Hide the cheese

Fig, Lemon, and Thyme Jam

I was standing in the late evening sun baking at a swim meet when I got Pam's text: "we have too many figs..." I offered to help her with that terrible problem and by the time I had gotten home there was a basket of figs waiting for me in front of the door. Woohoo!

I thought I'd make jam or a compote, but instead I put the basket into the refrigerator and just drew from the box whenever I needed a snack. Next thing I knew, there were only 2 left, not enough to make anything.

So when the phone rang and Lily offered me more figs, it only took me a second to process: I'm making raspberry jam now. I'm leaving town in three days. I have no time before I go to take on an additional project.

"Yes! I'd love some!"

Because I did want them.



I put the box immediately into the fridge and began eating them, but this time in my pre-vacation jam making frenzy I also made fig jam.

I had thought of adding lemon, but when I talked to Lily, she mentioned making jam with lemon and candied ginger. Yum!

Once I started cooking and added the lemon, though, I tasted the mixture and switched gears. I wanted something grassy or herby to counteract the sweet-tart of the fig and lemon combination. I had just enough thyme in the yard to make it work. The thyme is barely discernible, but it just grounds the flavors.

And I still have the lemon-ginger combination to look forward to next time.

Just before we left, I had a few not-yet-on-vacation folks over for a clean out the refrigerator dinner. We sampled my freshly made jams spooned over vanilla ice cream and, as good as the blueberry and raspberry jam were, this was the real star of the party.

Fig, Lemon, and Thyme Jam

The figs are thick enough that no pectin is needed to thicken the jam. I only added enough thyme to balance out the sweet-tart flavor of the lemon and figs; if you want more thyme flavor, double the amount. Putting Food by is my primary resource for canning but the Department of Agriculture's guidelines for canning are extremely thorough and will give you all you need to know to can safely.

Makes 5-6 12-ounce jars of jam
Approximately 1 hour preparation and cooking time

About 20 figs
4 cups granulated sugar
3 teaspoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves

 

Put a couple of small plates in the refrigerator to chill.

Wash the figs and trim off their stems. Cut them into quarters. Put the figs into a stockpot and stir in the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Mash the figs with a potato masher or, if you want to take a shortcut, use an immersion blender. Pulse the blender just a few times so that some of the fruit still remains chunky. Bring mixture to a simmer and let it cook for a 15 or so minutes to thicken.

The figs are not very watery so they should thicken up nicely. If you want to test the jam to be sure that it is thick enough, put a teaspoon of jam on one of the chilled plates. Return it to the refrigerator for one minute.  After a minute, remove it and tilt the plate.  Most of the preserves should remain in the center of the plate, while some of it -- especially the more liquid portion -- will slowly spread out towards the edge of the plate. 

Turn off the heat and add the lemon zest, juice, and thyme. Transfer to sterilized jars and preserve as desired.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

Black and Blue Berry Buckle

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

One, two,
Buckle my shoe;
Three, four,
Shut the door;
Five, six,
Pick up sticks;
Seven, eight,
Lay them straight;
Nine, ten,
Do it again.

That was my version, but as with so many nursery rhymes, there seem to be many variations that have evolved over the years. Wikipedia gives this one:

One, two,
Buckle my shoe;
Three, four,
Knock at the door;
Five, six,
Pick up sticks;
Seven, eight,
Lay them straight;
Nine, ten,
A big fat hen;
Eleven, twelve,
Dig and delve;
Thirteen, fourteen,
Maids a courtin';
Fifteen, sixteen,
Maids in the kitchen;
Seventeen, eighteen,
Maids a waiting;
Nineteen, twenty,
My plate's empty.

"Eleven-twelve, dig and delve" sounds familiar, but I couldn't square that with "do it again," which led us to restart the entire rhyme. I don't ever remember getting beyond twelve. I wonder how long it took me to learn how to count to thirteen.

Buckle, slump, crisp, cobbler, grunt, pandowdy. There are many intriguing dessert names. Buckle is a moist, fruit-laden cake with a streusel topping. It is often made with berries, and this version uses both blackberries and blueberries because that is what I had on hand. The sweetness of the blueberries was excellent with the muskiness of the blackberries, but any berry would do.

In addition to their general deliciousness, another great thing about berries is that they require very little preparation. There is no peeling or pitting. It's just a quick rinse and go. The cake is easy to throw together so it's perfect for a weeknight dessert. Or breakfast for that matter.

2009: Peach, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad
2010: Blackberry-Ginger Jam
2011: Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

Black and Blue Berry Buckle
Adapted from Gourmet

Serves 8 to 10
35 minutes preparation time
approximately 60 minutes baking time

For the topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon lime zest (from 1 to 2 limes)
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into about 10 pieces

For the batter:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3 cups berries
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.

To make the topping, in a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, and lime zest together with a fork. Add the butter and work it into the flour with your fingers, until the mixture ranges in size from grains of sand to small pebbles. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, beating for a few seconds after each egg.

In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add it to the sugar-butter mixture all at once, and beat until it is just combined. Gently fold in the berries with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and level it with the spatula. Sprinkle the streusel over the top. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

Rose-Laced Strawberry Ice Cream

We are hot. Very hot.

Lost power, 100-degree temperatures, no refrigeration, no place to charge electronics, no air conditioning. Blah, blah, blah.

Day 1 was great. Everything stopped. Softball was canceled, the pool was closed. We sat on the breezy back porch for hours and read. Some of us dozed. We found an open gas station with a short line and they even had ice. The kids got to see their first grown-up movie -- Moonrise Kingdom -- and we had a whole-family dinner and a movie and Moorenko's ice cream date. Great stuff.

Night 1 was not as fun. All the windows were open but it was probably still in the high 80's overnight and the air was completely still. Not a breeze rustled. I tossed and turned, feeling like a complete wimp for not being able to handle one hot night. And then I looked at Buddy, panting in the corner in his fur coat and felt even more pathetic.

Day 2 was good, too. The pool reopened and we spent the entire day in and out of the water, staying cool. There was more reading and napping and by the end of the day, sitting in the shade in my wet suit, I felt chilled. What a feeling. Dinner was things that needed to be eaten from the refrigerator and freezer. Including ice cream, rose-laced strawberry ice cream, that had melted to the consistency of a milk shake. Still cold enough to be refreshing.

Night 2 was better. Some of us slept in the basement which was less comfortable, but much cooler. The only thing that woke me from time-to-time was the restless, panting dog.

Now we're on Day 3. I have the day off from work and am stealing a few hours of air-conditioned Starbucks wifi to finish this post. The pool is open again and there we share the few outlets to charge our phones and laptops. Pepco tells us that we will have power back by Friday, a full week after it went out.

Today the Katy Perry movie comes out, and the new Spiderman movie is released at midnight-o-one. We will have more air conditioning. And we will never have never been so caught up on the latest movies.

I am feeling grumpy and hot and keenly aware of the privileges of my usual existence that make this few days without power feel so challenging. And I am grateful for the extra time to relax and do very little with people I love, like read and play games and sit around a container of melting ice cream and feel compelled to eat it until it's gone.

2009: Strawberry Preserves, Lemon Optional
2010: Cherry Galettes
2011: Oscar's Tasty and Juicy Strawberry Pie

Rose-Laced Strawberry Ice Cream

 

The rose flavor of this ice cream intensifies as it freezes. I call for 2 tablespoons of rose water in the recipe with the thought that the ice cream would be made at least 1 day before you plan to eat it. If you plan to eat it sooner, you may want to add a bit more.

Makes a bit more than a quart of ice cream
15 minutes preparation time, plus a few hours for the berries to sit and the ice cream to chill

1 quart strawberries (before hulling and cutting)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon creme de cassis
2 tablespoons rose water
2 cups heavy cream

Rinse the berries, hull them, and cut them in half or quarters. Mash them in a small bowl with the sugar. Add the creme de cassis and rose water and let them sit for about an hour.

Pour the mixture into a blender and add the cream. Pulse a couple of times until the berries are chopped but still a bit pulpy. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the machine's instructions for finishing the ice cream. Freeze until it hardens.

Print Recipe

Eggplant Croquettes with Tarragon Aioli

Party Time

Act 2

Scene 1

The setting:  That same kitchen

The event:  Oscar night, again

The cast: Family, neighbors

The action: A party in full swing. Hungry children, eyeing the buffet with suspicion. A few nibbling unadorned toasts and pasta. Adults drinking sparkling water, wine, taking plates from a pile, heaping them with food, forgetting diets.

Noshing.

Margy: Oops, I forgot the aioli!

More action: Serving platters dwindling. Children tentatively eating eggplant.

Scene 2

Later: Plates of indulgences are empty. Healthier foods remain, waiting to be put away.

Scene 3

The next morning: A mostly clean kitchen, tired family, getting ready for school and work.

Oscar: I never got to try the eggplant.

Gabe: It's gone. We ate it all.

Oscar, disappointed: Oh. Okay.

Gabe: Wait. What's this? I had forgotten about it!

Scene 4

That evening: Family at the dinner table. Eggplant, reheated in the oven, dipped in aioli. Children enthusiastically eating eggplant.

2009: Cuban Black Beans (still a classic)
2010: Baked Potatoes with Cilantro Pesto
2011: Black Sesame Carrots

Eggplant Croquettes with Tarragon Aioli

Aioli is a creamy, garlicky mayonnaise, and the tarragon in this version is excellent with the eggplant. You omit it and serve the eggplant with another dip or just straight up.

Adapted from Plenty
Makes about 50 croquettes
30 minutes preparation time
1 hour cooking time

For the croquettes:
3 medium potatoes (about 2 cups after mashing)
2 large eggplants (about 2 cups after cooking)
1 cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
approximately 2 cups bread crumbs, preferably homemade, divided
canola oil for frying

For the aioli:
1 egg
1 garlic clove, smashed with a wooded spoon and peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
pinch of salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

Put the whole potatoes in a pan, cover with water, and boil until tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. When the potatoes are tender, drain the water and set the potatoes aside to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins with your hands.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill on high. Prick the eggplants with a fork and grill them until they are blackened on all sides. When they are completely blackened, set them aside to cool. When they are cool enough to touch, scrape the flesh out of the skins. Discard the skins and chop the eggplant coarsely.

While the potatoes and eggplant are cooling, make the aioli. Put the egg, lemon juice, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse just enough to mix it. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil in a thin stream. Add the tarragon and pulse just to combine. Scoop the aioli into a small serving bowl and refrigerate it until ready to serve.

In a medium-sized bowl, mash the potatoes and eggplant together. Mix in the feta, parmesan, egg, salt, and 1 cup of the breadcrumbs. Take a bit of the mixture out and shape it into a snake on the counter. Cut off a 2-inch length and test it to see whether it holds together. It should hold its shape as you life it off the counter. If it's too moist, add more breadcrumbs.

Divide the croquette mixture into quarters. Roll each fourth into a long snake a bit wider than your thumb. Roll each length in breadcrumbs and then cut it into two-inch segments. Arrange the segments on a baking sheet and set them in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes.

Spread a couple of plates with newspaper and top with paper towels.

Pour an inch of canola oil into a deep pot and heat it over a medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, drop in a small piece of the croquette. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot. Working in batches, drop the croquettes into the oil, making sure that there is room for the hot oil to circulate on all sides of each croquette. Cook them until they are golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per batch.

Remove the croquettes with a slotted spoon and drain them on the paper towels. The croquettes are best served immediately, but if they can be kept in a warm oven until ready to serve. Serve on a platter with the aioli.

Print Recipe

Roasted Zucchini Gratin

Sometimes an idea sits just under your consciousness, lurking.  Like a tiny pebble in your shoe that you only feel every tenth step. Or a neighbor who always knows when you're home. She doesn't come to the door, but just peeks out every once in a while to let you know she's still there.

I have had an idea for zucchini gratin pestering me like that. About a year ago we had a delicious version at our friends' house. It tasted fresh but was also comfortingly cheesy, everything you want in a gratin. Of course Gabe and I thought it was delicious, but more importantly, our kids all loved it too. All three of them, which is not easy to pull off, especially for a dish whose primary ingredient is a green vegetable.

I came home and immediately tried to replicate it, but my versions were always soggy and watery, not at all ideal. Then on Food52, I found this recipe that involved roasting the zucchini first. Not only does that give the zucchini more flavor, but I hoped it would dry it out a bit so that the end result would be cheesy and tasty and wouldn't turn into a mushy mess.

Bingo!

