf Stone Syrah, a big bold wine that complemented the meatiness of the mushrooms.

They can have their plain pasta and baby carrots. We're slurping soup and sipping wine.

2009: Roasted Shallot and Buttercup Squash Soup
2010: Creamy Lettuce Soup
2011: Lemongrass Noodle Soup with Chile-Garlic Paste
2012: Lemony White Bean Soup

Shiitake Mushroom Soup with Parsley Pesto

To accompany Black Ankle's 2010 Leaf Stone Syrah

This mushroom soup is hearty and richly flavored, although it uses milk rather than cream. The parsley pesto is optional, but it adds a pop of freshness to the earthy mushrooms. For a more elegant soup, you can strain the soup through a sieve or run it through a food mill. You will lose some volume, but served in a dainty tea cup it would make the perfect first course for a dinner party. If you have extra parsley pesto, it would is excellent tossed onto a salad or boiled potatoes, tucked into an omelette, or spread on a sandwich.

Adapted liberally from Jeremy Bearman's recipe in The New York Times
Serves 6 as a first course
20 minutes preparation time
40 minutes cooking time

For the soup:
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds shiitake and crimini mushrooms, brushed and sliced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large leek, white and light green parts, cleaned and chopped
8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
salt and pepper
10 cups vegetable stock
2 cups whole milk

For the parsley pesto:
2 cups fresh parsley leaves and stems, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch of salt

To make the soup, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms and let them sit for a minute or two before stirring them. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned and significantly reduced in size, about 15 minutes. If the pan starts to get too brown as the mushrooms are cooking, add a splash of water and scrape it with a wooden spoon to loosen the caramelized coating.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the celery, onion, leeks, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage. Add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cook until the celery, onion, and leeks have softened, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer until all the vegetables are meltingly soft, 20 to 30 minutes.

While the soup simmers, make the parsley pesto. Add the parsley, olive oil, and a pinch of salt to a blender and blend until the parsley has all been incorporated into the oil.

Purée the soup with an immersion blender until all of the vegetables are uniformly tiny. (If you would like a more refined soup, strain the soup by placing a mesh sieve over a heat-proof bowl. working in batches, ladle the soup into the sieve and use a spoon to stir and mash the mushroom mixture to release the liquid. Remove the solids and save them to make stock if you like. Repeat until all of the soup has been strained).

Add the milk to the soup and stir. Just before serving, heat the soup over low heat. Try not to boil the soup or the milk will scald. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and top with several small dollops of the parsley pesto.

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Anita's Apple Crisp

There are some days when you just need to wallow in it. There are days when the loss or grief that is lurking right under the surface needs to be let out. Normally, you keep it together, moving through the day, talking, doing, even laughing. But it is there. Always.

Maybe you tell someone. Maybe it's a friend or maybe it's someone you barely know who asks you how you are. And you really tell her. Surprise! But instead of running in the other direction, she nods and tells you that she too is carrying a loss. And you cry, but still, acknowledging the hurt feels better than always trying to forget it.

And you realize how many people are walking around with those holes. They are all out there, people who are missing and hurting and wondering how this could have happened.

Some days, you just need to wallow. You hand the kids off to a spouse, you take them to a neighbor, or you lock yourself in the bathroom for a few minutes. Or, maybe, if they are old enough, you tell them that you are sad and that you need some time to sit still.

Then you let yourself feel that sadness, that loss. You think about her and remember her, the conversations you had, her smile, her laugh.

You remember his voice and how he looked when he talked about something he loved. You remember the first time you met and the first time you had a real conversation. You remember a joke he told and an expression that he loved to use.

You remember what it felt like to be with her, how you felt. You walk through those memories, and even though it hurts, you revel in being with her again.

Then you unlock the door, dry your tears, and walk back to join those who are still here. You make something delicious and sit together to eat. Or you talk. Or walk. Or you play a game or read a book.

And even though that hole is still there, you are okay.

2009: Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cakes (my first recipe ever!)
2010: Robin's Egg Meringues
2011: Molasses Cookies
2012: Mom's Apple Butter

Anita's Apple Crisp

Serves 8
20 minutes preparation time
40-45 minutes baking time

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into several small pieces
2 pounds apples (6 medium), peeled, cored, and diced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

vanilla ice cream for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Measure the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt into a small bowl. Stir them together with a fork. Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture looks moist and there are no longer any apparent lumps of butter. Set aside.

Arrange the apples in a 2-quart baking dish. Add the lemon juice and stir. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the apples and stir again. Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the apples.

Bake until the the apples are completely soft and the topping is brown and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

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Roasted Cauliflower and Turnip Soup with Crispy Turnip Leaves

Driving home from the inauguration yesterday, our three kids were in the back of the car, waving their flags, giggling, cracking jokes. Limbs were sprawled over each other and heads lolled onto shoulders. It was rowdy and raucous. Listening to them, I was heartened by their togetherness and their ability to make each other laugh.

But I was also nervous that someone would go too far and cross that line that had been crossed before and before and before. Those squeals of delight would turn into accusations and the mood would be broken.

We made it home, though, and after Gabe and I went into the house, the children stayed shoe-horned into the back of the car, talking together about who-knows-what.

It was a metaphor for the day, that togetherness.

Unity. United States. United We Stand.

When we are at our best in our non-political lives, we rely on that unity in good and bad times. Communities pull together when tragedy falls. Neighbors dig each other out of snowstorms. Families gather together around the table. In happy times, unity is cause for celebration; in difficult ones, it sustains us.

And for a day -- even in Washington -- unity was the theme. I was swept up in it and optimistic that if we pull together in our communities and as a country, we can overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenges that we face today.

At least for now, I'm feeling the promise that unity can bring. We are in this together.

Richard Blanco's "One Today" said it so eloquently, ending on a high note.

We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight
of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always -- home,
always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon
like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop
and every window, of one country -- all of us --
facing the stars
hope -- a new constellation
waiting for us to map it,
waiting for us to name it -- together

2009: Black Bean and Monterey Jack Casserole
2010: Orange-Soy Tofu
2011: Warm Garlicky Lentil and Potato Salad
2012: Simple Creamy Tomato Soup

Roasted Cauliflower and Turnip Soup with Crispy Turnip Leaves

20 minutes preparation time
approximately 60 minutes cooking time

This soup is made with the vegetables of the season, roasted first to give the soup that rich, earthy flavor. We liked this combination, but feel free to substitute the vegetables that you find at the market on your next visit, carrots, greens, sweet potatoes would all make interesting additions.

There is no need to peel the potatoes or turnips. Just scrub them well and trim off the turnip stem and roots.

1 small cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
6 medium turnips with their greens
4 large potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper
1 head of garlic
1 quart vegetable stock
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the turnip greens off of the turnips. Set aside. Scrub the turnip bulbs and cut them into cubes. Put them in one side of a baking dish. Put the cubed potatoes on the other side. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, and mix.

Cut the top off the head of garlic so that the tops of the individual cloves inside are exposed. Wrap the head tightly in foil and put it in the pan with the vegetables.

In another pan, toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the vegetables, stirring them a few times, until they are browned and tender. The cauliflower will be done first, after 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the florets. The potatoes and turnips will take a bit longer. The garlic will likely be last and will be done when the individual cloves are lightly brown and soft enough to spread.

When the vegetables have finished roasting, remove them from the oven and add them to a soup pot. If necessary, add a few splashes of water to the pan to loosen any caramelized bits. Add that water to the soup pot. Slip the garlic cloves out of their skins and add them to the pot, too. Add the vegetable stock and enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a simmer and until the vegetables are very soft, about 20 minutes.

Taste and add salt and pepper. Purée with an immersion blender.

While the soup is cooking, arrange the turnip greens on a baking sheet and toss them with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Toast them until they are crisp and dark, but not black. Watch them carefully; they should take 7-10 minutes.

Serve the soup in individual bowls and add a turnip leaf or two to the bowl for garnish.

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Pumpkin Pie

I love that pumpkin tarte tartin, it's true, but still, there's something about the creamy tradition of pumpkin pie. I've just gotta have it on Thanksgiving.

I've been testing and tweaking my pumpkin pie recipe for years, trying to get it just right. To me, the perfect pumpkin pie is smooth and creamy with a crisp crust. It should have all of those great fall spice flavors, but they shouldn't be so overwhelming that you can't taste the pumpkin. I also like just a hint of brightness to add a bit of pop.

Last year, on Food 52, there was a recipe for pumpkin pie from Meta Given's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking, a book I did not know. The article described the flavor as pumpkin-y, the texture as smooth, and the cooking time as quick. It all sounded good to me. I tried the recipe, but decided it needed a little extra something to bring up the flavors. I added a touch of fresh lemon zest and fresh ginger and it added just that touch of dazzle that I wanted while still keeping the intense pumpkin flavor. Interestingly, that citrus-y flavor receded after a couple of days in the refrigerator so keep that in mind while planning when to make the pie.

I also deviated from the recipe by pre-baking the crust. Although the recipe indicated that the crust did not need to be baked first, I didn't want to end up with a mushy crust, so I did blind bake mine, cutting back the baking time so that the crust didn't get too dark.

Note that this is the same crust as for the sweet potato and cranberry tart, or my un-corny pecan pie, so if you are making more than one pie/tart, you could make both crusts at once.

That's it, my friends. My last pre-Thanksgiving recipe. I hope you find something you like among these recipes and, if you decide to give any of it a go, I'd love to hear any questions or comments you have.

Happy cooking!

Pumpkin Pie

The pumpkin can be roasted up to a week in advance, and the dough for the crust can be made several days ahead. If possible, I would bake the pie on Thanksgiving eve or in the morning so that the crust doesn't lose its crunch.

 Adapted from Food 52 from The Encyclopedia of Cooking by Meta Givens
Serves 8
2 hours and 30 minutes preparation time, which includes 1 hour to prepare and bake the crust
    and 1 hour to roast the pumpkin
20-25 minutes baking time

1 pre-baked tart crust*
1 small sugar pumpkin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of cream
2 eggs

additional cream to whip with a touch of sugar and vanilla, for serving

Preheat oven to 425.

Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, and lay it face down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Roast the pumpkin until it is soft, 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it cool enough to handle. Scoop out the flesh and mash it with a potato masher. The pumpkin can be stored in an airtight container like this for up to a week.

To finish the pie: *Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and follow the instructions for preparing the pre-baked pie crust, but adjust the cooking times as follows: bake the crust covered for 10 minutes, uncover and bake for 5 minutes. 

Measure 2 cups of the mashed pumpkin into a small sauce pan. Cook it over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until it dries out and becomes fragrant. There is no need to add any water or oil because there is plenty of water in the pumpkin.

Mix the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, ginger, and lemon zest together in a small bowl and add them to the pumpkin. Mix the cream, milk, and eggs together in a measuring cup and add it to the pumpkin mixture. Whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until there the only jiggle that is left is in the center. If the crust gets dark too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.

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Pumpkin Tarte Tatin

I'm working up a good obsession for Tarte Tatin. Something about that caramelized flavor with fruit and a delicious flaky crust makes me go weak in the knees.

I posted a recipe a while back for pear Tarte Tatin, but with Thanksgiving on the horizon, I thought I should try pumpkin.

I'm glad I did.

You really can't go wrong with caramel. What's not to love about butter and sugar melted together into a sweet golden puddle? It's even better with the pumpkin, which seems to lend itself to those deep caramel flavors.

I know that some people are a bit intimidated by making caramel or Tarte Tatin, but there really is no reason for that. It's quite straightforward.

There are a two points during this recipe that may seem daunting, namely trying to peel that little pumpkin and flipping the tart onto the serving plate. But that pumpkin is way smaller than you are and once you get going you will have it peeled in just a few minutes. And flipping the tart really just takes more courage than skill. Take a deep breath, flip fast, and you will be fine.





Just clear your  mother and small children out of the kitchen before you start on the off chance that an epithet or two flies out of your mouth.

When you're done, you will feel incredibly satisfied by the beautiful tart that you have created. And, most importantly, your taste buds will thank you.

Pumpkin Tarte Tatin

The Tarte can be made a day or two ahead and kept, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. Warm the Tarte on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes at a 300 degree oven just before serving.

30 minutes preparation time, plus an hour to bake the pumpkin and 30 minutes to chill the dough
approximately 40 minutes cooking time

For the dough:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, frozen or chilled and cut into about 10 pieces*
1 egg

For the filling:
1 small sugar pumpkin
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

First, cook and prep the pumpkin: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the top of the pumpkin with a serrated knife. Wrap the pumpkin in foil and bake until it begins to soften, about 40 minutes.

Remove the pumpkin from the oven and carefully unrap the foil. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, cut it in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds. Peel off the skin with a potato peeler. At first, this will seem nearly impossible because the skin is quite hard. Persevere. Once you get going, you will conquer that little pumpkin and the peel will be off in a couple of minutes. Slice the pumpkin into half inch sections from top to bottom. The flesh will be easy to cut but still quite firm.

While the pumpkin is cooking, make the dough: *You have two options here for making the dough. You can use the traditional food processor approach or a new technique that I just learned from Amanda Hesser at Food52. For Amanda's approach, whisk the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Using a stick of frozen butter, unwrap one end and grate it on the largest holes of a box grater. The butter will curl off into small shavings. Keep unwrapping the butter and grating until you have grated the entire stick. Add the butter to the flour mixture, crack the egg on top, and lightly scramble it. Mix everything together with your hands, breaking up any large pieces of butter. Push the dough into the shape of a ball and smash the ball onto the counter. All of the flour may not incorporate at this point, or the ball may crumble apart, but stick with it. Smear the ball across the counter to evenly incorporate the butter. As you do this, work in any flour that didn't incorporate initially. Just do this for as long as it takes to work in all the flour; don't overwork it.

To make the dough in a food processor, pulse the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the butter ranges in size from that of a small pebble to that of cornmeal. Empty the flour mixture into a bowl, and crack the egg on top. Lightly scramble the egg and then, using your hands, work it into the dough until the dough starts to come together.

Roll the dough into a ball, and then flatten it into a disc. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes and up to a couple of days.

Assemble and cook the tart: When you are ready to cook the tart, turn the oven to 400 degrees. 

Unwrap the dough and roll it out into a circle that is an inch or two larger than the diameter of your pan.

Heat the butter in an 8 or 9-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted, stir the sugar and salt into the butter and spread them evenly across the pan. 

Add the pumpkin slices one next to the other around the pan. Once you have finished the first layer, fit as many additional slices as you can in a second layer, filling in the gaps between the pumpkin pieces from the first layer. Squeeze in as many as you can because they will reduce slightly in size as they cook. Cut a few sections to fit into the middle of the tart.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook the pumpkin until the sugar turns a rich, dark brown and bubbles, about 5 minutes. Rotate the pan if needed to ensure that the sugar browns evenly. Sprinkle the vanilla over the top of the pumpkin and remove the pan from the heat.

