Sabih

This is quick becoming one of our summer favorites (up there with Bun Chay, Taco Salad, and Sicilian Stir Fry).  Despite doing this CSA thing for the past five plus years, our kids are still not fans of eggplant and zucchini.  Curtis and I are still kinda iffy on both of those as well, especially zucchini.

Well, this recipe has no zucchini.  It does use eggplant and cucumbers.  We love this and have adapted it to the kids by also adding some grilled marinated chicken breasts.  Everyone's happy.  First bite and once again, I remember how wonderful summer can be.

This recipe calls for savory mango pickles.  Some day, I hope to have the time to locate those (I know what store to look at, I just haven't braved it this summer with three kids in tow), so I am leaving them in the recipe.

Sabih
adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

2 large eggplants (or 3 - 4 small or medium ones), peeled leaving a zebra like pattern (one strip peeled, one peel left on, etc)
1 1/4 c sunflower or canola oil

1/2 - 1 lb seasoned chicken breasts
sourdough bread, ciabatta bread, or fresh pita (I usually use bread)
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
savory mango pickle (optional)
2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
2 small cucumbers (1 med-lg), diced (if you use a large one, peel and seed cucumber as well)
1 1/2 T parsley
lemon slices

Tahini Sauce:
2/3 c tahini
1/2 c water
2 T lemon juice
salt
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)

Zhoug:
1 1/4 oz cilantro (thin stems ok)
1/3 oz parsley (thin stems ok)
1 - 2 hot green chiles, coarsely chopped
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t cardamom
1/4 t cloves
pinch of sugar
1/4 t salt
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
2 T olive oil
2 T water

Cut eggplants widthwise into slices 1 inch thick.  Sprinkle them on both sides with salt, spread on baking sheet or kitchen towel, and let stand for at least 30 minutes (this helps remove some of the water).  Pat dry with paper towels or clean kitchen towels.

While the eggplants sweat, prepare the tahini sauce.  In a small bowl, combine tahini, water, and lemon juice.  The consistency should be of honey or a little runnier.  Add a little extra water if needed.  Taste and add salt as desired.  Sauce can be store in the fridge for up to a week, just stir well before using (and add a little more water if needed).

Prepare the zhoug.  Finely chop all the zhoug ingredients (not including olive oil or water).  Add the water and olive oil and combine to make a coarse paste.    If you have a small food processor, you could also pulse all the ingredients (including olive oil and water) until you have a coarse paste.  Zhoug will keep in the fridge for up to three weeks (but ours never lasts that long!).

After the eggplant have sweated for 30 minutes or so, heat the sunflower or canola oil in a heavy frying pan.  Make sure the oil is very hot (it almost looks like it starts swirling around in the pan by itself, it shouldn't smoke though, and you definitely don't want it catching on fire) and fry the eggplant slices in batches until nice and dark.  Flip the eggplants once.  Add oil if needed.  When the eggplant is done, it should be nice and squishy in the center.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  While the eggplant fries, grill the chicken.

To serve:  Slice the chicken into thin strips.  Put the hardboiled eggs, diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and mango pickles on a platter.  I don't mix things together because we all like different combinations.  Put the parsley in a little bowl and serve the lemon slices as well.

Make the eggplant and chicken into open-faced sandwiches.  Spoon tahini sauce over the bread.  Follow with eggplant slices (or chicken), some more tahini sauce, eggs, tomato, cucumbers, and top with zhoug.  If desired, you can squeeze a lemon over top or season with salt and pepper.

Spiced Chickpeas and Summer Vegetable Salad

I know it's been a long time since I've added any recipes.  A usual, its a new cookbook that causes me to start adding recipes.  For Christmas this year, the dog gave me a cookbook again.  Her choice was superb:  Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.  I want to be sure next summer when I am scrambling to come up with recipes using eggplant, cucumbers, and the likes, I remember these recipes.

Normally I shy away from cookbooks by restaurant owners or Food Network personalities.  They seem full of themselves and full of ingredients that are either terribly expensive or terribly hard to find.  Not so for Jerusalem.  Although Ottolenghi owns restaurants bearing his name in London, the recipes are easily accessible.  The recipes are mostly kosher and heavy on vegetables.   Many of the summer vegetables use limited stove/oven time as well, which is nice when it's over 100 degrees outside and I really don't want to heat up my oven any more.