I added a bit of egg to the dish so that it could stand up as a main course for us vegetarians. It approaches a frittata, but isn't quite that eggy. We ate it with salad and bread for a perfect weeknight meal.

This is another one of those recipes that can be embellished or adapted according to your likes or dislikes. We made it with manchego and mozzarella, but you could substitute your own favorites. Gruyere? Stilton? Cheddar? Any of those would be delicious too, as would switching the out the rosemary for basil, thyme, or chives.

I'm so glad we've gotten this lurker out into the open.

2011: Moroccan-Style Vegetable Stew
2010: Wasabi and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
2009: Roasted Shallot and Buttercup Squash Soup

Roasted Zucchini Gratin

Serves 8
20 minutes preparation time
1 hour baking time

3 medium-sized zucchini, cut into large chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped or 1 tablespoon dried
2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 scallions, sliced
1 cup shredded Manchego
1/4 cup mozzarella, cubed
3 eggs
approximately 1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Oil a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.

Layer the zucchini, onion, and shallot in the casserole dish. Drizzle on 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle the vegetables with the rosemary, salt, and pepper, and stir them enough to coat them with the oil. Roast the zucchini in the oven, stirring once or twice, until it is tender when pierced with a knife but still holds its shape, about 20 minutes. 

In a small bowl, mix together the cheeses and the scallions. Break the eggs into a 2-cup measuring cup, and add milk until the mixture hits the 1 1/2 cup mark.

Remove the zucchini from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Sprinkle on the lemon zest and stir it in. Pour the egg-milk mixture over the zucchini. Sprinkle the cheese on top and return it to the oven. Bake until the gratin is golden brown and bubbly, about 40 minutes.

Print Recipe

Herbed Ricotta-Feta Spread

We had a brief memorial for my aunt Midge over Labor Day weekend. It is stunning to me to think that 9 months have passed without her on this earth. In some ways I am getting used to the idea of her absence, but in other ways, the loss gets greater as day after day and event after event pass without her.

Her niece Maureen captured my feelings so beautifully at the service. I can't do her words justice, but the idea was: just because we go on with life, laugh, have fun, does not mean that we miss you any less. There is still a huge hole that we cannot fill and those moments of joy are bittersweet because you are not here to share them.

There are so many times when I want to call or visit to check in, to get advice, or just to chat. Although I may be learning to live with it, that feeling of absence does not go away.

The memorial did have a silver lining. I spent time getting to know family and friends of Midge's, some of whom I had met briefly over the years, but most of whom I barely knew. Each time I see them, I understand more and more why Midge loved them so much. Being all together in the house that she and my uncle shared for so many years made me feel that she was still very much a part of our lives. As my uncle said at the service, one of the beautiful things that she left behind was the love for each of us and the community that it created.

Midge's niece Linda wanted to make sure that anyone who wanted a tangible remembrance of Midge could have one. She set out all of Midge's jewelry, and we all chose something to wear or just to cherish. Linda also found Midge's recipes and set them out for us. I loved that! Most of the recipes were for party dishes, dips, spreads or pot luck dishes that could turn an ordinary evening into a celebration. Very appropriate since Midge made the party wherever she went.

For some reason, this simple recipe jumped out at me. It's a simple cheese spread. The ricotta and herbs have a fresh bright flavor and the feta adds just the perfect touch of flavor. I've modified the ratio of ingredients a bit, but left Midge's original directions which are perfect in their simplicity.

Our children loved the spread as a dip or spread, but when I made sandwiches with it for school, two out of three came back uneaten. I guess dips are just more fun.

Midge would have known that.

Second Helping: Grilled New Potatoes
Thirds: Harvest Vegetable Tart with Parmesan Crust

Herbed Ricotta-Feta Spread

The dip can easily be made ahead, and may be even better made ahead because some sitting time gives the flavors a chance to develop. It will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Makes about 2 cups
15 minutes preparation time, plus time for chilling

1 cup ricotta
3/4 cup crumbled feta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped herbs such as parsley, thyme, and/or dill
1 tablespoon chopped chives or scallions

Mash all of the ingredients together with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes. Great on dark rye with tomato slices and sprouts.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

Fresh Peach Iced Tea

I have been so jealous of our children these last few weeks. They are back at summer camp at Calleva, where they get to hike, canoe, kayak, ride horses, swim, rock climb, ride mountain bikes, and camp. And who knows what else. Meanwhile, I head off to the office or to my home computer to work . . . indoors. Sigh. 

I am thrilled that they are out there having a blast and that they are learning all kinds of skills . I just wish I could do it too. I'll just have to lbe satisfied with having them take me out to show me what they have learned.

On the down side, though, they come home hot, tired, and hungry. I'm always a bit tentative when I show up to pick them up, wondering what kind of mood I'll find them in, or more accurately, how many of them will be hostile and cranky.

Gabe and I have decided that the best way to combat the cranks is to have something refreshing and cold for them when they get home. Often this has just been a popsicle, but somehow I got it in my head to make them some fresh peach iced tea. Of course, I only had nectarines the day I decided to make it so they substituted for the peaches.

I made a syrup with the nectarines and have kept it in the refrigerator. It's been there for almost two weeks and it is still delicious. I just add a few tablespoonfuls of the syrup to the iced tea when I serve it.

It was quite a hit among the parched campers, and even quite tasty for those of us who had spent the day in air conditioned comfort.

Second Helping: Strawberry Soda
Thirds: Perfect Peach Pie

Fresh Peach (or Nectarine) Iced Tea

Once you have created the syrup, the choice is yours as to what you want to do with the fruit. I recommend leaving the fruit in the syrup in the refrigerator when you store it for a more intensely flavored syrup. It will keep for at least a week. When you add the syrup to the tea, you can add only the syrup for a smoother drink, although our children love the big chunks of peach mixed into the tea. We just serve it with a spoon.

Makes 2 cups of syrup

5 peaches or nectarines
1 cup sugar
strong black tea, cooled

Add 1 cup of water to the sugar and bring it to a simmer in a small stockpot. Let the mixture simmer until the sugar completely dissolves and is clear.

While the syrup is cooking, wash the peaches and coarsely chop them. When the syrup is finished, add the peaches or nectarines and mash them gently with a potato masher. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Fill an 8-ounce glass with ice. Add the tea and 3-4 tablespoons of syrup. Taste and add more syrup if you like. 

The syrup can be stored in the refrigerator two weeks.  Store the syrup with the peaches still in it to intensify the flavor, or strain them out. The peaches will be quite sweet and can be eaten as they are or served over pancakes, on plain yogurt, or over ice cream.

Print Recipe

Saffron-Laced Ratatouille

This is the time of year when I go crazy at the farmers' market. I'm like a kid at the proverbial candy store, filling my bags with as much gorgeous produce as I can. I should go with one hand tied behind my back so that I am limited to what I can carry (Gabe, don't get any ideas). Instead, I prefer if someone else comes to keep me company and to help carry. After all, the leaves will be falling off the trees before we know it, so we have to make the most of it.

Ratatouille is the perfect dish to make using all of that produce. It uses eggplant, tomato, zucchini, and peppers, and the flavors are excellent together. The saffron adds warmth to the dish, while the basil and parsley, added at the end, keep the flavors fresh. It can be eaten either warm or cold, depending on your mood and the thermometer outside.

I got the idea to throw in a pinch of saffron after reading Lunch in Paris, which was a fun summer read. Instead of Eat, Pray, Love in three countries, it's Eat, Love in Paris.

I made this while we were on vacation along with some quinoa with the thought that I would just keep it on hand in the refrigerator to have for lunch. It didn't last more than a couple of days, though. I don't think the children even tried it. I'll have to make another batch while the veggies are at the height of their season. The only question is whether I'll share.

Second helping: Red Wine Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini
Thirds: Pasta with Ricotta and Summer Herbs

Saffron-Laced Ratatouille

This recipe is infinitely variable. Use whatever vegetables you have in the quantities you like, and it will be delicious. I like the technique of cooking the vegetables separately to bring out their individual flavors, but if you're in a hurry, you can cook them together.

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
salt
2 medium eggplants, skin still on, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
4 fresh medium-sized tomatoes, diced
pinch of saffron
1/3 cup torn basil
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
cooked quinoa or couscous for serving (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan (I used my Creuset stock pot). Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes and then add the garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove from the pan. If the pan is dry, add another splash of olive oil. Add the eggplant and a pinch of salt and cook until the eggplant has softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan. Again, if the pan is dry, add more olive oil. Add the zucchini and a pinch of salt and cook until it is tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the onions, garlic, and eggplant back to the pan, along with the tomatoes and the saffron. Cook until the vegetables are meltingly soft, about an hour. Just before serving, add the basil and parsley and stir.

Serve hot or cold, over couscous or quinoa, if you like.

Print Recipe

Sushi Rice Salad

This time of year when we often take our meals with us -- to the pool, the park, or even to the back porch -- I'm a big fan of those all-in-one-bowl meals. Sushi is perfect for the summer weather, too, because it is light and refreshing when it is too hot to have a heavy meal.



This salad fits the bill. It is cool, crunchy and refreshing. I made it recently and was shocked to realize that I hadn't posted it here yet. It is definitely worth sharing and has become a family favorite.

The original recipe, from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites calls for brown rice, but we often make it with white rice. Sushi rice is available at our Whole Foods, but if you can't find it, another short grain -- even arborio -- would do. The wasabi can be adjusted to make it as hot as you like. I like the salad cold, though, and try to make it in advance so that it has plenty of time to cool off in the refrigerator before we want to serve it.

Second Helping: Brown Buttered Zucchini with Spaghetti
Thirds: Purple Cauliflower Soup

Sushi Rice Salad

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites
Serves 8
20 minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time, plus time for chilling

The amount of wasabi in this recipe adds just a touch of flavor without too much heat. It's perfect for children, but if you like a stronger punch, add more. Either way, make some extra to serve on the side with the salad.

2 cups sushi (short grain) rice
3 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup rice vinegar
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
4 small carrots, peeled and diced
2 red (or yellow or orange) bell peppers, seeded and diced
3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
3 teaspoons wasabi powder, plus more for serving
1 sheet nori seaweed
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, toasted
2 ripe avocadoes, peeled and sliced lentghwise

Rinse the rice,  and add it and the water to a medium-sized stockpot,. Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer, cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes. 

While the rice is cooking, prepare the sauce. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and ginger to a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.

When the rice is done, toss the sauce with the rice. Add the 3 teaspoons of water to the wasabipowder and mix. Stir the wasabi into the rice. Put in the refrigerator to cool.

Fill a medium half full of water and bring it to a boil. Add the carrots and cook for a minute, then add the bell peppers and cook for about another two minutes. The vegetables should have softened, but retain a bit of texture (they shouldn't be mushy). Drain and set the veggies aside to cool.

Toast the sesames by putting them in a saute pan over a medium flame until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour them out of the pan onto a plate to cool. Toast the sheets of nori in the same saute pan until they darken, about 1 or 2 minutes. When they are cool enough handle, crumble them into small pieces.

When the carrots and peppers have cooled, stir them into the rice. Add the cucumbers. Just before serving, stir in the sesames and nori. Peel and slice the avocadoes and serve them with the salad.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

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.

Print Recipe

Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush

Eggplants get a mixed reception around here. They come in such beautiful colors and shapes that my children like to pick them out at the market. Instead of choosing the most perfect unblemished eggplants, though, the kids were drawn to the funniest ones.

 

The hooked nose inspired an entire puppet play.

When it comes to tasting them, however, the kiddies are a bit more timid. I don't remember much about my eating habits as a child, but I do remember one night of eggplant. My mother had toiled in the kitchen for hours to make an eggplant dish, trying no doubt to make something that she and my father would enjoy and maybe even something that would expand her children's horizons a bit. I can't remember the reaction of my siblings, but I know that when I tried it, I hated it. And of course I shared my opinion with my mother. I still remember how disappointed she was. It breaks my heart, that memory.

It gives me a bit of insight, though, into what my children must feel when I debut a new recipe. All in all, they are good sports, but I think eggplant it a tough sell. We did have fairly good results with our Smoky Eggplant Lasagne, but eggplant goes over best when they don't know what they're eating.

Grilling the eggplants until they have a nice char and srcaping out the innards.

Because baba ganoush looks like hummus, they were not as suspicious. Served with something from the bread family -- crackers or pita chips -- all three of them ate it. I think we'll put it in the lunch rotation. But first, I have to whip up a batch for my mother.

Second Helping: Victory Bread Pudding

Eggplant love.

Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush

Makes about 1 1/2 cups
10 minutes preparation time
approximately 25 minutes grilling time

1 large globe eggplant or 3 medium Japanese eggplants (about 1 1/2 cups of flesh)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Poke the eggplant a few times with a fork. Grill it over medium-high heat until it is evenly charred and begins to deflate. The cook time will vary depending on the size of the eggplant(s).

Remove the eggplant from the heat and set it aside until it is cool enough to handle. Scoop the flesh out of the skin and put it in the bowl of a food processor. If you like the smokiness of the charred flavor, add a bit of the skin, too. (I recommend adding a bit at a time, tasting, and adding more if you like, to make sure that you don't overdo it). The skin will make the color darker.

Add the remaining ingredients and purée in a food processor until smooth. Taste and add more salt, olive oil, or lemon juice to suit your taste.

Jobs for children: Selecting eggplants at the market is a great job for the little ones, of course. Children of all ages can also wash the eggplant, poke it with a fork, and scoop out the flesh once the eggplant has cooled. Additional tasks include squeezing lemons, smashing and peeling garlic, measuring ingredients, and running the food processor.

Print Recipe

Grilled Sweet Pepper and Feta Hummus

A couple of weekends ago, Gabe and I were doing a little home improvement project. Those of you who know us know how unusual this is. Neither of us spends the weekends roaming around the house with a toolbelt looking for something to fix. Pause. Giggle. Sorry, I was just picturing myself in a tool belt.

Throw a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, and a whisk in those pockets, though, and we might have something.

I do aspire to be more handy, but my brain just doesn't seem to take to those fix it projects. I am missing the intuition -- or maybe it's just brainpower -- that it takes to figure them out. And Gabe is only slightly better. Instead of two left feet, we both have two left thumbs. That's four left thumbs in all.

We are more home enjoyment people than home improvement people.

I hope you will understand, then, when I tell you that Gabe and I were giving our full attention to hanging some art that we had bought years ago and finally decided to hang properly. The children were left to their own devices. Chloe drifted over to the art table to draw. Oscar parked himself on the couch to watch his dad and me struggle through this project. And, after reading for a while, Olivia went to the kitchen.
Whirled red peppers, with their skins.
I had told Olivia that I thought we should use the grilled peppers that were sitting in the refrigerator to make a hummus. Now that the children have been back in school for a month, the rotation of lunch food is wearing a bit thin. The children love their sandwiches and quesadillas, but variety is the spice of life, right? Whoever coined that expression must not have cooked for children. 

Sometimes to get them to try something new I just deviate one step from something that I know they like. Because all three of our children love Basil Hummus, I thought another flavor might win them over. With grilled peppers and hummus in the refrigerator, a Saturday lunch seemed like the perfect time to try a new lunch box idea. So while Gabe and I were muddling through our project in the other room, Olivia began making the hummus.

After the storm.
She seeded the peppers and removed the stems, but left the skins on and chopped them up in the food processor before I knew what had happened. Normally I would peel the peppers first, but by the time I made it into the kitchen, it was too late for that. The resulting hummus was delicious, though. Because the skin was still on, more of the smokiness of the grill flavor came through.

I was a bit afraid that Oscar wouldn't like it because he isn't always a fan of hummus, so I just put a dollop on his plate and didn't say a word. A few minutes later, I sneaked a peek and it was gone, eaten by the pickiest of the hummus eaters. He didn't like it nearly as much as he enjoyed watching his parents work, though. After observing us miss-measure, drill a whole in the wrong place, make a trip to the hardware store (two if you count coming home to get the wallet), and finally get the darn thing in place, he announced, "This was way more entertaining than I thought it would be. Even one curse word." Very restrained of us, I thought.

Somebody's got to do the taste test.

Second Helping: Edamame Rice Balls

Grilled Sweet Pepper and Feta Hummus

3 medium sweet peppers
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
approximately 1/4 cup feta
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
smoked paprika or pimenton (optional)

Grill the peppers, turning them frequently until they are black and blistered on the outside. Set them aside to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the stems and seeds, but not the skins.

Whirl the peppers in a food processor with the remaining ingredients except the paprika. Taste. Adjust seasonings if you like. Serve in a bowl with a bit of olive oil drizzled on top and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Jobs for children: Children of almost any age can pull the tops off the cooled peppers and take out the seeds inside. Other easy tasks include squeezing the lemon and measuring all of the ingredients. The more mechanically inclined can open the can of chick peas and run the food processor.

Print Recipe

Corn and Green Bean Chowder

Autumn arrived has arrived here with a bang. More like a splash, actually. Lots of rain and cool weather and suddenly summer is a distant memory. Sandals and shorts? I had them on just a few days ago, but now, sitting here typing on a cool, rainy day, I can't imagine it.

Fall brings its own rewards, though. Crisp days and cool nights. Vibrant red, orange, and yellow leaves against bright blue skies. Paths littered with acorns. The sound of leaves underfoot.  And the flavors: crisp apples, warm soups, sweet pies. Suddenly fall feels great.

We ushered in fall this past weekend camping with friends. Last year we had planned a trip with the same friends, but ended up canceling at the last minute when the torrential rains did not ease up. (All was not lost, though, because we did make some excellent pumpkin cupcakes). This year, we got a great weekend. The days were sunny and cool, and the nights downright chilly, perfect for sitting around a campfire and roasting marshmallows. With good company for the adults and children alike, it was worth the year-long wait.

Veggies prepped and ready for the pot; Chloe pulling the leaves off the thyme stems.

I now have a renewed desire to get out there into the woods more often. Just seeing all the stars in the dark sky, far removed from the city lights, is reason enough to make the trek. And there is something about having to work a bit harder to stay warm, prepare a meal, clean the dishes that makes it seem simpler yet more worthwhile.

Simmering the stock.

I made this soup before we left for the weekend and warmed it over our friends' camp stove, which I think heated it twice as fast as it would have heated on my stovetop at home. This soup uses the best of those vegetables that are abundant at this time of the changing of the seasons -- potatoes, carrots, green beans, even late summer corn if you can find it. The result is a comforting soup that was perfect for a crisp night under a clear sky. It would be delicious on a rainy one too, for that matter.

Second Helping: Chunky Apple Muffins

Corn and Green Bean Chowder

For this soup, I used those skinny green beans, often labeled French Green Beans or Haricots Verts. Regular green beans would do nicely, too, although they need a few extra minutes of cooking time.

Serves 6
20 minutes preparation time
50 minutes cooking time

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 small celery rib, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
3 cups milk
3 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups)
corn cut off of 3 ears of corn (or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn)
2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and thyme and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, 6-7 minutes. Add the bay leaf, stock, milk, salt and pepper, and bring the soup to a simmer. Reduce the heat to very low so that the milk does not scald, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Add potatoes and corn, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. With an immersion blender or a potato masher, mash some of the potatoes into the broth to thicken it (this took about 5 seconds with my immersion blender).

Add the green beans and simmer until they are tender, about 5 minutes for French green beans, or a few minutes more for regular green beans. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve hot. Campfire optional.

Jobs for children: Smaller children can peel carrots and potatoes, pull the thyme leaves off the stems, snap the ends off the beans, measure milk and stock, grind pepper. Older children can chop vegetables.

Print Recipe

Pea Shoot, Feta, and Olive Sandwich

In addition to this blogging thing, I have a day job. I'll be hanging on to it for some time because this blog isn't exactly paying the bills. Scratching that creative itch, definitely. But bringing home the bacon? Um, no.

The day job has many benefits, but one of the best is its flexibility. My schedule allows me to work at home a couple of days a week. It's an excellent perk for a working mother, especially because my office is an hour away from home. I love this arrangement, but it also has a down side.

As I'm sure many work-at-home parents can tell you, it can be a bit, well, lonely. When the kids were little, I could still hear the occasional giggle or footsteps from my basement office. But now that they're in school all day every day, it's just me and my Buddy. Thank goodness for my shaggy friend, who gives me an excuse to chatter without feeling like I've completely lost my mind.

Usually on these days at home, my lunch is a fairly dull affair. I somehow have inherited my grandmother's Depression-era mentality and I cannot bring myself to waste food. So I feel compelled to eat that half-eaten sandwich that Chloe didn't eat in her lunch. I've been tempted to keep sending it back in her lunch box day after day in the hopes that one day she will eat it, but at this point, it's more important to me that she eat something for lunch to avoid her having a complete melt down by the end of the school day. I eat it for lunch. Maybe I doctor it up a bit or reheat leftovers from the previous night's dinner. Not very exciting.

The other day, though, I just needed something to get me through the afternoon, and those random bits in the fridge were not going to do it. So I got a (new!) loaf of bread out of the freezer, thawed and toasted it, and added lots of my favorite toppings. The result was this sandwich and it was delicious. The saltiness of the olives and feta played well off the greens, and the onion added a bit of crunch. The tomatoes were a nice, sweet note, but the sandwich would have been just as good without them.

When I had lunch that day, I sat down with a napkin on my lap and a dog at my feet and ate the whole sandwich. I didn't get up even once to get someone something for someone and I didn't field a single complaint about the meal on the table. Quite a treat.

Okay, it didn't quite make up for the absence of those little feet, but it was a very good start.

Second Helping: Wacky Sandwiches (make sure to check out the comments for more sandwich ideas)

Pea Shoot, Feta, and Olive Sandwich

1 slice of baguette about 4 inches long, sliced lengthwise (or 2 thick slices of another crusty bread)
olive oil for drizzling
1 generous handful pea shoots or spinach
6-ish cherry tomatoes, halved
6-ish kalamata olives, halved
1 teaspoon chopped red onion
a tablespoon or two of feta, crumbled

Toast the bread. Drizzle it with olive oil. Load the greens on top of one slice of bread. Add the remaining ingredients and top with the other slice of bread. Get a fork out of the drawer to clean up anything that falls out of the sandwich.

Sit down, turn on the radio, pull out a good book, or just sit in silence. Enjoy.

Print Recipe

Grilled New Potatoes

Although it wasn't always so, my children now love potatoes. (I so wanted to write that they "dig "potatoes for the pun, but I couldn't open with that; instead the pun gets relegated to the parenthetical). Baked potatoes are their favorites, but now we can add grilled to the list.

Two varieties of new potatoes. The red ones are from our farm garden.

We dug up some sweet little potatoes from our farm garden recently and bought another variety at the farmers' market. These small gems -- dug up early when the potatoes are still small and tender -- are sweet and delicious and don't need much fuss. But I have often found grilling them to be a challenge. Too often they blacken on the outside before they are fully cooked inside. The other day, we took an after-dinner stroll around the neighborhood and popped in to see my sister and her family. They were just finishing up their dinner, and on their table were a mound of stripey grilled potatoes.

It wasn't that we had planned to stop by and see what they had cooked to eat up any odd bits that they wanted to share. Sometimes it just happens that way. And I had just learned that potatoes are an excellent source of potassium (and check out all of that vitamin C!), an electrolyte that is important to maintaining proper hydration during exercise, during a triathlon, for example. I'd much rather eat regular food than supplement my diet with goo and Gatorade when training. (Here's an interesting article about the relative merits of foods and energy drinks and bars). So I popped one into my mouth. Yum.

The stripes came from slits that my brother-in-law had cut around the potato to help them cook more evenly. I tried the technique and presto, it worked!

Cutting the slits.

Can you see the rings where the slits are cut onto each potato?

Over medium heat, the potatoes cooked quickly and didn't burn before they were tender all the way through. We just tossed the potatoes with olive oil and sea salt, but you could add some fresh chopped parsley or chives, or go fancy and make a cumin-scented cilantro pesto. 

A drizzle of olive oil and onto the grill.

Oh, and about that triathlon. I did it! My two sisters and I signed up for the race together, trained together, and raced together. Having that common goal was an excellent way to bring us together despite the other demands for our time. A friend recently said to me, "I can't believe you have two sisters when I don't have any!" Having two sisters does seem to be an abundance of riches, but at least I appreciate them. They have been my closest confidantes and friends throughout my life and I hope that will always be the case. Even if they did beat me to the finish line.

Second Helping: Harvest Vegetable Tart with Parmesan Crust

Grilled New Potatoes

Serves 6
10 minutes preparation time
approximately 20 minutes grilling time (depending on the size of the potatoes)

12-18 new potatoes
olive oil
sea salt

Turn the grill on and let it warm at medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Scrub the potatoes but leave the skins on. With a sharp knife, cut several parallel slits into each potato about half an inch deep and at least half way around. Put all of the potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle  a generous amount of olive oil over them. Shake some sea salt over the top. Stir the potatoes with the olive oil and salt to coat them evenly.