Lift the dough with a spatula or a rolling pin and carefully drape it over the pan. Taking care not to burn your fingers, tuck the edge of the dough along the side of the pan. If you have measured accurately, the dough should just fit with a bit extra to slip down into the sides. If you do what I usually do and roll it a bit too big, just squeeze it into the pan. Don't worry if the dough is a bit lumpy because this will be the underside of the tart when you are done. Place the pan in the oven and let it cook until the crust is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. 

Remove the pan from the oven and let the tart cool for 15 minutes or more. Place a large serving plate over the top of the pan. With oven mitts or pot holders, pick up the pan with the plate on top and quickly flip the pan over so that the tart inverts onto the plate. I recommend that you do this over a surface that is easy to clean (or the sink) because more than once a bit of caramel has oozed out of the side as I flip the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally with vanilla ice cream.

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Sweet Potato and Cranberry Tart

Years ago -- please don't make me tell you how many -- I worked a waitress at the Spring Mill Cafe outside of Philadelphia. The restaurant was tiny and to prepare for dinner, the owner often had the waitstaff in the kitchen making soups, whisking vinaigrette, juicing oranges, and glazing cakes. Apparently, we also made sweet potato and cranberry tart. The owner also opened a bottle of wine before each meal and we all toasted and sipped before the dinner rush. Maybe that's why I remember my waitressing days so fondly. Or maybe it was the wad of cash that I shoved into my pocket at the end of the night.

Anyway, this tart balances the creamy sweetness of the sweet potato with the tart crispness of the cranberries all in one dish. No reason to serve them separately because they are so much better together. I only add a little bit of sugar to the cranberries so that they remain fairly tart to enhance that contrast. Each bite offers a bit of creaminess and a bit of zest. The yin and yang of Thanksgiving sides.

As Oscar said, it tastes just like Thanksgiving. All these years later, it's still one of my favorites.

There it is, folks. The last of my five-side-dishes-for-Thanksgiving parade. I hope you have found something in these that appeals to you. If you don't get them made by Thanksgiving, they will still make tasty side dishes to some other meals. They will be here, waiting for you, all autumn and winter.

And now that we're done with the savory, we can move on to dessert! I've been cooking up a storm and will have a couple of Thanksgiving dessert recipes for you.

Sweet Potato and Cranberry Tart

Because this side dish is served in a tart shell it is fairly substantial and could stand as a main course for the vegetarians at your table.

The dish can be assembled a day and reheated just before serving in a 300 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

30 minutes preparation time, plus 1 hour to prepare and pre-bake the tart crust
30 minutes baking time

1 Pre-Baked Tart Crust
2 large sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup cream
8 ounces (2 cups) cranberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt and pepper

Prepare and prebake the tart shell according to these instructions. Slide the tart pan onto a cookie sheet so that it is easier to move without the bottom panel popping out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Put them in a medium stockpot with a few shakes of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain off the remaining water.

Turn the potatoes into the bowl of a food processor, add the cream, and blend until smooth. If needed to make the sweet potatoes smooth, add some of the reserved cooking water a splash at a time. The puree should be as stiff as possible so that it holds its shape in the tart. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

In another stockpot, add the cranberries, about a cup of water, the sugar, and the lemon zest. Cover the pot and bring it to a simmer. Keep it covered because as the cranberries cook, they will pop open and you don't want them flying all over your kitchen. Simmer until the cranberries have all popped open and are soft, about 20 minutes. Mash them with a potato masher until the mixture is the texture of a thick fruit jam. If it is too thin, let it simmer for a few more minutes uncovered.

After the tart shell has baked, smooth just over half of the sweet potato mixture over the bottom of the shell, reserving the remaining sweet potato. Next add a layer of the cranberry sauce, spreading it evenly across the top of the sweet potato. There may be more than you need. Reserve a few tablespoons of the cranberry mixture to put on top of the last layer.

Layer the remaining sweet potato on top of the cranberry layer. Don't worry about spreading the layer too evenly; you want some of the cranberry sauce peeking through. Add a few dollops of the remaining cranberry mixture for color.

Bake the tart until it heats through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

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Autumn Green Salad with Roasted Beets, Pears, and Almonds

I've already confessed that I'm terrible at following through with my intentions to make a snazzy drink for dinner party. I might as well get this out on the table, too: salad is usually an afterthought.

I love, love, love, having salad with dinner or -- even better -- as its own course, but I start with dessert, the most important course, and then usually get sidetracked making the main course and the side dishes.

The next thing you know it's 10 minutes before our guests arrive, we have no salad, and I combing through the bottom of the vegetable bin to see what is left there that I can turn into something salad-worthy. Sometimes the result actually works and is an unusual combination that I never planned. But usually it's less than inspiring.

A little crunch from a fresh green salad is especially key at Thanksgiving to balance out all those soft comfort foods. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, even roasted vegetables. All great stuff but not much there in the way of texture. For us vegetarians, there isn't even the chewiness of the turkey.

This year I'm going to do it right.

This salad uses beets and pears to celebrate the season, alongside fresh greens. I added a bit of arugula for its peppery flavor, but not enough to overwhelm the milder flavors of the pears and beets. I even bought dill. At the store. Instead of frantically dashing out at T minus 3 to the herb garden to see what was still growing, I actually planned in advance and put dill on the list.

I'm guessing that this forethought will be an aberration in my planning approach. But this year, anyway, we'll have a tasty seasonal salad at Thanksgiving.

And now I can turn my attention to dessert.

Autumn Green Salad with Roasted Beets, Pears, and Almonds

The parts of this salad can be made in advance. The beets can be raosted, the almonds toasted, the greens washed, and the dressing whisked. The pears can even be diced a few hours in advance. Just toss them with a bit of the dressing to keep them from turning brown.

Serves 8
20 minutes preparation time
20-40 minutes roasting time

8 handfuls of a mix of seasonal greens and arugula
4 medium-sized beets, red or golden
2 Bosc pears
1/4 cup Champagne or white wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons chopped dill
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Wrap the beets in foil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Roast until the beets are tender. Depending on the size of the beets, this will take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes.

When the beets have cooked, set them aside until they are cool enough to handle. Peel off the foil and slip the skins off with your hands.

Slice the beets into bite-sized chunks. Wash the pears, slice and core them and cut them into bite-sized pieces.

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt pepper, and dill.

Put the greens in a large bowl. Add about half of the dressing and toss with the greens. Taste and, if needed, add additional dressing. You may not need it all. Sprinkle the pears, almonds, and beets over the top of the salad.

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Roasted Cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts, with Options

This is the simplest of the side dishes in this week's parade, but if you haven't had these vegetables roasted, you must. Today.

Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are everywhere these days, from farmers' markets to the grocery store. I love the crazy wild purple and yellow cauliflowers from the farmers' market and the stalk of Brussels sprouts from Trader Joe's.

Roasting cauliflower and Brussels sprouts gives them a deep, rich flavor that is more than worth the 10 minutes it takes to prepare the vegetables and toss them with a bit of olive oil. I am convinced that roasting is the reason that all three of our kids love cauliflower. It hasn't won them over on the Brussels sprouts, but as you know, I do not give up easily. I keep trotting roasted Brussels sprouts out onto the dinner table and one of these days, I expect that, like their mother, they will eat these right out of the pan because they can't wait the three minutes between pulling the pan from the oven and sitting down to dinner.

If you already have enough strong flavors on your Thanksgiving table, just roast some cauliflower or Brussels sprouts with a bit of garlic and salt and, I promise they will not disappoint. But if you want to try something a bit more creative, I've got options.

The first is to toss the roasted vegetables with parsley-lemon-garlic just before serving. It will add freshness and brighten up the flavors, a nice contrast to the earthiness from roasting.

Or you could roast some onions alongside the vegetables, slice them, and toss them with the vegetables and some toasted almonds for a riff on the standard green beans with onion and almonds.

Finally, if you add some pimenton to the vegetables before roasting them, they will develop a deep smoky flavor while cooking. Toss on a few toasted pumpkin seeds after the cooking process and you have a fantastic, but very simple, side dish.

You could also mix it up for Thanksgiving. Serve half of the veggies with the one of the optional enhancements and the other half au naturel. It would be interesting to see which disappear first.

Roasted Cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts

 You can, of course, roast both Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, but cook them in separate pans because the cooking times will vary. The vegetables can be roasted ahead and reheated just before serving. Be sure not to overcook them during the first roasting so that they don't become overly mushy when you reheat them. If you are going with one of the options, add the parsley-lemon-garlic mixture or nuts after reheating.

Serves 8 as a side dish
Approximately 10 minutes preparation time
20-30 minutes roasting time

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets or 6 cups Brussels sprouts, with the ends trimmed off
olive oil for drizzling, approximately 2 tablespoons
2 garlic cloves smashed
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large roasting pan, arrange the cauliflower florets or Brussels sprouts in a single layer. Drizzle on the olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper over the top, and mix everything together with the garlic cloves.

Roast until the vegetables are tender but not mushy. The time will depend on the size of your florets or sprouts, but start checking for doneness at about 20 minutes. The vegetables should be easy to pierce with a knife.

Option 1: With Parsley, Lemon, and Garlic

1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Follow the instructions for roasting above.

While the vegetables are roasting, mix the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. After the vegetables have finished roasting, toss on the parsley mixture and stir gently to completely coat the vegetables.

Option 2: With Roasted Onion and Almonds

1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, peeled and sliced lengthwise into eighths
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Follow the instructions for roasting above, but add the onion to the roasting pan and roast it alongside the cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts.

While the vegetables are cooking, toast the almonds in a sauté pan over medium heat, tossing them a few times, until they are fragrant and begin to turn golden, 2-3 minutes.

When the vegetables have finished cooking, remove the onion chunks. Let them cool for a minute on a cutting board, then slice them into bite-sized pieces. Toss the onion pieces and almonds back into the vegetables and serve.

Option 3: With Smoked Paprika and Pepitas

2 teaspoons Pimenton (smoked paprika)
1/4 cup shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

In a small bowl, whisk the smoked paprika with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Drizzle the olive oil onto the cauliflower or Brussels sprouts and roast as instructed above.

If the pepitas are not pre-roasted, toast them in a sauté pan, tossing them a few times. Cook until they are fragrant, about 3 minutes.

When the vegetables have finished roasting, add the pepitas and serve.

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Wild Mushroom and Potato Parcels

Picture a platter of small parcels on your buffet table, each wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. A small gift for each guest to untie and enjoy at the table.

The insides are just as fantastic. Laced with tarragon and chives, when opened, these parcels release a fragrant puff of steam, enticing you to inhale another whiff and luring you to dig your fork in so that you can taste that scent. The mushrooms and potatoes cook with the herbs, wine, and cream to create a little pouch of flavor. You have got to give these a try.

The recipe is adapted from a recipe in Plenty. I love that cookbook! I fiddled with the proportions and herbs and I swapped out the anise-flavored liquor in favor of white wine, which was excellent. I don't know about you, but I don't have Pernod lying around my house and I didn't want to buy a bottle just for the few tablespoons that I needed for the recipe. White wine, on the other hand, I have. The dish is also hearty enough that it could be a main course for the vegetarians.

I recommend serving these along side something that will soak up the flavors of the sauce. Mashed potatoes or an herbed rice would be perfect and even a mildly-flavored stuffing would do nicely. Bread would also do the trick. And in our house there is always bread.

Wild Mushroom and Potato Parcels

The potatoes for this recipe can be cooked a day or two ahead and the mushrooms cleaned and sliced. I would wait until Thanksgiving morning to chop the herbs and toss everything together. The parcels can also be assembled in the morning and refrigerated until you are ready to pop them into the oven.

Adapted from Plenty
Serves 8
Approximately 30 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time

9 cups of a mix of wild and crimini mushrooms
approximately a dozen baby potatoes
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup chopped tarragon
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes and put them in a medium-sized stockpot with their skins still on. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer until tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes, and could be anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. The potatoes should be tender when sliced with a knife but not too soft because they will cook a bit more when they bake in the parcels. Once the skins begin to burst, they are done. Drain the potatoes into a colander and let them cool.

While the potatoes are cooking, clean the mushrooms with a vegetable brush or a paper towel. Remove any large or woody stems and trim the ends off of any smaller stems. Slice the mushrooms and put them in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix everything together gently so that the mushrooms do not break. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Cut 8 pieces of parchment paper at least 13 inches square. Evenly distribute the mushroom-potato mixture among the squares. Pull up the corners of the parchment paper and scrunch the paper together tightly just above the filling. Tie with cotton twine.

Arrange the parcels on a baking sheet with an inch or so between them. Bake for 17 minutes. (If you re removing straight from the refrigerator to the oven, allow an extra minute or two). Remove from the oven. The original recipe says that the parcels need to rest for a minute, but I found that by the time we arranged them on plates or a serving platter, enough time had passed.

Serve the parcels as they are so that each diner can open his or her own bundle. The parcels can be eaten in the parchment paper or the parchment can be removed. Have a bowl handy for the wrappers in case your guests choose the latter option.

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Cardamom Roasted Butternut Squash with Lime-Yogurt Drizzle

Are you a traditionalist at Thanksgiving, wanting the comfort of your favorite dishes each year? Or are you adventurous, eagerly branching out to try something new?

Whichever camp you find yourself in, chances are you will be seated at a table with someone from the competing camp. Or maybe there is a little bit of both camps in you.

To make everyone happy, my solution is to play with the side dishes. Keep the turkey (for you meat eaters) and stuffing, a traditional side or two, and pumpkin and pecan pie. But add something new this year, some new flavors or vegetables -- nothing too wild, but just enough to keep things interesting.

To help you with this, I'm going to give you a week of side dishes starting today. I have five side dishes to share, all with vegetables that are in season and available at the farmers' market now. They'll shake things up a bit and I'll get them to you in time to hit the market next weekend.

For the vegetarians, a couple of these sides, along with some mashed potatoes and stuffing, would round out a meal. If you want a heartier main course, serve them along side that cauliflower tart or vegetable shepherd's pie).

If my ability keeps pace with my ambition, I may even have a dessert recipe for you at the end of the week.

This first side dish recipe is derived from a recipe in Plenty, one of my favorite cookbooks for party food these days (see past posts here and here). We made it for a first course for a dinner party last weekend and I loved the flavors. The warmth of the cardamom was fantastic with the butternut squash and the contrast with the cool flavors of the tangy yogurt sauce, lime, hot peppers, and cilantro elevated the dish beyond the ordinary.