This the first recipe to share.  We love it, especially the spiced chickpeas. My margin note?  "The spiced chickpeas are divine!"  I made a few changes.  The original recipe called for a dressing on top of the vegetables.  I left that out.  Additionally, because with five people we are bound to like different things, I did not mix the vegetables together, I left them in separate piles on the serving platter.  I used the vegetables I had (two kinds of sweet peppers), I omitted those I didn't (radishes).

Remember to start the chickpeas the night before you want to eat this meal.

This serves 4.

Spiced Chickpeas and Summer Vegetable Salad
adapted from Jerusalem by Ottolenghi and Tamimi

1/2 c dried chickpeas
1 t baking soda

2 small cucumbers, cut into 2/3" dice (seed and peel if you prefer)
2 large tomatoes, cut into 2/3" dice
8.5 oz radishes, cut into 2/3" dice (optional)
1 -2 sweet peppers, seeded and ribs removed, cut into 2/3" dice
2/3 oz cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 oz parsley, coarsely chopped

1 t ground cardamom
1 1/2 t allspice
1 t cumin
1/4 t salt

Greek yogurt
pita

Soak the chickpeas overnight in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and baking soda.  The next day, drain, place in a large saucepan and cover with water twice the volume of the chickpeas.  Bring to a boil and simmer, skimming off any foam that may gather on top.  Simmer for an hour or until the chickpeas are tender.  Drain and set aside.

Mix the cardamom, allspice, cumin, and salt on a plate.  Roll the cooked chickpeas gently through the spices.  Heat 1 T olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the chickpeas and fry for 2 - 5 minutes.  Gently shake the pan so they cook evenly and don't stick.  Remove from heat and keep warm

To serve, put each vegetable on a serving platter. (Alternately, combine all the vegetables and herbs and place in a low bowl.  Top with warm chickpeas.)  Serve the chickpeas in a small bowl.  Allow everyone to take the vegetables they want and top with chickpeas.  Serve with pita and drizzle Greek yogurt over top if desired.

Arugula, Radish, and Grains Salad

While normally I think of myself as an adventurous eater, there are some things, I still shy away from.  Beef tongue?  Pork trotter?  No problem.  Quinoa?  No, thanks.  Seriously.  I've been a flexitarian for years now (probably between 15 - 20 years of eating meat just a couple times a week, and sometimes less than that.  Of course, sometimes more, too).   I love tofu and have eaten it many different ways.  I love lentils and other beans.  However, I haven't branched out to the grains.  Too hippy, I've always thought (I know, I can hear you laughing at me now).  This recipe inspired me to buy no less than 3 grains I've never, ever bought before.  I will be buying those grains again.  I may even try some other quinoa recipes.

It was the radishes and arugula that inspired me to take the plunge into not typical US mainstream grains.  In our CSA box last week, we got two large bunches of different radishes.  My favorite were included---the red ones that when you slice you see pink rings in the middle.  I am not a radish fan.  I'll eat them in chicken tacos (aahh.....must make those again soon!), but that's about it.

Curtis and I loved this.  I didn't even offer it to our kids.  I figure once it's on the table a few more times, I'll have them taste it.  By then, they'll be used to seeing it and it won't seem so strange.  Plus, if I shared, then I wouldn't have any for lunch for myself today.  I also shared some with my in-laws and they thought it was pretty good.

I made a half recipe which easily served 4 - 6 people as a side.  The amounts included are my half recipe amounts.

Arugula, Radish and Grains Salad 
adapted slightly from Amanda Hesser on food52.com

1 c mixed grains, like farro, freekah, wheatberries, wild rice, quinoa, and/or pearl barley (I used wild rice, farro, and quinoa)
3/4 - 1 c arugula, torn if on the larger side, long stems trimmed off
1/2 c parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 c mint leaves, thinly sliced (cut in a chiffonade)
1/4 lb pecans
2 T hazelnut oil (or walnut oil, hazelnut was just what I had on hand)
2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 - 3/4 c radishes, cut as thinly as possible (a mandoline makes this easier)
2 T olive oil
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c dried cranberries

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  If using wild rice and wheat berries, add those first and cook for 10 minutes.  Add whatever remaining grains you are using and cook an additional 25 minutes or until just tender.  Drain the grains in a fine colander (if your holes are too big, the quinoa will all escape with the hot water) and set aside until just warm to the touch.  Combine the grains with the rest of the ingredients in a medium-large serving bowl and toss well.  Season with salt to taste (if you heavily salted the water, you probably won't need to add any extra salt).

