tomatoes with spiced yogurt sauce, feta, and pistachios.

August.  (This is joy, this is summer.  Frank Ocean)

I haven’t been cooking so much as assembling things on a plate and avoiding the oven.  It’s been a fun game of figuring out how many ways you can eat raw corn and tomatoes (the answer is a lot of ways).  Most of my dinner inspiration has come from the Six Seasons cookbook.  If you don’t own it, I highly suggest you rush out to buy it.  It’s by far my most used cookbook and an endless source of ideas.  Joshua McFadden just gets vegetables much in the same way Yotam Ottolenghi does (his vegetable books are also fantastic).   He understands why pairing in-season produce with different textures and flavors will also result in a dish that is exciting.   

In taking inspiration from his cookbook, I’ve been challenging myself to come up with my own hot weather salads.  This dish was born from that challenge.   Sliced heirloom tomatoes are drizzled with a spiced yogurt sauce, pistachios, feta, and herbs.  The whole thing comes together in about 10 minutes and works as a side to sausages or BBQ chicken.  On its own, it also makes an excellent dinner for one on a hot summer night.   

Tomatoes with Spiced Yogurt Sauce, Feta, and Pistachios

3 -4 Medium sized heirloom tomatoes (or a combination of regular tomatoes and cherry tomatoes)

¼ cup yogurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of ½ a lemon

¼ tsp. Aleppo Pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

2 – 3  tablespoons toasted pistachios, chopped

¼ cup crumbled feta 

Mint leaves for garnish

In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, yogurt, aleppo, salt, and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  The yogurt should be runny like half and half.  If too thick, add more lemon juice or a little water.   

Slice the tomatoes (or quarter if using cherry tomatoes) and arrange on a platter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with yogurt sauce and olive oil.  Sprinkle pistachios, feta, and mint leaves over the top.   Serve with bread for sopping up juices.   

sweet potatoes with yogurt and cilantro-chile sauce.

I've been feeling as of late un-motivated to come to this place to talk about food.  It's not that I'm not cooking, I am cooking, almost every night, and most weekends, but I sometimes feel unsure about whether blogs are now being replaced by Instagram and Tweets and things that get you information quicker and with less words.   Does anyone care to read a couple of paragraphs about my life and what I'm cooking?  

I also think, that with the guy we have currently occupying the White House, I have to spend so much more time and energy reading about what he's done that day.  It's really exhausting and it makes me feel useless.  Spewing my thoughts to my husband and co-workers about all the injustice in the world, what does that accomplish?  I keep donating money to all of these causes because I feel like it's something to do but really is it doing something?    

But if I take a step back and try (really try) to look at this all glass-half full,  I feel like I'm learning so much.   Did you know we have stricter laws about importing cheeses from Europe then we do gun laws?  It's true.  We do and that's dumb.  Because I would much prefer people buy imported raw milk brie cheese then automatic rifles (raw milk brie de meaux is so good).   I hope I'm not the only one that feels this way.  We need gun laws.  What happened in Vegas today is just another very unfortunate reminder of why.      

I came back to this place today because I missed it, because I wanted to just throw a lot of random thoughts down so I can come back later and re-evaluate my sanity, but mostly so I could talk about these sweet potatoes which are honestly the most exciting thing I've made as of late.   Seriously, the most exciting thing.  It comes down to the green sauce which is kind of like a greem romesco but better.  SO MUCH BETTER.  Honestly, I could eat this for lunch every day for the next month and never get tired of it.  The contrast of sweet potatoes with herby, spicy green sauce and creamy yogurt is just so good.  It also tastes great at room temperature, doesn't get soggy, and pairs well with just about anything (Chicken!  Fish!  Lamb!).   There isn't much to be excited about right now, but this salad is one of those things.   