The preparation involved brushing the individual pieces of squash with the cardamom mixture, sectioning limes, making a yogurt sauce, and separately scattering on limes, hot peppers, and cilantro. The presentation was lovely to serve on individual plates but a bit too fiddly to serve with a weeknight meal or on the buffet at Thanksgiving.

So I switched it up, cutting the squash into large chunks, tossing them with the spiced and roasting them. To simplify the accompaniments, I combined all of the flavors into one sauce. Granted the result was not as pretty, but it was simpler to prepare, easy to serve family style, and maybe even a bit tastier because each bite was an explosion of all the flavors. Try it!

Cardamom Roasted Butternut Squash with Lime-Yogurt Drizzle

Depending on the heat of the pepper you use, the dish may have a bit of a kick to it. Since spiciness is not a common flavor on traditional Thanksgiving tables, you may want to warn your dinner companions.

The yogurt sauce can be made up to a day early and the butternut squash can be roasted a few days ahead. Just undercook it so that when it reheats it doesn't get too soft. When the pan cools, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Reheat it just before serving dinner. 

Adapted from Plenty
Serves 6 as a side dish
30 minutes preparation time
30 minutes roasting time

For roasting the squash:
1 large butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons cardamom pods
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the yogurt drizzle:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 jalapeno, minced
2/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the top and bottom off the butternut squash. Set the squash on its bottom and slice it down lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard them.

Peel the butternut squash and dice it into large chunks. I left mine quite large, maybe 2 inches per side so that they would retain some shape when roasted. Arrange the squash in a single layer in a roasting pan.

To prepare the spice mixture, pound the cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle until the pods crack open. Pour out the pods onto a cutting board or plate and separate the pods from the seeds inside. (Granted, this process seems like it will be very time consuming, but it only took a few minutes and the resulting fresh cardamom is worth the effort.) Return the seeds to the mortar and pound again until the seeds are finely ground. 

Empty the ground seeds into a small bowl. Add the allspice, salt, and pepper and whisk together. Add the olive oil and whisk again. Pour the spice mixture over the squash and mix it with your hands or a wooden spoon so that it thoroughly coats the squash pieces. Roast until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife, but not mushy. The roasting time will depend on the size of the squash pieces, but count on somewhere between 20 and 40 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the yogurt sauce. Whisk the yogurt and tahini together with the lime juice. Add the cilantro and jalapeno and mix again. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. The dressing will be quite tart, but resist the urge to temper it because it is excellent with the sweetness of the squash.

When the squash has finished roasting, arrange it onto a serving platter or into a large bowl, taking care to keep the pieces intact. The squash can be served hot or at room temperature. Just before serving, drizzle the yogurt sauce over the top or serve it in a small pitcher on the side.

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Cauliflower and Gorgonzola Tart

Those of you have been reading this blog for a while know that my sister, Sarah, and her husband, Ed, own Black Ankle Vineyards, the best vineyard in Maryland. And I'm not just saying that because Sarah's my sister. Their goal was to show that excellent wine can be made in Maryland and, against the odds, they have done exactly that.

It has been amazing to watch over the past 10 years as they built their business from an idea to a successful, thriving enterprise. It has been a phenomenal amount of work, with long days and nights and zillions of decisions -- big and little -- along the way.

I like to joke that it is best to be the sister of someone who owns a vineyard. I get to enjoy the results without the stress and exhaustion that yielded those results.

When Melissa, Black Ankle's fantastic manager, asked me if I would be willing to put together a recipe to send out with the quarterly wine club shipment, I loved the idea. For the first shimpment, we wanted a dish that would complement the 2011 Bedlam. After tasting the wine on its own (tough work!) around the dinner table one night, we hit on the idea of a dish that would include a blue cheese as well as a hearty vegetable such as broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans.

The cauliflower won out and after a couple of tries, I settled on the creamy mildness of Gorgonzola to go along with it. The tart is substantial enough to be served as a main course with a big green salad and a slab of good bread. It would make an excellent main course for any vegetarians at your Thanksgiving table. Cut into smaller slices, it also could be served as an appetizer or a side dish.

Either way, serve it with a chilled bottle of the Bedlam 2011 and a toast to someone you love. Cheers!

2009: Vegetable Shepherd's Pie
2010: Pumpkin Soup with a(n optional) Kick
2011: Garlicky Cuban Yuca

Cauliflower and Gorgonzola Tart

Serves 8 as a main course
Approximately 1 hour preparation time, plus time for the dough to chill
Approximately 1 hour cooking time

This tart is substantial enough to be served as a main course with a big green salad and a slab of good bread. It would make an excellent main course for any vegetarians at your Thanksgiving table. Cut into smaller slices, it also could be served as an appetizer or a side dish.

For the dough:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into about 10 pieces
1/2 cup white wine*
1 egg, lightly scrambled

For the filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
a splash or two of white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
4 tablespoons chives, snipped with scissors or chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled

Make the crust: Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour with your fingers until the butter bits range in size from grains of sand to small pebbles. Add the white wine and egg and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until the egg and wine are fully incorporated into the flour. The dough will be sticky.

Form the dough into a ball and flatten it slightly into a disk Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour (or as long as a couple of days).

Make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and has softened, 6-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and scrape the onion into a large bowl. Set aside. Wipe the pan out with a paper towel.

Return the pan to the stovetop, turn the heat to medium-high, add the canola oil, and swirl it around the pan so that it coats the sides. After about 30 seconds, add the cauliflower and arrange it with a wooden spoon so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Stir, and continue to cook the cauliflower, stirring it only every few minutes so that it browns.

Cook until the cauliflower begins to soften, but is still quite firm, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add a splash or two of white wine. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour into the bowl with the onions. Let cool for a few minutes.

Add all of the remaining ingredients to the cauliflower except the egg and Gorgonzola. Stir well to incorporate. Add most of the egg, but reserve a few tablespoons to use later to brush the dough. Mix the egg in quickly so that it fully incorporates but doesn't scramble.

Assemble the tart: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. Generously flour the counter and the top of the dough and roll the dough into a large circle, at least 15 inches across, adding more flour if needed to keep the dough from sticking. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet. It's okay if it hangs over the sides at this point because it will be folded onto the sheet after the filling is added.

Spoon the cauliflower mixture onto the dough, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border around the edge. Spread the filling out evenly. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola over the filling. Starting on one side, fold the dough from the edge of the circle up over the filling. Continue around the entire circle, pleating the dough as you go and leaving a wide opening in the center.

Brush the top of the dough with the remaining egg. If you have any left over, drizzle it over the top of the cauliflower in the middle of the tart. Bake until the tart's crust is golden brown, 50 minutes to an hour.

Remove the tart from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

* If you have a decent bottle open from last night, use it. Otherwise, open the Bedlam, use what you need for the recipe, and pour yourself a glass to sip while you cook. But save some for dinner!

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Sweet Potato and Maple After School Muffins

We're all bunkered down here waiting to see what hurricane Sandy brings. Schools and offices are closed, the cupboard is stocked, and the firewood is piled high. The winds are whipping aroung outside and we're as prepared as we can be to get thorough the inevitable loss of electricity.

While the power is still on and others in the house are occupied reading and doing homework, I'm sneaking a few minutes to share this recipe with you. It's another in my effort to make healthier after-school snacks for the kids.

Because sweet potatoes are in abundance this time of year and are reputedly one of the healthiest foods available, they seemed like a logical base for a muffin. I also used oat flour for its whole grain goodness and earthiness and olive oil as a healthier alternative to butter or canola oil.

To flavor the muffins, I used my favorite complement of fall spices, those that traditionally jazz up apple or pumpkin pies. But this time, I increased the nutmeg to bring that spice, which so often takes a back seat to cinnamon, up to the forefront.

I made the first batch of muffins with only maple syrup and although the kids gave them  a thumbs up, Gabe and I both thought they needed to be a bit sweeter. Interesting that we had more of a desire for that sweetness than the kids did, isn't it?

After about a day in the storage tin, something funny started to happen to the sweet potato in the muffins. It began to oxidize and those flecks of potato turned from a beautiful autumnal orange to blue and green. I don't know how to explain the science behind that change, but it was not at all appetizing.

When I made the muffins a second time, I tossed the sweet potato with a bit of lemon juice before adding it to the batter. That has done the trick and kept the sweet potato its original color even after cooking and a week of storage. I also added brown sugar to the second batch to make them a bit sweeter. We all did a blind taste test and agreed that the sweeter version was tastier.

If you're home bound, you oven still works, and you happen to have a sweet potato lying around, here's a lovely little snack that you can enjoy and still feel virtuous.

2009: Brown Sugar Cookies
2010: Dinner in a Pumpkin
2011: Caramel Apples

Sweet Potato and Maple After School Muffins

Makes about 18 muffins
approximately 20 minutes preparation time
25 minutes baking time

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar, plus 3 tablespoons, divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated sweet potato (approximately 1 large sweet potato)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two muffin trays or line them with cupcake liners.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, oat flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda.

In a large measuring cup or small bowl, pour the lemon juice over the shredded sweet potato and stir to completely coat. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the shredded sweet potato and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until the dry ingredients have been evenly incorporated.

Spoon into the muffin tins. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar over the tops of the muffins.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cook for a couple of minutes in the pan, then turn onto a baking rack to cool.

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Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella Risotto

Ice cubes at the North Pole.

Wolly mittens on a summer day.

Dental floss for a baby.

Eggplant can be a tough sell, too, especially for kids. Especially for Chloe.

We've been trying to convince Chloe for years that she likes eggplant. We had a bit of success masking it and even more success frying it. Granted, shoe leather would also be tasty fried, but I was hoping that after eating eggplant fried, she'd have enough of a positive association that she would be willing to try other eggplant dishes.

But apparently her memory of her eggplant tolerance is short.

She ate Bhagan Bharta a few weeks ago and liked it. But when we sat down to this risotto dish last night, one of our favorites, she announced "I don't like eggplant."

After we told her how good it was, oohing and aahing about the creamy smoked mozzarella, she eventually agreed to let us put a bit on her plate so long as it was just the rice without any of the eggplant. She nibbled at that and was willing to have a bit more.

The second round, her serving had eggplant in it but she pushed it to the side of her plate. At least she let it sit on her plate. Is that progress?

So she ate just a bit of rice and devoured the Swiss chard instead.

Ironic isn't it, that she will eat Swiss chard?

At least she did until one of her pieces of Swiss chard touched the eggplant piled on the edge of her plate. She refused to eat that bit of chard, quickly sneaking it onto my plate.

And so it goes, one small step at a time, in the eggplant battles.

As for the rest of us, there is not a scrap of this risotto left in the refrigerator today. Some of us had more than one serving, and what was left after dinner was carried off in lunch boxes today.

2009: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Curried Lentils
2010: Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush
2011: Soft Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Sour Cream

Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella Risotto

 

I have given up on the salting eggplant thing. If there is a difference in the taste, it is so minor that I don't think it's worth it. Also, after we had this the other night, Oscar commented that he thought the eggplant should be cut smaller "so that it melts into the risotto." I had left the pieced big so that Chloe could pick them out more easily, but I agree that the ideal size would have been a smaller dice for the eggplant, about 1/2-inch pieces.

Serves 6-8 as a main course
15 minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time

7 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 medium eggplants, peeled and diced
1 large tomato, diced
2 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 pound smoked mozzarella, diced

Heat the stock in a sauce pan over medium heat.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook it until it is a deep golden color. Remove it from the pan and discard (or if you love garlic like we do, spread it on a piece of bread for a little snack while you're cooking).

Turn the heat up to medium high and add the eggplant and a few shakes of salt. Cook for a few minutes until the eggplant begins to soften. Add the tomato and oregano and stir.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the rice and the white wine. Cook, stirring, until the wine is absorbed into the rice. Add a couple of ladels of stock and stir a few times, until the rice is absorbed into the rice.

Each time the stock is absorbed into the rice add more, and stir periodically. You don't need to stir continuously, just enough to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. When most of the stock is gone, taste the rice for doneness. Is should be tender without any crunch but not mushy.

When the rice is done, stir in the smoked mozzarella and stir to incorporate it fully. Serve immediately.

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Perfectly Soft-Boiled Eggs, Take 2

Remember that post I did about making perfecly soft-boiled eggs?

Ignore it.

Something wonderful happened, you see, and now I have a new favorite, fool-proof way of making soft-boiled eggs.

One of you, kind readers, left me a comment, explaining your mother's way of making soft-boiled eggs. It is super simple and it works every time. And, best of all, it doesn't require much attention at all. Just plunk those eggs in a pot full of water, turn a timer and that's it. I just had to share.

So, thank you, Livy, for reading and for sharing this tip. And thanks to your mom, too!

Perfectly Soft-Boiled Eggs, Take 2

In Livy's comments, she notes that gas stoves seem to cook more quickly than electric and she removes the egg 30 seconds sooner when cooking with gas. I have gas and 10 minutes has worked on my stove. The edge of the yolk is firm but the center is still soft. Given the variety in stoves and personal preferences, though, it may take a bit of fiddling with the exact timing to get the perfect egg.

Fill a pot with cold water.

Add the egg(s)s and place the pot, uncovered, on a burner over high heat. Start a timer for 10 minutes.

When the timer goes off, remove the pot from the heat, drain the water, and fill the pot again with cold water. Let the eggs sit for 30 seconds or so until they are cool enough to handle. Put in the egg in an egg cup and serve.

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Time Travel (Bhagan Bharta)

I have been time traveling.

I pulled my scrapbook of recipies off the shelf the other day, the one that I filled over the years with recipes from friends, newspapers, magazines. I don't clip recipes any more, now that I can find almost anything on line in seconds. But I have quite a collection from back in the day.

Flipping through those pages took me on a journey. I saw recipes that we used to make regularly that we haven't made in ages -- our favorite cheesecake recipe! -- and many that we have never made. Even seeing those unmade recipes there, with their tantalizing possibilities, was a treat.

My favorite part of flipping through those pages, though, was finding recipes from friends.

Seeing those recipes, written in our friends' own hands pulled me back. Back to Anita's dinner party where I tasted that apple crisp and knew I had to have the recipe. Back to the cheesy potato casserole that Michelle's sister brought to a pot luck. Back to the Spring Mill Cafe outside of Philadelphia, the French restaurant where I worked during college, and the recipe for creamy salad dressing that makes enough to feed an army.

Back to our wedding shower, to the anticipation of collecting the recipe cards friends had brought to share.

Back to that time before we had children when friends were our family, that circle that held us, supported us, entertained us, consoled us.

Back to that time when the lives we live today -- children, house, job -- would have seemed foreign and were only imaginable in a hazy, dreamy vision.

Flipping the pages in that recipe book pulled me gently back there, with visions of more recent events flashing thorough my mind as I traveled there. Children's milestones, vacations, dinners, gatherings, funerals, weddings, all passed me by as if glimpsed out the window of a moving train.