Cheesy Summer Squash Gratin with Parsley Pesto

Oh friends. I've missed you.

My blogging has been slim this summer, I know. I've been cooking though and I have a whole slew of recipes to post. Last summer, my unofficial theme was Eastern Mediteranean cuisine---mostly Greek with some Middle Eastern thrown in. This summer, any theme, official or unofficial has been thrown aside. I went through a no tomato sauce phase---tired of pasta with roasted eggplant. Homemade pita has seemed too time consuming this summer, so the mezze meal and souvlaki has been less frequent.

Instead, I have cooked whatever I have felt like---Turkish one day, Hill Country Texan the next day, Italian the next, and Vietnamese the following. I've been all over the place.

This recipe falls in the Hill Country Texan category, coming from Food52 via someone named Paula who is a chef in Austin (that narrows it down, doesn't it). It features summer squash, chiles, parsley, and mint, which all grow copiously in Austin (except for this year---our year of excessive heat and exceptional drought).

Curtis, my mom and I liked it. It was a way we could handle summer squash, one of our least favorite of all summer produce. Unfortunately, I made this in beginning of July and here it is the middle of August, the recipe on my iPad so I didn't scribble notes about the changes/adjustments I'd made. Sorry.

This will serve 4.

Cheesy Summer Squash Gratin with Parsley Pesto

adapted from Amanda Hesser on Food52.com

Pesto:

1 t fresh oregano leaves (1/2 t dried)

1/4 c fresh mint, thick stems discarded

1 c parsley

1/2 - 3/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1 small clove garlic

1 anchovy

1 T capers, drained

1/2 lemon

Gratin:

2 lbs summer squash, slice 1/8" thin

1 1/2 c breadcrumbs

3 T butter

3/4 c sliced shallot, green onion, or regular onion (I used a regular onion)

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 T fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 green chile (Hatch or Jalapeno, depending on how spicy you want it, choose your chile accordingly), seeded and finely chopped (the chile is optional, too)

1 c grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese

To make the pesto: Using a food processor, process the oregano, mint, and parsley to a paste. Add some olive oil and process a little more. Add the anchovy and garlic and pulse a few times to incorporate with the pesto. Add the capers a pulse a few more times---you don't want the capers smashed to smithereens. Transfer to a bowl and stir in more of the oil, adding a couple of tablespoons at a time, until the pesto is somewhat runny and pourable. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

To make the gratin: Toss the sliced summer squash in a bowl with 1 t salt and let set 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan heated over medium heat. Cook the butter until is browned (it will smell nutty). Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl, pour browned butter over top, scraping the pan to get all the browned bits stuck to the bottom, and toss well. Drain the sweated squash (it's called sweating because the salt draws the water out of the squash, making it look like it has, in fact, sweated) and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add the onion (shallot, green onion, etc), garlic, thyme, chile (if using), 1/2 c of the pesto, and some pepper. Toss to combine. Add the cheese and half of the breadcrumbs. Toss again. Place the squash in a 9" round gratin dish or cast iron skillet (that's what I used). Top with the remaining bread crumbs and bake in a preheated 400 degrees oven for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the top is crisp.

Smoky Minestrone with Cheesy Tortellini and Parsley Pesto

I am coming to learn that Minestrone is the Italian version of stone soup or the Mexican chicken caldo. It works great as a clean out the vegetable crisper soup, which could be why I have so many different versions of minestrone on my blog. This one is great for using zucchini, potatoes, and leafy greens.

There are several things I love about this soup. Thing 1 is the tortellini. In my humble opinion, one can never go wrong with cheese tortellini. Ever. Thing 2 is the parsley pesto. Although we are starting basil season her in CenTex, I used store bought parsley that was languishing in my crisper drawer. I like the slight bite of parsley better and had no desire to use the basil that was also languishing in my crisper drawer.

We all love this soup. The kids even ate the zucchini in this without a complaint. Being swim season and all these days, M ate three servings. I was pleased to be able to pull a leek from my little raised garden to use in this soup. The vegetable amounts are estimates--since I had small carrots and potatoes, I used 6 small carrots and 4 small potatoes.

This serves at least 6 and possibly 8. It is equally good on a warm, muggy early summer (yes, the end of May is early summer here) afternoon as it is on a cold winter's evening.

