Beautiful and Delicious Gazpacho

Okay, I gave you a green Gazpacho a few weeks ago. Now, I hand you the red. This is the thing though, I make this exclusively with a Vitamix and really believe the results have something to do with the power of that machine. I have not tried this in a regular blender, but I think you should and just cut everything up a little smaller and maybe give it a little more time to blend for the best consistency. It is important to have a couple of key ingredients for this mostly flexible recipe.Good Sherry Vinegar and smoked Paprika are what I believe set it apart from mediocre to fabulous. Those two pantry items will not sit idle in your kitchen-you will get plenty of other use for them (to begin with, substituting them for other vinegars and regular paprika in your own recipes). Don’t go cheap here, please!

I like Gazpacho in all shapes and forms. The rustic stuff with big chunks of vegetables and lots of garlic is great. So is a more refined version I’ve had that was satiny smooth with no veggie pieces at all and just some jagged and delicious croutons for crunch. I am falling right into the middle with this super quick and easy recipe. First, you are going to blend the hell out of a few ingredients to get a creamy base, and then you are going to spend a few quality minutes with your very sharp knife and cutting board, finely dicing some veggies for texture. You can scatter these on top (like I did for the fancy photo), or mix them in and pour into a to-go cup for a quick and refreshing lunch. Croutons are up to you. I don’t tend to go for them here, but you can make something crispy and garlicky if you desire. I love drizzling a homemade herb oil on top (see below).

The best part of this whole cooking experience is NOT TURNING ON THE STOVE! Yay! Oh yeah, and it’s also beautiful and delicious!

Plain and Simple Delicious Gazpacho

Ingredients

1 small red onion, cut into 2 halves

1/4 cup of good sherry vinegar

2 medium cloves of garlic, smashed with a few pinches of salt, under the blade of your knife

1 large slice of white bread (gluten free or with gluten-no matter)

Around 5-6large farm tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped (don’t worry about blemishes)

1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded and cut into 2 halves

1 medium pepper (green or any other color will do if you can’t stand green), seeded and cored and cut into 2 halves

1 teaspoon of Kosher salt (or whatever salt you love)

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

1/2 -3/4cup of EVOO

Optional, Basil or Parsley or Chives-Or no herbs at all! (I almost never use them), Croutons, any homemade herb oil for serving (blend a few handfuls of a fresh herb with 1/2 cup of EVOO and strain)

Method

Take one of the halves of the red onion and dice finely as you are able. Put in a small bowl and cover with the vinegar and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Get out the jug of your blender or Vitamix and toss in the garlic, bread, tomatoes, one of the halves of the of the cucumber and pepper (only roughly chop if using a regular blender), salt and paprika. When the onion has soaked, strain the vinegar into the blender, reserving the diced onion. Place the lid on and let her rip! I go to about medium speed on the Vitamix and that’s plenty. After a minute or two, pour in the olive oil through the top hole in the lid. Blend another 30 seconds and refrigerate immediately.

Take the other two veggie halves (cucumber and pepper) and dice as finely as the reserved red onion. Throw them in the same bowl and refrigerate too. You can eat this as soon as you like, really, but it’s best chilled for at least an hour and as long as overnight. Serve with a good handful of the diced veggies and a drizzle of your herb oil (if you have it). Serve it in cups, bowls, jelly jars, to-go mugs…

A Leek and Mustard Tart

Even though it is late August, I still occasionally feel the urge to turn on the oven and make my life just a little more sticky and uncomfortable. Tarts are one of my favorite baking mediums, particularly the savory variety. Once a tart is baked, it is great to have around, paired with a simple green salad as a classy lunch, served in a thin wedge with a glass of crisp white wine as an appetizer, or eaten cold out of hand as an on-the-go breakfast.

This recipe originally came from one of Deborah Madison’s early cookbooks. As a vegetarian during much of my youth, I was used to more hippie-type cooking (think Moosewood), and so when I read The Greens Cookbook in 1987, I was blown away. Hers were the first elevated and truly gourmet meatless recipes that I had ever seen. If you are a vegetable lover and haven’t read any of her work, please check her out. Her stuff is seriously inspirational. I have made this tart a million times and gradually adapted it as my own over the years.