Those images flashed by and overwhelmed me as I thought of all that we have shared and built and lost.

It was 15 years ago that we got married.

I pulled out a recipe that I had not made in years, our friend Neha's mother's Bhagan Bharta recipe. I made it and it was excellent. I served it for dnner, wondering whether the children would eat it.

They devoured it, this family of ours, circling around, carrying me back, closing the loop.

2009: Zuccanoes
2010: Smoky Eggplant Lasagne
2011: Freshened Up Eggplant Parmesan

Malti Misra's Bhagan Bharta*

Bhagan Bharta is an excellent way to use some of those beautiful eggplants and end-of-season tomatoes that are at the farmers' markets now.

Although I have used Mrs. Misra's recipe, I have adapted it liberally and any inauthenticity is my own. The original recipe calls for cooking the eggplants in the microwave. I used the grill because I like that grilled flavor, but if you want a quicker recipe, use the microwave technique (described below). This version is gingery and fresh with just a hint of smokiness from the grilled eggplant and minimal heat.

Serves 6-8
15 minutes preparation time
1 hour cooking time

2 large eggplants (or 3 medium-sized ones)
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 medium onions, chopped
2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, peeled and chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 serrano chile, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Rice, naan, or pita, for serving

Preheat the grill to high.

Cut a cross into the end of each eggplant and half of the garlic into each. Grill the eggplants until they are well-charred on the outside, turning them once or twice. Depending on how black you want them, this could take from half an hour to an hour. Remove from the grill and let cool.

Alternatively, if you want a quicker way to cook the eggplants, stuff them with the garlic and microwave them on high for about 15 minutes, until they are very soft.

When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, slit them length-wise and open them up. Scoop out the flesh and chop it coarsely. If you come across any of the garlic cloves that you stuffed into the eggplants, chop them, too. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, ginger, and chile and cook until the onions have softened, about 8 minutes. Add the eggplant and about a cup of water, along with the ground coriander and salt. Cook until the water has reduced and the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato and cilantro and cook until everything has heated through, about 2 minutes.

Serve hot with rice, naan, or pita.

*There are many variations of the spelling of the name of this recipe, including Baingan or Baigan and Bhurtha and Bhurta.

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Peach Cobbler

Cooking with Mother Goose: A series of occasional posts inspired by children's stories and rhymes.

Cobbler, Cobbler

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe;
Have it done by half past two;
Is it black or is it brown;
Is it up or is it down?

This rhyme has saved us countless times as we tried to entertain our children during one of those seemingly interminable waits. Like at a restaurant when three seconds after ordering someone asks indignantly, "where is our food!?!" Or while in waiting in line at the post office/grocery store/DMV, trying to keep everyone in line and reasonably quiet. Or fifteen minutes into a long car ride when after the inevitable, "are we there yet?"

We play it as a guessing game. To play, put a penny or pebble in one hand and curl both hands into a fist. As you recite the rhyme, tap one fist on top of the other, alternating which hand goes on top. At the end, others guess which hand contains the object.

As I was perusing the internet to see if there are any other versions of this rhyme, I again realized that perhaps my version is not the original. It is quite different from the others I found which are variations of these:

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe;
Have it done by half past two;
Half past two is much too late!
Have it done by half past eight.

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe;
Have it done by half past two;
Stitch it up or stitch it down;
And I'll give you half a crown;

Or:

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe;
Have it done by half past two.
Stitch it up or stitch it down;
Then I'll walk around the town.

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my boot;
Mend it well to fit my foot;
Stitch it Up or stitch it down;
Then I'll walk around the town.

Maybe our version was adapted by our children's nursery school, Acorn Hill. Whatever the provenance, we still use it from time to time, and the last few times I made cobbler, it raced through my head. The best kind of cobbler, cobbler.

2009: Homemade Ricotta
2010: Peach Macarons
2011: Herbed Ricotta-Feta Spread

Peach Cobbler

This recipe, like peach pie, lets perfectly ripe peaches shine. We are comng to the end of peach season in these parts, and this is an excellent way to use up any you have left. It is also delicious with blackberries instead or a mix of the two.

Serves 8
40 minutes preparation time
30-35 minutes baking time

8-10 medium peaches (about 6 cups cut and peeled)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
1/3 cup boiling water
vanilla ice cream for serving (optional, but really, really good)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the peaches and boil them for about 1 minute. Drain and let cool. When the peaches are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins. Cut the peaches into bite-sized pieces into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir to coat the peaches. Add the cornstarch and sugar and mix until the cornstarch and sugar are fully incorporated.

To make the dough, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter pieces and mix the butter into the flour with your fingers, working until the bits of butter range in size from grains of sand to small pebbles. Add the boiling water and stir with a fork until the batter is uniformly moist.

Pour the peaches into a pie plate. With a large spoon, scoop the dough over the peaches, making sure to leave lots of gaps (even more than I show in the picture) between the lumps of dough so that the steam can escape.

Slide the pie plate onto the baking sheet and bake until the peaches are bubbling and the top of the cobbler is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve, ideally with vanilla ice cream.

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Overabundance Grilled Vegetable Dip

"Mommy, will you give me 100 kisses tonight?"

I am ashamed to admit that my first reaction is not one of unbridled joy. Chloe has gotten into bed later than I want, and we are all tired from adjusting to the routine of a new school year. I want to finish cleaning the kitchen, and to make sure the older children have finished their homework and are winding down for the day. And I really want to get to bed myself.

We have read. We have snuggled. The water glass is full. It's time to go to sleep.

She throws it out there partly, I think, because she thinks it is an impossible request to grant. 100 is, after all, a very big number to this little girl. And suddenly, I am seized by a desire to show her how much I love her in a way that maybe she will understand.

"Sure, sweetie, I'll give you 100 kisses."

I begin kissing her all over her face, up and down her arms, on both sides of her hands. It goes quickly and in about 2 minutes, my sweet girl is covered in kisses. I can't stop, so I give her a few extras on her cheeks and eyes as I whisper my last good nights.

"Why do you always give me extras?"

"Because once I start, I can't stop."

"Because I'm cute?"

"Because I love you so much."

She has no more words after that. She just smiles, pulls her comforter up to her chin, and burrows into them. Good night, sweet girl.

2009: Harvest Vegetable Tart
2010: Triple Ginger Zucchini Bread
2011: Herbed Ricotta-Feta Spread

Grilled Vegetable Dip

At this time of year, when the markets are overflowing with excellent produce, we grill a lot of vegetables. This dip is endlessly adaptable and can be made from whatever grilled vegetables are left over at the end of the week. The dip can be made ahead and stored for a few days in the refrigerator.

30 minutes preparation time
40 minutes grilling time

1 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper
1 red onion, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2/3 cup crumbled feta
1 or 2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons oregano leaves
handful of basil leaves
pita chips, crackers or vegetables, for serving

Turn on the grill to high and let it heat while you prepare the vegetables.

Salt the eggplant with coarse salt and set aside for 15 minutes or so. Pat it dry with a paper towel.

Brush the eggplant, zucchini, and red onion lightly with olive oil and sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper. Arrange them on the grill in a single layer. Add the red pepper to the grill, too.

Cook the vegetables on the grill until they are tender and lightly charred. The red pepper should blacken all over. When the pepper is done, remove it from the grill and set it aside to cool. When it is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin with your fingers and remove the seeds and stem.

Add the vegetables to the bowl of a food processor with the feta, remaining olive oil, and lemon juice. Blend until the vegetables are well-mixed, but the mixture is still a bit chunky. Add the oregano and basil and mix briefly. Taste the dip and adjust the flavors by adding more salt, lemon juice, or herbs, if you like.

Serve with vegetables, crackers, or pita chips.

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Cognac-Soaked Peaches

The other evening, I planned to make peach sorbet for dinner for friends, but on the way home from the market with my fabulously ripe seconds peaches, I remembered that I had taken the ice cream maker's freezer bowl out of the freezer when the power went out.

And I hadn't yet put it back.

It takes about 24 hours to freeze hard. On to plan B.

Those seconds peaches weren't going to last the day so I wanted something that used them. And then I remembered this beautiful post from Cheryl Sternman Rule at her fabulous blog, 5 Second Rule. Man, that woman can write!



So these are peaches, not figs. And I substituted cognac for ouzo. So what? It still counts.

2009: Mint Limeade
2010: Grilled Peaches with Mint Whipped Cream
2011: Sour Cherry Clafouti

Cognac-Soaked Peaches

The first time I made these, I made the slices too big and it was hard to cut the skins to eat them. So now I recommend cutting them into bite-sized pieces before letting them steep in the cognac. The squeeze of lime juice will help keep them from discoloring.

This recipe is an excellent little quick dish worth having in your repertoire.

Serves 4
10 minutes preparation time, plus an hour or two to sit

4 ripe peaches
4 tablespoons cognac
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
a squirt of lime

Vanilla ice cream, pound cake, or creme fraiche, for serving

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Slice the peaches lengthwise and cut each slice across three times. The result will be bite-sized cubes.

Pour the peaches into a bowl and add the cognac, sugar and lime juice. Stir and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for at least an hour.

Serve spooned over ice cream or pound cake or with a dollop of creme fraiche.

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White Peach Sorbet

Do you remember growing seasons that hit us leisurely, allowing us to gorge on strawberries and get completely sick of them before cherries hit? Then we ate cherries until our mouths and fingers were deep purple and blueberries came along. Next came raspberries and we had time to get our fill before the peaches, plums, and nectarines hit the markets.

What the heck happened this year?

Strawberries were barely out before they disappeared, I only saw one week of sour cherries, and now it is blueberry-raspberry-plum-peach-nectarine season. I'm assuming that the exceptionally warm spring and summer has gotten us into this predicament.



Or maybe it's old age, it's just me, and time is flying by.

Either way, I'm having trouble keeping up.

As always, though, I was ecstatic to see the first peaches appear at the farmers' market. We will eat lots of them with the juice running down our hands and chins, and we will make pies, and maybe this year I will can some for the winter (suggestions welcome!).

For now, though, we are loving this sorbet because it just tastes like pure peach. A very cold, perfectly ripe, refreshing peach. I plan to stock the freezer with this one.

2009: Purple Raspberry Sauce
2010: Apricot-Blueberry Upside Down Cake
2011: Blueberry Birthday Pie

White Peach Sorbet

I used mostly white peaches for this sorbet because their perfume-y, delicate flavor shines in this pure concoction. But yellow peaches would do just fine.

If I am making the sorbet on the day I am buying the peaches, I ask for seconds at the market because they will be very ripe. If you do this, buy a few extra because you will likely need to pare off some bruised or brown spots.

Adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop
Makes about 1 quart
10 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time, plus a few hours to cool and freeze the sorbet

6 very ripe peaches, preferably white peaches
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon rum
1 tablespoon lime juice

Wash the peaches and trim off any bruised spots. Cut them into chunks with the skins still on.

Add the peaches to a small saucepan and stir in the sugar until the peaches are well-coated. Add the water, cover, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, cook the peaches until they are very soft and the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool. After it has cooled to room temperature, pour the peach mixture into a blender, add the rum and lime juice, and blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the instructions. Freeze the sorbet until ready to serve.

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Classic Gazpacho

When the weather is beastly hot, gazpacho is an excellent antidote. Fresh taste, no oven or stovetop to heat up the house, the best seasonal produce.

Really, that's it.

It's hot. Make gazpacho. Be cool.

2009: Smoky Deviled Eggs
2010: Brown Buttered Zucchini with Spaghetti
2011: Sushi Rice Salad

Classic Gazpacho

This gazpacho is a basic recipe that can be tweaked to your liking. Love garlic? Cilantro? Lime? Go wild! If you like more spice, increase the jalapeno or add just a bit at the beginning and, after everything is blended, taste the soup and add more jalapeno if you like.

My approach is to blend the strongest flavors most thorougly at the beginning to ensure that they will be spread uniformly throughout the soup. The milder vegetable flavors can be left more chunky.

The soup can be made ahead. The flavors will intensify and are even better after it has had a chance to sit overnight.

Serves 8
30 minutes preparation time, plus about 2 hours for chilling

4 slices peasant wheat or similar hearty wheat bread, crusts removed and cut coarsely (about 2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 jalapeno pepper
5 large tomatoes, diced
2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
2 red, yellow, or orange peppers, seeded, cored, and diced
1 teaspoon cumin
juice of 1 or 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
3/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup parsley
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Spanish olive oil

Set aside about two cups of the tomato, cucumber, and pepper to add back at the end for texture.

Pour half a cup of water over the bread and let it sit for about a minute. Squeeze out the water with your hands. Put the bread in a blender with the garlic, jalapeno pepper, and some of the tomato. Blend to a fine puree. Pour into a large bowl or soup tureen.

Blend the all of the remaining ingredients except the olive oil in batches. I don't blend the successive batches as finely so that the soup has a variety of textures. If needed, add some water, up to 2 cups total.

Add the olive oil to the last batch of vegetables and blend until the olive oil emulsifies. Add to the bowl with the other batches of blended vegetables. Add the remaining chopped vegetables and stir everything to combine. Refrigerate until the soup is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.

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Togetherness: The Whole Beet Sauté

Peas in a pod. That's what we've been here for the past week or so. Five of us, together, nearly every day, around the clock. With no power and no air conditioning, we ended up congregating in the coolest places -- on the porch, in the basement -- so that even though we had plenty of space to spread out in this house, we were never far apart.

And it was too hot to do much besides sit around and try not to think about how hot we were. All those summer projects that I had on my list seemed much less critical with the temperature hovering at about 100.

Summertime has a togetherness rhythm anyway, with vacation, lots of time at the pool, and weekend outings. But this year, we got thrown into our togetherness in a hurry. 

We were together all day for three days straight, had a one-day interlude and then were together for the Fourth of July. Most of our time was great. We turned the dining room table into a ping pong table, spent time together at the pool, played games, went to the movies, and read and read.

But the togetherness wasn't always ideal. At times our nerves wore thin, patience waned, and tempers flared. I led the way on that one. One afternoon, I found myself arguing with Chloe, one of those ridiculous arguments that escalated beyond the point of no return. Afterwards I had to remind myself that I am the adult and need to set a better example, rather than acting like the 7-year old that I was arguing with. Now I can't even remember what our argument was about, but at the time it all seemed so very important.

And one afternoon, as we set out to stay with our super wonderful friends who offered to take us in to their air conditioned home with dog and all, each of the kids decided to test our patience, whining, complaining, fussing. One at a time, they pushed our buttons, almost breaking us.

We lectured them all the way over to our friends' house about gratitude and giving us a break. I'm not whether it really sunk in, but we needed it. And it does seem that things are improving.