Smoky Minestrone with Cheesy Tortellini

adapted from WinnieAb on Food52

3 T olive oil

2 oz bacon or pancetta, chopped into small pieces (both chop easier if partially frozen)

1 lg onion, peeled and chopped

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 medium-large potato, peeled and chopped

4 c chicken stock

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas

1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes

salt

1 c kale, chard, or collards, roughly chopped

1 (9-oz) pkg cheese tortellini

Pesto
1 c packed parsley leaves

2 T pine nuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T Parmesan cheese, grated

1 T olive oil

Heat 1 T of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon or pancetta and cook until they have started to brown. Add 2 more T of oil, if the pot looks dry, along with the onion, leek, and garlic. Continue to cook over medium heat until softened. Add the celery, carrot, zucchini, and potato. Stir for a minute or two. Add the stock, chickpeas, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or so, or until the potatoes are tender (that will depend on how small you cut the potatoes).

If you are making this soup ahead of time, stop here. Finish right before you are ready to eat.

While the soup simmers, make the pesto. I find it easiest to do this by hand, based on the small recipe. Chop the parsley until it is very, very fine. Chop the toasted pine nuts and garlic. Add to the parsley, along with the Parmesan. Stir in the olive oil. Set aside.

Add the kale and tortellini to the soup(if you are using chard, add that a minute or two after the tortellini), and cook 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Taste and add more salt. Serve and garnish individual bowls with a nice spoonful of parsley pesto, as desired.

Bagna Cauda Salad

Raw beets? Raw turnips? Raw radishes? In a salad with anchovies? I wasn't sold but the picture looked so pretty I decided to try it anyway, mostly because I had so many turnips in my fridge.

Turns out, Curtis and I both love it. I've made this twice now. I've rotated some different winter veggies in to the dish as they show up in my CSA box (and then crisper). If you have it on hand, you can also use 1/4 small butternut squash (seed and peel it--the send end is preferable) and 8 trimmed brussels sprouts. Thinly slice the squash and pull all the leaves off the brussels sprouts.

This recipe calls for a lot of thin slicing. If you are not adept with a knife to cut the vegetables paper thin, use a mandoline. Just watch your knuckles---slicing your thumb knuckle on a mandoline because your kids have lost the protective guide. I'm not talking from experience or anything. :) Almost all your prep time is spent cutting and slicing the vegetables. The rest goes quite quickly.

Just a note on the beets. If you don't care if your turnips and cabbage turn pinkish, you can stir in the beets as enthusiastically as you desire. However, if you want your whites white, stir a little dressing into the beets before you add them to the salad. Toss the salad very gently just to incorporate the beets.

Bagna Cauda Salad

adapted from Amanda Hesser's recipe on Food52.com

2 small carrots, trimmed (peeled if store bought, not necessary if just picked)

2 radishes, trimmed

2 small turnips (or 4 very small turnips), trimmed and peeled

2 small beets (or 4 very small beets), trimmed and peeled

2 - 3 leaves of cabbage, sliced thinly

1/4 c parsley, chopped

4 anchovy fillets

2 small (1 medium) garlic clove

salt

2 T lemon juice

5 T good extra virgin olive oil

Prep the veggies: The radishes, turnips, and beets should be sliced as thinly as possible using a mandoline or your wicked knife skills. These veggies should be translucent. Put the radishes and turnips in a small to medium sized serving bowl. Set the beets aside in a small mixing bowl. Cut the carrots into 3" long matchsticks (each matchstick about 1/8" thick or so). Add the carrots, cabbage and parsley to the radishes and turnips in the serving bowl. Mix with your hands to combine vegetables.

The dressing: You have several options. If you have a good mortar and pestle, that is sufficient. I don't. You could also use a mini food processor or blender. I don't have those either. Using a knife (or one of the other methods which involves the equipment I don't have), finely mince the anchovies and garlic. Combine to make with the salt to make a paste. Place in a small glass jar, add the lemon juice and olive oil, and shake vigorously. Season with salt and adjust the amount of lemon juice and oil as needed.

To create salad: Pour half of the dressing over the vegetables (not the beets yet) and blend with your hands, separating the vegetables as necessary. Mix very well. Taste and add more dressing if you would like. Once seasonings are how you like, very, very gently mix in the beets. Let rest for 15 minutes or so before serving.