Place the potatoes on the grill, reserving the bowl with any remaining olive oil. Grill the potatoes, turning them so that the skins brown evenly. They will be done when they are tender when you pierce them with a knife. The tiniest potatoes -- about the size of a grape -- took  about 10 minutes. The largest -- about the size of a lime -- took about 25 minutes. 

Remove the potatoes from the grill and toss them again in the bowl with the olive oil and salt. Serve just as they are or with chopped herbs or the accompaniment of your choice.

Print Recipe

Smoky Eggplant Lasagna

So that's it then. Summer is officially over. Sigh. I can't say that I'm ready to leave it behind, the long days, lazy evenings at the pool, unstructured hours of who-knows-what. We did our best to wring the last bits out of summer this past weekend, with some time at the pool, a party at a friend's house to celebrate the bounty of our local farms, and a bike ride along the C & O Canal towpath.

But the weather has turned cooler and it is beginning to feel like fall, with all that the season promises. We made this lasagna the night before the first day back at school to help us bridge the seasons. It is lighter than eggplant parmesan, with a fresh flavor, and it doesn't require all that dipping and frying that goes along with the preparation of eggplant parmesan.

It all started at a farmers' market, as it often does. We spied a variety of adorable eggplants and the children wanted to buy a few of each of them. What? Eggplant? Are you kidding? You won't eat them! That was what I thought, but I fought off the impulse to pass them up and scooped them up instead. If I buy them, maybe they'll eat them. And, besides, did I mention that they were very cute?


Olivia wanted to make eggplant parmesan with them, but they really weren't the right size or shape. They were small enough that I thought they would be tender and I could skip the peeling and salting. The smoky flavor came from the smoked mozzarella which complements the eggplant.

When we sat down to eat the lasagna, Chloe didn't recognize the eggplant and she was quite suspicious. I'm not one to hide the true ingredients from children because I'd rather my kids learned to love all that great produce than to find out that I'd tricked them into eating something they say they hate. But I also don't always announce the ingredients that I think may be an obstacle.

Instead, we play, Guess the Secret Ingredient. Everyone has to have a few bites and then try to guess what is in the dish. My hope is that by the time someone guesses "eggplant," the children will have tried the dish and decided whether or not it was good without the specter of eating a food they don't think they like. It doesn't always work, but in this case, it did. Although neither Chloe or Oscar ate all of the eggplant bits, they did eat around them instead of refusing to eat dinner at all. I'll take my small victories however I can get them.

Maybe it won't be so hard to leave summer behind after all.

Second Helping: Moro Bean, Tomato, and Basil Salad

Eggplant Lasagna

I used a mix of varieties of small, tender eggplants and left the skins on. If you use larger ones, peel them first. I don't find salting necessary in this dish because they eggplants are mixed in with so many flavors that they are not bitter at all.

I always seem to have leftover lasagna noodles after assembling a lasagna. I'm not sure why a standard box has more noodles than one really needs to make a standard lasagna. It's just like hotdogs. Why do they sell them in packages of 10 when the buns come in packets of 12 (or is it 8 and 10?). Anyway, if you have leftovers, slice them into strips and toss them with a bit of olive oil and salt. The Italians refer to these odd shapes as "malfatti," meaning poorly made. They taste like any other pasta, though, and could make the start of a nice little lunch.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups diced eggplant
6 cups chopped San Marzano tomatoes (fresh if you can get them or canned if you can't)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound lasagna noodles
1 15-ounce container ricotta
1 pound smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced
about 30 fresh basil leaves

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and eggplant and cook until they soften, 10-15 minutes. If you are adding fresh tomatoes, add them with their juice. If you use canned tomatoes, drain most of the water, but add enough to make the vegetables slightly saucy. Cook with the tomatoes until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and boil them according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and run cold water over them stirring them gently with a wooden spoon or your hands to keep them from sticking.

Spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Arrange a single layer of noodles on top of the sauce. Spread a large spoonful of ricotta across each noodle. Top with a few basil leaves. Add a layer of sauce. Repeat with another layer just like that, noodles, ricotta, basil,  sauce.  You should have enough ricotta for a second layer. For the next layer, use noodles, smoked mozzarella, basil, and sauce. Keep adding layers until you run out of sauce or space in the dish, whichever happens first. For me, this was a total of four layers of noodles. The last layer should have sauce topped by mozzarella.

Bake the lasagna until the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. If you would like the cheese on the top to brown a bit, remove the lasagna and heat the oven to broil. Put the lasagna back in for a couple of minutes, until the cheese begins to turn a golden brown. Watch very carefully because it will brown quickly and the last thing you need is to burn the lasagna. Remove from the oven immediately. Let it rest for a couple of minutes before you slice and serve.

Print Recipe

Triple Ginger Zucchini Bread (or Muffins)

Apparently I have become obsessed with zucchini this year. We have eaten tons of tomatoes, peaches, corn, and all manner of other wonderful summer produce, but this is the third time that I am writing about zucchini this summer. (In case you have blocked out the others, do Zucchini and Brown Butter Spaghetti and Grilled Zucchini Summer Sandwiches ring a bell?) Evidently I'm in a zucchini state of mind.

For those of you who don't like zucchini or are just plain sick of it, my apologies. Then again, maybe you are the audience that most needs this recipe. Because zucchini bread isn't really about a love of zucchini, is it? It's more about disguising something that you have had enough of in a way that it is still appealing. And it is about making the most of those gigantic steroid squashes that are so bountiful this time of year.

When I was plotting my strategy for using up our stash of zucchini this summer, I knew that I wanted to modify my standard zucchini bread recipe to jazz it up a bit. I love the cinnamon flavor profile of my traditional recipe, but I have eaten so many of those loaves and muffins over the year that I wanted something new. New and different, but not too new and different. I am, after all, cooking for clientele under five feet (but not for long!) that doesn't always like change. So there I was again, walking the tightrope between pushing the flavor in a new direction and bringing the kids along for the ride. I thought about adding lemon, but as I reached for the lemon in the fruit bin in my refrigerator, I saw something even better lying next to it. Ginger!

I added fresh ginger as well as candied ginger and powdered ginger. The result is a zucchini bread studded with flecks of golden ginger and enhanced with its sweet-spicy flavor. I loved it, and for the most part, the children did too. Chloe wrinkled her nose, but she ate most of it, and even a few cousins gave it a thumbs up. I still have one more giant zucchini in the refrigerator and a stash of muffins and bread in the freezer. Bountiful harvest!

Second Helping: Zuccanoes (yes, more zucchini!)

Triple Ginger Zucchini Bread

As noted, because I made this version for a broad audience, I didn't go too crazy with the ginger, and it is very good as written. If I were making it for myself, though, I would add another half teaspoon of fresh ginger and an additional quarter cup of candied ginger. Just because I could.

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups raw, grated zucchini
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/3 cup candied ginger, minced
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a standard loaf pan or 12-cup muffin tin (or use cupcake liners for easier clean up and prettier muffins).

In a small bowl, whisk together the flours, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until they are fluffy. Add the sugar, canola oil, and vanilla, and mix until they are thoroughly combined. Add the zucchini and fresh ginger and mix again.

Add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture and mix until the ingredients are just combined and there are no spots of dry flour. Add the candied ginger and walnuts, if you are using them, and mix briefly.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan or muffin tin (fill each cup no more than two-thirds full so that they will rise nicely). Bake the bread for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or the muffins for 30 to 35 minutes. In either case, they are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 Print Recipe

Blackberry-Ginger Jam and a Respite

Along with that flat of raspberries, we picked a second flat and a couple of smaller flats of blackberries. We went on one of those hundred-plus degree days that we have had so many of in Washington this summer. With work and camp schedules, we didn't have much of a choice of days, but we went out early to avoid the worst of it. After about 10 minutes, Gabe looked at me and I could tell that he was ready to cash it in. Honestly, I was too, and I usually have the strongest incentive to keep at it because I have a head full of ideas of things to make with our haul.  But the children were so bouyed with excitement while they were picking that it lifted us, too. They seem to have much more enthusiasm for picking at Larriland than they do at our own farm garden. I'm not sure why that is, but it was just what Gabe and I needed on that morning. 

By now I have turned almost all of the berries into jam; those that are left we are eating on cereal or with granola and yogurt. Such an excellent summer treat.

I stayed fairly traditional with my preserving because this was my first year making raspberry and blackberry jam. But I did make a couple of batches of blackberry ginger jam and I love the way it turned out. The jam has the winey sweetness of the blackberries along with the slight heat and perkiness of the ginger. 

We made several jars of strawberry jam at the beginning of the summer, but we have eating through them voraciously. Now we have many more jars (I think the kids counted 19 of varying sizes) to add the larder. I'm hoping they last us at least a few months. I'm such a fan of having a taste of summer in the middle of a cold, cold, day.

And now that the jars are put up, I'm feeling a need for a bit of putting up myself. I'll be taking a break from the blog for at least a couple of weeks to enjoy some time with my family and to relax and recharge. I hope to spend a lot of time in the lake, and a bit of time running around it. But mostly I want to spend time staring at it, letting it work its magic on me. After a few days, I know that the relaxation will seep into my bones, and I hope that I can take it with me into the busy autumn months to come. 

I will buzz into New York to attend the BlogHer conference this coming weekend. Now that I've been blogging for just over a year, I feel the need for a bit of thinking about what I want to get out of this blogging experience. I have loved it, but it does take a lot of time and energy, and I think a bit of contemplation about what I want to accomplish in the long run will be a good thing for me. I'm hoping that talking to lots of other bloggers at BlogHer will help me focus my thoughts.

I hope that you all have a very happy and peaceful August, and I look forward to reconnecting soon.

Blackberry-Ginger Jam

If you are canning the jams for storage, please see this earlier post for some helpful references. I have also found Putting Food By to be an extremely valuable practical resource.

Makes about 6 cups
10 minutes preparation time
about 20 minutes cooking time

8 cups blackberries
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

Put a plate in the refrigerator to chill.

Mash all the ingredients together in a large stockpot. Bring it to a boil and boil until it thickens, about 20 minutes.

To test to see if the jam will set, put a teaspoon of jam on one of the chilled plates and return it to the refrigerator for one minute.  After a minute, remove it and tilt the plate.  Most of the preserves should remain in the center of the plate, while some of it -- especially the more liquid portion -- will slowly spread out towards the edge of the plate.  When the preserves have firmed up to this extent, skim off a bit of the foam if there is any, stir in the rest, and transfer the jam into storage jars.

Print Recipe

Apricot-Blueberry Upside Down Cake

Last Saturday we went to our friends' house for an impromptu dinner. I love those weeks when the stars align and we are all free to get together on a Saturday night. I offered to bring dessert because I had lots of fruit on hand, although I didn't have a clue what I would make. I had currants, blueberries, apricots, watermelon, and a strong incentive to clear out the refrigerator because I wanted to go berry picking the next day and needed to make space in the refrigerator. More on that later.

I found a recipe in Gourmet for apricot upside down cake that looked like the kind of recipe that I could throw together in time for dinner, and still get in a nap. Since we had the blueberries on hand I added some of those, too. They added a delicious sweetness as well as a beautiful purple color that was a  lovely contrast to the orange of the apricots.

When we got to the house, our friends had set up a chocolate fountain. Have you ever seen one of those? It is basically the same concept as fondue -- warm, melted chocolate -- but instead of a pot, it streams from the top of a tower. Isn't it a treat to have dessert options? Or, even better, dessert courses?

The kids went to town on the chocolate fountain. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, but there were some chocolate faces that would have made excellent photos. We adults cut into the cake. And then some of the kids asked for cake, and some of the adults snuck a taste or two of that chocolate.

As for the cake, it was moist, tender, with a delicious sweetness from the fruit. Gabe put it on his top ten list. And at least one of the children ranked it above the chocolate fountain, which is hard to beat.  Put another way, if you can get your hands on some apricots and blueberries, make this cake!

Apricot-Blueberry Upside Down Cake

Adapted from Gourmet
20 minutes preparation time
40-45 minutes baking time

Gourmet calls for a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan to make this dessert, but I used stainless steel. You just need a pan that can go safely from stove top to oven, and it needs to have sides that are at least 2 inches deep to hold the cake. There is enough butter in this recipe that the cake slipped out of my stainless steel pan just fine. The cake keeps well for a couple of days in the refrigerator, but I recommend bringing it to room temperature before serving.

