Judion beans, ricotta mustia and I am maybe reading too much MFK Fisher

Judion beans with sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary and ricotta mustia



Start with some plump, cooked judion beans and with a light hand anoint them with your best olive oil. Dip your fingers into a pot of crunchy sel de guérande and take but a pinch! Then watch as the grains tumble recklessly over the ivory beans. Take the pepper mill in hand and let the aggressive crack of the peppercorns ring in your ears. It will take all your willpower to resist the urge to eat the beans right then and there.
But if you do, you will be forgiven.

If you've made it this far, it will serve you well to add a flourish of chopped, marinated, sun-dried tomatoes. And I beg you not to stop until the earthy green of fresh rosemary decorates the bowl. And in the final act, before the curtain is drawn, add a bit of the softest, freshest cheese you can find so that each bite melts into your mouth and does not distract you from the soft, lush beans. Might I humbly suggest ricotta? And if you can find it, I promise you your tastebuds will ignite under the smoky warmth of ricotta mustia.

And I know it may be too much to ask, but if you can resist temptation for just another minute or two, consider how perfect this whole affair would be alongside a fresh arugula salad and a wedge torn from a doughy loaf of bread to mop up every last bit of oil and salt from the bottom of your bowl.

In closing dear friends I must forewarn you that this salad is most certainly the sum of its parts. If the bean on its own does not inspire you, if the sun-dried tomato makes you wince or heaven forbid the olive oil does not make you close your eyes and drift away into your daydreams, well then, might I suggest perhaps a bowl of soup for dinner instead?


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The players

*Ricotta mustia = smoked ricotta. I had never heard of this before I saw it at Whole Foods last week. And wow, it is some kind of smoky! It has a fantastic flavour. It runs the risk of overpowering anything you put it with so I think it must be used carefully.

Judion beans--a Spanish butter bean. You may be surprised to learn that I bought mine in a jar. These jars are easily found in the UK at Sainsbury's and Waitrose and the Borough Market, as they are imported from Spain by Brindisa. They are big white beans and probably a bit softer than they should be because they are sitting in brine, but I LOVE THEM. If you want to cook your own from dried, be my guest. Additionally, I think any canned white bean would be ok as a substitute. The main thing is that they taste good just on their own --if you're not starting out with a good bean then this "non-recipe" won't taste like much.

I am in love with Waitrose brand chargrilled sundried tomatoes. G and I throw them on everything --from pizza to chickpeas to arugula salads. Everytime we move it takes me a while before I find a brand of marinated sundried tomatoes that doesn't leave me disappointed. The first time I tried this brand I was hooked.

Olive oil- if there's one thing I have learned not to skimp on, it's good olive oil.


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Post disclaimer: No, I haven't lost my mind. I'm just in the middle of reading this.

On being a dork. And eating a good salad.

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Feta and Mint

Do you ever reflect on your younger years and laugh at yourself for how much of a dork you were? Because I do. Often.
And I'm not even talking about my treasured FAME sweatsuit, or about my excessive baton twirling, or my Holly Hobbie lunchpail. Primary school was low on the dorkiness scale in comparison to high school. Because then, in my teenage years, my true status as a full-fledged dork was formed.

You see, I was the girl who convinced my friends to stand with me on the sidewalk in front of my house and point at the sky so that we could see how many passersby would look up. I was also the girl who got giddy over a contraption you could attach to your shoe to purposely make it squeak. But just the sound of it would make me laugh so hard that everybody knew it was me.
And I was the girl (along with an accomplice) who went into our high school late one evening and put nametags on consecutive lockers with such names as Curly, Moe, and of course Larry.
Ah, the good times.

And then there was food. I thought I was posh for bringing a pumpernickel bagel with ham and cheese to school for my lunch, until I realized that everyone thought I had put ham and cheese on a chocolate donut and suddenly my posh lunch was the source of much teasing.

