Recipes

A Summer Tomato Salad That Is a Feast for Your Eyes – June
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A Summer Tomato Salad That Is a Feast for Your Eyes – June

We were invited to a summer house party in the foothills of California over the weekend. In addition to having a wonderful time, I was able to score some early tomatoes from this, much warmer, area. It won’t be tomato season on the coast until late August or even September.

I got the idea for the salad from the book Salad Freak, one of my favorite cookbooks. It’s by Jess Damuck, who used to work for Martha Stewart.

The garden is overrun with nasturtiums, and they are a lovely accent to red and yellow tomatoes.

Nasturtiums

 

Tomato, nasturtium, and arugula salad

Tomato, nasturtium, and arugula salad

I don’t have a real recipe.

Simply cut up a variety of tomatoes, several colors and varieties if you have them. Cut some into wedges, some sliced. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Arrange them on a platter or plate, top with some colorful nasturtiums and arugula. Then sprinkle with salt crystals, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and add a few drops of balsamic glaze.

That’s all there is to it. Tres simple.

Tomato and Nasturtium Salad

Tomato and Nasturtium Salad

I can think of several variations. What about adding watermelon, maybe some crumbled feta, pickled red onion?

 

 

January – Avocado Tahini Dip
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January – Avocado Tahini Dip

I have issued myself a challenge to try one new recipe from one of my collection of cookbooks each week, at least the weeks I am home. This is not my idea, I’ve read of it in several other blogs. But, it is intended to keep my time  in the kitchen interesting and perhaps outside the usual rotation of meals.

This recipe came from Open Kitchen – Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings by Susan Spungen.

Open Kitchen - Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings by Susan Spungen.

Open Kitchen – Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings by Susan Spungen.

I had been asked to bring a starter for a dinner party and was looking for something different.

Avocado Tahini Dip

Ingredients (serves 6 to 8):

  • 2 avocados, quartered and cut into large chunks
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • Few dashes of green hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • small handful of fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds or dukah
  • 1 tablespoon of fruity olive oil
  • Sliced fresh seasonal vegetables to serve and/or crackers

Method:

  1. In a food processor, with the steel blade, shop the garlic finely.
  2. Add the avocado, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, hot sauce, cumin and pulse to combine. Then process until completely smooth.
  3. Add the cilantro and pulse until finely chopped.
  4. Transfer to a serving bowl and scatter the seeds over the top, drizzle with the oil.

You can make this several hours ahead. Store it in the fridge and cover with plastic wrap to prevent the surface from browning.

Open Kitchen - Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings by Susan Spungen.

Open Kitchen – Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings by Susan Spungen.

It was a hit. Unfortunately my pictures didn’t turn out.

This is an excellent cookbook with some different and inventive recipes.

July – Meatloaf with Chicken and Duck
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July – Meatloaf with Chicken and Duck

Okay, I know meatloaf is not the most exciting-sounding recipe on this blog. However, this recipe, inspired by one for turkey meatloaf on Sally’s Bewitching Kitchen blog, is a keeper. Aside, you should look at her blog if you are a baker. She is an artist with cookies, cakes, and all things sweet.

I took some liberties with her recipe. I’ve been trying to clean out my freezer and found a package of ground duck and one for chicken, but no turkey. If I had seen some turkey, I could have called it turducken meatloaf! If you only have ground turkey, it will be delicious. A mix of turkey and chicken would also be good. I made a turkey/chicken meatloaf with seasoning from Oprah Wiinfrey’s turkey burger recipe a few weeks later. That one is still in the development stage as it was criticized for being a bit too dry.

I doubled Sally’s recipe, so there will be leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches later in the week when we are too busy to cook. Leftover meatloaf is like gold in the fridge.

Chicken/duck meatloaf

chicken/duck meatloaf

This recipe is full of healthy vegetables. Shredded carrots and flecks of chopped chard are visible. It’s also gluten-1 free since I used almond flour instead of bread crumbs, as did Sally.

Doubled the recipe will serve 6 to 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of ground turkey
  • 1 pound of ground duck
  • 1 cup of almond flour
  • 2 cups of shredded carrots
  • 1 cup of finely chopped fresh kale or chard
  • 1 cup of grated cheese (I used an Italian blend)
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon of ground chipotle pepper

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 cup of ketchup
  • 4 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and reserve.
  3. Add all the ingredients for the meatloaf into a large bowl (minus the ingredients for the glaze). Using a fork or clean hands, mix everything until full incorporated.
  4. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and pour the meat into the pan. Shape it, with your hands, into a loaf shape. Try to keep it level so it cooks evenly.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove it from the oven and brush with the glaze.
  6. Place back in the oven for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
  7. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Meatloaf

 

 

June – Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt
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June – Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

This is the other salad I served to my book club friends.

