Green Beans with Parsley, Almonds, Sesame Seeds and Goat Cheese

We've been making this green bean salad for months and just can't stop eating it. I like green beans, but they don't usually just jump out and grab my attention most of the time. I love finding recipes for dishes that seem to be more than the sum of their parts. This is one of those recipes. The fresh, bright crunch of the green beans is preserved by quickly blanching them in boiling water and immediately submerging them in ice water to stop the cooking and chill them down. They keep their gorgeous green color and snappy texture this way. And they in no way resemble the mushy, overcooked, sludge of my childhood. This recipe gives green beans their due. And something magical happens when the flavors of the toasted almonds, sesame seeds, lemon, parsley, mustard, shallots and goat cheese come together. It's bright and refreshing and the perfect summer salad. It would make a great picnic salad too in individual Mason jars.

I've been finding recipes like this over and over on the Farm+House+Table blog from Farmhouse Delivery. They work with local, organic and sustainable farmers to provide their customers with deliveries of the best local produce. And then they go a step further. Elizabeth Winslow, one of the co-founders of Farmhouse Delivery, provides recipes using that produce that open your eyes (and tastebuds) to new flavors. I've seen recipe after recipe there that I've bookmarked to try. This green bean salad was one of them. Now we can't stop making it. On her blog, Winslow says the recipe comes from Azul, a groovy little East Austin cafe that is no longer open. I liked Azul too, but don't remember this salad. I'm so glad she preserved this treasure from their menu.

Check out Farm+House+Table for more ways to make the most of the bounty of the garden, whether it's your own or a local farmer's. You'll be seduced by the flavors presented there and the incredible photography of Jody Horton.


Green Beans with Parsley, Almonds, Sesame Seeds and Goat Cheese

1 pound green beans
2 shallots, peeled and minced
2 large handfuls of Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup sliced or slivered roasted, salted almonds
1/2 cup crumbled chevre goat cheese
4 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil


Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized pan.

Fill a medium-sized bowl with ice and water. Set aside.

While the water is coming to a boil, trim ends from green beans and slice them into bite-sized pieces.

Drop the green beans into the boiling water for 30 seconds to blanch them. Immediately remove them and drop them into the bowl of ice water. Let them chill in the ice water for 10 minutes, while you put the rest of the salad together.

In a small bowl, make your dressing. Add lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and shallots. Whisk together. Slowing whisk in olive oil. Set aside.

in a large serving bowl, place almonds and parsley.

Drain green beans from ice water. I put the green beans in a dry dish cloth and rolled them around a bit to remove the excess water. This keeps the dressing from getting watered down.

Add the green beans to the serving bowl and toss with almonds and parsley. Add the dressing and toss again to coat evenly.

Sprinkle top with goat cheese crumbles and sesame seeds.

Serves 6.


Adapted from Farm+House+Table blog by Elizabeth Winslow.

Green Tomato Jam

I've been on a corn kick lately. Fresh corn in salads, gorditas, pupusas, cornbread... I spotted this recipe in a recent issue of Food & Wine — their best new chefs issue. The recipe comes from one of their picks for best new chef this year, Clayton Miller from Trummer's on Main in Virginia. Miller makes hush puppies with this Indian-spiced Green Zebra tomato jam. With honey, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cumin and cayenne, the jam explodes in your mouth and pairs well with cornbread or hush puppies.

Green Zebra tomatos are common at the farmers market. They are light green with dark green stripes and will ripen to a golden green with a mild, tart, sweet flavor. I love to grow them in the garden. Their flavor and color contrast well with the other red and gold tomatoes we usually grow.

Note: this recipe makes plenty. I ended up filling a quart jar. So you could probably cut the recipe in half, if you like. But it keeps well in the fridge because of the cider vinegar and I've found myself finding more and more things to put it on. It's even tasty as a quick Indian sauce on some chicken or veggies and rice. It's refreshing and full of flavor. Nice for this time of year when we're starting to crave more complex fall tastes but it's still too hot in Austin to dive full-on into those dishes just yet.



Green Zebra tomato jam

2 lbs. of Green Zebra tomatoes
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, grated or minced
1-inch cinnamon stick
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut the tomatoes into a half-inch dice.

Combine tomatoes and other ingredients in a saucepan. Bring up to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer for about 40-50 minutes, until thickens. Stir occasionally.

Let cool to serve. Store covered in the fridge — a glass jar is perfect for this.

Yield: one quart

Adapted from Clayton Miller in Food & Wine, July 2010

Fattoush Salad

This is one of my favorite summertime salads. When you have more tomatoes and cucumbers than you know what to do with, this is your go to dish. It's fast, it's refreshing and it's easy. It's basically a Middle Eastern panzanella. I've already shared with you my panzanella recipe. It is truly one of my favorite dishes ever. So it's no wonder I like fattoush as well. Both recipes consist of a vegetable salad with some form of toasty bread. In panzanella, it's crusty Italian bread used like croutons. In fattoush, it's toasty shards of pitas. Similar ideas, but a whole different palette of flavors. In panzanella, it's all about the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. In fattoush, it's about the tomatoes, yes, but also the cooling cucumbers, the parsley and mint, and crunchy pitas.

Nigella Lawson gets all the credit for turning me on to fattoush years ago on one of her cooking shows. I've been making it ever since. You can make it as she did to accompany grilled chicken spiced with Za'atar — an Arabic blend of herbs, primarily oregano and sesame seeds. Or you can go vegetarian and serve it as we often do with Halloumi cheese crumbles on top.

If you aren't familiar with halloumi, it's amazing. It's a Middle Eastern cheese, often made with sheep or goat's milk. And it has secret powers — it has a high melting point so you can grill it or fry it without it oozing all over the place. This is great on kebobs. Halloumi's flavor is mild, similar to mozzarella, but a little saltier. I usually remove it from the wrapper and place it in a bowl of water for about five minutes. Much of the salt will come out this way. Also, it usually contains a little mint. So if you seem some tiny green flecks, no worries.

Buying tip: in Austin, I've found the best price on halloumi at Phoenicia, our Middle Eastern market. Look for it in the freezer case. I buy several blocks at once and store them in the freezer. The texture of the cheese is sturdy and it holds up just fine.

This is a fast and easy salad. Except for the dressing, which will make enough for two people, I'm not going to give you amounts. Make as big or small a salad as you like, depending on if it's a side or the main event. We usually have giant plates of it as our one-dish dinner. It's great with some creamy hummus or baba ganoush.