Red Lentil Soup aka Curtis's Favorite Dal

It's just within the past year that I've really, really fallen in love with lentils. I try to rotate them into our menu once every two weeks or so--just like tofu stir fry. It's a nice meat alternative, very inexpensive, and very easy to make. Unlike most dried beans, lentils cook very quickly.

In my foray into lentils, I'm discovered the different kinds. French green lentils hold their shape better. Brown lentils are the traditional looking ones that turn kinda to mush when cooked to tenderness. Red lentils looks orange and also turn to mush. For this recipe you want the lentils that turn to mush, not the French lentils that hold their shape.

We loved this recipe (well, not the kids, but I'm don't always worry about them when it comes to lentils. It takes a couple of tries with a lentil recipe before they love one). I trimmed some cilantro from my herb garden to sprinkle on top.

This recipe serves 6.

Red Lentil Soup

from In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

4 T olive oil

1 very large onion or 2 medium onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 T tomato paste

2 t cumin

1/2 t salt, plus more to taste

1/2 t pepper

pinch of chili powder or cayenne

2 qts chicken or vegetable broth

2 c water

2 c red lentils

2 large carrots or 4 small carrots, diced

juice of 1 lemon

1/3 c fresh cilantro, mint, or parsley, chopped

Heat the oil over high heat until hot in large soup pot. Add the onions and garlic. Saute until golden. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Saute an additional 2 minutes. Add the broth, water, lentils, and carrots. Bring to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook for 30 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Taste and add more salt, if necessary (if you are using homemade chicken stock, you will need more salt). Puree half of the soup in a food processor or blender (be sure to leave the center of the lid off to allow the steam to escape). Reheat the soup if necessary, then stir in lemon and desired fresh herb. Serve the soup lightly drizzled with your best olive oil, if desired.

Tuna, Artichoke and Olive Pasta

Some evenings, I just don't feel like cooking or eating what is on the menu for the evening. Often, I want something less complicated or less heavy than what I had planned. Those are the evenings I put a few words into epicurious, foodandwine.com, or google (with the new recipe function!) and sees what pops up.

In this instance it was "Artichokes and Pasta." I had a can of artichoke hearts that had been languishing in my pantry forever and I thought it was probably time. Epicurious didn't let me down. I ended up with an easy pasta dish that used all pantry items and was quick. The kids liked bits and pieces of it--I'm fine with them picking out what they don't like. This was honestly a 30 - 45 minute meal from finding the recipe to sitting at the table.

This serves 6 people easily.

Tuna, Artichoke and Olive Pasta

adapted from epicurious

1 lb small pasta (I used little bowties)

1 (13.5 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained

1/4 c drained and rinsed capers (optional--I didn't use because M doesn't like)

1/2 c pitted and chopped black olives

juice and zest of 1 lemon

12 - 13 oz of tuna, preferably in olive oil, drained

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

1/2 c parsley, chopped

Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine remaining ingredients. When pasta is done cooking, reserve 1/2 c of pasta cooking water and drain remaining water. Put the pasta in a large serving bowl and pour reserved pasta cooking water over top. Add the artichoke mixture, toss and serve.

Spanish Stuffed Bell Peppers

I grew up eating stuffed peppers of the rice and hamburger variety. As I watched my bell peppers accumulate, I wanted a stuffed pepper recipe that didn't resemble the stuffed peppers of my youth.

I love the internet. Instantly, 1000's of bell pepper recipes popped up and I got to choose between the traditional stuffed peppers and ethnic stuffed peppers (sometime, I really want to try Indian stuffed peppers. Mmm). I settled on a Rachael Ray recipe for Spanish stuffed peppers.

Those peppers were fabulous! I made 3 stuffed peppers and then cooked the rest of the stuffing in the oven (I knew M wouldn't eat it if it was inside a pepper). Everyone loved it! J even ate some of a pepper and little I had several servings. This is my new favorite stuffed bell pepper recipe.

My only complaint was with the leftovers. They quickly developed a very wine-y taste that I didn't notice the first time around. I think next time I may decrease the wine and increase the water/chicken broth instead. I also thought the ground chicken had no flavor and wasn't worht the extra cost. I'll substitute a mild sausage or lean ground beef next time as well. Brown rice gives the filling a wonderful texture (and more nutritional value too). The recipe calls for 6 bell peppers but you can cook however many you need (I only did 3).

