mushroom tartines.

Build me a window to watch everything
Leave it unshuttered so nothing slips by
No season, no sorrow, no wonderful thing
No raspberry, strawberry sun in the sky
I will bring music and marsipan bars
And live deep inside you
Wherever you are

-Joni Mitchell, Gemini Twin 

I haven't had much of a desire to cook new things over the last couple of weeks (partially due to the fact that I just want some asparagus and rhubarb as I am so sick of kale and sweet potatoes). But, I did convince myself a couple of weeks back to make these mushroom tartines after seeing them on the Smitten Kitchen blog (I needed something to tide me over until more green things arrived at the market).

You need to make these.   They make for a great light dinner when paired with a nice green salad. They also taste shockingly good the next day (I'm as surprised as you are).   I also think that you could make them a "madame" by throwing an egg on top.  Not necessary but also not a bad idea.      

Mushroom Tartines
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen 

For the Sauce

2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (175 ml) milk, ideally whole but lowfat should work
A few gratings fresh nutmeg
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon (15 grams) smooth Dijon mustard

For the Mushrooms

1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) fresh mushrooms (cremini, white or a mix of wild all work), thinly sliced
Olive oil and butter as needed
2 teaspoons minced mixed fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 of dry white wine (optional)

For the Assembly

1 pound loaf of a hearty white or whole wheat sourdough bread, in 3/4-inch slices
8 ounces (225 grams) coarsely grated gruyere or comte
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Make the sauce: In a large skillet (so you can use it again for the mushrooms), melt butter over medium heat and then stir in flour until a paste forms. Very slowly drizzle in milk, whisking the whole time to keep the mixture smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until mixture has simmered for a couple minutes. It will be thick and get thicker as it cools; this makes for a better spread. Scrape into a bowl and stir in Dijon. Adjust seasonings if needed. Set aside.

Heat oven: To 425 degrees F. Line your largest baking sheet with foil. 

Cook the mushrooms: Wipe out skillet and heat over medium-high. Add a glug of olive oil or a mix of olive oil and butter. Once it is very hot, add 1/3 to 1/2 of mushrooms, 1/3 to 1/2 of herbs and let sear in pan until brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, before stirring and continuing to cook until tender and any liquid in the pan has cooked off, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.  If you have some brown bits on the bottom of your pan, deglaze with the wine and cook until all absorbed.   

Assemble and bake: Spread bread in one layer on prepared baking sheet. Schmear each all the way to the edges with sauce; you should have exactly enough for a thin coat on each. Heap each slice with mushrooms; use them all. Sprinkle cheese over and since the mushrooms are heaped so high, you’ll probably have to press it in a bit with your hand. You’ll be glad you got all the cheese on there.

Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted all over, then transfer to the broiler and cook until tops are browned, a few minutes more (but keep an eye on it because broilers vary wildly and mine is rather weak).

To serve: Scatter with parsley and eat with a knife and fork, preferably with a big green salad on the side. (And more wine.)  Serves 4

smoky bbq pulled chicken.

I've been neglecting this space which makes me sad.   This doesn't mean I haven't been cooking - I've been cooking a lot (the produce is utterly outstanding this year).   Yet most of what I've been making are those thrown together meals I'm known for.  Broccoli tacos (don't knock it till you try it),  sauteed cherries (best served over ice cream or even yogurt), kale pesto (superb with fresh mozzarella and the first heirloom tomatoes of the season) and clean out the fridge pasta dishes.  Tyler refers to these as my best meals and always encourages me to share them here, but when you're rushing to get dinner together, it's not easy to keep track of how many teaspoons of ancho powder you just added to the pot.  

Which isn't to say I don't have a small pile of recipes scattered around the apartment that are begging to be made.  I finally tackled a few earlier this week.  BBQ pulled chicken has been on my mind for a while now as I keep looking for ways to feel as if I am BBQing even if I don't have access to a grill. This recipe can be made in the comforts of your own home and tastes just as good as chicken made on the grill.  I recommend  serving it on potato rolls with homemade pickles (my favorite recipe here) and a side of corn - it's outdoor cooking for the indoors.  