Fattoush Salad

romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size chunks
cherry tomatoes, halved or regular tomatoes, cut into chunks
cucumbers, sliced into half moons or rounds
sweet peppers, sliced into chunks or little rounds
halloumi cheese, crumbled
mint, shredded
parsley, shredded
green onions or chives, sliced thinly
pita chips, or toasted pitas, crumbled

lemon dressing:
zest and juice of one lemon
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

Put your dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk. Alternative: put the ingredients into a small jar, attach the lid tightly and shake, shake, shake!

Assemble your salad however you like. Add the herbs, pita chips and sprinkle with lemon zest.

Drizzle dressing over top and enjoy.

Adapted from Nigella Lawson.

Beecher's Mac & Cheese

While exploring Pike Place Market in Seattle, we stopped by Beecher's Handmade Cheese shop. I'd heard of Beecher's and even tried some of their Flagship Cheddar locally from Central Market. It was the best cheddar I'd ever tasted — a much more dynamic and full-flavored cheddar than I'd ever had before. Beecher's makes their cheeses with no artificial preservatives, flavor enhancers, sweeteners, colors or hydrogenated oils. It's just pure goodness.

I'd seen Beecher's Kurt Dammeier on the Martha Stewart show making "the world's best mac and cheese." That's a mighty big claim. I grew up eating my grandmother's mac and cheese. She was an old-school Southern cook who spoiled me with buttermilk biscuits, chicken and dumplings and the mac and cheese by which I've measured all others. Hers was creamy and cheesey underneath with a thick, crusty layer of cheddar over the top. I've experimented for years with different down-home and gourmet recipes to try to find one I liked as much as hers. Beecher's recipe is the one. We sampled some in their store and I had to try making it myself when we got home.

My husband immediately declared it one of the best things he's ever tasted. I have to agree. The sauce is not just creamy and luscious, but the also the cheesiest I've ever had. The crust of Gruyere and cheddar on top replicates the crust I always loved from my grandmother's version. First, you make your sauce and cook your pasta. Then combine them in a casserole pan (individual little casseroles are handy here and avoid fighting over the serving spoon), sprinkle the top with more cheese, and then bake it in the oven. You can make your sauce and pasta and assemble and refrigerate it before baking. This will actually enhance the flavor. (Saveur magazine recently had an article about the chemical reactions that take place in mac and cheese and they recommended letting the flavors develop like this before baking. So keep that in mind, if it's more convenient. This also means your leftovers will rock.)

This is rich stuff. It has a little chipotle in it to give it just a touch of heat. It takes a lot of cheese. It's not a cheap dish. But it is one of the most satisfying ever. A special occasion, over-the-top splurge. This is the kind of dish that will get you marriage proposals, so don't make it for just anyone.

Cooking notes: Be sure to undercook the pasta by a few minutes — it will continue cooking in the oven and you don't want it to get too soft. I used a rigatoni pasta because I wanted something with a big enough center to capture the sauce. It was perfect. I also used 2% milk and it was still incredibly rich. Beecher's Jack cheese wasn't available locally, so I subbed the Central Market house Jack. But be sure to use Beecher's Flagship for the cheddar. It's what makes this dish transformative.



Beecher's Mac & Cheese

For the cheese sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups (2%) milk
14 ounces (3 1/2 cups) Beecher's Flagship cheddar, grated
2 ounces (1/2 cup) Jack cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 clove garlic, minced

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes to soften the garlic. Add the flour and whisk together. Continue whisking while it cooks for about two minutes.

A little at a time, pour in your milk and continue whisking to incorporate. Then add a little more. Continue the whisking and adding until you've incorporated all of the milk. Keep whisking and cooking for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Turn off the heat under the pan. Add the grated cheese, salt and chipotle. Whisk or stir until all of the cheese has melted. Refrigerate for later assembly or assemble into mac and cheese immediately (see below).

For mac and cheese:
6 ounces rigatoni pasta, slightly undercooked (by about 2-3 minutes) and rinsed in cold water, then drained
Beecher's cheese sauce (above)
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Beecher's Flagship cheddar, grated
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Gruyere cheese, grated

Spray one large or 6-8 small casserole pans with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the warm cheese sauce and the (undercooked) pasta. Pour the pasta and sauce into your baking dish(es). Sprinkle the top with the cheddar and Gruyere.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until warmed through. Note: while mine was cooked through at this point, the top wasn't quite browned yet, so I turned on the broiler for the last two minutes of cooking. Be sure to watch over it and pull it out before it goes too far.

Let cool for about five minutes before serving, if you can stand it.

Mac and cheese is uaually considered a side dish, or in the South, a vegetable. And you can serve it on the side with something else, like roasted chicken or whatever. But no one will notice anything else on the table. Just know that. If you have kids, I'm sure you could use this as a bribe to get them to eat their green veggies first.

Adapted from Beecher's World's Greatest Mac & Cheese recipe on MarthaStewart.com.

Serves 6-8.

Wilted Chard with Melty Feta

I picked up this recipe on the fly at a party recently. My friend, Joan, was celebrating her birthday with a spring cookout. Her niece, Jocela Mae, was in town from Portland with her boyfriend, Brehan. As they soaked up the Austin sun, we talked gardening. I mentioned that my rainbow chard plants had done really well all winter, even in the crazy cold temperatures we had down in the teens. Jocela said that lots of folks grow chard and kale in Portland because it does really well there. There are even famously huge kale plants that just grow on and on getting bigger and bigger every year.



She also passed on a recipe they've been enjoying lately — wilted chard with feta cheese. The cheese gets all melty and adds a salty, tangy luxuriousness to the earthy flavors of the chard. It's fast, easy, and dresses up a simple dish of greens into something fancy.



Note: be sure to rinse your greens, but you don't have to get them super dry afterwards. It's ok if they're a little damp when you slice up the leaves, the water will steam out. I use kitchen shears to cut them, it's faster than slicing with a knife. And I usually slice up the stems as well and throw them in too. The color of the stems in rainbow chard is too beautiful to leave out. They look like candy. But if you don't like the sturdier, crunchier texture of the stems, you can trim the leaves on either side of the stem, leaving it out. And then cut the leaves into ribbons.



Be sure to use your largest skillet for this (I used a wok). Like spinach, the chard takes up lots of space at first, but then wilts down as it cooks. And last, being a Southern girl, I must say that if you're not a vegetarian, you could consider cooking these in a little bacon fat instead of olive oil, or even tossing in a few bacon crumbles at the end. (This is how I get my husband to eat greens.) Up to you.

I cannot strongly enough encourage you to have a bowl of these greens alongside some cornbread. They were made for each other. And make a quick and soul-satisfying meal.

Thanks, Jocela!


Wilted Chard with Melty Feta

two tablespoons olive oil
two cloves garlic
one small white or sweet (Vidalia or 1015) onion
one bunch rainbow chard
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles

Peel and slice the garlic. Set aside.