Spanish Stuffed Bell Peppers
adapted from Rachael Ray

6 medium bell peppers (red preferable, but green will do), tops cut off
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 lbs ground meat (chicken, beef, or a mild sausage)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c golden raisins
2 t sweet paprika
3/4 c dry sherry (or a combination of 3/4 liquid between chicken broth, water, or wine)
2 15-oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 c parsley, chopped
1/2 c slivered almonds, toasted
2 - 3 c cooked brown rice
2 c Manchego cheese, grated

Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add the ground meat and season with salt and pepper. Cook until brown, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the onion, garlic, raisins, and paprika. Continue to cook until the onion s are tender, about 3- 4 minutes. Add the sherry (or other liquid) and stir to get the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add 1 1/2 c of tomato sauce and cook 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, almonds, and cooked rice.

Pour remaining 1/2 c of tomato sauce and a touch of water into a baking dish. Fill each pepper halfway up with rice mixture. Top with a little cheese and then fill to the top with more of the rice mixture. Top with some more cheese (so four layers--rice mixture-cheese-rice mixture-cheese). Set pepper in baking dish. Repeat with all the peppers. Put the leftover filling, if there is some, into a casserole dish and sprinkle generously with cheese. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 375 degrees oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Savory Summer Muffins

I don't have much to say about this one. Amazing, right? The kids didn't like them much, but Curtis and I did. This a great recipe for those times that summer squash/zucchini may seem overwhelming.

This will make about 18 or so muffins.

Savory Summer Muffins
adapted from Sundays at Moosewood

3 c flour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
1 c zucchini or summer squash, grated
3 T parsley
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/4 c melted butter

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl with a whisk. Add cheese, squash, and parsley. Toss lightly to mix. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and then whisk in the buttermilk and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just blended (not smooth or anything like that). Spoon batter into greased muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Tabbouleh and our Mezze Meal

As mentioned the other day, I made pita for our mezze meal. Mezze is like Spanish Tapas except in Mediterranean places like Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East (so the Eastern Med. instead of Western Med like where Spain, France, and Italy are). In addition to pita, we had hummus, caponata (again, I know, Italy--it didn't quite fit either), cherry tomatoes--a handful of which were off of my tomato plants, cucumber slices, and tabbouleh. I knew my kids wouldn't really go for the caponata or tabbouleh and from the above picture, you can see I am right (pictured above is M's plate).

I made tabbouleh, for the first time in many, many years. I kinda overdosed on tabbouleh several years ago. I also used old bulgur the last time I made it and cucumbers (if you remember, I am NOT a cucumber fan). This time I was sure to chuck my two year old bulgur (if it smells a little rancid or old, don't use it!!) and find a new recipe that omits the cucumbers. As a result, I love tabbouleh again. We've had it for a side for a couple meals since my mezze meal and it's been perfect.

This makes 4 c of tabbouleh.



Tabbouleh
adapted from The Kitchn

1 c bulgur wheat
1 1/2 c boiling water
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 large bunches (Italian, if possible) parsley, finely chopped
1/2 c mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 large tomato, minced fine
about 1/2 c lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Put bulgur wheat in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over it, cover, and put in the fridge for an hour to soften.

Add the onion, garlic, parsley, mint, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to the wheat. Mix well, taste and season accordingly. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors marry. However, if you make this just an hour or less before you want to eat it like I did, it will taste just fine.

Alternate method: use a food processor to finely chop first onion and garlic. Remove onion and garlic and then process parsley and mint. Add to wheat along with other ingredients.

If you like cucumbers more than I do, you can add 1 cucumber that has been peeled, seeded, and minced. I don't know why you would want to do that, but I'm just letting you know that some people may think it's good.

Pasta with Easy Summer Sauce

This is another of my tried and true Moosewood recipes. Thanks to green beans in our CSA box a couple of weeks ago, this recipe was resurrected. I then remembered it is also a very good recipe, even if you omit the green beans.

We all enjoyed this. M had to put the ingredients all into separate piles to eat, but she did eat two big servings.

Pasta with Easy Summer Sauce
from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

1 c quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
2 T fresh parsley, minced
1 T fresh basil, minced
1/4 c red onions, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 T black olives, sliced or chopped
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/2 lb farfalle or other chunky pasta
1 c green beans, cut into 2" pieces
1/4 c feta cheese, crumbled (or more, to taste)

Bring a large pot of slated water to boil. When the water boils, stir in the pasta, cover, and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. When the water returns to a boil, add the green beans and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and the beans are just tender. Drain well.