I feel like we're moving in synch now. Not without our challenges. Not without needing a little break apart or a series of long, deep breaths. But slowly it is coming together. We're coming together again.

Summertime togetherness.

2009: Lentil and Feta Salad (we still love, love, love this recipe)
2010: Red Wine Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini
2011: Fresh Pea and Potato Gratins

This song has been running through my head while writing this post. Does anyone else remember it or am I showing my age here?

The Whole Beet Sauté

Serves 6 as a side dish
15 minutes preparation time
30-60 minutes cooking time

Beets and goat cheese are a classic combination but we used a soft goat's milk cheese with a rind rather than the usual chevre for this recipe. If you're in the D.C. area, you may be able to find it: Cherry Glen's Monocacy Gold. But even if you can't find it, try another soft goat's milk cheese that is a bit different.

The beets can be roasted in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

1 bunch beets, with their greens
olive oil
2 garlic scapes, chopped (or 1 garlic clove, chopped)
a splash of balsamic vinegar
a couple of slices of goat's milk cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash the beets and cut off their tops. Wrap the beet roots in foil and layer the wrapped beets on a baking sheet. Bake them in the oven until they are tender. The cooking time will depend on the size of the beets, but could be anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.

When the beets have finished roasting, let them cool until you can touch them. Unwrap them and remove the skins with your fingers. Cut the beets across their middles and then into quarters so that you have small wedges.

Wash the beet greens and cut the stems off the bottom. You need not remove the center stalk of the leaves; they will become tender when they cook. Chop the greens roughly.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the greens and the scapes, along with salt and pepper. Cook until the greens wilt, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. If the greens begin to brown, add a splash of water.

Add the beets to the greens and cook them until they heat through. Add a splash or two of balsamic vinegar and stir to loosen any caramelization on the bottom of the pan.

Serve the beet-green mixture onto individual plates and top with a slice of the goat cheese. Eat it while it's hot.

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Shaved Asparagus Salad with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

I've been seeing recipes for shaved asparagus pop up here and there. They are made with raw asparagus shaved thinly and mixed with any number of ingredients. I finally decided that I better try one to see what all the fuss is about.

I used parmesan because I thought the nutty saltiness would complement the freshness of the asparagus and I wanted to shave it to mirror the shape of the asparagus. Parmesan and pine nuts go well together so I added pine nuts to my list. I decided to keep the dressing simple, using lemon and chives to enhance the freshness of the raw asparagus.

The result was very refreshing. Leaving the asparagus raw brought out the green, new flavor rather than highlighting the sweeter side that you would get from blanching or roasting. That bright new flavor was perfect for spring.

Shaving the asparagus is a bit fiddly, but it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be. Just dig in and give it a try and by the third one, you'll be a pro. If you want some more tips, Amanda and Merril at Food 52 offered this helpful tutorial. The only change I would make is that I keep the ends on my asparagus before I shave them as a handle.

Oscar doesn't like asparagus and Chloe can't tolerate much lemon, so they weren't fans. But Olivia joined the adults at the table in giving it two thumbs up.

2009:  Roasted Asparagus and New Potatoes with Tarragon
2010:  Olivia's Warm Goat Cheese Salad
2011:  Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Salad

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

Fatter asparagus will be easier to shave than the ultra thin ones, although the thin ones still work. I like to leave the shavings long because they look pretty curled into a tangle in the bowl. They are too long to be bite-sized, however and if you'd like to save your dinner guests some work, cut the lengths into thirds or quarters after shaving them.

Because the asparagus shavings are more sturdy than lettuce greens, they can be tossed with the dressing ahead of time and they will not wilt. I'd wait to add the pine nuts and cheese, though, or they will lose their texture.

Serves 4 as a side dish
20 minutes preparation time2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 bunch asparagus (about a dozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresm lemon juice
1 tablespoon chives
chunk of pramesan for shaving

Put the pine nuts in a single layer in a pan over medium-low heat. Toast until they are fragrant and begin to turn golden, 3-5 minutes.

Rinse and drain the asparagus. Leave the ends on. Lay an asparagus stalk on a cutting board. Using a potato peeler, begin shaving the asparagus lengthwise from the base, beginning where the aspargus stalk starts to change color from white or pale green to a deeper green. Depending on the shape of your potato peeler, as the stalk gets flatter, you may need to shift it to the edge of the cutting board to get a better angle. Continue all the way to the tip so that the result is a long thin sheet of slightly curled asparagus. Discard the handle end of the stalk (or save it for stock).

Keep shaving until the asparagus is too thin to yield another piece. Repeat with the remaining stalks. Toss the curled asparagus pieces into a shallow bowl. If there are any short pieces or tips that didn't get curled, toss then in as well.

Put the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk it together and, while you are whisking, slowly add the olive oil. Using a pair of scissors, snip the chives into the dressing, pour the dressing over the asparagus, and mix gently.

Just before you are ready to serve, sprinkle the pine nuts over the top of the salad. Using that same potato peeler (rinse it if you must), shave some parmesan over the salad. Use as much as you like, but I'd count on at least 12 to 16 pieces to ensure that each serving gets three or four pieces of parmesan.

Gently mix the salad and serve.

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Oscar's Strawberry Milkshakes

Rhubarb Shortcakes

You know how your mind wanders and you go from Shakespeare to rhubarb to crossdressing?

Sometimes you are just sitting, innocently minding your own business, watching your daughter perform in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Just watching, soaking in her enthusiasm and joy, watching her recite lines that you saw in the beat up script that she carried around for months but didn't mean much to you on the page. Now listening, hearing those words come to life.

Then you hear it: "rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb."

What the?

But there it is, clear as day, "rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb-rhubarb." Two characters, mumbling, saying that word of all words.

And not just any characters, mind you. It is one boy playing a boy playing a girl and another boy playing a boy playing a boy, mumbling through a girl playing a boy playing a wall. And it gets you thinking about how Shakespeare only used male actors to play all the roles so that there was lots of crossdressing going on. And you think how much funnier it is to watch those gender roles all scrambled than it would be if it were just boys playing boys, girls playing girls, and walls playing walls.

And in a way, you think, Rhubarb is a very Shakespearian vegetable. Sure, tomatoes are botanically fruits that we more commonly treat as vegetables (as are beans, squash, corn, etc., all of whom carry their own seeds within themselves, but for some reason nobody talks about them being fruits).

But I can't think of any other vegetables that masquerade as fruits. Rhubarb, then, is special.

Also, rhubarb is delicious. Even all by itself as the star of the show.

Your mind does wander like this, too . . . doesn't it?

2009: Candied Ginger Scones
2010: Monday Rhubarb Streusel Cake
2011: Green Rhubarb Galette

Rhubarb Shortcakes

Inspired by Anne Dimock's recipe for Straight-Up Rhubarb Pie on Food 52

The individual components for the dessert can be made several hours in advance and assembled just before serving. When I served these on Saturday, I halved this recipe and also made a separate strawberry topping for those who wanted a more traditional dessert. I used about a quart of strawberries, and loosely followed this recipe. Most of us opted for open-faced shortcakes with strawberries on one side and rhubarb on the other.

Serves 12
35 minutes preparation time
15 minutes baking time

For the shortcakes:
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup milk
cream for brushing (a tablespoon or less)

For the rhubarb:
5-6 cups rhubarb, trimmed, washed, and diced (about a pound)
1/4 cup sugar
small pinch cinnamon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

To make the shortcakes, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl  Mix in the butter with your fingers, mashing it into the flour until the mixture is the texture of coarse cornmeal.  Slowly stir in the milk a bit at a time, using just enough to get the mixture to hold together.  Knead the dough for about a minute.  Roll it into a ball and flatten it into a disk.

Flour a work surface and roll the dough out until it is approximately 1/2 inch thick. Cut it into 2-inch rounds (or hearts or diamonds...).  After you have cut one batch, re-roll the dough and cut again. When you are left with small scraps, shape them into a final disk. It will be lumpy, but it will still taste good. Arrange the shortcakes on the cookie sheet and brush them with a bit of cream. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the cakes turn a pale gold color. Remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool on a rack.

Toss the rhubarb, sugar, and cinnamon together in a small saucepan. With the lid on, heat the rhubarb over medium-low heat until the rhubarb releases its juices, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and let the mixture simmer until the rhubarb is very soft, about 15 minutes.

To make the cream mixture, whip the heavy cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together until it is the texture of whipped cream.

When they are cool enough to handle, split them horizontally with a large knife. The shortcakes are firm and this is easier to do than it initially seems it will be.

To serve, place the bottom of each shortcake on a platter. Spoon about two tablespoons of the rhubarb mixture on top, and then layer on the whipped cream. Gently place the cake top on the whipped cream. 

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Curried Apple Slaw

Gray skies, brown grass, bare trees. Even in a low-snow winter, they leave this girl pining for fresh, green and crisp. Never mind that there are already green shoots pushing up from bulbs that have rightfully earned several more weeks of hibernation. There is something about winter that makes me crave salad.

And so I have been eating salad like a rabbit. Since many of our meals lately have been as guests of others, I almost always eat more than my share, looking both ways before picking up the salad bowl to ask, "Does anybody want more salad?" Who would dare say yes after seeing the the glint in my eyes?

Usually, I am satisfied with a green salad, often with greens from Chesapeake Greenhouse bought at the Farmers' Market (I have written before about them here). I don't even need many toppings, maybe just some carrots and a sprinkle of nuts. But recently I strolled the farmers' market looking for more seasonal vegetables for my creation. There was cabbage everywhere and apples are still in abundance. A slaw was born.


Oscar's reaction when I tried to tell him that he would just love the slaw ("You love apples! You love curry!") was unenthusiastic: "I love apples and I love curry, but they just don't go together." He stuck to that line and gave the slaw a pass, but the rest of us disagreed. All that crunchiness was excellent and the warmth of the curry played well with the sweet-tart of the apples.

It would go very well with one of those winter soups that I have also been eating in great quantities. We recently had it with Lemony White Bean Soup and the result was a table of happy rabbits.

February 2009: Suppli
February 2010: Fennel-Orange Slaw

February 2011: Lemony Jerusalem Artichoke Stew with Biscuit Top

Curried Apple Slaw

Serves 6
15 minutes preparation and cooking time

I chopped the vegetables for this slaw by hand because I like some variety in size and texture, but you could, by all means, use a grater or food processor. The choice of whether to peel the apples is yours. I peeled one and left the peel on the other for more color.

1 tablespoon curry
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 half small red cabbage (about 2 cups sliced)
2 granny Smith apples, peeled if you like, cored, and cut into matchsticks
2 scallions
1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Heat the curry in a small pan over medium heat, just until it becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour it into a small bowl. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the cabbage, apples, and scallions. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir well. Just before serving, add the toasted walnuts and stir again.

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Caramel Apples

We have spent a lot of time these last few weeks getting ready for the kitchen project. We've cleaned, packed, organized, sorted, boxed, and schlepped loads of stuff, way more than I thought could fit in that kitchen and dining room. And we tried to prepare ourselves emotionally, taking a bit of time out to reminisce and honor all of the good times that we had in those rooms.

But still I wanted us to have one last family cooking project before that kitchen went into the history books. We had been apple picking at Larriland Farms and talked about making caramel apples, so one day before the walls came tumbling down, we pushed aside the debris and dusted off a swath of counter top. We stirred and stirred and stirred and twirled and had ourselves a good old time making these delicious apples.

We thought about using the finished apples as Halloween treats for "ghosting" our neighbors, but they were so good that we ended up hoarding them for ourselves.

I will confess that there was one point when I was waiting and waiting for that caramel to get hot enough that I thought I had lost my mind. Why was it that I thought we could squeeze this in to our already extremely busy day? But once I saw how happy the kids were biting into those sweet crunchy apples, I had no regrets. I hope that we will all hold the memory of that evening together for years to come. Even if the apples are long gone.

I found a recipe for caramel apples on 101 Cookbooks that I loved for its simplicity, essentially cream and honey. The honey was excellent with the apples. I tweaked the recipe just a bit, but it would be very easy to do more to it, such as increasing the salt content in this recipe or adding a sprinkling of salt after the apples are removed from the pan and making these Salted Caramel Apples. I'm going to have to give that a try. You could also roll the cooled apples in other toppings such as chopped nuts, coconut, or chocolate chips. We loved them just as caramel apples, simple and pure.

Second Helping: Dinner in a Pumpkin (perfect for Halloween!)
Thirds: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Caramel Apples

If you'd like to deviate from the classic caramel apple, after the apples have cooled in the refrigerator for a few minutes, add a sprinkling of sea salt or roll the apples in a topping such as coconut, chopped nuts, or mini chocolate chips.

Makes 8 caramel apples
15 minutes preparation time
approximately 1 hour cooking time, plus time for chilling

8 small, tart apples
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

other equipment: 8 chopsticks or short, thick skewers

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Make room in the refrigerator for the cookie sheet and make sure that the refigerator shelf is positioned so that there is enough room above to accommodate the apples with their chopsticks/skewers. Wash the apples and place a chopstick or skewer into the stem end of each one. Line them up on the cookie sheet.

Place a small sauce pan over medium low heat and add the cream. When small bubbles appear at the edge of the pan, add the honey, vanilla and salt and stir with a wooden spoon to fully incorporate the ingredients.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat, keeping the mixture at a low simmer. It may take a while to get the temperature of the caramel right so that it simmers and continues to get hotter, but doesn't foam up too high. Continue to heat the caramel, stirring frequently, until it reaches 248 to 250 degrees. This will take a long time, maybe about 40 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool for a few minutes. When the temperature of the caramel has cooled to 190 degrees, dip an apple. The caramel should be liquid enough that it is easy to dip the apple, but thick enough that the caramel doesn't immediately run off. If it is too thin, let it cool a bit more. If it is too thick, place the pan again over low heat and stir for a few seconds.

Carefully dip each apple into the caramel until it is almost completely submerged. Lift it out of the caramel and let it any excess caramel drip off. Turn the apple upright and hold it there for about 30 seconds to give the caramel a chance to set. Roll the apple from side to side, evening out the caramel coating and allowing it to firm up. Place the apple onto the parchment paper to cool. Repeat with the remaining apples.

If the caramel stops sticking to the apples or gets very thick, return it to the heat and just bring it to a simmer. Removethe pan from the heat and begin dipping apples again.

Put the tray of apples in the refrigerator to cool for about 15 minutes. Remove them and, if you like, press any caramel that has pooled onto the tray back onto the apples (we thought it was fine to have a bit of pooling. It leaves the apple with a nice ridge of caramel right on the top when you flip it over to eat it).

Return the apples to the refrigerator to finish cooling. When they have cooled completely, wrap them in plastic wrap or wax paper to store.