Peel and slice the onion into large chunks. Set aside.

Cut the chard leaves into ribbons across it's shorter side. Trim away the stems, if you like, but I prefer to leave them in. Trim the stalks into smaller than bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, heat the olive oil.

Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions turn translucent. Stir frequently so the garlic doesn't burn.

Add the chard and toss together with the onions and garlic. Keep flipping and turning it as it wilts in the heat. This will coat it in the flavored oil and will keep it cooking evenly. Tongs are handy for this. Depending on how you like your greens, you can wilt the greens just slightly, so that they retain their bright green color, but the leaves soften. Or, if you like your greens very soft, cook them longer. You'll notice the color will darken and they'll continue to shrink.

When the greens are cooked to your liking, or even just before they get there since they'll continue wilting and cooking, toss in the feta. Continue flipping and turning and stirring with your tongs until the feta is mixed in well and starts to melt.

Serve immediately with some fresh, hot cornbread.

That's some good eating!

Serves 2.


Adapted from Jocela Mae Cunningham.

Amar's Mattar Paneer

As I mentioned in the previous post, our friend, Amar, visited us recently. When he lived in Austin, we used to get together to make dinners from different places. One night, Indian. Another night, Cuban. I still miss those dinners. But we got the chance to have an Indian feast while he was here. Amar was kind enough to teach us to make one of my favorite Indian dishes, mattar paneer.

Mattar paneer is a northern Indian delicacy in which cubes of paneer (a firm, fresh cheese) are served in a savory tomato sauce with peas. Recently, I've had it at Clay Pit with mushrooms added and I really like the extra layer of flavor and texture.

I'm presenting the dish the way Amar made it for us, with the addition of the mushrooms. Know that you can tailor it to your taste. Amar's appetite for chiles was much greater than ours (he eats harissa sandwiches!) so he toned it down a bit for us. You can make it with or without the chiles.

I think mattar paneer is the first dish I ever tasted in an Indian restaurant and I've been eating it ever since. Usually, in restaurants, it's served with a generous amount of sauce and a few pieces of paneer. It goes further that way. Amar pointed out his disapproval of this practice and said he likes the sauce to be more of a flavoring and for the focus to be on the paneer. So his recipe reflects that. Also, when he made it here for us, he used fresh tomatoes. But this time of year they don't have much flavor. If you can get fresh from the garden summer tomatoes, they'd be best. But in the winter when the grocery store tomatoes are flavorless, a roasted canned tomato might have more flavor. When I made the recipe last night, I tried it with Muir Glen organic fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and I think they had more flavor. You can use as much or as little tomato as you like, depending on how saucy you want your dish.


Amar adding the cilantro

Amar gave us another tip to adjust the dish if it's too spicy. You can sauté more onions and add them into the finished dish and stir it up well. This will help knock the chile down a bit. We tried this and it works.

For the peas, it's fine to use frozen. You don't even have to defrost them. You can just throw them in and they warm up right away. But in the spring, when there are fresh, fat peas available, I'm going to make this again.



One last tip from Amar — he said he likes to use the Shan brand of spice blends. It's easier than collecting all of the different spices and measuring them out. He said he used to find them at HEB in Austin when he lived here, but we had trouble locating them this time. So we stopped at MGM Indian market and picked up the Shan spices, fresh paneer (much cheaper here), some pickles, mango nectar for lassis, and some frozen flatbreads.

Thanks Amar, for the cooking lesson and the feast!

Amar's Mattar Paneer

2 14-ounce packages of paneer (we used Nanak brand)
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
3-5 teaspoons chicken curry spice blend (Shan brand)
1 large onion, finely diced
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms (we used a mix of Shiitake and button), sliced, optional
2-3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (or one 28-ounce can roasted crushed tomatoes)
3 teaspoons ginger
1-3 Thai chiles, chopped (optional)
1 cup peas
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
steamed basmati rice, to serve

Remove the paneer from the package and cut into bite-sized cubes.

In a large non-stick skillet (or wok), melt one tablespoon of butter.
Place half of the paneer at a time into the skillet and let cook over medium heat until it browns lightly on one side. Turn the pieces over to brown on the other side. Remove from skillet to platter or plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle lightly with salt.



Now do the same with the second half of the paneer. Remove from skillet to plate when browned and set aside.

In the same skillet/wok, place another tablespoon of butter. Add the cumin seeds and Shan spices and stir. Keep cooking and stirring over medium heat for a couple of minutes until the scent of the spices goes from raw to rounder and more fragrant. Add the onions and shallots and continue stirring until translucent.

Add the mushrooms, if using. Continue sautéing until mushrooms are cooked through.

Add the tomatoes, ginger, and chile (if using). Stir together and let cook down until tomatoes break down and the sauce comes together.

Just before serving, stir in the peas and paneer cubes. Cover and cook over medium to medium-low heat to completely heat through.

Serve over basmati rice sprinkled with cilantro.

Serves 6.

Adapted from Amar Shekdar.

Terry Conlan's Mushroom Tamales with Poblanos & Goat Cheese

Here's the next recipe installment from the "Mas Masa and Mushrooms" class I took from Terry Conlan recently. Conlan is the chef at Lake Austin Spa. He's known for offering big, fresh flavors that are good for you but also very satisfying.

(Excuse the photo quality. This was taken in the class with my iPhone.)

Tamales are often eaten around the holidays probably because they are fairly labor-intensive to make, so it's handy to have the whole family around to lend some hands. But the work is easy if you take it step-by-step and they are so good!

Conlan said that traditional tamales use lard and water with the masa, but he can't do that at the spa. So he works in a little chevre (goat cheese) and light butter into his masa to add flavor and richness. Since these are veggie tamales and he's using small quantities, there's room for this extra bit of fat without being too naughty. He also recommended other flavorings for the masa: achiote oil, bean purée, ancho purée or ground hominy for texture.

Conlan pairs these tamales with a grilled tomato salsa. That recipe follows.

As a variation on individual tamales, Conlan said he's made a giant tamal instead and served it in slices. Steam time on that would be 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

One note on the masa: Conlan said that the masa usually used for tamales is a little coarser, but if you want to use tortilla masa, that's fine. He recommends MaSeCa brand.

I love the flavors in these tamales. I also like that the mushroom filling makes them a little lighter. You could enjoy a couple of them with a salad for a light dinner (I recommend the Conlan's pineapple avocado salad from the previous post .) Or you could make these a part of a Mexican feast. The masa, mushrooms, goat cheese and poblanos meld into a very comforting and satisfying "super umami" storm of flavor. (Umami is the supersavory "fifth taste" to the usual sweet, salty, bitter, and sour that you usually hear about.)