While the pasta and green beans cook, combine the tomatoes, parsley, basil, onions, garlic, black olives, olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Add the tomato mixture to the cooked pasta and green beans. Gently combine. Top with feta cheese. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Celery and Fennel Salad

Oh my. What a wonderful way to use fennel. I didn't have parsley when I made this, but I am sure the parsley would taste great. The ingredients I listed as optional are ones I didn't use the first time around.

Curtis and I loved this--so much that I decided to forego ice cream for a Grey's Anatomy snack for this! Yep, it is that good. Really, I don't think I need to use fennel any other way besides this for a long, long time. This supposedly serves 6. I guess that would be true if you ate something else for supper besides this (but we really didn't want to).

Celery and Fennel Salad
adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cooking from the Farmer's Market

6 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (preferably with a mandoline)
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal (optional)
1 c parsley leaves, coarsely chopped (optional)
1/4 c mint, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
6 thin slices of prosciutto
Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, thinly shaved

Put the celery, fennel, green onions, parsley, and mint in bowl and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and the 2 T lemon juice and toss gently. Place the prosciutto in serving platter and top with fennel mixture. Garnish with the shaved cheese and serve immediately.

Risotta alla Primavera

I had been looking for asparagus at the Farmer's Market for a little, but evidently the wrong Farmer's Market (Wed at the Triangle). I came up empty handed and succumbed to the desire to consume asparagus and bought some at the grocery store. (I did find wonderful fresh asparagus at the Barton Creeks Farmer's Market on Saturday. Yippee!!! It was totally worth taking two cranky preschoolers out on a Saturday morning and getting caught in a torrential downpour). I was feeling like a risotto and made the following recipe.

We all liked it. Baby I (who isn't a baby any more--he just turned one!) devoured it. M ate it rather well too. Curtis and I liked it and had the leftovers several days. I adapted the recipe slightly to use the vegetables I had in my fridge---carrots instead of fresh peas.

This recipe will feed a small army. Next time, I'll halve it. It easily serves 6 - 8 adults as a main dish.

Risotto all Primavera
adapted from Bon Appetit

6 1/2 c chicken broth
3 T butter
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 medium leek (or 2 small in my case), white and light green parts only, sliced crosswise into thin rings
1 garlic clove, minced
2 c arborio rice
1/2 c dry white wine
1 c 1-inch pieces asparagus
1 c carrots, cut in half and sliced (if large carrots, otherwise, just sliced is fine)
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring broth to a simmer. Cover and continue to lightly simmer. In a separate large sauce pan, melt 1 T butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion, leek, and garlic. Saute until wilted and almost tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice and stir until rice is translucent at edges but still opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Add wine, simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add broth 1 c at a time until rice is about half cooked, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more. Stir in asparagus, carrots, and parsley. Continue adding broth by cupfuls and stirring until rice is tender, but still firm to bite and mixture is creamy, about 8 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and 2 T butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Lebanese Potato Salad

While potatoes aren't quite in season yet, potato salad is. Let me clarify. Here in Central Texas, it is prime picnic season. This is the best time of year to find a park somewhere, preferably off the beaten path so it's not to crowded that you can't enjoy being outside, and have a picnic. Potato Salad is a typical picnic salad. Many potato salads are laden with so much mayonnaise, you feel like you are risking your life with each bite (yikes---salmonella poisoning). I prefer my potato salad lighter and spring-ier tasting. How much more like spring and outside can you get than some good extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley?

This is our quintessential potato salad. I made it for Easter lunch to go with our ham (due to having young kids, we needed a lunch we could immediately upon walking in the door after church. Mashed potatoes just weren't happening). I think it stole the show right away from the slightly over cooked ham (ok, very overcooked, dry ham) and divine deviled eggs (is that an oxymoron?).

This is the only potato salad recipe you will ever make again. Mmm...I wish there were some leftover for my mid-afternoon snack today! This makes 4 - 6 servings (probably not 6 servings if Curtis and I are helping to eat it).

Lebanese Potato Salad
from Extending the Table...A World Community Cookbook

4 large potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c green onions, finely chopped
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
1 t salt
1 garlic clove, minced
dash of pepper

Toss all ingredients together. Chill several hours before serving.

Summer Pasta with Sausage and Beans

I had a hankering for sausage the other night, but wanted something not too heavy. I also had hopes of using some of my 20 pounds of tomatoes. I found a recipe on epicurious I thought I could adapt to fit the bill.