Sweet Potatoes with Yogurt and Cilantro-Chile Sauce
Recipe from the NYTimes 

¼ cup plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
½ tablespoon honey 
Juice of 2 limes
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch wedges
½ bunch cilantro, leaves only (1/2 ounce)
2 green chiles (I used jalapenos), seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced
2 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup Greek yogurt

Pre-heat the over to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup oil, the honey, juice from 1 lime, a large pinch of salt and pepper to taste, and toss with potato wedges. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet, bake until tender and lightly browned in spots, 45 to 55 minutes. Sprinkle with additional salt to taste.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse to combine 1/3 cup oil, the cilantro, chiles, garlic, almonds, juice from remaining lime, vinegar and a large pinch of salt, until it forms a chunky purée. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Spoon the sauce over the potatoes, dollop with some yogurt, drizzle with oil, and serve with any remaining yogurt on the side.

carrot salad with tahini, crisped chickpeas, and pistachios.

Since adopting Jackson, Tyler and I have been buying carrots with abandon, something that previously we never did.  This dog is a foodie and is particularly fond of carrots and all other orange-hued vegetables so he gets them as a snack with peanut butter (it's like we have a five year old). Feeding him so many carrots got me thinking - why don't we eat carrots more often?   I remember eating them as a kid - cooked slowly in orange juice and and brown sugar - but since then, I haven't really given them much thought.  

That was until I stumbled across this recipe from the Smitten Kitchen archives in an attempt to up my own carrot intake.   I know that carrot salad sounds very unexciting, but this recipe is so incredibly good.  I have a hard time getting excited about salads in January, mostly because all the produce needs to be imported from some far off country and that makes me sad.  Carrots on the other-hand can still be found at the farmers markets in January which makes this an incredibly seasonally appropriate dish.  The bright Middle Eastern spices, tahini dressing, and crisped chickpeas takes this from ho-hum side dish to delicious main especially if served with some good cheese and even better bread.   

Carrot Salad with Tahini, Crisped Chickpeas and Salted Pistachios

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 6

Chickpeas

1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can, drained and patted dry on paper towels

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 teaspoon zatar

Salad

1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley or cilantro

1/4 cup shelled, salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Dressing

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini

1 tablespoons water, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon zatar

1/2 teaspoon sumac

Salt and red pepper flakes (or Aleppo) to taste

Roast chickpeas: Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss chickpeas with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on a baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp. This can take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas. Toss them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly. Set aside until needed.

Make dressing: Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, adding more water if needed to thin the dressing slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning; don’t worry if it tastes a little sharp on the lemon, it will marry perfectly with the sweet grated carrots.

Assemble salad: Place grated carrots in large bowl and toss with parsley. Mix in 2/3 of the dressing, adding more if desired. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with a large handful of chickpeas (you’ll have extra and if you’re like us, won’t regret it) and pistachios and dig in.

Do ahead: Salad keeps well in the fridge for two days, however, I’d add the chickpeas and pistachios right before serving, so they don’t get soft.

kale and peach salad.

Besides a pool, the thing I long for most come summertime is central air.  Central air spoiled me because IT IS THE GREATEST THING EVER.  Window air-conditioners just don't satisfy the way air pouring out of a vent from a wall does.  And unless you are one of the lucky ones to have access to such a luxury, you don't turn on the oven during that summer stretch of awful sticky and humid 90-degree days.  Trust me.  There is nothing worse.  

For that reason dinner becomes a series of meals centered around raw and refrigerated food.  It forces you to get creative.  Salad creative that is.  I can't even begin to tell you how many ingredients I have tried throwing into a pile of lettuce.  There have been some misses, but for the most part salads are pretty forgiving. The real fun is when you hit upon a combo that just works.  The salad itself becomes satisfying and you find yourself eating the entire platter.

There is no formal recipe for my new favorite but the beauty of a salad is it shouldn't require you to be precise. This one takes full advantage of the August farmers market bounty and is a nice way to incorporate those crazy good peaches in a savory way.   

Kale and Peach Salad

I'm one of those people who likes a lot of add-ins (this is why I always have a high proportion of toppings to actual Fro-Yo).  Feel free to use the lesser amounts of pistachios and blue cheese if you are not as topping happy as me.  