On a practical note, Conlan said he uses pieces of foil to wrap the tamales instead of the traditional corn husks because he's cooking large quantities and it goes much faster. To use corn husks, soak the husks in hot water for 30 minutes before forming the tamales.

Find a tamale steamer at your local Mexican market or online. We have a large pot with a pasta insert that works great too. You can lift the whole thing out and still have your tamales contained.

Mushroom Tamales with Poblanos and Goat Cheese

2 tomatillos
1/4 cup sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro
pinch of salt
6 cups of assorted wild mushrooms, chopped
Cooking spray
salt & pepper
2 poblano chiles
4 cups masa harina de maiz
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
8 tablespoons butter, softened (he uses light butter with olive oil)
1/2 cup chevre, softened
16 6x4-inch foil rectangles
crumbled queso fresco, to garnish
chopped cilantro, to garnish

Roast the poblanos over a direct flame "hot and fast" so that the chile skin blisters but the flesh retains its strength. If you don't have a gas stove, you can use a propane torch or the broiler. When chiles are black and blistered on all sides, place them in a paper bag to steam while they cool. When cool, take them out of the bag and slide the skins off. Remove the stem and seeds and cut into thin strips. Set aside.

Boil the tomatillos and onion covered in water for 2 minutes. Drain. Purée with the garlic, cilantro, and salt. Set aside.

Sauté the mushrooms in a pan sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat until the moisture releases and completely evaporates. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatillo mixture and stir together. Set aside to cool.

Combine the masa, salt and stock. Work in the softened butter and goat cheese. If necessary, add a bit more stock until the masa is the consistency of Play Doh.

Take one of the foil rectangles and pat out a 4 x 2 1/2 inch rectangle of masa. Place a line of mushroom filling down the center lengthwise. Top with 2-3 poblano strips. Roll the bottom edge of the foil up and over to the top edge. Then crimp and shape the tamale. Seal the edges and then roll up the short ends to seal it completely. Repeat until all tamales are formed.

Stack or stand tamales vertically in a tamale steamer or a large stock pot with a steamer insert in the bottom. Be sure to check the water level periodically to see if you need to add water. Steam time: 1 - 1 1/2 hours.



Grilled Tomato Salsa

6 medium tomatoes
3 thick slices of onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
tomato juice (as needed)

Grill the tomatoes and onions until charred over a fire grill or using a grill pan or broiler.

Purée the grilled tomatoes and onions with the remaining ingredients. Thin the sauce to the consistency you like with the tomato juice. Use just a few tablespoons at a time and then taste so that you don't dilute it too much.

To serve with tamales, spoon salsa on a plate and spread into a circle or swash with the back of a spoon. Unwrap two hot tamales and place together on top of the salsa. Sprinkle with crumbles of queso fresco and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Terry Conlan's Pineapple & Avocado Salad

Here is the first recipe I promised you from the previous post on Terry Conlan's Mas Masa with Mushrooms cooking class. It's called Ensalada del Calle. It's a bright salad bursting with flavor from fresh pineapple, orange juice, the crunch of shredded carrots and pepitas (pumpkin seeds), a kick from a little chili pepper and garlic, and buttery richness from avocado. It's healthy and decadent tasting at the same time.

(Note: excuse the photo quality, I was shooting in the class on the fly with my iPhone.)

This makes a great salad with a Mexican meal and would be especially festive and fancy enough for the holidays or a special occasion.

In the class, Terry made his own quick pineapple vinegar. Don't skip this step. It brings out huge flavor and is very easy. Be sure to use an organic pineapple though, you don't want pesticide vinegar in your dressing! This recipe will make more vinegar than you need, but since you already have the pineapple, there's no way around it and vinegar is cheap. Besides, this is a treat to have in the fridge for next time. It would be great drizzled over other pineapple salads or Asian salads or grilled pineapple or fish or over grilled pork in a taco, now I'm thinking al pastor...) Note, this same technique will work with other fruits so try making whatever fruit vinegar you like.

Ensalada Del Calle

1 ripe organic pineapple
2 cups white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted and salted pepitas
1/2 cup onion, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons fruity, extra virgin olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 seeded and minced Serrano pepper
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup carrot, peeled and shredded
2 ripe avocados
one head of butter lettuce

Take the onion slices and place them in a bowl in cold water and soak for 30 minutes to remove the harsh sulfuriness. Drain and set aside.

Peel and core the pineapple, reserving the trimmings. Cut half of the pineapple fruit into bite-sized chunks. Other half of fruit can be eaten later (chef treat).

Put the pineapple core and skin in a nonreactive (stainless steel) saucepan with the vinegar. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain. Measure out 2 tablespoons. Pour the remaining pineapple vinegar into a jar and refrigerate for future use. (This will keep for a long time.)

Combine the 2 tablespoons of pineapple vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, garlic and salt. Toss in the pineapple, onion, serrano, and cilantro. Toss to combine.

Peel and deseed the avocados. Cut into large chunks.

To serve, place a butter lettuce leaf on each plate. Top with pineapple mixture, then avocado chunks and sprinkle with pepitas.

Serves 6.

Adapted from Terry Conlan.

Roasted Corn Salad

Now that fall is in the air, or in Austin, around the corner at least, I've got comfort food on the brain. We tried La Condesa not too long ago and in addition to their tasty tacos, we had a little bowl of roasted corn soup. It was simply roasted corn kernels in a rich, buttery broth. Simple, but so good.

Ever since, I've had roasted corn cravings. This salad comes from San Francisco chef Elizabeth Falkner. It looked like a great way to use roasted corn. With arugula, avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin seeds and a fresh vinaigrette made from the sweetness of some of the puréed roasted corn, lime, sherry vinegar and a little unexpected hit of warm cinnamon, it was fantastic. The corn in the dressing really takes it to another level. This one's going into rotation with our favorite salads.



Roasted Corn Salad

5 ears of fresh corn, husks and strings removed
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoon fresh lime juice (approximately 1 lime)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 pounds baby arugula
2-3 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 large red tomatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 large orange or yellow tomatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 hothouse cucumber, cut into quarters lengthwise and sliced
3 ounces queso fresco or ricotta salata, crumbled

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put the ears of corn on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes – turning 2-3 times during the roasting to brown on all sides. Remove from oven and let cool. When cooled completely, cut the kernels from the cobs and set aside.

In a blender, put 1/2 cup corn kernels, lime juice, sherry vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, and cinnamon. Purée until smooth. With the machine on, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of olive oil and blend until emulsified. Pour the vinaigrette into a bowl.

In the bottom of a large, shallow salad bowl, make a bed of the arugula. Sprinkle with tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados and the remaining roasted corn. Sprinkle the top with the roasted pumpkin seeds and crumbled cheese. Serve with vinaigrette.