Smoky Pulled Barbecue Chicken

Recipe adapted (slightly) from Serious Eats 

The chicken itself is amazing.  Tender, moist, and succulent.  The sauce while good, was a little sweet for my tastes and not quite vinegary enough (though Tyler loved it).  I suggest dialing back the sugar by starting with the lesser amounts of apple juice, brown sugar, and honey.  Taste (before bringing to a boil and simmering), and add more as necessary.  If you have similar tastes to me - add some extra hot sauce and apple cider vinegar. Then slather on everything all summer long.      

For the Chicken and Rub

1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

1 ½ teaspoons hot smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 whole chicken, halved and backbones discarded or reserved for another use

For the Sauce

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 small onion)

1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic (about 1 medium cloves)

3/4 cups ketchup

1/3 - 1/2 cup apple juice

1 -2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 -2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sandwich rolls and pickles, for serving (optional)

For the Chicken and Rub: Mix together salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Season chicken halves all over with rub and refrigerate for at least 6 and up to 12 hours.

For the Sauce: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned around the edges, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, apple juice, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Puree sauce with an immersion blender, or transfer sauce to the jar of a standard blender, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If not using right away, transfer to a jar and store in refrigerator.

Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F. Add wood chunk to smoker following manufacturer's instructions, or set wood chunk on top of embers if using a grill. Place chickens in smoker or on grill over indirect heat, and cook until breast meat registers 160°F on an instant read thermometer, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from smoker and let chickens rest until cool enough to handle.

This can also be done in the oven.  Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.  Place chicken in an ovenproof dish and cook for about 1 ½ hours or until the breast meat registers 160°F on an instant read thermometer. 

Using hands or two forks, pull chicken into thin strands, discarding skin, cartilage, and excess fat.

Measure out 3/4 cup of barbecue sauce and set aside. Reheat remaining barbecue sauce in a large saucepan. Stir shredded chicken into hot barbecue sauce and cook until chicken is warmed throughout. Serve immediately on sandwich rolls with reserved barbecue sauce and pickles, if desired.

the smashed burger.

I am as close to a burger purist as you can get which means that when I want a burger I want a cheeseburger with nothing but cheese on a burger (cooked medium-rare or even better smashed) and a sqiushy potato roll.   No lettuce, no tomatoes and DEFINITELY no onion.  (The handful of times I remember going to McDonalds as a kid my order was always “Quarter Pounder with Cheese No Onions No Pickles”.)  I’m not sure if this makes me part of the norm or if it makes me an outlier but I am OK with it either way.  

What all of this really means is that I love Shake Shack.  I don't care if you think it's over-hyped or the burgers aren't that great, I think it's pretty damm perfect.  It's salty and satisfying and everything I crave when I want a burger (also their cheese fries are utterly amazing and I only recently discovered that and I can't believe I didn't know that sooner).  So when I figured out that I could make a smash burger - the kind of burger Shake Shack is known for - in the comfort of my own home, well it's safe to say I was at the butcher 24 hours later.

This is my dream burger.  Thin and crispy edged.  Melted cheese that manages to seep into every beefy crevice.  It's perfect in it's simplicity but if you desire toppings the world is your oyster. Best of all this can be made indoors on a cast iron skillet which means no grill is required (perfect for those city folks).    

The Smashed Burger

Recipe from Serious Eats and Epicurious

Makes 4 hamburgers

1 pound freshly ground beef (3/4 pound ground sirloin + 1/4 pound brisket is recommended, but if you can’t find, use chuck) with an 80/20 fat ratio

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more if needed
4 potato rolls, preferably Martin’s brand
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices cheese, American or whatever you like on burgers, if you’re making cheeseburgers
Optional toppings (if you are so inclined) 1/4-inch-thick tomato slices, thinly sliced pickles, burger-sized pieces green-leaf lettuce, ketchup (duh), mayo 

Prepare the meat: Form the meat into four equal-sized four-ounce meat “pucks,” roughly 2 1/2 inches thick. Place them on a plate lined with plastic wrap or waxed paper and freeze for 15 minutes, but no longer. We don’t want to freeze the meat, but we’d like it to be extra-cold when it hits the pan.