Serves 2 as a meal  

One small bunch of Dinosaur kale, center ribs removed and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

1 peach, washed, halved, pitted and thinly sliced

1/3 - 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (the best is Jasper Hill's Bayley Hazen Blue)

1/4 - 1/3 cup pistachios

1 tablespoon pepitas 

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar + additional for drizzling at the end

2 tablespoons olive oil + additional for drizzling at then end

Place the kale in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Toss with the olive oil and sherry vinegar. Let sit for a couple of minutes and then spread on a platter.  Top with the sliced peach, blue cheese, pistachios, and pepitas.  Season with additional salt and pepper and drizzle some extra olive oil and sherry vinegar over the top.  Eat.  

guacamole disguised as a salad.

One of the reasons I love Instagram so much is that if you are food obsessed person (like myself), you can follow other like-minded people and become privy to a whole lot of recipe inspiration.  It's like an ever-updating magazine of what's in-season and what you should be making for dinner.   I find myself taking screenshots of people's feed multiple times a day - photo reminders of what I need to get to the kitchen and make. 

I came across a photo and a description of a salad very similar to this one last week on the feed of Ashley Rodriguez; the writer and photographer behind Not Without Salt.  The words "kind of like guacamole" got me because if there is anything I want to eat during an epic heat wave it's guacamole. But I'm an adult (I think that's what happens when you turn 30), and while a bowl of guac and an endless bag of tortilla chips sounds absurdly delightful, it doesn't really feel like a proper dinner.  But guacamole disguised as a salad?  That I can get behind.  

I threw this together based on her description and what I had on hand and the resulting salad is dreamy.  It really does taste exactly like most American's dip of choice but it's classy since it's a salad.  Served with Bourbon Sugar Steak and some homemade cornbread (recipe coming soon) and you have one perfect summer Sunday supper.

Guacamole Disguised as a Salad

Recipe based on a photo and description from Ashley Rodriguez at Not Without Salt

Serves 2

1 ripe avocado, sliced thin

1 1/2 cups mixed variety heirloom cherry tomatoes halved and/or quartered

2 tablespoons pepitas or sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Zest and juice of 1/2 a lime

Flaky sea salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for drizzling

On a large plate or platter, scatter 1/3 of the cherry tomatoes.  Sprinkle lightly with flaky salt and pepper.  Arrange the sliced avocado over the tomatoes.   Scatter the additional tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with additional flaky salt and pepper.  Scatter the pepitas/sunflower seeds, cilantro, and cumin over the tomatoes and avocados.  Drizzle the lime juice and a little olive oil over the top and then sprinkle with the lime zest.  Eat immediately.   

roasted zucchini salad.

In my never ending quest to eat more vegetables without feeling as if I am eating more vegetables, I've begun to really think about salads and what a salad actually is and can be.

The default is to think of salad as a side to the main meal.  It probably conjures images of lettuce (most likely iceberg), halved cherry tomatoes, and cucumber slices.  I imagine it is tossed in an "herbed" Italian vinaigrette and served with a couple of slices of bad Italian bread.

And it's bad.  Just really awful and the reason I hated salads for so long.

But now that I have my own kitchen I can rethink everything.  My salads have begun to look very different then your standard "lettuce just thrown into a bowl with a couple of sub-standard accouterments".  They are flavorful! Each ingredient is well thought-out! And they are comprised of things other than lettuce.  Don't get me wrong - I love a good head of butter lettuce and arugula is the cat's pajamas but you know what makes for a really great salad base? Roasted zucchini.  Zatar roasted zucchini to be exact.  It's flavorful, substantial, and it can stand-up to a whole slew of mix-in's without getting limp and soggy.   Things like chickpeas, toasted chopped almonds, and feta.  It's a salad that can stand-up as a main but can also serve as a side at your next BBQ without going bad.  If there is a way to make summer even better, this is it.      

Roasted Zucchini Salad with Chickpeas, Almonds, and Feta

Serves 4 as a main and 6 as a side

This salad is a dream because it tastes just as good on the day of as it does 2 days later.  How many salads manage to get better with age?   Like 3.  Maybe.   Being able to make it ahead and have it still taste phenomenal hours later is why it deserves a spot at your next summer soiree.  Call dibs on the leftovers for lunch.