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Warm and Cozy Broccoli and Red Pepper Soup

What the heck happened to fall? I'm a fan of those crisp blue-skied days and cool nights, when you need a sweater or jacket in the morning but the layers peel off by lunch time. No such luck this year. Bam. Without any warning or time to get used to the idea, it feels like November. Suddenly we're in soup season.

Fortunately, we love soup.

It can be quite cozy to come inside out of the damp, gray weather to a warm house and tuck into a bowl of soup. Unfortunately for us, the first time we tried to crank up the heat, we got only a sputter. Our thermostat inside has been hovering around 60 degrees, which is a good bit chillier than my normal comfort level. Those few degrees don't seem like such a big difference numerically, but we've been feeling them in our bones. I've been walking around the house in a scarf, an extra sweater and handwarmers (very helpful keeping my hands warm while I type), and I'm acclimating. Maybe we'll be able to keep the thermostat a bit lower this winter.

The repair man came yesterday, tinkered with our 20-year old boiler, and said that there wasn't anything he could do for it. The end. Ugh.

Fortunately, we love soup.

Last weekend, Gabe bought broccoli to make a soup. For some reason, our kids all like broccoli soup, even though they won't always eat it as a side. This time around, we added red bell peppers because they are still available at the farmers' market and I thought they would add a bit of sweetness to the broccoli. The cumin and mustard add warmth to the flavor so that even our taste buds warmed up. In fact, just the smell of the soup simmering on the stove helped cut the chill.

Bring on the cold weather. I'm ready. And the nutrients from the soup will give us the strength to get through the boiler-buying process.

Second Helping: Corn and Green Bean Chowder
Thirds: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Curried Lentils

Warm and Cozy Broccoli and Red Pepper Soup

Serves 6
20 minutes preparation time
45 minutes cooking time

1 large head of broccoli (about 8 cups of florets)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cumin
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Rinse the broccoli and cut off the stems as high up on the stalk as possible. Slice the stems across and dice them.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes. Add the potato, red pepper, and broccoli stems and saute for a minute or two. Add the mustard, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover the vegetables generously with water and bring to a simmer. Cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Puree the soup briefly with an immersion blender, just enough to thicken the soup. It should still be chunky. Add the broccoli florets and simmer until they are tender, but still bright green, 5 to 10 minutes depending on their size.

Serve immediately.

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Fresh Figs with Ricotta, Honey, and Pistachios

Some days it all comes tumbling down, that balance that I have so carefully tried to maintain in my life as a working mother.

Some days I can see all my mistakes but feel powerless to stop them. Children are so good at reflecting those flaws back onto us, aren't they?

Some days I feel like everything I am doing is falling short and I am failing as a parent, wife, friend, employee, and most certainly as a housekeeper and laundress.

Yesterday was like that. The children took turns acting up and I could see my mistakes and bad habits in their behavior. Instead of keeping cool and doing some quality parenting, I got mad and lost it. And then I got mad at myself for losing it.

Not a good day.

But today is a new day and it will be different. I hope it will be better, too, but at least it will be different. I will try to learn from yesterday's mistakes and to take a deep breath (or three) before I react.

If all else fails, I will cook my way through my mood. I will make something delicious and beautiful. And I will be prepared with a smile and an understanding shrug if the children won't even touch it.

Secong Helping: Peach Macarons
Thirds: Fig and Port Jam

Fresh Figs with Ricotta, Honey and Pistachio

These figs are equally good as an appetizer or as a light dessert.

Serves 6
15 minutes preparation time

9 fresh figs
1/4 to 1/2 cup ricotta (if you're local, I love Blue Ridge Dairy's)
a few drizzles of honey
2 tablespoons pistachios, toasted and chopped

Slice the figs in half from top to bottom. Arrange them on a serving plate with their cut sides facing up.

Add about a teaspoon of ricotta to each fig. Drizzle generously with honey. Sprinkle with the toasted pistachios.

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Freshened Up Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant parmesan has had me in a quandary. The best eggplants are available at farmers' markets at this time of year, so this should be the best time of year to make it. But it has never seemed like a summer dish to me. The breaded, fried eggplant, loads of sauce and cheesy goodness have their place, but it seems a wintry place to me, best eaten when the weather is cold outside and a good dish of comfort is in order.

We needed a summer version of eggplant parmesan, and this is my crack at it. Instead of breading and frying the eggplant, we sliced it thinly and roasted it. Our sauce was Cherry Tomato Almost Sauce, barely saucy at all, and we used a bit of ricotta as well as the traditional mozzarella to give the whole thing a fresher flavor.






It scratched my eggplant parmesan itch. The children loved it, too, except for Chloe, who separated all her eggplant -- and perhaps anything that had touched the eggplant -- over to the side of her plate.

Now I just have to figure out how to preserve this season's excellent eggplants to make a wintry version a few months from now.

Second Helping: Smoky Eggplant Parmesan
Thirds: Homemade Ricotta

Freshened Up Eggplant Parmesan

Serves 6 to 8
45 minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time

4 small globe eggplants
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt to taste
1 quart cherry tomatoes
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella
15 basil leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh ricotta
1 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the ends of the eggplant. Slice a small bit of the skin off one of the sides of the eggplant. Rest the eggplant on that side and thinly slice the eggplant vertically (discard the first piece, which will be mostly skin). Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Roast the eggplant in the oven until it is lightly brown, about 10 minutes. After removing the eggplant from the oven, lower the temperature to 350 degrees.

While the eggplant is cooking, make the sauce. The recipe for the Almost Sauce is here.

Spread a ladleful of the tomatoes in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan. Add a layer of eggplant and then add some of the tomato sauce, half of the mozzarella and half of the basil. Drizzle with some of the egg. Add another layer of eggplant, then tomato sauce, then the ricotta, then the remaining basil. Again, drizzle with the egg. Continue layering until you have used all of the ingredients. The last layers should be tomato sauce, the remaining mozzarella, and the parmesan, in that order.

Bake until the tomato sauce is bubbling and the cheese on top has melted, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

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Purple Raspberry Sauce

We finally had time to go berry picking the other day, our first outing of the season to Larriland, our favorite pick-your-own farm. As usual, the children were very excited, happily picking away and planning what we should make with our haul. At least until the water ran out. (Note to self: Next time pack the 3 gallon water jug!)

We picked blueberries, sour cherries, and raspberries. The red raspberries were slim pickings, but the purple raspberries were prolific. I don't remember ever seeing purple raspberries before, but sure enough, they were darker than the red raspberries and lighter than the black ones. Compared to a red raspberry, their flavor is smoother and more mellow.

Of course by the time we made it home, some of the berries were a bit smashed, and there was a puddle of juice at the bottom of one of the boxes. I immediately scooped those out and turned them into a sauce to serve over our ice cream that night for dessert. I kept the sauce simple, adding only a vanilla bean for a bit of depth to the flavor. It was fantastic.

I've been trying to refrain from having ice cream every night, so my second favorite option for the sauce is to serve it with plain yogurt. It makes the yogurt taste like a fruit flavored yogurt, but so much fresher and tastier for having been picked and made by our own hands.

Second Helping: Apricot-Blueberry Upside down Cake (This cake is exceptionally good!)
Thirds: Mint Limeade (still one of our favorite refreshing drinks)

Purple Raspberry Sauce

 

Makes about 1 quart of sauce
20 minutes preparation and cooking time

Of course, any color raspberry would do. I recommend using those berries that are a bit squishy. They will be delicious in this sauce and that way the perfect berries can be eaten as they are or made into something else. I decided not to strain the sauce because I like the texture of the berries and their seeds, but if you prefer a more refined sauce, pour it through a mesh strainer as you pour it into the jar for storage.

4 cups raspberries
2 cups sugar
1/2 vanilla bean

Add the raspberries and sugar to a small stockpot. Slit the bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and the pod to the stockpot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sugar has all dissolved, 10 to 15 minutes.

Set it aside and let it cool to room temperature. Pour it into a glass jar and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep a couple of weeks, if it lasts that long.

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Fresh Pea and Potato Gratins

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I'm not sure about that. I think presence can make the heart pretty darn fond, too. Sitting here next to one of my children, typing away, I have a heart that feels full to bursting.

And yet absence does have its pull. Olivia just finished her last year of elementary school. (I can't even believe that I am writing that!) The end of the fifth grade, six years since she bravely entered that school as a kindergartener. Amazing.



As a celebration, her class took a trip to Canada and, intrepid man that he is, Gabe went along as a chaperone. Love means riding on a bus for 14 hours with 46 11-year olds. And then doing it all again three days later for the return trip.

Chloe and Oscar and I enjoyed our time together. As much as I enjoy our family time, I also enjoy the time that I have with only one or two of the others. It shifts the dynamic, and we get to see different sides of each other.


But we were all looking forward to watching Olivia and Gabe step off that bus. And, of course, I wanted to have a special dinner for them that night. I had gotten fresh peas and new potatoes at the farmers' market on the weekend, and these little gratins seemed just the thing.

I enjoyed cooking that afternoon to the happy sounds of a house full of people again. Unfortunately, Olivia was so tired from the trip that she fell asleep just before dinner, and she missed the welcome home feast. The rest of us enjoyed them and she had hers for lunch the next day. Next time, though, maybe when Oscar returns from his trip (gulp!), I'll have lunch ready instead.

Second Helping: Grilled Zucchini Summer Sandwiches
Thirds: Smoky Deviled Eggs

Fresh Pea and Potato Gratins

Serves 6
30 minutes preparation time
50 minutes cooking time

1 1/2 pounds potatoes
1 pint fresh peas, shelled (about 2/3 cup out of the pods)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Generously butter 6 1-cup ramekins.

Put the potatoes in a medium-sized stockpot and cover them generously with water. Bring them to a boil and cook them until they are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Depending on the size of the potatoes, this could take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. When they are done, skim them out and transfer them to a colander to cool.

While the potatoes are cooking, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add a dash of salt and the peas and cook until they are tender but still bright green, about 10 minutes. Drain them immdeiately.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and put them in a large bowl. Mash them. Add the peas, parmesan, pecorino, eggs, basil, salt, and pepper, and mix with a wooden spoon. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins.

Bake the gratins until they are golden brown on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Let them sit for a minute or two after you remove them from the oven. They are so pretty to serve in the ramekins, but if you serve them that way, do so with a warning that the ramekins will be hot. Alternatively, hold the ramekins carefully with an oven mit and slide a knife around the perimeter of each ramekin to loosen the gratin. Slide the gratin out onto a plate and serve immediately.

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Grilled Fava Beans with Pepper and Pecorino

Those who know me well know that I have a terrible memory. I would be embarrassed to tell you how many times I have bought a book that I have already read. But a bad memory can be a blessing as well as a curse. As my clever aunt once said, "The great thing about having a bad memory is that you can have the same great experiences over and over again and always feel like you are discovering something new."   The bad memories fade more quickly for me, too.

When it comes to food, though, it's another story. I can remember what I ate on vacation in Italy 12 years ago, which is before we had kids, and some days I cannot even remember what it feels like not to have kids.

So when I gave in to my farmers' market compulsion and bought fava beans last weekend, something was tickling my memory about grilling them. I love the nutty flavor and substantial texture of fava beans, but unless you have an afternoon to kill (and if you do, it can be quite pleasant), then they take a long time to prepare. I normally prepare them by first removing the beans from the pods, blanching them, and then removing them from their inner skins.

When I finally figured out what was nagging at me, I realized that it was this post on 101 cookbooks about grilling fava beans. Aside from the flavor that grilling adds to the beans, grilled fava beans are served at the table in their pods so that everyone shares in the peeling. And the eating, of course. Plunk a pile of these fava beans down on the table, and you have a communal activity,  an appetizer that is perfect to linger over.

You could toss these fava beans with anything that appeals to you, even just adding sea salt and olive oil would do nicely. We have tried them two ways, with pepper and pecorino,and a bit of parsley thrown in for freshness, and with mint and cumin. They were quite different, but I think the pecorino version was the slight winner. The cheese has such a sharp tang that it was delicious with the mellow flavor of the fava beans.

I wish I could tell you that our children were enthusiastic about trying these and loved them, but only Olivia liked them. The other two wrinkled their noses, and after a small nibble, Oscar even made a few retching noises just so I would know how much he despised them.

Ah, well. More for us.

Second helping: Fresh Pea and Fava Bean Risotto
Thirds: Grilled Grape Leaves Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts, and Rosemary

Grilled Fava Beans with Pepper and Pecorino

Serves 6 as an appetizer
5 minutes preparation time
15 minutes grilling time

1 quart fava beans
a splash of olive oil
a sprinkle of sea salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1/2 cup pecorino Romano
4 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat a grill to medium heat.

Toss the fava beans with the olive oil and salt. When the grill is hot, add the fava beans and cook  them until they are partially charred on the outside, about 7 or 8 minutes on each side.

While the fava beans are cooking, mix together the pepper, cheese, and parsley in a medium-sized bowl. When the fava beans are done, toss them in the bowl with the cheese mixture and stir to coat the mixture evenly on the pods. Serve immediately.

To eat, remove the beans from the pods. If the beans inside are small, they may be tasty just as they are. Otherwise, remove the thin pale green skin on the outside of the bean. Be sure to lick your fingers as they get coated with the cheese mixture.

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Oscar's Tasty and Juicy Strawberry Pie

Okay, that's Oscar's title, but I was going to call it "Not Quite Perfect Strawberry Pie." Here's the back story.

A couple of years ago, when we went strawberry picking, we were dreaming of all of the things that we would make with them. Oscar was very specific about wanting strawberry pie. I had made cherry pie, blueberry pie, peach pie, lots and lots of other pies. But never strawberry pie.


"Um, Oscar, how about a nice strawberry tart?"

"No, it should be a pie."

"Well, a pie is like a tart, just no top."

"No, it should be a pie, just like a blueberry pie, with a top."


Okay, then, pie. I gave it a go. I have lost track of how many strawberry pies I  have now made. I tried several with two crusts, some with ground nuts, some with ricotta. But I wasn't happy with the color, texture, flavor. There was always something. I finally decided that the top crust just wasn't going to work. The steaming of the strawberries just made them lose their vibrant color and cooked them too much.

So this year when we gave it a try, I decided to leave off the top. I still made it like a pie, deep, in a pie plate, but left off the top. I kept some of the berries uncooked and made others into a syrup. Again, we've given it a few tries. Our last attempt, the pie still didn't set as firmly as I would have liked.

But here's the thing. Oscar loved it. And it was delicious. Just not perfectly set. In fact, I think Oscar loved all of these pies, and we have had a great time making them together. The last pie we made, Oscar helped me every step of the way, and even took over the naming. "I'm going to say 'tasty'. You've got to make it sound good!"

So, even though it's not perfect, I'm going to share this recipe with you. Because sometimes, the planning and the making are more important than the end result. And perfection isn't the point. Getting into the kitchen, spending time with one (or more!) of my children, that's what I love and what I want to remember.