We all enjoyed it. There were a couple of things I'll tweak for next time. For example, the original recipe called for a roasted head of garlic---I won't do that next time. It heats the kitchen up too much and I didn't really taste the roasted garlic flavor (so I'm also leaving that step out of the recipe I am including). Here's my version.

Summer Pasta with Sausage and Beans
adapted from Gourmet

2 T oil oil
1/2 pound sausage, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 c onions, thinly sliced
2 c fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 (15-oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 c water
1/2 lb chunky pasta (I used farfalle)
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
1/4 c Parmesan, grated

Heat oil in a large skillet over moderate heat until hot, but not smoking, then cook sausage until browned. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is tender and lightly browned. Stir in beans and water. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until reduced in half, about 15 - 2o minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente. Toss pasta with sausage mixture, tomatoes, parsley, and basil. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Gazpacho

Mmm...gazpacho. Gazpacho has to be my absolute favorite way to use cucumber (I don't like cucumbers...). Only Curtis and I like it, which is fine. I usually eat it for lunches for a week while the kids eat their PB & J sandwiches (and cucumbers and cherries, as M did today). It's light and refreshing for these hot Texas days.

A few recipe notes--you can make this as thin or thick as you like. I puree half the cucumber, bell pepper and parsley. If you want a chunkier soup, don't puree. If you want a thin soup, puree the whole thing. This time I also added one of the thin yellow peppers I've been getting from our CSA--it added a little extra flavor. This is a recipe to experiment with. Make it several times until you come up with exactly what you are looking for. Regarding the color of the soup (in the picture)--I used canned tomato juice which I made out of a combination of red and yellow tomatoes last year so the juice wasn't as bright red as sometimes. Puree the vegetables also makes the soup less red--for a redder soup, don't puree anything. I would also suggest adding the honey last. My gazpacho was a little sweet this time because of how naturally sweet the tomato juice. Only add the honey if it needs a little extra sweetness.

Gazpacho
adapted from a recipe from one of the Moosewood Cookbooks

4 c tomato juice
1/2 c onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium bell pepper, minced
1 t honey (opt)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and minced
2 scallions, minced
1/2 - 1 lemon, juiced (to taste)
1 lime, juiced
1 t tarragon
1 t dried basil (1 T fresh)
1/2 t cumin
1/4 c fresh parsley, minced
2 T olive oil
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
2 c fresh tomatoes, diced

Combine tomato juice, onion, garlic, 1/2 of bell pepper, honey, lemon juice, lime juice, tarragon, basil, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Puree in blender or food processor. Add 1/2 of cucumber, 1/2 of scallions, and 1/2 of parsley to pureed mixture. Puree (for a chunky soup, just add all of remaining ingredients and serve---skip the second puree). Add all the remaining ingredients. Chill and serve cold.

Zucchini and Onion Flatbread

I made this as a bread to go with lasagne when we had friends over. It was a big hit with all the adults. M didn't like it, but that was fine with all of us. The zucchini is very unobtrusive and not obnoxiously in your face, thanks to the onions and the herbed cheese spread. I will definitely repeat this (probably many times) throughout the summer. You could also easily mix up a batch of your favorite homemade pizza dough. I took the easy route this time around.

Zucchini and Onion Flatbread
(slightly adapted from Bon Appetit)
1 (10-oz) tube refrigerated pizza dough
3/4 c garlic and herb cheese spread (such as Alouette or Boursin), divided
3/4 c Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided
3 T fresh parsley, chopped, divided
1 small onion (original recipe suggests a red onion, I used a young sweet onion), cut into 1/8" thick rounds
1 (7- 8 inch long) zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/8" thick rounds
Olive oil

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick spray. Unroll dough onto parchment and stretch to fit pan. Spread 1/2 of herb cheese over one long half of dough, leaving 1/2 " plain border. Sprinkle with half of Parmesan and 2 T parsley. Fold plain half of dough over filled half (using parchment as aid). Do not seal edges. Spread remaining herb cheese over top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Arrange one row of zucchini down one long side of dough. Arrange onion rounds in row alongside zucchini. Arrange one more row of zucchini alongside onion. (you can repeat this alternation as many times as you have space for). Brush vegetables with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake bread in preheated 400 degrees oven until puffed and deep brown at the edges, about 24 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 T parsley and serve.