For the Zucchini

4 or 5 small to medium sized zucchini sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons zatar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sumac

For the Salad

1/4 cup almonds toasted and chopped
1 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup mixed herbs (I used basil, mint, and lemon thyme)
1/2 cup crumbled feta

For the Dressing

Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Squeeze of honey
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon aleppo pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the zucchini slices in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, zatar, salt and sumac.  Lay the zucchini slices in a single layer on the baking sheet (this will need to be done in 2 batches).  Roast for 15 minutes.  Flip the zucchini and then roast for an additional 10 minutes.   Repeat with the remaining zucchini slices.

Combine the zucchini slices in a bowl with the almonds, chickpeas, herbs, and feta.  

Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  Pour over the salad ingredients and toss to combine.  Eat with abandon.

fried zucchini blossoms.

Last week when Tyler left me for composting school, my dinners were rather abysmal.  I just don't have the energy to cook epic meals for myself.  Cooking, at least for me, is about feeding others so when there is no one else around, it kind of looses its appeal (not to mention not having Tyler around means I loose my dishwasher). Instead of meals I consumed random bites of food - namely wedges of good cheese and piles of sauteed vegetables.  

But he is back (!) and all of the vegetables I stared at longingly last week were purchased with abandon this week.  Carrots! Cauliflower! Broccoli and Squash Blossoms i.e the ingredient I was most excited about.  I've discussed them before and how incredible they are stuffed with ricotta but this time I tried something slightly simpler and somehow they turned out even more incredible - burrata served as the base for the fried zucchini blossoms.  A sprinkling of chopped garlic scapes, torn basil, a generous drizzle of olive oil, and a bit of flaky sea salt and black pepper topped it.

It was perfection especially after a week of less than exciting meals.  To be on repeat until I can't find squash blossoms anymore.  

Fried Zucchini Blossoms 
Recipe from Bon Appetit 

Zucchini blossoms may turn people off (who wants to eat a flower?) but they are incredible and very popular in Italy.  They don't taste floraly.  Rather then taste like a mild zucchini.  If you see them, buy them.  

Vegetable oil (for frying)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

12 ounce chilled Pilsner, lager style beer, or club soda

Zucchini blossoms (stamens removed; about 2 dozen)

Sea salt

In a large pot, heat about 1" oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl, then whisk in beer until almost smooth (some small lumps are welcome—don't overwhisk or you'll deflate the batter). One by one, dredge the blossoms in batter, shaking off the excess; gently lay them in the oil, without crowding the pan. Cook, flipping once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt and devour while hot.

the summer salad (a guide) + lemon tahini dressing.

It is the summer of the salad.  And I'm not talking about some bland leafy lettuce salad with a boring vinaigrette. I am talking about the salad as the meal.  Chock-full of textures and flavors.  It's how I like to eat salad especially now that we've reached the official start of summer; when days are long and sticky and food should be light and easy but interesting. It's also super easy to make an interesting and exciting salad when we are at the peek of farmers market produce season, especially if you adopt my motto of "cram as much peek season produce as possible into your meals".

And how do I want to dress said salad?  With a lemon tahini dressing of course. This has been my go-to dressing for weeks now.  I've paired it with everything from burrata and sugar snap peas to arugula and peas.  It just somehow works with everything and it provides the kind of earthy unami flavor that I come to crave.  Utterly brilliant.  

New Life Motto - Salads make summer eating easy.           

The Summer Salad (A Guide)

We eat a salad like this at least once a week if not more because it's easy and refreshing and satisfying.  It's also a rather excellent way to use up those little scraps and containers that seem to languish in the fridge. Below are some of my favorite combinations but the world is your oyster. Just make sure you make the dressing.   Serve with a wedge of good bread (and rose if you choose).   Dinner is served.   