I know that not everyone is comfortable with pastry, and tart pans can seem intimidating if you’ve never used one before. This pastry comes together quickly and is pretty forgiving. You don’t even need to roll it out or use those annoying little pie weights (which I will admit I’ve never owned in my life)! Sadly, the length of the recipe also makes it look difficult, but that is only because I am making it super specific for beginners. If you are an old hand at pastry, just make it however you like best.

The filling is quick and straightforward and the results will make you feel like you are sitting in a countryside bistro in the south of France. In fact, go get the bottle of rosé first, and chill it while you are making the tart. When it has cooled down enough to cut, grab your loveliest wine glass, a small plate, a blanket and find yourself the grassiest and most bucolic place to enjoy your beautiful creation.

Leek and Mustard Tart

(Adapted from Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown’s The Greens Cookbook)

Ingredients

Tart Crust

10 oz Gluten Free or all purpose flour (about 2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

7 oz cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks (approximately 1 1/2 sticks)

1/2 cup of cold water with a few ice cubes

Filling

4 cups of thinly sliced leeks, white parts only, washed thoroughly to remove any dirt

1 tablespoon of butter

1 tablespoon of EVOO

1/2 teaspoon of salt

A few grinds of pepper

1/2 cup of white wine

2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

2 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream (see next ingredient note)

1/2 cup of creme fraiche or sour cream (you can also omit the previous heavy cream in the list and go for a full cup of creme fraiche or sour cream)

1/2 cup grated cheese (emmanthaler or gruyere please, but you can do goat, cheddar, or whatever you like, really)

2 tablespoons coarse Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons of minced chives, or parsley

1 teaspoon of minced tarragon

Equipment: 9 inch tart pan or pie plate

Method

Make the crust first.

Heat the oven to 375°. With food processor, pulse flour and salt with butter until the mixture is like very coarse cornmeal with some small pea-sized chunks. Pour in a few spoonfuls of the ice water and pulse again. Keep carefully adding small amounts of water until the dough just comes together. (If using a fork or pastry blender, work fast and blend the fat into the flour until it is the same consistancy as stated above. Stir the water in with a fork until the dough comes together). Quickly press the crust into the pan, keeping the dough to an even 1/8 inch thickness. Stick the whole thing into the freezer quickly and leave for about 15 minutes or so. Get a piece of tin foil the size of the pan and push it into the dough, leaving a little overhang. With a fork, pierce the bottom of the tart dough, about 5 times. Stick in the oven for around 20 minutes, until when you peek under the foil, the dough is dry looking and very light brown. Take out of the oven and cool for a few while you make the filling. Keep the oven on if you are going to bake the tart now!

Heat a large non-stick frying pan at a medium heat and add the butter and oil, when melted, add the leeks, salt and pepper. Stir for 10 minutes or so and then add the wine. Keep stirring for another 5-10 minutes, until the wine is evaporated and then add the vinegar and cook for a minute or two more. Find a medium sized bowl and break two eggs in and beat them for a couple of minutes with a fork or whisk. Add the cream combo, grated cheese, mustards and leek mixture and stir to combine. Pour into your crust and sprinkle the top with the herb(s). I usually stick any pie or tart onto a sheet pan that has been lined with foil, to avoid disastrous oven scenarios, so go ahead if you like. Stick in the oven and bake for around 20-30 minutes, until it is light brown on the top and stops jiggling when you give the pan a shake. Cool on a rack for as long as you can stand it and then get yourself to that bucolic location and pour the wine!

A Throwback Goat Cheese Salad

​There are a few things about this salad that scream “trendy foods of the past!” and there is also a classic element, hailing from bistros in France. Trends include the 1980’s American foodie tendency to fry goat cheese and put it in a salad (which is also the classic element, as we totally stole the idea from the French). Also, beets and cheese in salads came into popularity in the 80’s. Honestly I’m glad they did, because I adore the combination. And folks, two words: fried cheese. 

A few imperatives for this simple recipe.