For the fruit:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
10-12 small apricots, halved lengthwise and pitted
1 cup blueberries

For the cake:
1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 almond extract
2 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cups buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk with 1/4 cup plain yogurt)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. After the butter has melted, sprinkle the brown sugar as evenly as possible over the butter, and let it cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the apricots cut sides down in a pattern that you like because they will become the top of the cake. Sprinkle the blueberries in the spaces between the apricots. Set the pan aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and extracts until fluffy and lighter in color, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and then mix until the batter has nearly doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, and add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. With each addition, mix until just combined.

Scoop the batter onto the top of the apricots and blueberries being careful not to ruin that beautiful pattern that you made out of the fruit. The batter will be thick, so distribute it as evenly as possible and then smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Don't worry about any butter that oozes through. It will bake up just fine.

Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes. If the cake seems stuck to the sides, run a knife around the edge of it, but I found that this wasn't necessary because the cake pulled away from the side of the pan as it cooled. When the pan is cool enough to tough, put the serving plate on top of the pan. Keeping the plate firmly on top of the pan, flip it in one motion so that the plate is on the bottom. This is really a lot easier than it sounds. Just take a deep breath and go for it. Carefully lift the pan and if there is any fruit stuck to the bottom, return it to its rightful place on top of the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Print Recipe

Brown Buttered Zucchini with Spaghetti

We have been so lucky over the last couple of weeks because friends have kindly offered us their CSA shares while they are on vacation (thanks Beth and Leticia!). Such bounty! The shares have included broccoli, onions, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, green beans, and zucchini. And not those gigantic zucchini, either, but nice small tender ones.

It is wonderful to have such an abundance of riches. Of course I still like my weekly jaunts to the farmers' market, although lately I have mostly been buying fruit, and we have hauled in some goodies from our farm garden, too. We've been eating like crazy to keep up with it all. Anything for the cause.

It does create a challenge, though, to keep presenting the great produce in a way that keeps the kiddies interested. I'm suspecting that one of these days there will be a big groan when they see that dish of pasta with tomatoes, garlic, and basil, which has become one of our quick weeknight meals. 

To jazz up the zucchini, I toasted some bread crumbs in butter, and added zucchini that was cut into thin julienne slices and cooked in brown butter. The result was a crunchy, nutty-flavored pasta dish that everyone loved. Well they all ate it anyway. Chloe, who usually is a fan of zucchini, bread, butter, and pasta in other combinations, separated out the zucchini from her pasta. I still can't predict what she will and won't eat. But at least it used up a bunch of zucchini and the rest of us thought it was delicious.

Second helping: Smoky Deviled Eggs

Brown Buttered Zucchini with Spaghetti

This dish is best the day it is made because the bread crumbs will be crunchy and play nicely off the softness of the zucchini. Leftovers will lose a bit of the crunch.

Serves 6
15 minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time

5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups fresh coarse bread crumbs, preferably homemade*
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium zucchini, julienned
1 pound spaghetti

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the bread crumbs and toss them until they are completely coated in the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they have deepened in color and are crisp, about 10 minutes. Pour them into a large bowl and add the garlic, parmesan, parsley, and salt.

Wipe out the pan you used for the bread crumbs (no sense getting another pan dirty).  Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining butter. Let it cook for about about 2 minutes, just until it begins to brown. Add the zucchini and saute until the zucchini is tender and the butter is browned and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously, add the pasta and cook until al dente. When the pasta has cooked, drain it and toss it immediately with the bread crumbs and zucchini.Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

* To make bread crumbs, whirl a few pieces of crusty bread in a food processor until they are finely chopped. I like them to be a bit coarse or a variety of sizes because I think they make the texture more interesting, but you can whirl them longer if you'd like to make them finer.

Print Recipe

Grilled Zucchini Summer Sandwich

We seem to have spent the first part of the summer everywhere but home, eating dinner out of the house and expanding our repertoire of dishes that travel well. But now that school is out and we have settled into summer, we find ourselves home more often. The combination of being home more and not wanting to cook in the 100-degree heat has us turning more and more to the grill. I know that grilling requires standing over a hot grill which is its own challenge on a scorching day, but at least it is quick, and the heat stays outside.

This recipe is my way of using up one of those giant zucchini that I inevitably take possession of once or twice during the summer. Do you have the same experience? Maybe a family member or neighbor gives you one, or you find one hiding under a large leaf on that zucchini plant that you somehow missed when you last harvested. For me, it's having that vegetable garden an hour away that did it. So last week we were the proud owners of a Great Zucchini. It reminded me of the vegetables in Wallace and Grommit's Curse of the Were-Rabbit, or that Gilligan's Island episode where they plant the radioactive seeds from NASA and grow gigantic vegetables.

I find that these huge zucchini are often not that tasty to eat on their own. The peel and the seeds can be tough so I usually just use the flesh to make zucchini bread. But this year I wanted to try something different. I noticed that sliced across, the zucchini are the perfect size for a sandwich roll. The grilling softens the slices and adds excellent flavor. Topped with a bit of basil -- purple in this case -- a slice of mozzarella, and loaded into a toasty bun they made a delicious summer sandwich.

The kids all tucked into these, and Olivia and Oscar polished theirs off. Chloe ate about half of hers before declaring that she didn't like it, but I thought that was not bad for my most finicky eater.

And I still have half a zucchini left to make more or to make zucchini bread. Or, given its size, I may have enough for both.

Grilled Zucchini Summer Sandwich

The kids ate these as sandwiches with the whole bun, but Gabe and I ended up eating them as open-faced sandwiches, and we each ate two.  With some veggies or a salad on the side, it's enough for a meal.

I think basil and zucchini are an excellent summer combination, but the zucchini has a neutral enough flavor that you could vary the combination in a number of ways. A chipotle mayonnaise would be an excellent addition, as would a dash of hot sauce like sriracha.

Serves 6
10 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time

approximately 1/2 of a giant zucchini, peeled, and sliced into rounds
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
approximately 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
10-15 basil leaves
8 ounces mozzarella or other melting cheese such as fontina or cheddar
6 sandwich buns
toppings of your choice, such as lettuce, tomato, or sliced onion

Heat the grill. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and garlic, and add a couple of dashes of salt and a grind or two of pepper. Brush the zucchini slices on both sides with olive oil. Grill them until they are browned on the bottom, then turn them to cook on the other side. When you turn them to cook on the second side, add a basil leaf or two and a slice of mozzarella. Grill until they pierce easily with a fork and the cheese has melted.

Brush the buns with the remaining olive oil and toast them quickly on the grill. Load the zucchini patties into the bun, top with whatever you like, and eat them while they're hot.

Print Recipe

Lemony Potato Salad

There are so many things I thought I knew before I had children. Like how to raise well-behaved ones. You know, ones that would be polite, and kind, and generous with their siblings. Without being nagged reminded. And yet I still expected that they would be interesting, creative, and engaged. Oh yes, I was sure that I could have it all. But I find that I am so often one step behind. I'm just figuring out how to handle the challenge of the day, when they move on and I am faced with a new problem to solve.

Even after I had one child and thought that I had learned a thing or two, it took children two and three to fully clue me in to just how little I actually know. Like how to potty train them. It was so easy with the first that I was shocked to find that the second and third had ideas of their own.

Or how to get them to be interested in trying new foods. Because Olivia was such an adventurous eater, Gabe and I were sure that we had unlocked the secret to getting kids to eat. But then Chloe came along and deflated any pride I had developed by showing me that she would. Not. Eat. One. Bite. Period.

I'm sure that many of you are much more clever than I and have mastered this parenting thing after just one or two children. But me, I feel like I'd probably have to have a dozen to really figure it out. (Not that that will happen.)

Are you wondering what -- if anything -- this has to do with potato salad? Well, potatoes turned out to be one of those parenting surprises. Potatoes are one of the (many) foods that I adore.  They are earthy and starchy, can be dressed up or eaten simply, and they never fail to satisfy. Not only that, but they're relatively bland so they seem like the perfect kid food. Maybe it's my Irish genes, but I thought they had universal appeal.

Or I did, anyway, before I had children.

For years, the only potatoes that my kids would eat were the fried variety. And I'm not sure those count because they are not really identifiable as potatoes and because anything fried tastes good. It has more to do with the fry than the potato. They wouldn't eat mashed potatoes, boiled ones, or baked ones. I have no idea why. They just didn't like them, no matter how much butter I added.

But, slowly they have been coming around. The first breakthrough was the baked potato, which was inspired by the Little House series. Now they even will try potato salad once in a while which makes me happy because it is one of my favorite summer dishes. And you know how much I love those dishes that can be taken along for a picnic or eaten outside in the park, on the diamond, or at the pool. The lemon in this version is bright and lightens up the salad.

I guess we are all growing here. Because let's face it, even with all the time that I spend learning that I have much more to learn, these little people are fantastic beyond my wildest imagination, and I love their company. They are funny, sweet, affectionate, inventive, and just downright adorable in ways that I never could have imagined.

At least until they throw me that next curve ball.

Lemony Potato Salad

I used a combination of chives and their flowers which, if you can find them, are wonderful. They have a chive flavor but add a lovely lavender color scattered over the top of this salad.

Adapted from Gourmet
20 minutes preparation time
25 minutes cooking time

3 pounds small new potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large stockpot, cover the potatoes with water and bring them to a boil.  Simmer until the potatoes are tender, between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on their size. They are done when they pierce easily with a knife but still hold their shape.

While the potatoes cook, stir the celery, mayonnaise, chives, lemon zest, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl bowl.

When the potatoes have cooked, drain the water and let them cool to room temperature.  If they are not already small enough, cut them into bite-sized pieces.  You can leave the skins on, but if any pieces of the skins come off as you cut them, discard them. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss the salad. 

The salad can be made a day in advance. Just cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.

Print Recipe

Cherry Galettes

This is the best time of year to buy fruit at the market. Just this weekend, I picked up both sweet and tart cherries, black raspberries, red raspberries, blueberries, and peaches. Yes, I am a glutton. But I just can't help myself. Now we have to figure out what to do with all that fruit.

The raspberries are gone, and we have made a good dent in the cherries and peaches. We'll eat lots  more just as it is, but once in a while it's nice to have something a bit more special. Pies, of course, are one of my favorite ways to feature the fruits of summer, as I have written about before.  Blueberry and peach are hits around here. But these galettes are as easy as pie. Easier than pie, actually, because they only have a bottom crust and it is very easy to work with. They're also incredibly tasty, adding just enough crust to hold the fruit without overpowering the flavor.

This recipe makes small galettes, each only a few bites. It's the perfect size to serve for a summer treat, especially with a scoop of ice cream. If you want to make bigger galettes, though, you can cut it into fewer pieces or double the recipe.

And what would make a more perfect dessert for a Fourth of July picnic than one of these little hand held tarts?

Second helping: Almond Granola

Cherry Galettes

We enjoyed the small size of these galettes, but the recipe can easily be made as one large galette instead. Just roll out the dough in one large piece rather than dividing it and bake it a bit longer, about 40 minutes.

Makes 8 small galettes
45 minutes preparation time
approximately 25 minutes baking time

For the crust:
2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons ice water
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina flour
1 teaspoon 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 cherries, pits removed
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon lemon zest
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 flours, 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. Mix in the sour cream with your fingers until the mixture forms a wet 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 two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Prepare the filling by mixing the pitted cherries with the extract, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and lemon zest. When the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and cut it into 8 equal-sized wedges with a sharp knife or a pastry cutter.

Take one wedge and roll it into a ball and then flatten it. Roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface until it is about 5 inches in diameter. Move it onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wedges.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon or so of cherry filling onto each piece of dough, leaving an inch or two border. Fold the edge up over the filling, working around to give the dough a pleated look. Don't worry about making the galettes perfect. Part of their charm is the rustic look.

Brush the edges of the galette with water and sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar over the edges. Bake until the galettes are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally with a scoop of ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Print Recipe

Fresh Pea and Fava Bean Risotto

There is something about peas and fava beans in their shells that lures me in when I see them at the market. I know they will be work to shell and cook, but just knowing that those pods are filled with little surprises charms me. So into the bag they go.

This year, I decided to combine the peas and fava beans into a risotto. I wanted something that would feature their flavor but I couldn't imagine how many I would have to buy (and shell!) in order to make enough for a side dish for five of us. Since their flavor is delicate, I wanted a simple background flavor that wouldn't overshadow them. Risotto is great for that.