We'll keep at it, though, until strawberry season is over, and I'd love to hear your ideas for tweaking this recipe. I promise I'll come back and update the recipe when I get it perfect. If we ever do.

 

And just in case you were keeping track of the pie versus tart conversation, Oscar was not fooled by this recipe. I thought maybe he'd forget about that conversation we had a couple of years ago about the top of the pie, but when he realized that we weren't going to cook it after we poured in the berries in syrup, he hesitated. "But I wanted a pie, not a tart!"

Then he remembered that there was a bit of dough left from the bottom crust, and pulled it out of the refrigerator. We decided to shape it and place it on the top. Not quite a double crust pie, but enough to make him happy. And, really, that's what I'm after.

Second Helping:  Cherry Galettes
Thirds: Strawberry Shortcake (Mmm- I'm thinking we'll take a break from the pie and make this next)

Oscar's Tasty and Juicy Strawberry Pie

Serves 10
45 minutes preparation time
35 minutes baking time, plus a few hours for chilling

for the crust:
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2-4 tablespoons cold water

for the filling:
10 cups whole strawberries, stems removed, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

First, make the crust. You can make the dough either by hand or in a food processor.

If you are making the dough by hand, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the butter and mix it into the flour mixture quickly with your fingers until it ranges in size from tiny pebbles to cornmeal.

If you prefer to use a food processor, add all the ingredients except the butter and water into the food processor bowl and pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse a few more times until the butter is broken into small pieces, ranging in size from cornmeal to tiny pebbles. Turn the flour mixture into a large bowl. 

Add 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix with a fork or your hands.  If the dough does not hold together after you have mixed in the water, add one additional tablespoon of water at a time until it does.  Form the dough into a ball with your hands.  Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. 

Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes and up to a couple of days. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on lightly floured plastic wrap or parchment paper.  Roll the dough until it is about 2 inches larger than the diameter of the pie plate.  Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to the pie plate.  Push the dough down into the sides of the pie plate until it fits snugly.  Trim any dough that hangs over the edge with scissors. Remove any excess dough. Pop any excess into the refrigerator to make a shape for the top, if you like.

Place a piece of foil over the dough in the tart pan.  Press the foil into the pan so that it sits tightly on top of the dough.  Fill the pie plate with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake the crust for 25 minutes.  Remove the weights and the foil and bake until the crust is lightly brown, about another 7 minutes. 

While the crust is cooking, make the filling. Reserve about two dozen perfect berries for the top.  Halve or quarter the remaining berries, depending on their size. In a small pot, gently mash 2 cups of the berries with the lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Simmer over medium heat until the mixture thickens and the cornstarch is clear, about 5 minutes. Set it aside (in the refrigerator or freezer) to cool to room temperature.

With the exception of the two dozen perfect berries, spread the remaining berries into the pie crust. Pour the cooled strawberry mixture over the top. Slice the remaining two dozen berries in half lengthwise and arrange them over the top of the pie in a circular pattern. Chill for at least two hours until firm.

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Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Salad

I haven't been at all creative in the kitchen lately. In fact, I've barely been in the kitchen lately. The end of school year activities, along with overlapping sports seasons (soccer/baseball/softball/swimming) have left my head spinning with very little time to think, let alone to cook. And I find it very difficult to be creative without some time to sit and let my thoughts percolate.

It was just this past weekend, then, when I finally had a chance to go to the farmers' market and get inspired to get going again. I also had a chance to do more than crack the spine of Vegetables from an Italian Garden, which Gabe had given me for Mothers' Day. The book is beautiful with lots of creative recipes organized by season.

I flipped to Spring and found this lovely little recipe that I immediately tried. It was very quick and the result was excellent. Adding the cannellini beans made the salad more hearty, so that it could be eaten as a side salad or as a main course.Olivia suggested that we have ours with a fried egg on top which I thought was fabulous plan. It made for a perfect, quick Spring dinner.

Best of all, I feel much more balanced after having had some time in the kitchen.

Second helping: Lemony Potato Salad
Thirds: Linguine with Garlic Scape and Pea Pesto

Asparagus and Cannellini Bean Salad

Adapted from Vegetables from an Italian Garden

Serves 6 as a side dish
20 minutes preparation and cooking time

2 bunches of asparagus
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 of a lemon)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (a small handful before chopping)
1/4 teaspoon salt
 a few grinds of fresh pepper
fried eggs (optional)

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, and rinse them. Salt the boiling water with a few dashes of salt and add the asparagus. Cook until the asparagus is tender and still a vibrant green, about 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus in a colander as soon as it has finished cooking.

While the asparagus is cooking, drain the cannellini beans and rinse them under cold water.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the cannellini beans and stir. When the asparagus has finished cooking, toss it into the bowl and stir again. Serve warm or at room temperature. A fried egg on top is optional.

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Rhubarb-Apple Turnovers

One of the cookbooks that I have been using frequently of late is Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. The book is full of fairly simple but delicious recipes that are perfect for either a casual dinner or a fancier dinner party. It has been an excellent source of inspiration, especially for our Sunday Suppers.

It is natural, then, that I turned to Greenspan's book to give me some ideas for rhubarb, my current obsession. I had already made a galette a few times, as well as a variation using filo dough. This weekend I also made rhubarb-thyme compote, throwing in some strawberries for good measure.

We had gotten some apples from the farmers' market along with our rhubarb and I thought the two would be delicious together. Greenspan's book has a recipe for Compote de Pommes, and in the margin, she gave instructions for turning the compote into apple turnovers. A few minor tweaks and I had a lovely variation that uses rhubarb. These sweet little turnovers are just big enough to hold in your hand, the perfect little hand pie.

The puff pastry gives the turnovers a light, crunchy texture which is a nice contrast to the sauce in the filling. Because they are made with prepared puff pastry dough, they don't take too long to put together and are perfect for a snack or a party.

As obsessions go, I'm definitely enjoying this one.

Second Helping: Rhubarb-Mint Popsicles (hmmmm, apparently, I was gorging on rhubarb last year, too)
Thirds: Candied Ginger Scones

Rhubarb-Apple Turnovers

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table
Makes about 18 turnovers
30 minutes preparation time, plus a couple of hours to defrost the puff pastry)
approximately 20 minutes baking time

1 14-ounce sheet puff pastry dough (I used Dufour)
3 large stalks of rhubarb, scrubbed and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (about 5 cups)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten

If your puff pastry comes frozen, put it in the refrigerator to defrost for a couple of hours before you need it.

Put the apples and rhubarb in a small stockpot with a splash of water to keep them from sticking. Add the sugar and stir. Put the pot over medium heat, cover it, and bring it to a simmer. Simmer until the fruit is meltingly soft, about 15 minutes. Mash the fruit slightly with a bean masher or a wooden spoon. Add the vanilla and butter, and stir. Set the mixture aside while you roll out the dough.

Lightly flour a work surface. Unfold the puff pastry dough and lay it out on the work surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin until it is very thin. The thinness doesn't matter too much, but the thinner it is, the better the ratio of dough to filling will be, and the more you will be able to make.

Cut the dough into approximately 4-inch circles using the edge of a saucer or whatever other implement you have handy. (I made mine 3-inches, and I think a larger size is better because it will allow more filling per pastry).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop a tablespoon of the rhubarb-apple mixture onto one half of each circle of dough, leaving about a half inch border around the edge. Brush the border of the circle with egg and fold the dough over to make a half circle. Using the tines of a fork, press the dough onto itself to seal it.  (If you don't seal it completely, the sauce will ooze out as it cooks. This happened with lots of ours which actually is not the worst thing in the world.

Sprinkle the top of each turnover with a bit of sugar and poke a couple of holes in the top of each turnover.

Bake the turnovers until they are golden brown and the filling begins to ooze out of the steam holes, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Ramp Pesto

Ramps are only available for a short time each spring, making them one of those foods that marks the season. They have a mild onion-y flavor, which is fresh and bright, capturing perfectly the taste of spring.

I got the idea to make a pesto out of ramps from this recipe on Food 52, but of course I had to change it up a bit. I added some of the whites of the ramps, which pack a punch. Tasting a sliver raw reminded me of tasting a raw garlic clove. Because traditional basil pesto usually includes garlic, I thought that adding some of them would have the same effect as adding a pungent flavor to the pesto.

I also used pecans instead of walnuts or pine nuts because I made the mistake of looking away while I was holding down the handle on the bulk bin at Whole Foods. $24 later, I began thinking of ways to consume lots of pecans. The combination of the green freshness of the ramps and the sweet nuttiness of the pecans was very tasty. 

This pesto would be excellent on pizza or a sandwich, but being the pasta lovers that we are, we had it with pasta. It can be made in the time it takes the pasta to cook. For us, it was the perfect quick meal before heading out to baseball practice. Spring indeed.

Second Helping: Pea Shoot Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
Thirds: Pressure Cooker Saffron and Artichoke Risotto

Ramp Pesto

 

Makes approximately 3/4 cup, enough for 1 pound of pasta
20 minutes preparation time 

 2 cups coarsley chopped and loosley packed ramp leaves (about 1 bunch)
2 teaspoons ramp whites, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pecans
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated parmesan

Put all of the ingredients except the olive oil and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the mixture is well-incorporated, but still a bit chunky.  With the food processor running, pour in the olive oil until it is completely incorporated. Add the parmesan and pulse once or twice. Serve with the carb of your choice.

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Green Rhubarb Galette

We went away for one week and the farmers' market went from ho-hum to fantastic. Not only were there ramps and asparagus, there were also lots of herbs, spring onions, and morel mushrooms. And there was rhubarb.

As always, when I visit the Silver Spring farmers' market, my first stop is Koiner's Farm, which offers produce grown in downtown Silver Spring. Koiner's is the life's work of Charlie Koiner, who is now 90 years old and still going strong. We should all be so lucky as to find work that sustains and energizes us so that we stay committed to it untll we are (at least 90). He is an inspiration to us all. If you want to know more about Koiner and his farm, check out the documentary about him, The Corner Plot, reviewed here.

The rhubarb that Koiner had this week was not the traditional red, but a green variety. Although it looks like celery, it's got the citrusy tang of rhubarb. We were having family over for dinner, so I threw together a  quick galette. I thought about adding strawberries to the galette, too, but I was so excited to see that first rhubarb that I just wanted to have it straight up, at least for the first time this season.

Second Helping: Monday Rhubarb Streusel Cake
Thirds: Rhubarb-Thyme Compote

Green Rhubarb Galette

Although I used green rhubarb for this recipe, the red variety would work just as well and maybe would be even a bit prettier.

Makes 1 galette (serves 6)
30 minutes preparation time
approximately 25 minutes baking time

For the crust:
2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons ice water
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces

For the filling:
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cold butter

To make the crust, first whisk together the sour cream and water in a small bowl and set it aside. In a larger bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the butter and work it into the flour with your fingers until the mixture has pieces that range in size from small pebbles to grains of sand. Stir in the sour cream mixture and stir using your hands until the mixture comes together into a soft dough.

Roll the dough into a ball, and flatten it into a disk. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or as long as a couple of days.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare the filling by mixing the rhubarb with the 3 tablespoons of sugar. When the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface until it is about 15 inches in diameter. Don't worry about making the galette perfect, but do patch any holes in the bottom of the dough so that the filling won't leak out. Move it onto the baking sheet.

Spoon the filling onto the dough, leaving an inch or two border. Break off small bits of the butter and distribute them over the filling. Fold the edge of the crust up over the filling, working around in a circle to give the dough a pleated look.

Brush the edges of the galette with water and sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the edges. Bake until the galette is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally with a scoop of ice cream.

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Green Lasagna

Before we left for our spring break, the farmers' market was loaded with greens, but not much else. We decided to make this lasagna with it, which is loosely based on a lasagna that my sister and brother-in-law have made many times for us. I love the flavors because the greens and the basil give it a freshness that suits the season, even if it is a cheesy, comforting lasagna. It has become one of our family favorites.

Although we made the dish in spring, it really is perfect for fall and winter too, when those greens are abundant at the markets. I'm not going to say too much more. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

I'm looking forward to heading back to the farmers' market this weekend to see what's available now. Ramps? Asparagus? I can't wait.

Second Helping: Velvety Ramp and Watercress Soup with Crispy Shallots
Thirds: Kale Chips

Green Lasagna

1 pound lasagne noodles*
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
12 cups fresh spinach leaves, carefully washed
16 ounces ricotta
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
4 1/2 cups whole milk
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
olive oil for the pan
1 large bunch of basil
1 half pound mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and cook the lasagne noodles for a minute less than the time called for on the package. When they are done, drain them in a colander and rinse them with cold water. Stir them gently with a wooden spoon as you rinse to keep them from sticking together.

Put the spinach in a large stock pot and add enough water to nearly cover it. Bring the pot to a boil. Cook until the spinach wilts but is still a bright green. Drain the spinach in a colander, mashing it with a wooden spoon against the side of the colander to remove any remaining water. Let it sit for a few minutes to cool and dry out while you make the bechamel sauce.

In a small stockpot, heat the milk over low heat. It should be warm but not boiling. (You could even heat it in the microwave in a glass measuring cup if you don't want to get another pot dirty.) In a larger sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the flour, reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Add the milk and stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth. Add a few pinches of salt and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture has thickened and you feel a lot of resistance against the spoon as you stir. Stir in the nutmeg. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and set it aside.

In a large bowl, mix the cooled spinach with the ricotta and parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread a bit of oil over the bottom of a 9-by-13 inch lasagne pan and place a layer of noodles over the bottom. Add enough of the spinach mixture to cover the noodles thinly. Add a layer of basil leaves. Don't be tempted to skimp on the basil; it is the secret ingredient that sets this lasagne apart. Repeat with another layer of noodles-spinach-basil.

Ladle enough of the bechamel sauce over the second layer to cover it. Keep adding more layers of noodles-spinach-basil until you run out of spinach mixture. Pour the remaining bechamel over the top of the lasagne, letting it drip down the sides if you have enough. Add mozzarella to the top.

Bake until the lasagne is lightly browned on top and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

 * Am I the only one that always has way too many lasagne noodles left over? You will not need the full pound, but I make them all anyway because I'm never sure how many I will need. If you  are feeling crafty, you can always cut the extras into strips, toss them with some olive oil and butter, and serve them to any pickier eaters who won't eat the lasagne because it has green stuff in it.

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Black Sesame Carrots

I'm not sure why, but even many children who are picky eaters seem to like carrots. Our children prefer them dunked in copious amounts of Ranch dressing, and presented that way, they will munch through a lot of them. This recipe is an attempt to change the humble carrot into something a bit more interesting for those of us that like to deviate from the Ranch dip once in a while.