Serves approximately 6-8 as a side salad.

Adapted from Elizabeth Falkner in Food & Wine (August 2000).

Spring Rolls with Fruit

Sorry to be a bit delinquent in posting lately. I've been sidelined with a tummy bug that had me eating baby food for a week. But I'm back and wanted to share these tasty spring rolls.

Before the tummy bug, I was foraging at the Whole Foods sushi counter for lunch and ran across a fruit spring roll. This was a new offering and a delightful and hopefully, recurring, one. It was served with a light peanut sauce that was a little sweeter than usual. Their spring roll included strawberries, lettuce, carrots, cabbage and cucumbers. The strawberries brought a whole new flavor to the party that I really liked. So I decided to try some myself at home.

The main thing about spring rolls is getting the hang of the rice paper wrappers. Once you've got that, you can put just about anything in them. So use your imagination. You just don't want anything too wet or it will weaken the structure of the wrapper too much.

You can also use rice stick noodles or not. You see them often in restaurant spring rolls. They make for a nicely textured filler. Sometimes I put them in, sometimes not. It's up to you. The flavors will be a bit more defined without the noodles.

Cut and prep all of your filling ingredients first. When everything is ready to go, you dip your rice paper wrappers in water and then start assembling immediately, one at a time. The rice paper wrapper won't seem soft enough at first, but as you are assemble it, it will continue to soften.

You can also use whatever herbs you'd like to pair with your filling. Use this as a guide and think up your own combinations. You can make each roll a little different, if you like. They can also be made with shrimp, pork, tofu, or not. It's up to you.



I made these on a weeknight and had enough on my hands assembling the spring rolls, so I picked up a bottled peanut sauce. I've also had them with sweet chili sauce and a ginger lime sauce. Again, your choice.

Below, I've put together more of a guideline than a specific recipe. How many you make and what you put in them is up to you. If you're serving them as an appetizer, you'll probably want two per person.


Spring Rolls with Fruit

strawberries, trimmed and sliced in half
mango, peeled and sliced into sticks
hothouse cucumber, peeled (or not), and sliced into sticks
greens of your choice: leafy lettuce, Asian microgreens
cilantro, chopped
mint, whole leaves stripped from stem
basil, whole leaves stripped from stem
zest of one lime
shrimp, peeled, cleaned, boiled and cooled, and split in half (optional)
rice paper wrappers
rice stick noodles, soaked in hot water briefly and drained (optional)
peanut sauce, for serving
lime cut into wedges for serving

Prepare all of your filling ingredients and have them lined up on the counter ready to go.

If you're using rice stick noodles, soak them in hot water for 2-3 minutes and then drain them. Let them cool while you move on.

To assemble: I tried a few different plates until I found the one that worked best. It had higher lip around the edge which seemed to keep the wrapper from sticking as much.

Take a large bowl or a sauté pan larger than the rice paper wrappers and fill it with 1-2 inches of cool water. Set it next to your assembly space.

Take one rice paper wrapper and submerge it in the water for 3-4 seconds. It won't seem soft enough yet, but go ahead and pull it out, let drip for a second, and lay it on your plate. Arrange your first filling ingredient in a row down the center of the spring roll wrapper. Leave a good 1 1/2 - 2 inches of wrapper clear at top and bottom.

Layer more filling ingredients until you're ready to roll up your wrapper. Be careful not to overfill it or it will be difficult to roll up.

To begin rolling, pull up the bottom portion of the wrapper up and fold it over the filling.



Now do the same with the top portion.



Then take right side and fold it over to the left, covering the center of the roll. Like a sushi roll, you'll want to tuck in the wrapper as tightly as possible into the crease along the left side. Tighten and tuck as you roll. Roll to the left and until it's completely rolled up.



Now start again.

With these ingredients, I made two combos -- 1) strawberries with mint, cucumber, and Asian microgreens; 2) mango with lime zest, cucumber, Asian microgreens, basil, cilantro and sometimes shrimp.

Happy wrapping and rolling.

Flatbreads with Halloumi, Tomatoes and Mint

We were a little late getting our tomatoes into the ground this spring and so are just now being treated to a bounty of orange, red and green fruits. We've been eating them in everything while they last. It's really heating up out there — 106 degrees yesterday — so our tomato days are numbered since they probably won't keep flowering in this heat. While we can, we're greedily eating them like candy by the handful and in any other way we can think of. This is one of my favorite and one of the easiest ways to enjoy them, especially those sweet little Sun Golds and Sweet 100s.



Using your favorite flatbread — I usually use pitas — you can either grill or toast this little Mediterranean pizza for a perfect snack, appetizer or light summer meal. I've been making this for years, after seeing it on an episode of Nigella Lawson's cooking show. It was perfection from the first taste and I've been making it this way ever since. That same episode introduced me to halloumi cheese. Halloumi is firm, mild, sheep's milk cheese made in Cyprus. The fun thing about it is that you can grill it and it's high melting point keeps it from oozing all over the place. It is a bit salty though, so I sometimes soak it in water for a few minutes before using and that takes it right out.

You can find halloumi at most cheese counters. In Austin, I usually buy it frozen from our Middle Eastern market, Phoenicia. It's about half the price there of Central Market or Whole Foods. I buy several at a time and keep them in the freezer. They thaw in minutes. I also get fresh pitas when I'm at Phoenicia. Like fresh tortillas, they are so much richer in flavor when freshly baked.

I have a big mint plant out in the herb garden and I use it all the time. But this little pizza uses dried mint and somehow here it works magic when roasted with the tomatoes. The softer flavor of the dried mint goes all sweet when heated and really compliments the cherry tomatoes.

This is one of those things you make on the fly and don't really need measurements for. Each regular-sized pita makes enough for one as a main dish snack or two or three as an appetizer. Make as many as you like.



Flatbread with Halloumi, Tomatoes and Mint

whole, fresh pita breads or flatbreads
halloumi cheese
handful of cherry tomatoes
olive oil
dried mint

First, remove the halloumi from the packaging and place in a small bowl. Cover with water and soak for 3-5 minutes to remove excess salt. Drain and then chop or crumble into bite-sized chunks.

Slice cherry tomatoes in half and sprinkle over pita.

Scatter halloumi chunks on to pita as well.

Drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle with a pinch of dried mint.

Toast under broiler or place on hot grill until the tomatoes are softened and bubbly and the cheese is golden around the edges.

Slice into quarters and enjoy!

Adapted from Nigella Lawson.