1. Get good goat cheese, season it, and chill the patties for at least 15 minutes before cooking.

2. Try to get the best lettuces you can, as they are the biggest player here. A mix of textures and colors work beautifully. I really prefer adult-sized leaves for this, but if you can only find young mixed greens, then go for it.

3. Invest in one great bottle of olive oil that you use only for salads.

4. Find a brand of champagne vinegar that you like and always have it on hand.

With a little forethought and a few good pantry ingredients on hand, you can have what I consider to be a perfect lunch. And I am totally gifting you my best salad dressing recipe. So, you’re welcome. Please make this salad at least once and let me know what you think!

Salad Greens and Beets with Crusty warm Goat Cheeses

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 heaping tablespoons of a fresh, soft goat cheese made from happy goats

1/4 teaspoon of salt and a grind of pepper

1 tablespoon of minced chives

1 small minced clove of garlic

1 egg, beaten with a spoonful of water, or a beaten egg white

1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs in a shallow dish (panko, fresh homemade, or gluten free-I think panko has the best texture)

2 tablespoons of ghee, canola or olive oil

4-5 cups of washed mixed lettuces.

About a cup of your favorite beets, cooked in boiling salted water, skins on, until tender. Cooled and sliced in whatever way you think is most beautiful.

A small handful of chopped, toasted nuts if you like (I had some leftover walnuts)

Dressing

1 generous tablespoon of very finely minced shallots soaked in

1/4 cup of good champagne vinegar

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (creamy)

1 teaspoon of mild honey (or agave or sugar)

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup of good EVOO (approximately)

Method

Get a fork and a small bowl and mix the goat cheese with the seasonings. Have a small dish lined with wax or parchment paper ready. Quickly form into four small patties and dip into the egg and then panko. Place on the prepared plate and stick in the fridge for a MINIMUM of 15 minutes, better yet, an hour (sorry for yelling).

Wash and dry your lovely lettuces and make the dressing by whisking everything in a bowl till creamy.

Heat a small non-stick frying pan on medium/low for a couple of minutes. Add the fat and wait a minute. Get your chilled patties and place carefully into the hot fat and cook until each side is golden brown.

Dress the salad leaves and beets and compose in your favorite bowl. Add the goat cheeses and serve with a little more dressing on the side while the cheese is still warm.

Stuff a zucchini!

Have you ever opened the door to leave your house and been surprised by a mysterious bag of zucchinis? Well, I have. It’s a great trick that folks with prolific gardens like to play, and some of those suckers are as big as a Louisville slugger! My grandmother did this occasionally, and once we received an anonymous bluefish in return! She laughed her head off and went on to fillet that bad boy and make her famous Blunafish Salad for lunch...

We all have our go-to summer squash recipes. A few of mine include gratins, fritters, a raw salad made with zoodles (man, I hate that word!), and a new-to-me dish by Ottolenghi that I absolutely adore. By late August, you’d think I’d have had enough, but yesterday I grabbed a bright yellow zucchini, the kind with slightly tougher skin, and decided it needed stuffing.

​Stuffing is awesome, because the ingredients can be whatever you’re feeling that day. Yesterday I was all about using the Italian chicken sausage with kale that was in the freezer. Tomorrow it could be an all-mushroom affair. The next day, maybe crabmeat. Again, the alliums can be whatever you have or prefer, leave out the pepper if you don’t have one (or use the awesome roasted ones from a jar that I love so very much), do homemade, gluten free or Japanese breadcrumbs...The choices are all yours! Yay!

So, go now and look in the fridge to see what you’ve got, and follow these basic steps.

Stuffed Zucchini

Serves 2 as a main with a few salady sides (double or triple if you have a crowd!)

Ingredients

1 beautiful medium zucchini, or any other summer squash that you have. I used one that was around 8 inches long

1 teaspoon of Kosher salt

1 tablespoon of ghee, EVOO, butter, or light oil

1 cup of any fresh mushroom, minced finely

A splash of leftover white wine (like 1/4 cup at the most)

1 medium shallot or other allium, minced (about 1-2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon of minced red, yellow, or orange pepper

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 large link of sausage (your choice), out of the casing

1 teaspoon of anchovy paste

1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar

1/2 cup of panko (I used GF)

1/4 cup of Parmesan (or some other cheese that you like)

A handful of minced parsley and any other herb you love. I also used a little thyme in this one.