Toast the buns: Heat a griddle, large cast-iron skillet (my first choice and recommendation), or large heavy stainless-steel skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and place the buns, cut-side down, in the pan. Cook until cut sides are golden-brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Place toasted buns on four plates; you’ll keep using your griddle or skillet.

Cook the burgers: Remove patties from freezer. Increase heat to high and add 2 tablespoons oil to the griddle or skillet — you’ll need this only for your first burger batch; after you’ve made a couple or if you’re scaling the recipe up, the fat from the earlier burgers will be sufficient — heat until oil begins to smoke, at least two minutes. Working one at a time, add a patty to griddle and immediately flatten it to a 1/2-inch thickness with a heavy spatula and something with weight and heft (the handle of a second spatula, a meat pounder, etc. see details up top) to help it along. You’ll have to “hammer” harder than you might think to flatten the patties out. A second spatula can be used to help remove the hamburger stuck to the flattening one, so not to tear the patty. Generously season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining patties.

Once the first side is deeply browned with crisp, craggly edges, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes for medium — mine were all quite black when they were flipped, and yet still totally pink inside when we cut into them; it will be hard to overcook them at this high heat — use a spatula to scrape underneath the patty and flip it over. Cover with a slice of cheese if making cheeseburgers, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until melted. Repeat process with remaining patties.

Assemble burgers: Transfer cooked patties to toasted burger buns. Top burgers with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles (if using) ketchup and mayo and immediately dig in.

spicy sweet potato chip and avocado sandwich.

Last week's issue of the NYTimes dinning section stole my heart because my love of sandwiches knows no bounds.   It is safe to say that after reading the article about how to build a better sandwich, I had a SERIOUS hankering for something stuffed between two slices of bread.   

And so I made one epic sandwich.  

Some may scoff at the idea of a sandwich containing no meat.  While vegetarian sandwiches are not the norm, they are incredibly delicious especially when they encompass lots of different textural and flavor elements. The key to a good sandwich is juxtaposition - something crunchy with something soft.  Something spicy with something sweet.  If you can get that balance right the sandwich possibilities are endless. 

This particular sandwich has it all - crispy, crunchy homemade sweet potato chips.  Creamy avocado and a particularly addicting spicy special sauce.  It's not neat and it's not pretty but it's good and satisfying and absurdly delicious.   

Spicy Sweet Potato Chip and Avocado Sandwich

Recipe adapted from Dolly and Oatmeal

Makes 2 Sandwiches

1 large sweet potato, sliced lengthwise to about 1/8-inch thickness

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Large grain sea salt + fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

1 ripe avocado, sliced

Micro greens, sprouts, small lettuce, etc.

2 ounces of goat cheese

4 slices bread (or 2 rolls), toasted

Spicy Special Sauce (see below for recipe)

Pre-heat oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Mix sliced sweet potatoes, oil, paprika, a couple pinches of salt, and a few grinds of pepper, until potatoes are evenly coated.  Spread potatoes in a single layer, do not overlap or overcrowd.

Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each potato over and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  At this point some potatoes might be crisp; if so, remove from baking sheet and transfer to a large platter or plate. Continue this process until potatoes are lightly browned and crisp.  Let potatoes cool in a single layer. (Placing them on top of one another while still hot will result in a soggy chip.)

Remove spicy sauce from fridge and spread a good amount on both sides of the bread.  Add avocado, chips, micro greens, and goat cheese, and top with remaining slice of bread

Spicy Special Sauce

1 teaspoon good dijon mustard

2 1/2 tablespoons mayonaise or vegenaise

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon sriracha

1/4 teaspoon maple syrup

Whisk all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at 1 hour or up to 1 week

moroccan chicken kebabs.