Stuffed Squash

We planted one regular zucchini plant and one round zucchini plant in the garden in April. I'm so glad we only planted the two -- even though zucchinis are probably my favorite veggie, we can barely keep up. So I'm on the prowl for new squash recipes to try. But this one is an old favorite that we'll have again and again.



You stuff your zukes with a feta, pistachio and herb filling that dresses up the pedestrian squash to something quite tasty and impressive, but weeknight easy. You can do it with either kind of squash, long ones or round ones. The little round guys are a bit easier to hollow out, but an apple corer makes quick work of it either way.



Got a favorite squash recipe? Send it our way!



Zucchini stuffed with feta, pistachios and herbs

4 medium-sized zucchini
olive oil
pistachio oil or balsamic vinegar
2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup pistachios, roasted and chopped
1 teaspoon small capers, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup oregano, finely chopped
1/2 bunch chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare filling: combine feta, pistachios, herbs and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Stir together. Set aside.

Use an apple corer (or melon baller) to remove the middle of the squashes. If using long zucchinis, this will form a hollow tube. Leave one end solid for easier handling. If using a round squash, slice a cap off the top, then remove the center.

Using a small spoon, stuff the squashes with the filling. Press in with your fingers to compress it a bit.

Brush outside of squashes with a bit of olive oil. Pack together tightly in a baking dish. Bake approximately 15-20 minutes until squashes are fork tender and filling is heated through.

Drizzle with pistachio oil or balsamic vinegar to serve.

Serves 4.

Adapted from Delicious magazine, February 2005.

Asparagus & Eggs

This tasty nibble is simplicity and elegance itself. Roast some asparagus, fry an egg and serve it all with a few shards of salty, tangy Pecorino cheese. This makes for a fast but fancy breakfast or an easy dinner.

We placed it atop some crusty Italian bread to catch the runny bits. While very tasty and effective, that made for slightly awkward eating as the asparagus proved elusive to bite into. Next time, I'd serve the bread alongside to wipe up the sauciness instead.

This recipe comes from one of my recent finds at the library, Osteria by Rick Tramonto. It's full of simple, but satisfying recipes like this one. I'll be trying more soon.

The asparagus for this can be grilled, blanched or roasted, as we did. Whatever works for you. I like the way roasting intensifies the flavor.

I tried a couple of different Pecorinos at the market to see if I could distinguish a difference. They were remarkably distinct. A Pecorino Nero was softer, milder, richer and creamier. The Pecorino Toscano was more of what I was looking for...salty, tangy and a little sharper. It made for a better compliment to the roasted asparagus and rich runny eggs. I'm not usually a fan of runny eggs. I like them firm, not wobbly. But in this case, the runny yolk from a softly fried egg makes the perfect sauce.

I love how these humble ingredients when combined make for such elegant eats.

Note: go easy on the salt here, as the cheese is salty enough.


Asparagus & Eggs

1 bunch (1 pound) asparagus
olive oil
salt & pepper
butter
4 eggs
4 ounces Pecorino Toscano cheese
crusty, chewy Italian bread, split into slices

First, brush your bread with a little olive oil and toast it under the broiler. Remove when ready and leave the broiler on. You'll want 4 slices.

Snap the ends off of the asparagus spears to remove the woody bits.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil into a large roasting pan and spread it around with a brush or paper towel.

Align the asparagus in the pan so that the spears are all flat and touching the bottom of the pan (instead of jumbled). This will make for better caramelization.

Drizzle a bit more olive oil over top of the asparagus and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Roast them under the broiler for 3-4 minutes (depending on the fatness of your asparagus) and then pull them out and flip them over with tongs. Put them back under the broiler for about 2 minutes more. Keep a close eye on them.

While the asparagus is roasting, melt a thin pat of butter and a little bit of olive oil (to prevent burning) in a skillet. Add an egg, or if your skillet is big enough, two, and fry them softly, sunny side up. I placed a lid over the skillet for a moment to help the top cook faster without having to flip it over. Be careful not to cook too high or fast -- you don't want the yolk to solidify.

Place a pile of asparagus on a plate. Top with two eggs and then use a veggie peeler to shave shards of the Pecorino over the eggs. Serve with the toast alongside.

Repeat frying with two more eggs for the second serving.

Serves 2.

Adapted from Osteria by Rick Tramonto.

Diana Sauce for Berries

Before the strawberries disappear, I have to share one more recipe with you. This is a recipe a friend passed on to me after she learned it from other friends in the restaurant biz. Three simple ingredients -- sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla -- meld together to create one of the best sauces I've ever tasted. The first time I watched her make this was for a party. By the end of the evening, we'd run out of berries, so we switched to crackers. Then we just gave up all pretenses and finished it off with spoons. It is true creamy, vanilla velvet. I've been making this for years and have yet to find anyone who isn't instantly enamored after tasting it. And it's so simple!

I have to confess that I never measure anything when I make this. I did measure it this time to give you a guideline, but you'll learn to make it by sight and taste too. Start with these amounts and then adjust them to your taste.

I've made this with regular, low-fat and even non-fat sour cream. You truly cannot tell the difference. The only fussy part about this is that you need to let it sit on the counter for just a few minutes after stirring it all together to let the brown sugar melt. Then you can stir it again and it will be smooth and luscious. Taste it at that point and decide if you need to add any more vanilla or brown sugar.

I usually make this to serve on the side of a big bowl of strawberries or mixed berries -- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, whatever you like. But it also makes a really good sauce for a berry trifle. Layer pound cake or angel food cake cubes with berries and put this sauce in between. The berries elevate the sauce and the sauce elevates the berries. As it should be.

I've also seen this sauce made with brandy. You can try that too. But I like it better like this. Try it and make it your own.

I've given you amounts here for a small bowl, as shown in the photo. But you can easily muliply this for whatever quantity you want.



Diana Sauce

8 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Stir together ingredients, then let rest until sugar melts.

Stir again until completely combined.

Sample it and adjust with more vanilla or brown sugar to taste.

Serve with your favorite berries.

Egg Salad

Whatcha gonna do with all those boiled Easter eggs? Egg salad.

I picked up some fresh, pasture-raised eggs from Milagro Farms at the farmers' market yesterday. They are beautiful things. Easter eggs with no artificial colors! Yes, these are their natural colors. And when cooked, they have gorgeous deep yellow yolks. A perfect Easter treat.



We just received another shipment of the world's most perfect bread. Thanks, Phyllis & Ray!! So egg salad sandwiches seemed in order.

I also picked up some mache and arugula from Tecolote at the market yesterday. I used the mache in the open-faced sandwiches I made. It has a sweet, gentle green flavor. If you'd like something more peppery, go with arugula. I also recommend a lightly sweet, whole wheat bread to give your sandwich just the right balance. A honey whole wheat would do nicely if you're not lucky enough to have some of Phyllis' bread.