Method

Preheat the oven to 350° (I used the convection bake setting). Cut the ends off of the squash, leaving a tiny bit of the stem. Use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds, leaving enough flesh for a sturdy structure. Slice the thinnest, tiniest piece from the bottom of your boat, so that it will sit upright without tipping over. Save about 2 tablespoons of the flesh and chop it up. Salt the inside of your boat with the salt and turn upside down on a kitchen or paper towel for about 10 minutes, and then pat dry.

Heat the fat over a medium heat in a medium skillet, add the mushrooms and stir until they lose their liquid and start to brown a little. Throw in the splash of wine and let it cook down. Add the shallot, minced red pepper, and garlic and stir for a minute to soften. Crumble in the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into very small pieces. Sauté until it’s just cooked through and scrape everything into a bowl. Stir in the anchovy paste and vinegar and taste for salt and give a grind of pepper. When you are ready to bake, gently fold in the panko, cheese and herbs. Place on an oiled sheet pan and drizzle the top with a tiny bit of EVOO.

Bake for around 20-25 minutes, until browned and heated through. Serve hot or at room temperature. They reheat well too.

Quinoa, ugly and delicious

​For real. I love incorporating quinoa into salads and showcasing it as a delicious and less likely side dish, but man, it’s hard to make it pretty. I tend to fancy it up with lovely vegetables or plate it with other good looking proteins or sauces. My favorite thing lately is a kitchen sink type of quinoa salad. I grill up a bunch of veggies (or better yet, use left over ones), cook and cool the quinoa, make a bracing and acidic dressing and shower the final mix with fresh herbs. If you make the quinoa before and grill extra stuff, it’s really fast to put together.

A few things-I have read a bunch about the best way to cook quinoa and here is what I know is true.

1. One cup of quinoa to 1 3/4 cup of liquid for cooking (I almost always use broth or stock).

2. Rinse and rub the hell out of the quinoa under cold running water in a fine strainer for a couple of minutes and then dry in a hot saucepan for a couple of minutes. (This takes away any bitterness)

3. Once cooked, I usually put the pan into an ice bath to cool it down so it stops cooking and doesn’t get gummy.

That’s it folks! Here is the recipe for a very popular quinoa salad that I actually think doesn’t look too, too terrible.

Quinoa Salad with Grilled Veggies and Red Wine Vinaigrette

Serves 2-3 as a side dish

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa (washed well)

3/4 cup broth, stock or water

1/2 teaspoon oil

1/4 cup grilled or roasted and diced red pepper

1/2 cup grilled or roasted and diced eggplant

1/2 cup grilled or roasted and diced zucchini or yellow squash

1/4 cup grilled or roasted and diced red onion

1 ear of corn, grilled or roasted, and cut off the cob

6-8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Dressing

1 teaspoon coarse mustard

1 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard

1 small mashed garlic clove

1/2 shallot, minced finely

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano (or a teaspoon dry)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook the quinoa by boiling the liquid, dumping in the quinoa and oil and bringing back to the boil. Turn down the heat to the lowest setting, cover and set a timer for about 15 minutes. When it’s cooked (taste it!), stick the whole pan in a large bowl of ice cubes and water to cool down. Once cool, fold in the vegetables.

Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisking till emulsified. Alternately, you can throw them all whole into a vitamix or cuisinart and blitz them into a dressing.

Carefully add the dressing to your salad, tasting to make sure you don’t over dress. Add salt and pepper to taste and if you like, add another handful of herbs (chives or parsley) to the finished salad.

A Lovely Asian Slaw

So many slaws! I already went on and on about this last week, so I will spare you the rant. Today I wanted to do creamy sesame noodles with crab cakes and needed something bright, colorful, acidic, and vegetable-forward to round out the lunch menu. This salad was the perfect choice. It would also be a great match for a marinated and grilled flank steak, teriyaki type chicken, or piece of miso marinated fish. So much versatility!