While there are many negatives that could be said about our old apartment namely the fact that it flooded... often (every time it pours, which is often as of late, I feel pretty happy we no longer live there) I do miss our outdoor space (for all the negatives there was one positive).  It wasn't much (some would call it sad) but there was an awesome table, bistro lights, and an excellent grill.  The grill.  The grill I miss the most.  

Grilling is a summer requirement and when you lack both an outdoor space and a grill you are kind of forced to improvise in order to get that summer experience.  I improvise with a cast iron grill pan and my stove and the results are nothing short of amazing.  

These Moroccan chicken kebabs are the thing to eat as we enter into August.  They are easy-peasy to put together and they pair brilliantly with tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers (in short, pretty much anything and everything you can find at the farmers markets currently).  The garlic sauce provides a cooling creaminess to the spiced chicken. Tucked into a pita, it's the kind of messy meal that is best served with lots of napkins.  

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 8 - Recipe can be halved if there are just two of you (and then you will have leftovers!).  

Garlic Sauce

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Kosher salt

¼ cup olive oil

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

Chicken Kebabs

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2” pieces

2 garlic cloves, chopped

½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Zatar (optional)
½ teaspoon sumac (optional)

Kosher salt

Vegetable oil (for grilling)

For Serving: warm pita bread, labneh (Lebanese strained yogurt), chopped tomatoes, and fresh mint leaves

For the Garlic Sauce:  Place garlic in a mortar; season with salt and pound to a very fine paste. (Alternatively, place garlic on a cutting board, season with salt, and mash with the side of a chef’s knife.) Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and gradually whisk in oil.

Very gradually whisk yogurt into garlic mixture until emulsified. (Add too fast and sauce will break. If it does break, gradually whisk in 1 tsp. water just before serving.)

Garlic sauce can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

For the chicken:  Toss chicken, garlic, parsley, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl; season with salt. Cover and chill at least 2 hours (can be chilled up to 24 hours).

Prepare grill for medium-high heat and oil grate (can also be done on a grill pan on your stove). Thread chicken onto skewers. Grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 8–12 minutes. Serve with garlic sauce, pita bread, labneh, tomatoes, and mint

piadina.

One of my life goals is to discover all of the different ways with which I can stuff fillings into bread-like vehicles for easy food consumption (because nothing is better then hand-held foods).  You would think this would be an easy task (how many riffs on the sandwich can there possibly be?) but it is not (do you know how many nationalities have their own version of a sandwich!).  This is why I am hear to talk about the piadina.  

I was introduced to the piadina by my parents (they tend to introduce me to all good things in this world).  It is a cross between a tortilla and a pita which I suppose makes it an Italian flatbread but calling it an Italian flatbread makes it sound so boring and un-special and piadina are the furthest thing from boring.  Essentially it is an unleavened bread that gets cooked over the grill until char marks appear (the char marks are key). It then gets topped with any number of things, though if this picture is any indication I am partial to delicious Italian goat cheese, sopressata, arugula, apricots, and a nice drizzle of honey.  

This is the perfect hot weather food and just the right vehicle for transferring the bounty that exists this time of year into your mouth via something other then your typical bread.  It also sounds cool which is reason enough to make it.  

Piadina

Recipe from the NYTimes

Typically piadina are made with lard and while versions made with lard are spectacular, they aren't nearly as practical (who has lard on hand at all times?).  This version with olive oil allows you to make piadina any night of the week, no special ingredients necessary.   

Makes 8

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or 3 ½ cups all-purpose if you want to omit the whole wheat)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

¼ cup olive oil

Optional toppings (but let’s be honest, the sky’s the limit) – Goat cheese, arugula, sliced peaches or apricots (or really any stone fruit), sopressata or salami, Tallegio (a personal favorite), shaved Pecorino, the list goes on..