Baby Arugula + Peas + Cubed Avocado + Cannelini Beans + Hot Sopressata + Aged Cheddar
Burrata + Snow Peas + Sugar Snap Peas + Avocado + Pumpkin Seeds + Torn Basil 
Green Beans + Grilled Haloumi + Toasted Walnuts + Pumpkin Seeds + Sesame Seeds + Currants 

Lemon Tahini Dressing

1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons Mikes Hot Honey (or 2 teaspoons Honey and a pinch of red pepper flakes)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Taste.  Adjust seasonings as necessary.  I find that if I have a particularly juicy lemon I sometimes need a little extra tahini to balance the flavors.   Pour over the salad and eat!

vietnamese chicken salad.

One of my personal goals this year has been to figure out a way to take all the odd's and end's leftovers we seem to possess at the end of each week and turn them into AN ACTUAL MEAL.   Not hodge-podge of assorted bites but rather something new and different and special.

Nothing like being forced to think creatively.

This new goal has forced me to Google things like "What to do with leftover INSERT ITEM HERE" because by Friday my head hurts, I am exhausted, and thinking about making dinner involves more work then I am capable of at that moment .  This is why I need the good people at Google to tell me what to do with leftover cabbage, some roasted chicken, and any other pantry items they think I should use.  My faith in them proved to be a good thing as my search led me to Vietnamese Chicken Salad.

I generally shy away from shredded foods (to this day I refuse to order sandwiches with shredded lettuce) but as I am nearing 30, I feel it's time I branch out a bit more.  What's life without trying something new? And you know what - this was one of the best (and easiest) things I've made all month.

Leftover roast chicken is tossed with shredded cabbage and carrots (and some peanuts for crunch!) and dressed in a funky dressing that is both sweet, spicy, tart, and bright.  It's the perfect dish for January when the winter doldrums have hit and you are craving something bright.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Serves 2 Generously

For the Salad
1 1/2 cups roasted chicken, diced (white, dark, or a combination of both works!)
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced (shredded)
2 carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts
2 Thai chiles, minced

For the Dressing
2 tablespoons sugar
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil

In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and stir to combine.

Toss all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour the dressing over the ingredients.  Toss to combine. Eat immediately.

roasted cauliflower, grape, and cheddar salad.

After being on a hiatus from everything I am slowly returning to the routines of my life pre-wedding. This includes reading books (I missed you Kindle as much as you missed me), tackling the stack of magazines that always appears to be on the verge of toppling over, completing the Wire (and figuring out which show to binge-watch next), and returning to the kitchen to cook us comfort food (and lots of vegetables).  

In the last couple of weeks I've eaten my share of cookies, bread, and burritos, but now I am trying to ween myself off such things (mostly because I don't want to look like a burrito in a couple of months time). The only way to do such a thing is to turn the healthy foods into the kinds of things I crave which means cheese has to be involved.  

I've had this recipe from the Plenty More cookbook earmarked for some time now (because it pretty much includes all of my favorite things) but only this past weekend did I finally have the chance to make it.  Why I waited so long remains to be seen since this couldn't be easier.  A whole head of cauliflower is broken down and roasted  and then tossed with nuts, cheddar, and grapes.  A tangy dressing composed of dijon mustard and honey (my favorite kind of dressing) brings the whole thing together.  The resulting salad is both bright and utterly fall appropriate and while it is virtuous, it doesn't taste that way (this is why I ate almost all of it).  

Roasted Cauliflower, Grape and Cheddar Salad 
Recipe from Plenty More

I don't think some farro or bulger tossed into this salad would be a bad thing.  That is if you are looking to turn the salad into a meal. 

1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds/900 grams), broken into florets
5 tablespoons grapseed or olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon honey
About 1/4 cup or 30 grams raisins
About 1/3 cup or 40 grams toasted hazelnuts or almonds, roughly crushed 
2/3 cup/100 grams red grapes, halved and, if necessary, deseeded 
3 ounces/80 grams creamy cheddar, crumbled 
1/4 cup/10 grams roughly shredded parsley

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons of the oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Spread on an oven tray and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until nicely browned. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl whisk the remaining oil with the vinegar, mustard, honey and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Add the raisins and leave to soak for at least 10 minutes. Just before serving, transfer the cauliflower to a bowl with all the other ingredients. Pour over the dressing, toss gently, adjust the seasoning to taste and serve.

autumn panzanella.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, I am a stuffing girl.  It isn't the showstopper the way the turkey is but it's the showstopper in my book and I can't get enough of it.  (This is why you will find me in the kitchen on the day of shamelessly eating all the crispy bits of stuffing out of the cooked turkey.  Sorry Mom.)