And the shelling really wasn't bad. The peas are a snap (sorry for the bad pun). It's really just a two step to open the pods and clear out the peas. The fava beans are a bit more work. The pods are a bit tougher to open, and they also have an inner casing that needs to be removed. If you have a partner though, it doesn't take long to prepare them. Gabe and I made this risotto for dinner this past Saturday night. Sitting in the kitchen together, with some music on, chatting, and anticipating seeing our friends, it was actually quite a wonderful experience. Just don't try it when you're in a hurry.

Second Helping: Pea Shoot Pasta with Lemon Cream

Fresh Pea and Fava Bean Risotto

Serves 6
30 minutes preparation
30 minutes cooking time

1 quart fresh peas
1 quart fava beans
5-6 cups vegetable stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
½ cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for the table
salt and pepper to taste

Fill a medium-sized pot about half full of water and bring it to a boil. 

Remove the peas from their pods. What works best for me is to pull the pod apart at the center with two hands until it separated. I then flick the peas out with my thumb. Set them aside.

Remove the fava beans the same way. The fava bean pods are a bit tougher so it may take a bit more strength to open them with your hands. Alternatively, you could use a small knife to cut off the tops and then split them down the middle with your hands.

Salt the boiling water and add the shelled fava beans. Boil them for one minute and then drain them. Immediately rinse them with cold water. When they have cooled, pull off the outer jackets and set the beans aside with the peas.

Heat the stock in a small saucepan.

In a large pan, melt three 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. Add the wine and mix until it has been absorbed into the rice. Continue cooking the risotto by adding one or two ladlefuls of stock at a time, stirring occasionally. After about 15 minutes, add the peas and fava beans and stir them into the rice.

Continue to add stock to the rice until it is tender. 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.The peas and fava beans will be done when they are tender to the bite but are still a bright green color.

When the risotto is done, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the herbs, and the parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pass additional grated parmesan at the table.

Print Recipe

Vietnamese Cucumber Salad

We had an exhausting weekend, running here there, and everywhere. I charted it all out because I was afraid that I would forget to show up somewhere, or bring the necessary gift/equipment/snacks, or worst of all, forget to pick up one of the children and leave someone stranded somewhere. At one point, I tallied that we had 14 places to go and things to do over the course of the 2 days. But it was good stuff, sports, friends, music, family. And nobody got left behind.

At some point, I did squeeze in time to make this incredibly simple salad. The recipe comes originally from my sister Sarah and her husband, Ed. They traveled to Vietnam several years ago and after eating this salad several times, they watched the chef make it so they could figure out how to reproduce it at home.


I've changed it up a bit because. . . well, because that's what I do. I love the way the cool cucumbers play off the heat of the hot peppers. In this version, I use a jalapeno pepper because that's what I found this week, and I was making it for children, but if your palate can take it, substitute a hotter pepper. Just for the record, it's also quite portable. In case you're eating on the go.

Vietnamese Cucumber Salad

Serves 6
20 minutes preparation time, plus 30-60 minutes to marinate

2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper (or a hotter pepper if you like), seeded and thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup natural rice vinegar (not seasoned)
2 long English cucumbers (about 6 cups sliced)
1 cup thinly sliced red onion 

Mix all of the ingredients except the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl and whisk until the salt and sugar have dissolved.

If the cucumbers have tough skin, peel them. Cut them in half length-wise and remove the seeds. Slice them across diagonally. Add the cucumbers and red onion to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Add enough water to the bowl to submerge the cucumbers completely and place the bowl in the refrigerator to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Before serving, drain off the liquid, which you can reserve for future salads. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Print Recipe

Cooking with Mother Goose: Mulberry Gelato

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.

Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush;
Here we go round the mulberry bush
so early in the morning.

Maybe you have a mulberry bush or tree in your yard.  If you do, you probably have cursed it at least once for dripping berries onto something you didn't want stained dark purple.  Maybe you cut it down. I know the sentiment. I have walked through the park behind our house many times and stepped carefully around those berries so that I don't get the juice all over my shoes.

But as they have in so many areas of my life, my daughters have given me a different perspective.  They love those mulberries.  As do the squirrels, who go to amazing gyrations, hanging upside down from the branches, to fill their bellies with berries.  Buddy goes crazy watching them.

And because I am a food-obsessed nut, I have wondered for years if I could cook with mulberries.  I had thought of making a pie or tart with them, but since I usually use about 10 cups of fruit in a pie, it seemed like it would take forever to collect enough. Then, last year, when I read Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, she described making mulberry ice cream. Of course mulberries were out of season by then so I had to wait a year.  But now they're back, spilling their black-purple ink all over the sidewalks.

Adding to my mulberry fever, this past weekend on our long car trip, we listened to Linda Sue Park's Project Mulberry, a story about two kids who set off in search of a mulberry tree for a silkworm project.  In the book, one of the characters describes mulberry ice cream as the best ice cream ever. 

With our Italy trip still very much in mind, gelato sounded even better.  Gelato usually has a lower fat content than ice cream, which according to Gourmet Today, makes the fruit taste more prominent.  Interesting.  I found a recipe in Gourmet Today for cherry gelato, and with a bit of fiddling -- more fruit, some vanilla bean -- I adapted it for mulberries.

The other day, I set off with the children to the park to collect mulberries.  I wish I could tell you that the promise of homemade gelato, made from berries we foraged ourselves, would motivate the children to happily gather as many mulberries as they could.  Instead of skipping along singing while we gathered berries -- okay, not really my vision, but wouldn't that have been nice? -- it was more like this:

"Mulberry picking is stupid.  I don't even like mulberries."

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"I'm thirsty."

"It's so hot."

"I'm tired."

"I just got attacked by ants. AAAHHHHH, they're killer ants!!"

"I think we have enough."

"Can we go now?"

You get the idea. But somehow we did manage to collect a small basketful of berries. I had brought a small stool, and I used it to reach the branches and pull them down low enough so that the kids could pick the berries.

Then we whacked a couple of the higher branches with a long stick and gathered the berries that fell. And soon, without anyone dying of thirst or being swarmed by deadly ants, we had enough for our gelato. 

One note about the berries. There are at least two varieties of mulberries around here, the dark purple ones and the white ones. I always thought that the white ones were just unripe, but friends of ours clued me in that they are actually a different variety and even sweeter than their purple cousins. Just look for the ones on the tree that are tinged slightly pink.

By the time we got home and cooled off, the children were willing to pitch in to make the gelato, picking the stems off of the berries and helping measure and mix. 

And  they were eager to try the finished product. I thought it delivered a pure mulberry flavor. The children loved it, too. Oddly, though, they all thought it tasted a bit like banana. Even though the picking process was somewhat challenging, I hope that by the time the mulberry juice has faded from their fingers, they will have forgotten the cranky bits of the day and remember the picking, making, and eating fondly. I know that's what I plan to do.

So now, when I see those mulberries all over the place, I have a new attitude. If life hands you mulberries. . . make mulberry gelato.

 

Mulberry Gelato

Adapted liberally from Gourmet Today
Makes about 5 cups
40 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time, plus several hours for chilling

1/2 vanilla bean
3 1/2 cups whole milk
pinch of salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups fresh mulberries

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and put them, the vanilla bean pod, and the milk in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately remove the pot from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean pod.

Whisk the 1/2 cup of sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl.  Add 1/2 cup of the milk mixture to the cornstarch and mix until it is smooth. Then add the cornstarch-milk mixture back into the saucepan.  Return the saucepan to the stove, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Simmer, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour it though a strainer into a heat-proof bowl.  The straining might seem to be a bit fussy but it only takes a couple of extra minutes and will result in a creamier gelato. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has cooled, about an hour.  Then cover the bowl and refrigerate until very cold, about 3 hours.

While the mixture is cooling, prepare the mulberries.  Remove the stems and reserve a few mulberries for decoration if you like. Add the mulberries and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to the bowl of a blender or food processor.  Let the mixture sit for at least half an hour and then pour it through a sieve. Again, this straining will be quick and will be worth it in the end. 

When the milk mixture has cooled, stir in the mulberry juice. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the instructions of your ice cream maker.  When it has finished, transfer it to an air-tight container and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Print Recipe

Picnic Parade

Seasonal cooking for me involves the use of ingredients available at the various times of year, but there is also more to it.  I  turn to lighter dishes in the spring and summer, dishes that are simpler, and less fussy.  As much as I love to cook, I don't want to stand over a hot stove and stir or make complicated sauces once the weather warms up.  Well, maybe once in a while, but not regularly.

We also end up eating out of the house many nights this time of year, and I like to create dishes that are portable, can be eaten at room temperature, and, ideally, contain a starch or grain, some vegetables, and a bit of protein.  A complete meal in a bowl.  It makes those evenings at the side of the baseball diamond or at the swimming pool that much more appealing.

Since summer officially begins this weekend -- or the picnic season anyway -- here are a few ideas from the archives of dishes that you may want to take along with you wherever you wander.

Appetizers:

Edamame Rice Balls

Basil Hummus

Edamame Dip

Radish Tartines

Smoky Deviled Eggs

Side Salads:

Asparagus with Shallot-Champagne Vinaigrette

Roasted Asparagus and New Potatoes with Tarragon

Peach, Tomato, and Basil Salad

Creamy Turnip Slaw

Main Course Salads:

Arugula Pesto Quinoa

Moro Bean, Tomato, and Basil Salad

Lentil and Feta Salad

Minted Bulgur with Tomatoes and Roasted Chick Peas

Corn, Tomato, and Quinoa Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Egg Dishes:

Asparagus and Goat Cheese Frittata

Taco Frittata

Egg Salad with Tarragon and Shallots

Desserts:

Oscar's Brownies

Strawberry Shortcake

Blueberry Pie

Peach Pie

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Beverage:

Mint Limeade

Cheers!

Zuccanoes

I first came across this idea for stuffed zucchini in the original Moosewood Cookbook.  The original cookbook no longer seems available on Amazon (they now offer a New Moosewood Cookbook, which is an updated version of the original), although I'm sure you could track down a copy on the web.  Not all of the recipes in the book have stood the test of time, but it has many great ones.  And it was one of the first cookbooks to demonstrate that vegetarian cooking wasn't just about seeds and sprouts;  it also could be delicious. 

Harvest Vegetable Tart with Parmesan Crust

This time of year I go a bit crazy at the farmers' market.  There is such an abundance of vegetables that I love that I buy more than even this family of hearty appetites can reasonably consume in a week.  I bounce from vendor to vendor, loading up my bags with goodies that catch my eye or strike the fancy of one of my wee ones.  We do our best to polish them off, but by the end of the week, I often have vegetables left over that I haven't yet used.  And I always want to finish them up so that I can go back to the market and shop some more.  (For those of you in the Silver Spring/Takoma Park area, check out the Wednesday Crossroads market.  It's small but has a good offering of the season's vegetables, and I found it much less expensive than many other markets in the area).

This recipe is perfect for using up those late summer vegetables.  I love it with eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes because they all share that delicious summer flavor that goes so well with basil.  You can create endless variations of this recipe, though, according to the tastes of your family or whatever is in your CSA share.

For most of the recipes I post, I try to keep the recipes simple.  But sometimes a more complicated, celebratory recipe is what I want to make.  And eat, of course.  This tart is not a simple weeknight meal.  It takes a couple of hours from beginning to end, but the result is worth it.  It is a special meal to serve as a Sunday supper, share with friends, or celebrate the bounty of the harvest.

This weekend, go out, shop, bring home your own haul, and make this tart! 

Harvest Vegetable Tart with Parmesan Crust

30 minutes preparation time
1 hour 30 minutes cooking time

This recipe calls for the vegetables to be grilled, but if you don't have a grill, you could roast the vegetables instead.  The crust and grilled vegetables can both be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

for the dough:
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup parmesan
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into about 10 pieces
1/2 cup white wine
1 egg

for the filling:
1 large zucchini, sliced into rounds
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
2 red, yellow, or orange peppers
15 basil leaves
1 fist-sized mozzarella ball, cut into slices
1 medium tomato, sliced thinly
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 egg, lightly beaten

First make the dough:  Combine the flour, salt and parmesan in a large bowl.  Add the butter pieces.  Rub the butter between your fingers and incorporate it into the flour mixture until it varies in size from grains of sand to small pebbles.  Add the wine and egg, and mix with a fork or your hands until the dough comes together.  Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap it in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the dough until it is firm, at least 1 hour and up to a few days.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables:  First turn the grill on high and let it heat for about 10 minutes.  Toss the zucchini slices in a bowl with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil, and a sprinkle each of salt and pepper.  In another bowl, mix 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil with a few shakes of salt and pepper.  Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with the olive oil mixture.