In a food processor or heavy-duty mixer, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the water and oil. Process or mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 1 minute. Remove from the machine, and knead briefly by hand on a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with a bowl, and let rest 1 hour.

Cut the dough into 8 pieces. Cover all but 1 piece with a bowl. On a lightly floured surface, shape the piece into a ball. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to an 8-inch circle. Place a piece of wax paper on a large dinner plate, and put the circle of dough on it. Roll out the remaining dough, stacking the circles on the plate with wax paper in between. (To Note – You can store the rolled out piadina in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking.)

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Heat a nonstick (or cast iron) skillet over medium-high heat. Test the temperature by flicking some droplets of water onto the surface; if the water sizzles and evaporates quickly, the griddle is ready. Place a circle of dough in the skillet. Cook 30 seconds, or until the dough begins to stiffen and turns golden brown. Flip the piadina, and brown the other side. Place the piadina on a piece of foil in the oven, and keep warm until serving.

Top each piadina with the toppings of your choice.  Fold the piadina in half and serve.  

black bean burgers.

Well we are back.  Discussing food!  Real food and not liquid food.  I've never been so excited.  Especially since we are discussing black bean burgers which are my new favorite thing after having a most epic one a couple of weeks back when Tyler and I had date night at the new burger joint in Jersey City.  It was so epic that I spent the better part of the last 2 weeks researching recipes and trying to come up with a homemade version that would make me dance in my seat the way that one did. 

There burgers will satisfy carnivores and vegetarians alike.  They are meaty, filling, and beyond flavorful due to a combination of peppers, onions, and spices galore. Sure you could omit the spices so they don't feel so Southwestern but my thought is it's better to embrace this characteristic and let the burger be it's awesome Tex-Mex/South-West self.  I like to serve them on (homemade) hamburger buns (recipe coming later this week!) with pepper jack cheese, sliced avocado, pickled jalapenos, ketchup, and mayo because a burger can really be enhanced by the sum of it's parts (that and the fact that I have a love affair with toppings and condiments).

Oh! And don't forget the chips.  

Black Bean Burgers

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats

Makes 6 – 8 Patties

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 small to medium sized yellow onion, finely chopped 

1 large poblano pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 teaspoon sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish Paprika (Hot)

1/3 cup finely crumbled feta or cotija cheese

1 whole egg

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cheese as desired, such as pepper jack, cheddar, muenster, or Swiss (optional)

6 to 8 hearty hamburger buns, toasted

Condiments as desired, such as chipotle mayo (or regular mayo), ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise (optional)

Toppings as desired, such as shredded lettuce, sliced onions, avocado, and pickled jalapenos (optional)

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spread black beans in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and roast until beans are mostly split open and outer skins are beginning to get crunchy, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

While beans roast, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and poblano and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chipotle chili and sauce, cumin, chili powder, and paprika, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Place mixture in food processor and pulse about 5 times until the mixture is finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

When beans are slightly cooled, transfer to food processor. Add cheese. Pulse until beans are roughly chopped (the largest pieces should be about 1/3 of a full bean in size). Transfer to bowl with onion/pepper mixture.  Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. Add egg and bread crumbs.. Fold together gently but thoroughly with hands. Patty mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days at this stage.

Form bean mixture into 6 to 8 patties as wide as your burger buns. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 4 patties and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until well browned and crisp on first side, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until second side is browned, about 5 minutes longer, adding cheese if desired. If cooking more than 4 burgers, cook in batches, keeping cooked burgers on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet in a 200°F oven while second batch cooks.

Spread top and bottom buns with chipotle mayonnaise or other condiments as desired. Add toppings to top or bottom bun as desired. Place patties on bottom buns, close burgers, and serve immediately.

roasted tomato caprese with avocado.