There was a time when the concept of a salad without lettuce was an inconceivable and frankly ridiculous notion to me. I was such a princess that my first experience with a lettuce-free greek salad elicited the following response:
"That's not a salad, that's just a pile of vegetables."
And perhaps a wee "Pshaw." escaped my lips.
There is no doubt that I was a bit of a pain in the ass.
I won't even tell you the scorn I felt when I was first introduced to Pico de Gallo and it looked nothing like the salsa I was used to from a jar. "Puh-leaze." I think I said.

But, a girl gains a few years, lives a little, tastes a few more things, and with time vegetables aren't the thing your parents force you to eat but a new thing to discover and enjoy on your own terms. And here I am, still a bit of a dork, but alot more wise. And I sure do like my salads. With or without lettuce.




Grilled Zucchini salad with feta and mint

This really isn't a recipe, and I'm sure the combination won't appeal to everyone, but it works for me.
To serve myself I took one good-sized zucchini and sliced it down the middle to form 2 long halves. From each half I trimmed a little bit off the back so that it would lay flat on both sides. I brushed each slice on both sides with olive oil and grilled over high heat, just a few minutes per side so it was to the consistency that I liked it. Soft but not mushy, still holding a slight bite to it.

Then chop the grilled zucchini into bite sized pieces or chunks, however you like it. Toss with some olive oil, lemon juice and a bit of fresh garlic while still hot. Let it cool a bit so your feta doesn't melt all over it.
Top with chopped mint, feta, cracked black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Add another squeeze of lemon juice if necessary.
Eat.



Tags:
Zucchini Salad
Zucchini Recipes

Skinny Dipping

While we're on the topic of dips, let me just say that I am no lightweight dipper.
Truth be told, I am a downright scooper.
This is an inherited trait; I blame it on my genes.
Put my dad and I in a room with even a small bowl of tortilla chips, and the salsa jar had better be a large one.

And let it be said, it is not just my genes that have contributed to my scoopiness.
I come from Canada, a country that has proudly embraced the idea of serving dips with our pizza. And before your eyebrows disappear into your hairline, let me say that it is really, really good. Those little plastic containers of creamy mysteriousness have changed the way many of us eat pizza. The hardest part is deciding whether you want the Creamy Garlic flavour or Cheddar Jalapeno. And hold onto your hats, because the truth is, that if you're willing to shell out a few extra coins, you can actually get both.
Oh the joy.

But then again, there is the waistline to think about.

So when I found this recipe that would allow for guilt free scooping, I did a little dance and got down that very same night.

This is the easiest dip to make. It is simple, light and fresh in flavour. It is great as a dip on its own with veggies or pita bread, or as part of a greek-style meal with chicken, lamb or beef brochettes, and rice. Just make sure you like the yogurt you're using, since it acts as the base of the dip. (ok, that obvious piece of advice was really just for my mom. Love you mom!)

Feta Mash
Adapted from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry

75g (2.75 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
300g (10.5 oz) greek yogurt
45ml (3tbsp) olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
30ml (2 tbsp) dill, chopped
30ml (2 tbsp) mint, chopped

Mix the following ingredients together and serve.

Suggestions:
Crumble the feta as large or as small as you want.
Add more feta cheese if you want a lumpier dip.
Add some lemon zest for an extra bit of flavour.
Strain your yogurt in cheesecloth over a bowl if you want a thicker dip.
Omit the olive oil if you wish, for a slightly different texture.

Disclaimer:
I loved this dip, my boyfriend did not. If you aren't a fan of mint or dill, then this recipe is probably not for you.

Fourteen figs are better than one..

Fig and Goat cheese toasts with rosemary honey

When you take a trip to a market with a friend, you find yourself a bit distracted. Purchases are made in between bursts of conversation, and waiting for service at a busy produce stand doesn't phase you at all. Even if the service does at times seem suspiciously slow. Because you've got things to talk about and time to spare. By the time you get home, you find yourself standing in your kitchen, with bags and bags of stuff, and you can't for the life of you remember what you actually bought. As you start to unload, it kind of feels like Christmas.
"Aahh. I forgot about those. " Or:
"Wow, did I really buy this many mushrooms?"