When the grill is hot, place the peppers whole on the back of the grill.  Turn them a few times and cook them until their skin is black and blistered all over, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Arrange the zucchini and eggplant slices evenly over the heat. I set a perforated grill tray (similar to this one) on top of our grill surface to keep the zucchini and smaller eggplant slices from falling through.  Cook the vegetables until they are browned and tender, about 2-3 minutes on each side for the zucchini and 3-5 minutes on each side for the eggplant. 

When the peppers are done, set them aside to cool, and when they are cool enough to handle, peel off their skins.  Slice them open, remove the seeds and cut them lengthwise into strips.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly flour a large baking sheet and roll out the dough on it into a large circle, 12 or more inches.  Leaving a 2- to 3-inch border around the edge, layer the vegetables in this order:  eggplant, zucchini, peppers.  Add the whole basil leaves and then cover with slices of mozzarella.  Layer the tomato slices on top of the mozzarella and sprinkle them with the parmiggiano. 

Fold up the edges of the tart so that they partially cover the tart filling.  Brush the top of the dough with egg.  Bake until the crust is nicely browned, approximately 50 minutes.

Print Recipe

Basil Pesto

If you've been reading this site for a bit now, you know that our yard has very little sun and we have had no success growing vegetables at home.  That is what led me to embark on our far away gardening project.  One year, though, our children's babysitter, Rosalyn, gave me a few basil plants.  Given our track record, I was pessimistic, but I planted them in different sites, hoping one of them would grow.  By late August, they were enormous.   It turned out that the best spot is right along the road in front of our house, a spot now shared by a basketball pole.  We ate basil with tomatoes that summer, and we also made a lot of pesto. 

So much pesto that I froze a few batches.  It was wonderful to take some of that pesto out of the freezer in the dead of winter and have a meal that tasted of summer.  Now one of our end-of-summer traditions is to make several batches of pesto for the freezer.  We use them for pasta, of course, but it also delicious on pizza, sandwiches, or stirred into soup.  Of course, if you don't have basil in your garden, you can pick some up at the farmers' market or the grocery store.

 

This recipe makes a traditional Genovese basil pesto.  It is adapted from the recipe of one of our favorite cookbooks, Biba Caggiano's Trattoria Cooking.  Every recipe we have made from this book has been excellent, and I think this pesto has the perfect balance of garlic and basil.  Most recently, we tossed the pesto with whole wheat fettucine and slow-roasted tomatoes made with Smitten Kitchen's recipe, which added little bursts of sweetness.  Delicious!

Basil Pesto

Adapted from Biba Caggiano's Trattoria Cooking

If you are making pesto to freeze, don't add the parmigiano at this point; add it after the frozen pesto has thawed.  I freeze this pesto in individual batches in quart-size freezer bags.  To thaw it, set the bag in a bowl of hot water.  As the water cools, replace the hot water a few times.  It should take no more than 15 minutes to defrost. 

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

3 cups basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated parmigiano (omit if freezing)

Put all of the ingredients except the parmigiano in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the mixture is well-incorporated, but still a bit chunky.  Pour into a bowl and stir in the parmigiano.  Taste, and add more salt if you like (the pesto should be fairly salty, especially if you are tossing it with pasta). 

Fig and Port Jam

Fresh figs are a rare treat for me.  I love their gentle, subtle sweetness.  Biting into one is a delight, with its soft texture on the outside, and burst of tiny crunchy seeds on the inside.  I remember being with Gabe in Positano, Italy, the city where we got engaged -- Propositano, Sarah dubbed it -- and making a delicious lunch of bread, cheese, and fresh figs.  Heaven. 

That day seems so long ago in many ways.  When I look back on times like that, I often wonder, where were the children?  Of course, there just weren't any for us yet, but it's hard to remember what that feels like.  My natural instinct is to try to weave them into the memory.

Biting into a fresh fig transports me.  But a person can only eat so many fresh figs, especially when there is such a variety of fantastic fresh fruits and vegetables available this time of year.  This recipe preserves (I couldn't resist the pun!) the flavor of those fresh figs so that they can be enjoyed for weeks to come.  I added just a bit of port to bring out that rich, almost fermented taste that is part of their natural flavor.  It is perfect on toast by itself, with cream cheese or ricotta, or served on the side of a cheese plate.

Fig and Port Jam

Makes approximately 2 cups of jam
10 minutes preparation time
40 minutes cooking time, plus time for cooling

approximately 20 fresh figs
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon port wine

Wash the figs.  Cut the stem ends off the figs and quarter them.  Mix them with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the port.  Heat the mixture in a covered pot over low heat until it releases some liquid, then bring the mixture to a simmer.  Let the mixture simmer gently until the figs are quite soft and the jam has thickened, about 40 minutes.  At one or two points during the cooking process, mash the mixture with a potato masher.  When the figs are meltingly soft, add the last teaspoon of port and stir.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the jam cool.  Transfer to a jar for storage.

Print Recipe

Back to School and Moro Bean, Tomato, and Basil Salad

Chloe, our youngest, started kindergarten today and, although I knew it was coming, I'm still reeling.  She had been nervous, but by yesterday her siblings' enthusiasm had rubbed off on her and she said she couldn't wait to start kindergarten.  By the time we actually arrived today, it was a different story.  The practice at our elementary school is to have the kindergarten children gather in front of the school.  Of course, all of us parents were there too, taking pictures and soaking up this last time with our kindergartners before they take this big step.  In the middle of all this commotion, Chloe was clinging to Gabe and me.  Our efforts to encourage her and get her to notice her classmates were unsuccessful. 

When it was time for her class to go into the school, she protested.  But then she took a deep breath, turned and walked with the class.  She glanced back, though, and that was enough to unleash the tears.  She didn't run back to us, but stood where she was, no longer able to move into the building.  I didn't know what to do.  How many times as a parent will I face this dilemma?  Do I do what I really want to do, scoop her up, hug her, and bring her home?  Or do I encourage her to take that step that seems so difficult and move away from us and onto the next experience?

I walked over, took her hand, and told her I would take her to her teacher.  We caught up, and I traded my child's hand for the school supplies that the teacher was carrying.  I got the short end of that stick.  Then I waited as the children all went into the classroom.  When I thought the coast was clear, I brought the supplies up and put them into the back of the classroom.  I had forgotten that the children would still be at their cubbies, putting away their shiny new backpacks.  There was Chloe, looking so forlorn.  I knew I should turn away before she saw me, but I couldn't without one more look.  She saw me there, and for a second, her eyes lit up as if to say, "You realized your mistake, now come and get me!"  I forced a smile, blew her a kiss and ducked out of the door. 

And then I cried my way home.  I heard Alice Walker say once that the process of mothering is a continual distancing of our children from us.  I thought of this as I walked through the school today, seeing the faces of all of those kindergartners with their wide, expectant eyes, and a child, new to the school this year, holding back tears among a sea of unknown faces.  These children have courage.  They must know that they need to do this, to move away and move on.  I just hope that I have the courage to support, guide, and love them, so that they can grow into the happy, independent adults that I want them to be.

Of course, I can't let the day go by without a recipe.  Here is the bean salad that we made--at Chloe's request--for the kindergarten picnic.  The beans are from my Rancho Gordo stash, but black beans could be substituted.  This recipe pairs those fantastic summer tomatoes with a classic complement of basil.

Moro Bean, Tomato and Basil Salad 

Serves 6 as a main course
20 minutes preparation time
1 1/2 to 2 hours cooking time, plus time for cooling

1 pound dried Moro beans (black beans are a reasonable substitute)
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig sage
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
a few grinds of pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large tomatoes
10-15 basil leaves, torn

Rinse the beans, put them in a pot with the thyme, sage, and 1 teaspoon of salt, and cover them generously with water.  Bring them to a boil and simmer until they are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, make the dressing.  In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, remaining teaspoon of salt, and pepper.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil so that it emulsifies.  Set aside.

Dice the tomatoes and, if they are very watery, pour them into a colander set over a large bowl and let them drain while the beans cook.  Reserve the liquid for another purpose such as soup stock.

When the beans are tender, drain them, pour them into a large bowl, and toss them with the vinaigrette.  Let them cool to room temperature.  Add the tomatoes and basil and toss gently.  Serve at room temperature.

Print Recipe

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Sauce

We have struck it rich in the tomato department.  All of those heirloom tomato plants that we planted in the garden at Black Ankle are producing like mad.  Mary has been bringing us a large basket every week filled with Brandywines, Purple Cherokees, Green Zebras, Purple Russians, and Hawaiian Pineapples.  This week we had so many that she suggested that we get together to make sauce. 

I usually prefer my heirlooms raw because they are so delicious and juicy.  I also have not had success making sauce from heirlooms.  All that juiciness translates into a very watery sauce.  Drain all that water off and there's not much pulp left.  But we have had too many to keep up with eating them raw, although believe me, I am doing my best.  Mary suggested we try roasting the tomatoes and I thought that might help dry them out.  It didn't, but the end result was still delicious.

We separated out the yellow Hawaiian Pineapples and Green Zebras to make each into a sauce of its own.  Then we mixed the remaining red and purple varieties.  The Hawaiian Pineapples were remarkably sweet and the Green Zebras quite tart.  The red and purple varieties made a more traditional tomato-y sauce, perfect for pasta, couscous, or polenta. 

Because each of the heirloom varieties has such a different flavor, when you make this recipe, taste the sauce and adjust the flavors as needed.  Roasted shallots were a great complement to the Hawaiian Pineapples and also balanced out the tartness of the Green Zebras (along with a generous amount of basil).  The sauce can be frozen or canned.  If you are canning, you may find the instructions here or here to be helpful. 

In addition to producing some delicious sauce, our sauce making evening was the perfect excuse for a few friends to get together, cook, chat, and share a bottle of wine.  Black Ankle, of course.

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Makes about 2 cups of sauce
30 minutes preparation time
40 minutes cooking time

4-5 large heirloom tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
5-6 garlic cloves
10-12 basil leaves, torn
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Core the tomatoes and cut them in half.  Lay them with the cut sides facing up in a roasting or jelly roll pan.  Leave the garlic cloves in their skins and sprinkle them over the tomatoes.  Drizzle the olive oil on top.  Roast the tomatoes until they are very soft and the edges have browned, about 40 minutes.  If you are using heirlooms, a good bit of liquid will come out of the tomatoes as they cook.  Carefully remove the pan from the oven. 

Set a colander in a large bowl.  Pour some of the liquid from the tomatoes into the colander and set the pan aside until the tomatoes are cool enough to handle.  When they have cooled, slip the skins off and discard them.  Peel the skin off the garlic, too.  Pour the tomatoes with their liquid into the colander, and let it drain for a few minutes. 

Pour the tomato mixture from the colander into a bowl, add the garlic, and blend briefly with a hand blender.  Add the basil and a few pinches of salt.

Print Recipe
 

Corn, Tomato, and Quinoa Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

 
Aren't neighbors wonderful?  We had our neighbors over for dinner the other night, and we grilled some corn to go along with our tacos.  I had gotten the corn at the farmers' market, and as I husked it with the children, we found several caterpillars inside the husks.  I actually find this reassuring because it means that the corn has not been sprayed within an inch of its life with noxious chemicals.  I cut them all out, but the children were still a bit put off.  I explanied why I didn't mind them, but I'm not sure they got it.  At the end of my explanation, I asked them which they would prefer, a few caterpillars or chemical sprays.  They all chanted, "chemicals!"  Apparently I have a bit more persuading to do.

In the course of this conversation, I told the children not to mention the caterpillars to our dinner guests because it might make them afraid to eat the corn.  As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized my mistake.  Not only was I advocating deception, but my mere suggestion that we not say anything meant that the children were guaranteed to say something.  I saw a glint in Oscar's eye, but he is usually shy in a crowd, so I thought I was safe.

No such luck.  After toiling over a hot grill to get the dozen or so ears of corn cooked, I brought a huge platter heaped with corn to the table.  When offered corn, Oscar passed and then said, "we found lots of worms in that corn." 

There were lots of leftovers.

We also had lots of tomatoes.  Not only are the tomatoes coming in at our farm garden, but other neighbors left for a two-week vacation and asked us if we would pick their tomatoes so that they would not go to waste.  Anything for a neighbor.   

 

Corn, Tomato, and Quinoa Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

You could substitute any other grain for the quinoa, but quinoa is loaded with protein and its chewy texture is a nice complement to the softness of the tomatoes and the crunch of the corn and onion.  Quinoa is also gluten free for those who must avoid wheat.  We served this salad as a side dish, but it could easily be doubled to become a main course.  Because it can be served at room temperature, it makes a great pot luck or picnic dish.