Here's the perfect method for boiling eggs and making egg salad, just in time for the Easter bunny.



The perfect boiled egg

Place eggs in a single layer in the bottom of your pan.

Cover with water to at least one inch above the top of the eggs.

Bring to a boil over high heat.

When the water reaches a boil, turn off heat and cover pan. Let rest for 10 minutes.

While the eggs are resting, fill a bowl with ice cubes and just enough water to cover. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of salt and stir together.

After the 10 minutes, transfer the eggs to the ice bath and let sit another 10 minutes.

Remove eggs from ice bath, roll on counter to crack evenly and then peel under cold running water.

This should give you perfectly cooked eggs with no ugly green lines and peels that slide right off.




Egg Salad

6 boiled eggs, peeled and diced

1/4 cup mayonaise

4 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste


Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Chill until ready to make sandwiches.

Makes 4 sandwiches. Can be easily doubled.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Berry Soda

Lest you think I've been completely virtuous (after that last post about getting cookbooks at the library), I have to confess to one new purchase...Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen.

Bryant Terry is one of the chefs that was included in the Green Kitchen online video site I posted about recently. Though Terry resides in Oakland now, his childhood in Memphis inspired his interest in cooking, farming and community health.

His newest book, Vegan Soul Kitchen, feeds your soul with Southern comfort food but without the guilt you usually associate with it. I love that. There are lots of traditional Southern staples here but with new flavors, many with a tropical flair.

Recipes I've marked to try include:
• watermelon with fresh basil sea salt
• watermelon-strawberry slushee
• rocket salad with watermelon-basil vinaigrette
• sweet, sour, spicy blackberry limeade
• roasted plaintains with roasted garlic-lime dipping sauce
• black-eyed peas with sun-dried tomatoes and kombu
• sautéed jalapeño corn
• sweet coconut-ginger creamed corn
• wilted spinach and swiss chard with tahini dressing
• coconut grits with roasted plaintains
• quinoa cornbread

The first recipe I tried from his book is for strawberry soda. As strawberries start popping up, this is a refreshing way to enjoy their sweet flavor. The recipe calls for mineral water to make it bubbly, but we found the mineraly-ness interfered a little too much with the strawberries, so try club soda. Also, how much agave nectar you need will depend on your strawberries. Taste your nectar after blending and decide if you want more.



Strawberry Soda

1 pint fresh, ripe strawberries, rinsed and leaves removed
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 cups club soda

Combine the strawberries and agave nectar in a blender (or use an immersion blender) and purée until smooth.

Strain through a piece of cheesecloth set in a sieve to remove the seeds. (I tried it in a fine mesh sieve and the seeds still made it through, so go the extra mile and use cheesecloth.)

Pour the berry nectar into a pitcher and slowly add the club soda. You can tilt the pitcher as you pour in the soda to minimize the foam. Gently stir together to combine. Serve immediately over ice.

Serves 2.

Adapted from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry.

Great Guacamole

This is the best guacamole I've ever had. And I can't take any credit for it. It's straight from Rick Bayless, my go to man for all things Mexican. The key is keeping the crunch of the onions, but ditching that overpowering, eye-burning quality that they so often have. His trick? Chop the onions, then rinse them thoroughly in cold water. That's all it takes.

For some, Super Bowl eats might mean beer and wings, but for me, it's all about the guac.

If you're looking for more Super Bowl foods to feed a crowd beyond the usual chili, here are a few more ideas:
• cheese straws
• sopa de lima
• corn tortilla casserole with mushrooms and chard
• smoked chicken, mushroom and wild rice soup
• chocolate almond bars
• pecan pie bars
• brown butter toffee bars
• triple chocolate cookies

Happy Game Day!



Great Guacamole

1 jalapeno
1/2 medium white or sweet (Vidalia or 1015) onion, chopped
1 medium round tomato, 2 Roma tomatoes or about 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 large ripe avocadoes
salt, to taste
1 lime

Get out a large serving bowl.

Roast the chile by heating it in an ungreased skillet for a minute or so on each side until it softens and develops dark spots. Alternatively, you can hold it over a gas flame with tongs, but be careful! Let cool, then peel the skin off, remove the seeds and finely chop. Put the chiles in the bowl.

Put the chopped onion into a strainer and run cold water over it. Tap or shake it to get rid of the extra water and add to the bowl with the chiles.

Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and add to the bowl.

Add the chopped cilantro to the bowl.

Cut the avocados in half by cutting down the length of the avocado until you feel the pit. Keep cutting all the way around it until you comes back to where you started. You should be able to twist the two halves to separate them. One of the halves will have the pit in it. Use a sharp knife to whack straight into the pit and it should stick to your knife for easy removal. You can also scoop it out with a spoon, if you like.

Scoop out the flesh of the avocados with a spoon and add to the bowl.

Use a potato masher or forks to mash avocados into pulp. Leave it as chunky or smooth as you like. Squeeze the juice from half a lime over the top of the guacamole mixture. Stir it all together to incorporate everything. Season with salt to taste. You can also add more lime juice here, if you like.

If you're not serving this right away, it will keep for an hour or two in the fridge covered with plastic. Be sure the plastic wrap is in contact with the surface of the guacamole to help keep it from discoloring.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups to serve 6-8.

Adapted from Mexico One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless with JeanMarie Brownson and Deann Groen Bayless.

Soba Noodle Salad

Monday, Jan. 26th, is Chinese or Lunar New Year. There are many foods you can eat for a feast on Lunar New Year that are supposed to bring good luck. My next post will tell you about several of them. But I wanted to share this noodle dish first.

For luck, serve noodles uncut, as long as possible, to represent long life.

This is definitely our favorite noodle dish. I learned this recipe in a cooking class with Lake Austin Spa's chef, Terry Conlan. The class focused on Asian grilling. He served this soba noodle salad alongside grilled lamb with a hoisin barbecue sauce. It's fabulous that way. But we have adapted it to make a main dish salad out of it. It's fresh and full of healthy veggies and bright flavors. It's light, but addictive and full of flavor.

The ingredient list for the dressing may seem a bit daunting if you don't have a lot of Asian staples in your pantry. But know that once you try these noodles, you'll want to try more of these kinds of flavors. It's worth the investment. And if you get most of these bottles at the Asian market, it's much cheaper.



I also added fried tofu from the Asian market to this recipe for protein. I'm not usually a big fried food eater, but this gives the tofu a firmer texture and a nice crust. You can find the cubes already freshly prepared in Asian markets. We get them in Austin at the Hong Kong Market. They have regular, lemongrass and chile, and mushroom flavors. These cubes are great in curries or sliced into strips for these noodles.