I spent $5.50 the other week on a pound of organic, greenhouse raised, farmer’s market tomatoes.  Every time I think about it, I think of how absurd it is to spend so much on tomatoes (before their official season is even close to starting!) but I couldn’t help it.  I became fixated on a roasted tomato caprese with avocado tartine that I saw on Not Without Salt when I was in California.  It caught my eye and my stomach the second I saw the pictures.  This is the kind of dish that shocked me with it’s simplicity and made me wonder why I never thought of such a combination.  I’ve eaten it about 4 times since getting home (I may have purchased another pound of inordinately priced tomatoes…) and I don’t see my consumption of it stopping any time soon.  It makes for a wonderful light dinner or a superb leisurely rainy afternoon lunch.  It’s salty and creamy and everything comes together perfectly in each and every bite. 

Roasted Tomato Caprese with Avocado

Recipe adapted barely from Not Without Salt (her photos are absurdly beautiful)

1 large beefsteak tomatoes or 2 medium sized tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

A pinch of red pepper flakes

4 large leaves fresh basil

3 thick slices of country bread

½ an avocado, peeled and sliced thin

½ large burrata ball (or buffalo mozzarella)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut the large tomato in 1/4″ inch slices. Lay on a parchment lined sheet tray and drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Roast for 30 minutes until wilted, wrinkly, and caramelized in parts.  When the tomatoes have roasted, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool. 

Toast the bread in the oven or in the toaster until golden brown.

Assemble the tartine by topping the bread with the sliced avocado.  On top of the avocado place torn pieces of burrata (make sure you get the creamy inside!).  Add a small pile of roasted tomatoes on top.  Finish with some torn leaves of basil and a pinch of flaky sea salt. 

the perfect BLT + homemade buttermilk bread.

As of late my meals have been rather simple affairs.  Toasted bread rubbed with garlic topped with a smear of ricotta, sliced tomatoes, and a sprinkle of coarse salt and black pepper.  Corn sautéed in a little bit of bacon fat (so good!), sprinkled with cayenne, salt and pepper and a squeeze of lime.  I’ve begun to enjoy the ease with which it takes to make a meal, it allows more time for outdoor dinner table conversations and card games galore (I adore Rummy).  I know I will move back into the more is better camp with elaborate meals as soon as Labor Day hits, but until then I’m happy to eat so simply.

My favorite simple summer meal, the one I look forward to as soon as Memorial Day hits, and the meal I eat with abandon as soon as heirloom tomatoes are ripe is a BLT.  A BLT’s screams summer.  A BLT requires the best possible ingredients.  For my first one of the season, I took a lot of care into making it the best.  I agonized over the type of bread to make.  I poured over Bernard Clayton’s The Complete Book of Breads in search of the perfect one and decided on his recipe for Buttermilk Bread.  This is a wonderful bread with a really nice crumb and a beautiful tang from the buttermilk.  It pairs perfectly with the smoky bacon, ripe heirloom tomatoes, and crisp lettuce.  A smear of mayo (on both pieces of bread!) completed the sandwich.  The only accompaniment needed was a side of crunchy potato chips.  I love summer eating. 

The Perfect BLT

Makes 2 sandwiches

Making a BLT is a bad idea unless you have the best of the best ingredients.  This is the time to splurge on good local bacon from your butcher.  I personally love the bacon from Dickinson Farmstand in the Chelsea Market. They always slice it super thick for me and it has the perfect smoky flavor, which makes for a very delicious sandwich.  I also love heirloom tomatoes but a beefsteak tomato also makes for a fine sandwich. 

4 slices of bread (recipe for the Buttermilk Bread I used below!)

1 large or 2 small tomatoes slicked ¼ inch thick

4 slices of thick cut bacon (see notes above)

Lettuce

Mayonnaise

Salt and Pepper

Lightly toast your bread.  You want the bread to still have a little give when you touch it.  Give a generous swipe of mayo to the bread.  Top with 2 slices of bacon, then the tomatoes.  Sprinkle the tomatoes with fresh black pepper and salt.  Top the tomatoes with the lettuce.  Swipe mayo on the other slice of bread and place on top of the lettuce.  Cut in half and serve with really good potato chips. 