But why is a one day a year kind of food? And if people insist upon keeping it a one day a year food, how can I take that concept and turn it into something that people will eat from September through December?  

Well.  I had a light-bulb moment last evening and realized that panzanella is a pretty close cousin to stuffing. So close in fact that an autumn panzanella could in fact be the answer to all of my stuffing issues.  This is why I found myself in the kitchen this morning chopping the last remaining bits of my first loaf of Tartine bread (yes I brought a loaf of bread back with me on an airplane and no I don't think this is weird) and turning it into the most amazing rift on stuffing.  Ever.  

This salad-stuffing-bowl of delicious-ness is the kind of thing you will find yourself craving.  Cubes of well toasted bread are tossed with chunks of squash, pepitas, chorizo and goat cheese.  A maple-sherry dressing gets drizzled over the whole thing for a little bit of extra flavor.  It's a lighter more elegant version of stuffing which is why you can eat it much more often.  

Autumn Panzanella 

Serves 2 as a main

I don't have to tell you that you could throw just about anything into this and it would be really good.  Some roasted piquillo peppers could be nice (or plain old roasted red peppers), sopressata could easily replace the chorizo, and burrata instead of goat cheese could be magical.  Some dried cranberries and almonds would be a happy addition as well (or some sauteed greens!).  But I assure you that this version is pretty deliciously spot-on.  

For the Salad 

4 cups of hearty bread cubed and toasted
3 cups cubed and roasted butternut squash or sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons pepitas

1/4 cup chopped dried chorizo

2 ounces goat cheese crumbled

Fried brussel sprout leaves (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste.  

For the Dressing

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Mike's Hot Honey (or 1 teaspoon honey and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes)

Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all of the ingredients for the salad except for the brussel sprout leaves into a bowl .  Stir to combine.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together except for the salt and pepper.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Pour over the salad.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  Garnish with brussel sprout leaves.

broccoli slaw.

Last week, when I was home alone for dinner, I made this for myself.  I served it with a wedge of really good aged cheddar cheese and a couple of crackers and I was happier than a pig in shit. (I had never heard of this phrase until I started dating Tyler and now it’s my favorite saying.)

This recipe may not look like much but somewhere along the way, it results in one of the most gloriously addicting salads ever. It's crunchy and creamy.  It tastes both indulgent and healthy. It can be made ahead and it really never goes soft.  It's practically perfect.  

This will become your fall go-to because it’s so insanely easy and utterly satisfying.  There is nothing wrong with that.  

Broccoli Slaw

Recipe adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

I added tahini to the dressing because I find that it’s a nice way to thicken dressings without using more mayo.  It also imparts a pretty great flavoring to the dish that leaves people perplexed in the best possible way.  You can obviously omit it if you choose.  If you do, you will need to offset with a little more mayo.  

Makes about six cups of slaw.

2 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted (pine nuts also work here)
1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Buttermilk Dressing

1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons tahini
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Trim broccoli and cut it into large chunks. From here, you can either feed it through your food processor’s slicing blade, use a mandoline to cut it into thin slices, or simply had chop it into smaller pieces. I used the stem and the flowerets, but if you have a broccoli stem aversion you can just use the tops. (But using just the tops would be foolish in my humble opinion.)

Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, cranberries and red onion in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller one, with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli (if you’ve skipped the stems, you might not want it all; I otherwise found this to be the perfect amount) and toss it well. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

tomatoes with crisp fried eggplant and burrata.

Let's get this out of the way, ok? Panko crusted pan-fried eggplant is awesome.  

Good, now that we've established that, let's talk about this dish which I keep referring to as a deconstructed eggplant parmeasn and if we're being honest, I think it's better then eggplant parmesan.  