Before you start cooking though, I’m going to shamelessly plug for a tool that I think most cooks can afford and is indispensable if you love and work with vegetables regularly. It is the Benriner Mandoline Slicer and once you get into a routine of using it, you will never look back. It has three blades, two of which do more fancy shreddy type things. The flat blade is perfect for 99% of my needs. Think perfect potato slices for gratins, thinly shaved veggies for gorgeous salads, fine shredding for slaws, identically sized apple slices for tarts...you get the picture. It’s available for under $40 on Amazon and I tell everyone I know who loves cooking to get one.

One final note-every vegetable in this beautiful salad was available at the farm market today, so hooray for the farmers! Now, cook!

Asian Inspired Slaw

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of Green Cabbage, sliced very thinly (use a mandoline if you have one)

1 1/2 cups of Purple Cabbage cut the same way as the green

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (mandoline) soaked in 2-3 tablespoons of rice vinegar for about 10 minutes

1/2 cup of thinly sliced red pepper (mandoline)

1/2 cup of shredded carrot (either use mandoline to get super thin slices and then cut into fine shreds with a knife, or use the coarse holes on a grater)

1/2 cup of shredded radish (approach the same as carrot)

1/2 cup minced cilantro

2 tablespoons minced chives

Juice and zest of 2 limes

2 tablespoons dark toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons of peanut oil

1 tablespoon of honey

Sriracha and salt to taste

Method

Toss everything together and stick in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Cakelet: My new favorite word!

When I was a kid I loved baking, read Gourmet magazine religiously, and once sent away for an informational packet for a Kitchen Aid mixer. In the 1970’s, you had to fill out a form, cut it from the back of the magazine and send it in an addressed, stamped envelope. Considering my typical dysfunctional 70’s childhood, it’s remarkable that I was able to do all of these things. When the large yellow envelope arrived, I felt an incredible excitement and then total sadness as I read the cost of this dream machine (the equivalent of $300 now). I then went back to using my grandmother’s avocado green handmixer.

The lack of a Kitchen Aid did not stop me from passionately baking elaborate cakes and desserts all throughout my childhood. I was lovingly gifted one by my generous mother-in-law when I was pregnant with my now 23 year-old daughter. And although for many years I used it almost to death (along with the Kitchen Aids of many clients), I more recently have found myself reverting back to making many of my desserts with a small hand mixer or wooden spoon. They all do the same job in the end.

You don’t need a fancy mixer, but a hand mixer is handy...

This recipe can be made with a big kickass mixer, small handmixer, or wooden spoon. It looks a little long and complex for such a tiny outcome, but it is worth it for the sweet, cute, deliciousness! And it can be made a little ahead of time (same day) and looks very elegant finishing off a fancy dinner party. The best part of it in my mind however, is when you present it as a CAKELET, the best word ever! Now, get moving and make them!

Caramelized Upside-Down Plum Cakelets

Makes 6 individual servings.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons + 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup light  brown sugar, firmly packed

5 plums, pitted and sliced

3/4 cup gluten free flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Big pinch of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

Pinch salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Zest of 1/2 a lemon or orange

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the ramekins generously and place them on a small, parchment or greased foil-lined baking tray (I use a 1/4 sheet size and you will thank me for lining it in the end!). Melt 6 T of the butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and whisk. It will separate and look super greasy at first, but persist and it will turn into a silky and smooth sauce. Pour carefully into equal amounts into the ramikins and place a fanned layer of plum slices right onto the sauce.

Sift the five dry ingredients into a smallish bowl.

Use an electric hand mixer (or wooden spoon) to cream the 4 T of  butter with the sugar and orange zest. Add the egg and vanilla till combined. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter.

Divide the batter into the ramekins and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cakes are firm to the touch, and a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a rack until you can just pick them up. Run a small knife around the edges of the cake and flip onto small serving plates. If you buttered the ramekins well, the should come out easily. You may have a reluctant piece of plum to fish out and rearrange.

You can serve these warm or at room temperature. I love them with a little whipped cream that you’ve added a few spoonfuls of creme fraiche to...They don’t do quite as well the next day.