I always buy organic veggies when they're available, but I've had trouble finding organic boy choy, except when we grow it in our own garden. Most Asian markets don't carry organics, but I've noticed that the baby boy choy at Hong Kong Market is not only a great deal -- you can get a package of a dozen baby bok choy for $1.09, it's also usually pristine. In most other markets, the bok choy is usually pretty beat up. So if you're stopping in for the tofu and dressing ingredients anyway, be sure to get your bok choy too.



Another tip: I also used a julienning peeler to make fast work of the carrots. It's like a normal peeler, but cuts the carrots into fine strips like confetti.

Whether you eat them for luck or nutrition, these noodles will help you achieve long life.


Soba Noodle Salad

dressing:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons soy sauce (we like Yamasa low-sodium)
4 tablespoons honey or agave
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 teaspoons mirin
4 teaspoons peeled and grated ginger
2 teaspoons roasted sesame oil
1/2 - 2/3 cup canola oil

salad:
9 ounce package soba noodles
12 ounces fried tofu cubes, cut into strips
2 bell peppers: orange, red and/or yellow, cut into bite-sized chunks
3-4 heads of baby boy choy, rinsed well and cut into slivers
2 large carrots, peeled and then julienned
one bunch cilantro, chopped
one bunch mint leaves
one bunch basil leaves, chopped
one small bunch chives, chopped

Put on a medium-sized pot of water to boil the soba noodles.

While the water is heating up, make the dressing: Combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk together to combine. Set aside.

Boil soba noodles for 2-3 minutes until tender and drain. Place immediately in a large bowl and pour half the dressing over the noodles. Toss them with tongs to distribute the dressing over all the noodles.

Add salad ingredients to noodles: tofu strips, bell peppers, bok choy, carrots and herbs. Toss together again with tongs to combine. Pour over the rest of the dressing and toss again.

Can be prepared and refrigerated until ready to serve, no longer than 2 hours.

Serves 6-8.

Cheese Straws

Looking for a tasty party snack for New Year's? These are easy, they come together in the food processor and can be prepped ahead of time. Just wrap the dough and refrigerate it until you're ready to roll them out and bake them.

This is Mark Bittman's recipe and I like that he adds Parmesan to the cheddar for a more complex flavor. These are like a deluxe version of the Cheese Nip crackers of your childhood, but much better.

These make a great party snack with a beer, but would also be good with fruit, or on the side of a bowl of soup or beans.

Keep in mind that the cheeses are fairly salty. I didn't add any salt to the dough, but did sprinkle a tiny bit of coarse sea salt over the top of them for a little crunch. If you do that, use a very light hand.



Cheese Straws

1/2 pound sharp Cheddar
1/3 pound Parmesan
2 cups (9 ounces) flour
pinch of cayenne
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold, cut into chunks
1 cup ice water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Grate cheese and set aside in a bowl.

Put flour and cayenne into a food processor and pulse briefly to combine.

Add butter chunks and process until combined.

Add cheeses and process in pulses until combined.

Dough will be fairly dry. Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough just begins to come together.

Dump out the dough on to a clean counter (a silpat or some parchment makes for easier clean-up).

Knead dough by hand, adding more ice water as needed to bring it together into a dough. (I ended up using over 1/2 cup of ice water.)

At this point, you can wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until the day of serving.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface (using a floured pin) or between two pieces of plastic wrap. Roll out evenly until it's 1/4-inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or a wavy pastry cutter, cut into strips. You can then cut the strips into pieces (or diamonds if you make the second cut on an angle) as big as you'd like. I found bite-sized pieces were easier to handle for me and for eaters later.

Sprinkle tops very lightly with coarse sea salt, if you like.

Bake on a greased or silpat/parchment-lined baking sheet for 6-8 minutes until golden.

Best served slightly warm.

Serves as least 8-10 depending on size.

Adapted from Mark Bittman in the New York Times.

Corn Tortilla Casserole with Chard & Mushrooms

While everyone else has been revving their engines since Thanksgiving to go Christmas shopping, around here, all I can think about is Christmas cookies. Get ready, the cookies are coming. But just so you don't think it's all baking, all the time around here, I wanted to share this very tasty veggie casserole.

This recipe comes from Doña Tomás, an interior Mexican restaurant in Oakland. Their food focuses on big flavors, fresh produce and less grease. I posted about their Sopa de Lima earlier in the year. This recipe will become another favorite from their book. You make a sort of tortilla lasagne with mushrooms, chard, corn and cheese. Fresh corn tortillas and fresh corn off the cob are essential for this dish. Their sweetness elevates the flavor into something amazing.

The original recipe calls for huitlacoche, which is a kind of corn fungus. It grows like a mushroom directly on corn and is considered a delicacy. But I've never seen it here. I'd love to try it, but I had to substitute shiitakes. The recipe also calls for a mix of Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheeses. We found the mozzarella too stringy so I'm going to make it with all Jack next time. Use more or less poblanos, depending on how spicy you want it.

As a shortcut, I used a salsa we've recently gotten turned on to, Native Texan brand salsa. I used the roasted tomato, but you could also use chipotle, if you wanted to spice it up. You'll need at least 4-5 cups. You'll want plenty for the casserole layers and more for serving.

The recipe says this serves 6, but it made a monster batch and we weren't shy about our portions. We loved this stuff. You could easily serve 8 with it.



Corn Tortilla Casserole with Chard & Mushrooms

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
4-5 ears fresh corn on the cob, husked and kernals cut off
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
1 bunch Swiss chard, cut into strips
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
20 fresh corn tortillas
4-5 cups tomato salsa (we liked Native Texan brand, roasted tomato flavor)

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a skillet, add the onion and sauté until translucent.

Add the corn and mushrooms and sauté until tender.

Remove the corn mixture from the pan, put in a bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and sauté the chard until wilted.

Add the chard to the bowl of corn.

Add the poblanos to the veggie mixture and stir together. Add salt to taste.

Oil a 9x13 baking pan.

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato salsa in the bottom of the pan. Layer the bottom of the pan with tortillas, trying not to overlap. You may need to cut some of the tortillas into quarters to completely cover. Add more sauce, a layer of veggies, a layer of cheese and then repeat. The last layer should have salsa, then cheese on top. (You won't use all the salsa. You'll want to save some for serving. Heat the remaining salsa in the microwave or over low heat until just warm.)

Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes until cheese is golden and casserole is heated completely through. Cover with foil during the last 10 minutes, if necessary, to avoid overbrowning.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before you cut into it. This will help the layers stay together.

Place a spoonful of warm salsa on a plate and then top with a piece of the casserole to serve. You may want more salsa on the side.

Adapted from the Doña Tomás cookbook.