Buttermilk Bread

Recipe from The Complete Book of Breads by Bernard Clayton

Makes 2 Loaves

This recipe makes 2 loaves.  I froze the other one figuring it would come in handy when I don’t have time after work to make fresh bread.  You may find that you eat both loaves in one weekend because its that good.  There is no shame in that. 

5 to 5 ½ cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 package dry yeast

1 cup water

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup shortening

In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast.  In a saucepan combine the water, buttermilk, and shortening and place over low heat to warm.  Warm until the butter melts (because of the buttermilk the mixture may appear curdled but that’s ok!).  Gradually add the liquid to the dry ingreadients and beat for 2 minutes with the flat beater on your mixer.  Add one cup of flour to the mixture and beat for an additional 2 minutes.  Switch to a dough hook and work in the remaining 2 to 2 ½ cups flour.  Add the flour gradually, until the mass of dough is soft and not sticky. 

Knead the dough in the mixer for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.  If the dough appears sticky, add sprinkles of flour.  It will pull away cleanly  from the sides of the bowl when it has enough flour. 

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 

Grease 2 medium sized loaf pans and place them to the side.  Punch the dough down and cut into 2 pieces.  For each piece, turn the cut side under and gently press and par it into an oblong shape that will barely touch the ends of the pan.  Place into greased pans. 

Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and return the loaf pans to the warm place for about 45 minutes or until the dough has risen about 1 inch above the pans. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees about 20 minutes before baking.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the load sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.  Place the loaves on wire racks to cool.

tex-mex sloppy joe's.

When I was kid, every Wednesday night during the summer there would be outdoor concerts on the baseball field in our town.  On those Wednesday nights my parents would pack coolers of coldcuts and juice, bags of potato chips, and homemade chocolate chip cookies.  We would camp out on blanket in the field, listening to Doo-Wop cover bands sing old Supreme songs.  We would eat sandwiches for dinner and then my siblings and I would run around until it got dark and we needed a cookie fix.  Ever since then sandwiches remind me of casual summer evenings spent eating under the stars.

While I have yet to find a Doo-Wop cover band to listen to outside since then, I still make it my goal to eat sandwiches for dinner at least once a week.  During the dog days of summer they are so easy to make and they fill my need to feel like a little kid despite the fact that I am now 27.  Some sandwiches are fancy affairs with homemade foccacia bread, roasted vegetables and goat’s milk cheeses and other times they are simple and scream summer like a BLT does (oh how I love those).  Sometimes I desire a messy sandwich where I end up wearing half of it and leave sticky fingerprints all over napkins.  That’s where these Tex-Mex sloppy joe’s come into play.  They are a gloriously messy affair of spicy (extra spicy for me!) and sweet (from the tomatoes and ketchup) beef with some peppers and onions thrown in for textural contrast.  They taste even more amazing with slices of avocado and shredded Monteray Jack (then they taste like a torta!).  I enjoy them most when eaten outside, listening to my Pandora Motown station and drinking a beer.

Tex-Mex Sloppy Joe’s

Recipe from The Homesick Texan 

Serves 6-8

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 chipotle chile en adobo (add 2 if you like it hot!)
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounces canned tomato sauce
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of cayenne
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
12 ounces beer, such as Mexican lager
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup cilantro, divided
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and black pepper to taste
4-6 warm buns for serving

Sliced Avocado, Monterey Jack, and jalepenos for serving

In a large skillet, on medium-low heat, while stirring occasionally, cook the meat until browned, about 10 minutes. (If you like, you can drain the extra fat once the meet is browned.) Add the onions and diced bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

Meanwhile, in a blender mix the tomato sauce, chipotle chile, oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, allspice, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce. Pour tomato salsa into the skillet along with the beer, ketchup and half of the cilantro. Stir until well combined.

Cook on medium-low heat uncovered for 15 minutes and then stir in the remaining cilantro and lime juice. Adjust seasonings and add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve on warm buns with avocado, jalapeño slices and Monterey jack cheese.