I was inspired to make this recipe by a food52 contest, and my approach was to give those carrots an Asian twist, tossing them with sesame seeds, five spice powder, and sesame oil. They are cooked on the stove top so they do not get mushy, the kiss of death for cooked carrots. I loved the way they came out, slightly blackened from cooking at high heat, and laced with sesame flavors from the oil and the seeds. I think they will be even better with the first spring carrots that will soon be available.

We ate these carrots as a side dish on their own, but I think they would also be an excellent addition to a noodle salad or a stir fry.

As for the children, they all tried the carrots, resulting in the usual range of reactions from enthusiastic to lukewarm. I'll definitely make them again and try to win the children over so that I can eat them more often. The carrots, that is.

Black Sesame Carrots

Serves 6 as a side dish
10 minutes preparation time
10 minutes cooking time

2 teaspoons black seasme seeds
1 teaspoon five spice powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil (untoasted)
10 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly on a diagonal
salt to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in thin slivers
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Place a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat and add the sesame seeds. Toast them by cooking them for about a minute, tossing them a couple of times so that they cook evenly. Add the five spice powder and toast it until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl. Use a clean paper towel to wipe out the pan.

Return the pan to the stovetop and raise the heat to high. Add the sesame oil and when it is hot, swirl it around the pan. Add the carrots and let them sit for a minute or two without stirring so that they brown. Add the slivers of garlic.

Stir the carrots or, if you are feeling chef-y, shake the pan so that the carrot slices flip and land on their opposite sides. Continue to cook, stirring or tossing so that the carrots brown evenly, until they are tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and five spice powder as well as the toasted sesame oil and stir to coat the carrots evenly. Serve immediately.

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Lemony Jerusalem Artichoke Stew with Biscuit Top

It's hard to imagine amid the snow and high winds of last week, but we used to have a vegetable garden. Remember that? Tomatoes, potatoes, little helpers, and a chicken chaser? Among those summer and fall vegetables we also planted Jerusalem artichokes. I've heard them described as the lazy gardener's dream. Well.

But they did grow beautifully and they are said to be best after they have been through a frost. It is very exciting to have something to harvest in the middle of winter, so this has been a delight. If you have not grown your own, you can find them at the grocery store this time of year. They look a lot like ginger roots, but are generally larger and knobbier. Although they are called artichokes, they are actually related to sunflowers.

I had never eaten Jerusalem artichokes until we harvested this batch. The flavor is starchy, like a potato, with just a touch of sweetness, which must be how they got artichoke in the name.

We had eaten some of them just roasted in the oven which were delicious, although it was key to cut them all the same size to enable them to cook at the same rate. I was hankering for a warm dish for winter, though, so I dreamed up this stew. The lemon peel and marjoram add brightness to the winter vegetables.

I put the biscuit on top of the stew as an inducement. I thought that anything topped with something from the bread family would get my kiddies to try it. It succeeded as far as the trying went. Finishing it was another story. Chloe didn't like the stew at all; Oscar ate most of it, but said that he would have preferred the biscuit alone. Fortunately, I had made a double batch of the biscuit so I could indulge him and still have some left for breakfast. Olivia ate hers, although I did not sense wild enthusiasm. No matter. They won't go for everything. Sometimes we parents need dinner to nurture us, too, and a biscuit with a veggie or fruit on the side isn't the worst meal in the world for the younger set.

The seed catalogs have started to arrive too, so we will soon decide what to plant at our garden this year. As for those artichokes? I understand that once planted, they are impossible to get rid of. In other words, more Jerusalem artichoke recipes may be coming your way.

Second Helping: Wasabi and Garlic Mashed Potatoes (mild enough for the kids, but delicious)
Thirds?: Rosalyn's Trinidadian Chick Pea and Potato Curry (I'm fairly certain that my children would sell me out for a dinner of this curry, especially if it were served with roti)

Lemony Jerusalem Artichoke Stew with Biscuit Top

Jerusalem artichokes can be a nuisance to peel, so don't go crazy trying to do it. I peeled where I could and left the rest of the peels on, and the skin was not at all an impediment.

Serves 8
30 minutes preparation time
45 minutes cooking time

For the stew:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 leek, white and light green part, sliced lengthwise, rinsed, and sliced across into half moons
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 medium carrots, scrubbed and sliced across on a diagonal
1 turnip, peeled and cut into cubes
2 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash (about 1 small one)
4 cups (roughly) peeled and chopped Jerusalem artichokes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
2 strips lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
5 cups vegetable stock

For the biscuit top:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into a few pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk

Heat the olive oil in a heavy, oven-proof stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, and garlic, and sauté until they begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, the marjoram and the salt and stir together. Pour on the broth, add the lemon zest, and raise the heat to medium high. Bring the stew to a boil. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer on the stove top until the vegetables are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

While the stew is cooking, prepare the biscuit dough. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and thyme in a large bowl.  Mix in the butter with your hands, squeezing it between your fingers until it is the texture of coarse cornmeal.  The more hands that help, the quicker this will go.  Slowly stir in the buttermilk a bit at a time, using just enough to get the mixture to hold together.  You may need a splash more or less than the measured amount. 

Knead the dough for about a minute.  Pat it out on the counter until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Carefully lift the dough and drape it over the top of the stew pot. Move it to the oven and bake until the dough is golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Serve immediately. 

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Cooking with Mother Goose: Homemade Apple Sauce

Cooking with Mother Goose: A series of occasional posts inspired by children's stories and rhymes -  just one more way for me to hook the children into the kitchen.

For Baby
You shall have an apple
You shall have a plum
You shall have a rattle
When papa comes home.

Okay, this isn't as much a recipe as a plea. And I've thrown in a technique for good measure. If you have never made your own applesauce at home, you have to try it. It tastes so much better than the commercial variety, and it is incredibly easy. There are lots of different approaches. Some people peel the apples in advance, others use a food mill at the end to separate out the peel once it is cooked.

But my method is the easiest of all. You don't even need to peel the apples. Just quarter and seed them and cook them. When they are soft but while they are still hot, run them through a food processor. That's it! The sauce will become a lovely, smooth purée. You will see a few flecks of peel, but they will be so tiny and soft that they will not impair the consistency at all. And leaving the peels on during cooking gives the applesauce a lovely color. For these pictures, I used Empire apples, grown by my uncle in upstate New York. I love the rosy tint the apple sauce gets from their skins.

And this time of year, when some of those farmers' market apples are beginning to look a bit tired, apple sauce is a delicious way to get some fruit into the diet, while still eating seasonally and locally. Our children are pretty tired of apples at this point in the year, but they still see apple sauce as a treat. So please, please, please, head to the closest farmers' market, buy yourself a bunch of apples (seconds will do if they have any) and make some applesauce. Baby -- and the rest of you -- can lap it up, even before Papa gets home.

Homemade Apple Sauce

There really are no precise proportions needed here. If I am canning the apple sauce and want to make sure they have enough acid, I usually add about a teaspoon of lemon juice per quart. More detailed instructions  for canning are here (although they do not add lemon juice). I don't add sugar because I find that the apple sauce is sweet enough as is, but a pear or two thrown into the mix is delicious.

a mix of varieties of sweet apples, washed, cut into quarters, and cored (peels still on)
1 or more cinnamon sticks

Put the apples and cinnamon stick(s) in a large heavy stock pot. Add a splash of water to keep the apples from burning before they release their own liquid. Cover the pot and bring the apples to a simmer over medium-low heat.

When they are very soft, but while they are still hot, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and run them through a food processor. It is important to do this while the apples are still very hot because it will give them a smoother consistency. Purée until smooth.

If you have apple juice left over, you can add it to the sauce for a thinner consistency, or drink it. Serve the apple sauce warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Warm apple sauce is especially tasty over vanilla ice cream or with gingersnaps.

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Radicchio Risotto

I feel like we've had a bit of a respite these past few weeks. We are back at school and work after the holidays, but the children's after school activities haven't picked up yet, and we actually seem to have some evening and weekend time free.

I suppose free is a relative term, because there always is something to do. I often feel like the logistical part of being a mother is about moving stuff: putting shoes in the bucket near the door, hanging up coats and backpacks, clearing off the dining room table, making a space to work in the kitchen, moving the children's belongings from downstairs to upstairs, moving things from the children's rooms downstairs. My mother said that during these years when stuff seemed to dominate, she used to fantasize about tipping the entire house on its end and letting all the clutter slide out the door and out of her life.

But despite those ongoing and seemingly unattainable fantasies of a tidy house, I have managed to put my blinders on many times over the last couple of weeks and play games with the children, or just sit and chill. I'm not very good at sitting still, but when I do it (and I don't fall asleep), I wonder why I don't do it more often.


Of course I also have made some time to cook. Risotto has a reputation for being time consuming, but contrary to most instructions, I don't stir constantly. Instead, after each addition of stock, I stir a bit, then let the risotto cook for a couple of minutes, then stir again. This allows me to have a bit of time while the risotto is cooking to continue to prepare the dish, to prepare a side dish, or to take my turn at Othello. If that still seems like too much time, there is always the pressure cooker.

The radicchio in this recipe adds a bitter balance to the sweetness of the rice. It is added at the end of the cooking process so that if you are serving eaters that don't like the radicchio, you can set some plain risotto aside for them.

Now I have to enjoy this last week before practices and rehearsals begin again. Deep breath, ignore the chaos, and know that someday in the future, when this house is too quiet, I will have time to keep it neat as a pin.

Radicchio Risotto

The proportions for this recipe assume that you will add radicchio to the entire amount of rice. If you decide to keep some of the risotto plain for any fussier eaters, you may want to reduce the amount of radicchio.

Serves 6
15 minutes preparation
30 minutes cooking time

 5-6 cups vegetable stock (or water with 2 bouillon cubes)
1 medium-sized head radicchio
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for the table
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the stock in a small saucepan. If you like, peel off a few whole leaves of the radicchio for serving. Slice the rest into thin slivers.

In a large pan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and sauté until it is translucent and soft, about 7 minutes. Add the rice and stir for a minute or so until it is coated evenly. Pour in the wine and stir until it has been absorbed into the rice. Continue cooking by adding one or two ladlefuls of stock at a time, stirring occasionally. Keep adding the broth until the rice is tender, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. The best way to know when the rice is done is to keep tasting it. It is done when the rice no longer has a crunch in the middle, but when it still retains some texture.

When the risotto is done, stir in the radicchio. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and pass additional grated parmesan at the table.

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Spiced Roasted Pears

Apples and pears, pears and apples, apples, apples, and more apples, and then some pears. That's the state of fruit at the farmers' market these days. This is the time of year when trying to eat locally and seasonally  can be challenging. It's not like The Long Winter from Little House on the Prairie or anything, but it can still be monotonous.

Finding new ways to spice up (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) those apples and pears keeps things from getting too dull. These pears have sparked the interest of young and not-so-young in this house. They require just a bit of preparation, then roast on their own in the oven so that you can prepare the rest of the meal, fold a load of laundry, sit with a child doing homework, or buzz around and chat with guests, depending on what is happening at home.

And the flavor? The pears are lightly sweetened with just a hint of those classic winter spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. And they are fragrant and pretty to boot. They make a fine end to a dinner on their own, especially this time of year, when it just feels right to leave some of that cream and butter behind. (At least for now). Of course they are also delicious with a bit of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

These will definitely keep me eating pears for a while longer, although I confess that from time to time, I do sneak off to our well-stocked grocery store and pick up a pineapple or cantaloupe. Or even a pomelo.

Second Helping: Robin's Egg Meringues (made by the children)
Thirds?: Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cakes (my first HTC recipe!)

Spiced Roasted Pears

So far, I have only used Bosc pears for this recipe because that is what is available at our farmers' market, but I would love to try it with Bartletts. I'm guessing they would not need to cook quite as long because they are not as firm.

Serves 6
20 minutes preparation time
approximately 50 minutes minutes baking time

1/2 cup fruity white wine, such as viognier
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 Bosc pears

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the wine, water, sugar, and spices in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Peel the pears and cut them lengthwise, leaving the stems on if you like. Using a melon baller or small knife remove the core of each pear half. Arrange the pears cut side up in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the syrup over the pears. Don't wash the pan yet, in case you want to use it to thicken the sauce (see below).

Bake the pears for about 25 minutes, removing them from the oven once or twice to baste them in the juices. Turn the pears over and continue to roast them until they are tender when pierced with a knife. Depending on the size of the pears, this could take anywhere from an additional 15 to 35 minutes. Again, remove the baking dish from the oven once or twice and spoon the juices over the pears.

If you would like to thicken the sauce after the pears have finished cooking, pour the sauce from the baking pan into the saucepan and warm the sauce over medium heat. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally until it thickens into a syrup.

Serve the pears with some of the syrup drizzled on top. A scoop of ice cream, a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche would make an excellent accompaniment, as would a crisp cookie.

Jobs for children: Measuring and grating nutmeg can be done my children most ages. Slightly older children can peel the pears and remove the cores. With a melon baller, even littler ones can help with the coring. The oldest children can help slice the pears and stir the syrup.

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Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Persillade

 
Ever since I posted that recipe for Fresh Broccoli Lemon Pasta, I can't get that flavor profile out of my head. I am hooked on that fresh lemony, garlicky flavor, especially paired with winter vegetables. The latest vegetables to fall victim to my obsession are Brussels sprouts.

I know that they are not for everyone, but I am a huge fan of Brussels sprouts. I love their bitter-sweet flavor and they're just so darn adorable. Also, I lived in Brussels as a child, so the name conjures up childhood memories.

Sautéing Brussels sprouts gives them a golden caramelized flavor that could convert even the staunchest sprout hater. Tossed with garlic, parsley, and lemon zest, these sprouts have a fresh flavor that would be delicious as part of a holiday dinner spread, or just as part of a weeknight dinner.

Fry 'em up in a pan.

If you want to prepare them ahead, sauté them in advance, but don't add the persillade or lemon zest. Just before serving, heat them again in the pan. After they are hot, remove them from the heat, add the zest and persillade, and serve.

Second Helping: Kale and Gruyere Strata

Top 10 cutest vegetables.

Brussles Sprouts with Lemon Persillade

8 cups Brussels sprouts, cleaned and cut in half
2 tablespoons olive oil 

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt, and red pepper flakes and sauté, stirring occasionally so that the sprouts brown but do not burn.

Cook until the sprouts are tender to the bite, which, depending on their size, will take about 15 minutes.

While the sprouts are cooking, chop the parsley and garlic cloves together and zest the lemon. When the sprouts are tender, remove the pan from the heat. Add the parsley, garlic, and lemon, and toss it together.

Jobs for children: Younger children can scrub Brussels sprouts and zest lemons. Older children can chop garlic and slice sprouts, too.

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