I've been on a hunt as of late for eggplant recipes because I tend to rely on my defaults i.e. smoky eggplant dip and this pizza (which is awesome I might add). I had lofty summer plans involving perfecting my eggplant caponata game and also re-imagining the eggplant pizza but as usual I got sidetracked (I am the worst).  This dish, which I discovered when browsing online for food-spiration (more specifically eggplant inspiration) ticked off all the boxes that I require to be ticked off this time of year - does not involve the oven!, involves tomatoes and burrata!, can be prepared in under 30 minutes!.  

My problem with eggplant parm has always been that it's a heavy wintery dish which is why this version is so incredible.  You get the flavors of eggplant parm but without the heaviness.  It's light and fresh!  The true star of the dish is the panko crusted eggplant which is seriously amazing.  Crispy and crunchy (eggplant parm lacks the crunch which is where this dish shines) and positively perfect with chopped tomatoes and creamy burrata.  This is the kind of thing you should be eating this week as the perfect summer send-off (though I will be eating it well into the beginning of fall).  

Tomatoes with Crisp Fried Eggplant and Burrata 

Recipe adapted (barely) from Lootie and Doof

Serves 2

All-purpose flour, for dredging

1 large egg, well beaten

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

2 Japanese eggplants (½ to ¾ pounds total), cut on the bias into ½ -inch-thick slices

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, preferably in a mix of colors (you can sub larger tomatoes that you cut into wedges)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, half of them torn

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 ball or about 6 ounces burrata cheese (you can use fresh mozzarella, but it won’t be as creamy and delicious)

Place flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate wide, shallow bowls. Working with 1 eggplant slice at a time, dredge in flour, then dip in egg and then breadcrumbs. Transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, halve tomatoes and toss with olive oil and torn basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat about 1/4 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add enough eggplant slices to fill but not crowd skillet and fry, flipping once, until deep golden brown and crunchy, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. (Lower heat slightly, if necessary.) Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a clean wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, and season with salt. Discard used oil and repeat process with fresh oil and remaining eggplant.

Arrange eggplant and tomato mixture on a platter. Cut burrata in half, place next to tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Scatter remaining basil on top.

haricots verts with minty tahini dressing.

This is the best thing I've eaten in a very long time.  

I find this just as hard to believe as you do considering it's summer and most of what I've eaten over the last few weeks involves fruit encased in a flaky buttery crust (i.e. cherry pie and apricot tart and cherry brown butter bars). I never expected string beans (or if feel like being fancy haricots verts) to top my July 2014 Best Eats list (am I the only one who makes monthly best of lists?) but it is (!) and I am here to suggest you put down the butter and get out the tahini.  

Bon Appetit describes this dressing as ranch dressing that spent a couple of weeks traipsing through the Middle East.  I describe it as the best thing to be poured over summer vegetables since miso-peanut dressing.  I don't know how the magic happens, truthfully I don't want to know, but somehow the combination of tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice joins together to make a dressing that is creamier then any other dressing I have ever encountered.  It's thick and rich and when poured over grean beans and bulger it turns the simplest of ingredients into a salad that you just can't stop eating.  So go and eat this now and then I suggest you follow it up with some peach pie because what's better then a meal of summer's greatest hits?  

Haricots Verts with Minty Tahini Dressing

Recipe adapted (barely) from Bon Appetit 

Serves 4 generously or 6 as a side 

¼ cup cracked or uncracked freekeh or bulger, rinsed

Kosher salt

1 pound haricots verts, trimmed

1 small garlic clove, finely grated

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini

½ teaspoon dried mint

½ teaspoon pure maple syrup

¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems

¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes

Cook freekeh or bulger in a large saucepan of salted simmering water according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook haricots verts in a small pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain, and then pat dry.

Whisk garlic, lemon juice, oil, tahini, mint, maple syrup, and 1 tsp. water in a large bowl; season with salt. Add freekeh or bulger  and haricots verts and toss gently to coat; season with salt.

Serve freekeh/bulger and haricots verts topped with walnuts, cilantro, dill, parsley, and Aleppo pepper.

Do Ahead: Freekeh/bulger and haricots verts can be cooked 2 days ahead. Cover and chill separately.