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

Full of herbs and edible flowers, this salad was beautiful. It is meant to be eaten the day it is made, as it didn’t keep well and wasn’t particularly good the following day. The recipe came from another book by Hetty McKinnon, Family. All her books are overflowing with wonderful vegetarian meals for sharing with friends and family. This dish is particularly beautiful with all the herbs and edible flowers used as a garnish. Her recipe was written using quinoa, I substituted brown rice. However, after making it this once, I think it would be even more flavorful with farro or freekeh. It would also give a nice textural element, toothiness (is that a word?) was missing. That’s how I intend to make it next time.

The pea yogurt sauce is a nice touch. Leave it out or use a nut yogurt instead if you are going dairy free or vegan.

The flowers, herbs, and peas came from my garden. The recipe calls for peas but I used a mixture of blanched and slivered snow and snap peas. They came from the garden in Fort Bragg. I supplemented them with some frozen petit pois. You could (as the recipe was written) use all frozen peas.

Short peas growing in a raised bed, these are a mix of snap and snow peas

Short peas growing in a raised bed, these are a mix of snap and snow peas

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt (serves 4)

Ingredients: 

  • Salad –
    • 1 cauliflower head, cut into large florets
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • 1 cup of quinoa or another grain, rinsed
    • 2 cups of vegetable stock or coconut water or water
    • 2 cups of peas
    • 1 cup of microgreens
    • 1/4 cup of mint leaves
    • Garnish of edible flowers
    • salt and pepper
  • Mint-Pea Yogurt
    • 1/2 cup frozen peas
    • 1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
    • 1 cup of Greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
  2. Place the cauliflower florets on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 25-30 minutes until tender and turning golden. Remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Add your grain of choice to a saucepan with the vegetable stock, coconut water, or plain water. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until done. Remove from the heat and cool for 5-10 minutes before draining. Fluff with a fork and squeeze the lemon over, then drizzle with olive oil.
  4. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the peas (including the ones for the sauce) for 1 minute, drain and rinse under cool running water until cold. Set aside.
  5. For the mint-pea yogurt sauce – combine the mint, 1/2 cup of the blanched peas, and the yogurt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the olive oil, syrup or honey, and season with salt and pepper. Blend again until combined. Pour into a jar and chill.
  6. When ready to assemble the salad combine the cauliflower, grain, and peas. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the microgreens and edible flowers.
  7. Serve the yogurt sauce on the side.

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

Roasted Cauliflower with Peas and Mint-Pea Yogurt

 

June – Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentils and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts
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June – Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentils and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

I made this salad for my Oakland book club. It was my turn to host dinner. They are a wonderful group of women, and cooking for them is a challenge I look forward to each year. My turn only comes around once a year and I spend quite a bit of time doing research. The food has to be, first, delicious. And also gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian. Over the past few years, this has gotten easier. Cookbooks and online recipe forums have proliferated. It’s just a matter of finding the right one. This salad hit it out of the park. It was even yummy the next day for lunch with a scoop of cottage cheese. Leftovers would also make a wonderful base for a soup.

The recipe came from the book Community by Hetty McKinnon.

Buffet line

Buffet Line

 

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

For the sweet potatoes and salad

  • 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  • 2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 cup of dried brown lentils or 2-1/2 cups of cooked
  • 1 cup of soft herbs, chopped (use whatever you have such as parsley, mint, tarragon, chives, dill, and/or cilantro). I used a mix of chopped parsley, mint, chives, and cilantro.
  • 2 cups of baby arugula
  • 1/2 cup of shaved parmesan

For the sweet vinaigrette

  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the honey-roasted walnuts

  • 2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon of dried chili flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 2 cups of walnuts

Method:

  1. Roast the sweet potatoes.
    1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 C) and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and ground spices. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to coat the potatoes with the spices.
    3. Spread the potatoes on one sheet pan and roast for about 30 minutes until they are tender and starting to brown.
  2. Prepare the walnuts.
    1. Combine the honey with the chili flakes, turmeric, salt, and enough water to make a thick paste. (I did this in the same bowl I used for the sweet potatoes.)
    2. Coat the walnuts with the paste and spread on the second baking sheet.
    3. Roast for 10-12 minutes until the walnuts are crunchy and almost dry. They will crisp as they cool. Watch them carefully as they will burn quickly. They may still be a bit sticky which is fine.
  3. Make the sweet vinaigrette.
    1. Whisk together all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Prepare the lentils.
    1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the lentils, and simmer over medium heat until they are tender but not falling apart. Use the directions on your package for timing. Drain.
    2. While the lentils are still warm, stir through the vinaigrette.
  5. Assemble the salad in a large bowl or on a platter. Combine half the herbs with the arugula, sweet potato, and lentils. Season well.
  6. To serve, scatter over the remaining herbs, the walnuts, and shaved parmesan.

Serve the salad at room temperature. It can be made ahead up to step 5. Bring it to room temperature before serving and add the herbs, walnuts, and parmesan.

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

Spiced Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Arugula with Honey-Roasted Walnuts

Quinn thought she should have a taste.

Quinn - Can I have a bite?

Quinn – Can I have a bite?

View from the Oakland condo of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County at sunset.

Mt. Tamalpais

Mt. Tamalpais