Serves 6 as a side dish
20 minutes cooking and preparation time, plus additional time for cooling

4 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup diced red onion
corn cut from 2 ears of cooked corn (about 1 cup)
2 medium tomatoes, cored and diced

Heat a teaspoon or so of olive oil in a skillet.  Add the quinoa and cook it until it is fragrant, 1-2 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups of water, and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat, cover, and let the quinoa sit for about 12 minutes, until it is soft and the round grains have opened up.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.  Whisk together the salt, pepper, cilantro, and white wine vinegar.  Slowly add the remaining olive oil, whisking continuously.  When the quinoa is cooked, toss it with the dressing in a large bowl.  Let it cool for a few minutes, and add the onion, corn, and tomato.  Serve the salad warm or let it cool to warm temperature.

Print Recipe

Peach, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad

As I have mentioned before, one of our favorite summer meals is tomato and mozzarella salad.  Of course we wait until really good tomatoes are available at the farmers' market (or in our garden!)  and use the best mozzarella we can find.  When we had the salad for the first time this season, Olivia said, "Oh, I've waited so long for this!"  Yes, you have, sweetie.  Waiting for those tomatoes to come in can seem to take forever, especially in the long years of a child.

But now tomatoes are here with a vengeance.  My goal is to eat so many of them that by the time the summer ends, I am happy to see them go.  It has never worked before, but maybe this will be the year. 

This recipe is a variation on that standard tomato-mozzarella salad.  With perfectly ripe peaches thrown in, it is quintessentially summery.  The peaches add sweetmess, and the balsamic vinegar adds a mellow, sweet, tangy flavor.  The balance of the flavors works extremely well together.

I have to confess that Olivia was the only child who loved this salad as much as Gabe and I did.  Oscar was not wild about the one bite that I cajoled him into trying, and Chloe wouldn't even have a taste.  But I loved the combination of flavors so much that I wanted to pass it on.  And maybe in some households, the appeal of peaches for dinner will be enough to entice the children?

Peach, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad

Serves 6 as a salad
15 minutes preparation time

2-3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, sliced into rounds
2-3 medium-sized ripe peaches, sliced into rounds
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds
a few sprinkles of salt
5-6 basil leaves, torn or cut into thin strips
balsamic vinegar

Layer alternating slices of tomato, peach, and mozzarella on a large platter or plate.  Sprinkle with salt and basil, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.   

Print Recipe

Simply Peach Pie

I know I have just recently given you a pie recipe, but I really must share this one with you too.  I don't know when it started, but many years ago, I started making this pie for Gabe's birthday.  His birthday is the during the height of peach season and there really is nothing more delicious than a perfect peach.  And as my brother-in-law and I were discussing the other day, peaches are one of those fruits that are as delicious cooked as fresh. 

Now it has become a tradition and every year for Gabe's birthday, we make peach pie.  During Gabe's birthday party the year Olivia was born, I spied my mother cradling Olivia and gently giving her her first food, a finger full of peach pie filling.  Two years later, my mother did the same with Oscar.  (Chloe was only 1 month old at the time of Gabe's birthday, so we had to wait a bit to give her her first food, pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving).

This pie has become a part of our family history.  I love crisps and crumbles, too. Really any variation of good sweet stuff and fruit will do it for me, especially if it is topped with a scoop of ice cream.  But one of the best things about fruit pies is that, because the crust itself does not have a strong flavor, they let the fruit shine.  Over the years my recipe has evolved a bit, but it has always had the fruit as its star.  The filling has no other spices or flavors and with perfectly ripe peaches it is fabulous.  I try to buy the peaches a couple of days in advance so that they have time to ripen before I make the pie.  Or if I am making it the same day, I buy seconds at the market.  They are usually more ripe, and any bruises are easily removed. 

                                                                                                        Many thanks to Olivia for taking this picture!

This pie can be eaten either warm or cold, but we prefer it cold.  The crust is best if eaten on the day it is made, but it is still very good a few days later so it can be made ahead.  It can also be frozen.  If you plan to freeze it, assemble it, but do not bake it.  Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap.  When you are ready to eat it, cook it according to the directions, but factor in a bit more time for it to cook completely.

And although I know you are reading to get a recipe, I really can't let the day go by without saying something about the man that this pie honors.  When we were married, we had "hand in hand" inscribed on the inside of our wedding rings. I had no idea how many times that phrase would come to life.  Gabe has been a true partner in this full, happy, crazy life we have together, and I cherish that every day.  What a fabulous man/husband/friend he is.  He is a true peach (totally corny, I know, but Gabe appreciates a good pun).

Simply Peach Pie

1 batch basic pie crust
7-8 large peaches
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling

Make the basic pie crust and refrigerate it for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

First, peel the peaches.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Gently lower in the peaches and let them boil for about one minute.  Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and let them drain in a colander.  When they are cool enough to handle, slip off their skins.

Slice the peaches into 1/2-inch pieces.  Cut each of those pieces in half crosswise.  Mix the peaches with the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of sugar.

When the dough has chilled, roll out the larger piece and transfer it into the pie plate.  Pour in the peach filling.  Cut the butter into small pieces and drop them over the filling.  Roll out the second piece of dough into a 10-inch piece and transfer it onto the top of the peaches.  Trim the edge of the crust out to even it out, if necessary.  Fold the edges under and crimp the top and bottom crust together.  Cut a few slits into the top crust.  Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the top of the pie. 

Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for about 50 minutes longer, until the crust is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling.  Chill the pie for at least 1 hour to let it set, or for as long as a couple of days.

Print Recipe

Pasta with Ricotta and Summer Herbs

Although I am usually very happy to putter around my kitchen, even for me, spending a lot of time in a hot kitchen is less appealing in the summer.  Our favorite summer meals tend to be ones that we can throw together in a matter of minutes using the delicious fresh produce that is so widely available this time of year.

One of our favorites is a Caprese salad, which is just slices of tomato and mozzarella with some olive oil drizzled on top and some fresh torn basil and sea salt sprinkled on top of that.  We eat this for dinner once a week during the peak of tomato season, and we love to use a variety of heirloom tomatoes because their colors make such a beautiful salad. 

But I digress.  The point of this post was to give you a pasta that is delicious, fresh, and summery, and still quick to make.  Which reminds me of another pasta dish that we love make in summer.  We toss pasta with some diced tomato, a clove or so of minced garlic, olive oil, torn basil, and salt.  It makes a super fast and delicious dinner that features those fabulous August tomatoes without much work at all.

I'm not sure why I'm having such a hard time sticking to the point.  Maybe it is that summer cooking doesn't really lend itself to recipes because the best foods are simple presentations of fresh produce.  But I really do have a recipe to share with you. 

This is one of those pasta dishes that we make again and again.  The ricotta is creamy and refreshing, and the herbs are fresh and bright.  The dish is infinitely variable, depending on what herbs you have on hand.  If you buy ricotta at the beginning of the week, you can throw this together in the time it takes the pasta to cook. 

I encourage you to play with the ratio of the herbs to see what suits you, but I love the combination of the bite of scallions or chives with the sweetness of mint and basil.  I usually add Italian parsley, too, because it adds that fresh, green flavor that works so well in summer.

Pasta with Ricotta and Summer Herbs

 

It takes a good bit of salt to help bring out the flavor of the herbs in this dish.  Saltiness is such a matter of personal preference, that I suggest that you start with 1 teaspoon, taste, and add more as you see fit.

Serves 6
20 minutes preparation and cooking time

1 pound short pasta, such as orecchiette, farfalle, or fusilli
1 cup fresh herbs such as basil, mint, chives, scallions, and/or Italian parsley, divided 
1 pound fresh ricotta
1-2 teaspoons salt, plus more for the pasta water
a few grinds fresh pepper
freshly grated parmesan for serving

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta.  If you like pasta al dente, cook it for about a minute less than the time called for on the box.

Meanwhile, chop the herbs and reserve a couple of tablespoons for garnish.  In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, herbs, salt and pepper.  Before you drain the pasta, scoop out some of the pasta water.  Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup to the ricotta to thin it until it is smooth, about the consistency of sour cream.   

When the pasta is done, drain it and toss it with the ricotta  mixture.  Serve it into individual plates or bowls and top each serving with a sprinkle of herbs and parmesan.

Print Recipe

Grilled Corn with Cilantro-Lime Butter

Corn on the cob is well-loved in this house.  Occasionally we have to cut it off the cob for someone with a loose tooth, but it is always a hit.  Now that summer corn is coming to the markets, we are in heaven.  This recipe takes it up a notch.  The zest from the cilantro and lime give the corn a decidedly summer flavor.

We tried different variations on the process, such as grilling the corn out of the husks, and grilling the corn first and then adding the butter.  Both were decent variations, but my favorite approach was to put the butter inside the husks and grill the corn with the husks on.  Enough of the corn gets to the grill to give it that delicious charred flavor, but the corn also steams inside the husk so it doesn't dry out like it can when it is grilled without the husk.

I have to admit that Chloe wouldn't even try this green-flecked corn.  Fortunately, it is easy to leave the butter off an ear or two for her.  For the rest of us, this was a real treat.  Ah, summer!

Grilled Corn with Cilantro-Lime Butter

Makes 6 ears of corn
20 minutes preparation time
10 minutes cooking time

6 ears of corn
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 or 3 pinches of salt

Peel off a few of the dark green outer husks of each ear of corn and discard them.  Leaving the remaining husks attached to the cob, peel them back and remove the silk.  Pull the husks back up to cover the ear of corn.  Soak the corn in a sink or pot full of water for about 10 minutes.  Turn the grill to high and let it heat for about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, soften the butter to a spreadable consistency in the microwave.  Add the chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt and mix well.

Remove the corn from the water.  Peel the husks back and slather the kernels with the butter mixture.  Using a strip of husk, tie the husks of each ear together at the tip. 

Turn the grill to medium and grill until the corn is slightly charred, turning several times, about 10-15 minutes.

Print Recipe

Blueberry Birthday Pie

Summer birthdays can have their disadvantages for children.  There is no party at school for one thing.  And we had to schedule Chloe's birthday party 6 weeks from the actual date in order to be sure that all the key players would be in town.

But they have their advantages, too.  There is nothing better than a pool-side birthday party.  And this cook loves that summer birthdays fall in the middle of the best fruit season of the year.  Pie is high on my list of favorites so I was thrilled when Chloe asked for a blueberry pie for her on-the-actual-day-family-birthday-party.  (I don't know how you manage it, but around here each child ends up having at least two birthday parties, one for family and one for friends.)

Since blueberries are so good this time of year, the additions to the filling are minimal so that the taste of the blueberries can shine through.  The touch of lemon zest and a bit of nutmeg are just enough to add some complexity to the flavor.  Since blueberries are ready to go as they are and need no peeling or slicing, this is a very quick pie to make.

By the way, this pie freezes beautifully.  Last summer I made a few for the freezer, and it was such a treat to pull one out and eat it in the middle of winter.  To bake it, just take it directly from the freezer and bake it the same way.  It may take a bit longer to cook, so factor in an extra 15 to 30 minutes. 

Fortunately, we had a big crowd for Chloe's family birthday party, and I made two pies.  Now I have some left to comfort me as I adjust to the idea that our youngest -- and really, she was a baby just a few moments ago -- is 5 years old. 

 
Blueberry Birthday Pie

If the berries are sweet, you will need the minimal amount of sugar.  With deliciously ripe berries, 3/4 of a cup of sugar was perfect.  This recipe also works well with frozen berries if you don't have good fresh ones available.

Serves 8-10
30 minutes preparation time (including making the dough)
45-55 minutes baking time, plus 2 to 3 hours cooling time

For the filling
6 1/2 cups blueberries, rinsed
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pinch of nutmeg

Basic pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the filling ingredients together.  Roll out the larger piece of pie crust until it is a bit larger than your pie plate and carefully transfer it into the pie plate (see the basic pie crust recipe for tips).  Spoon in the filling.  Roll out the smaller piece of crust so that it is large enough to cover the pie and drape it over the top of the blueberries.  Trim any overhanging pie crust with scissors and pinch the edges together.  Cut 3 to 5 vents in the top of the pie crust.  Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the top of the pie.

Bake the pie on the lower rack of the oven for 15 minutes.  Turn the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until the blueberries are bubbling and the crust is pale golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

To allow the filling to set, let the pie cool before you cut it, ideally 2 to 3 hours.

Print Recipe