So you stand back from the counter and survey your bounty. There's been alot of talk about figs lately, so you're not surprised when you realize that you've bought ALOT of them. That bundle that you bought for a mere 2 euros doesn't look like it wants to wait any longer. It wants to be eaten. Now.



So you rummage through your new groceries and pull out that pain aux céréales that came highly recommended. You slice it up and slather one side with butter. You place a few slices on a hot grill pan until they are toasty and crisp. While you are waiting, you eat the crusty end that you cut off and think wow, now that is some good bread.
You spread a generous layer of that soft goat's cheese (chèvre frais) you bought, and top it with some slices of those luscious figs. They are so ripe they refuse to let you pick them up with your fingers. You have to slide a knife underneath the slices to prevent them from falling apart.

But something is missing, it's not quite finished yet. Then you remember that rosemary honey (Miel de Romarin) you bought at L'Épicerie a couple of weeks ago on one of your many walks over the river to Île St-Louis. You drizzle it over the top of the figs and with a satisfied grin on your face, you know that your work is now done.


Miel de Romarin from L'Épicerie

You sit yourself down at the table and enjoy every bite. Then you realize you only used one fig to make this lunch of yours, you still have about 13 more to go. The fun has only just started.


L'Épicerie
51, rue St-Louis-en-L'Île
75004
an excellent shop with a wide range of honeys and mustards.

On forgetfulness, and rosemary chicken

I freely, though not proudly, admit that I have a terrible memory. Sometimes I comfort myself by saying that it's not in fact a terrible memory, just a very, very selective one. G will often mention a movie we've seen, or a book I've read, and I am likely to deny that I ever did see that movie or read that book at all. To my credit, I have been known to read upwards of 30 books in a year, how can I possibly keep track of them all? Well, it has come to the point where it frustrates me so much, especially when it comes to books, that I now keep a log of all the books that I've read, with a brief synopsis of the plot to keep it in my mind. (Of course if it's one of my favourite books or movies, I have no trouble remembering..)
My usual response to G when he mentions a movie we've seen together is: "Are you sure you didn't go with someone else? I've never seen that movie before." And generally, he rolls his eyes in amazement and pretends he didn't just hear me say that. Again.

A close friend of mine in Canada has often gotten frustrated with me and my lack of memory. We were best friends through our teen years and lost touch after high school. Years later, as we both stumbled into work at a ridiculously early hour, we bumped into each other. As it turned out, we had been working in the same office complex for over a year, passing each other probably daily. We reacquainted ourselves and have been close friends again ever since. It was like no time had passed. Many of her sentences to this day begin in laughter with the phrase: "Remember when we.." And I sit smiling and laughing as she retells the story. And then, for confirmation, she always asks "Do you remember that? " as we wipe the tears from our eyes from laughing so hard. And more often than not, I say "No! Not at all!"
It annoys her to no end.

Well I'm sure there is hope for me with my selective memory. And from what I've heard rosemary has a bit of a reputation for strengthening memory. Well bring it on I say, because I need all the help I can get. My book journal is getting awfully large, I'm going to have to move it all to an Excel spreadsheet fairly soon if I don't find some way to keep it in my head.

The good thing is that I love rosemary. So there is no arm twisting needed to get me to add it to just about anything. The recipe for Rosemary Chicken and Summer Squash Brochettes is from Epicurious, a site that has served me well since I have been without the bulk of my cookbooks. You don't expect me to cook from the French Laundry every night do you?

Wait, I can't remember, did I even buy that book?

Notes on the recipe
This was a very easy and tasty recipe that I will definitely make again. It's not a showstopper, but it certainly suits the average person's daily cooking habits, when you just want something quick but relatively inspired. It called for a minimum of marinating time, so you don't have to prepare hours in advance. I think it would have been enhanced with some sort of yogurty dip or dressing, which would have made it great for wrapping in flatbread as well.

All basil, all the time..

basil pesto

I am presenting myself as a bit of a basil freak lately. But when you've got a bundle of basil with leaves as big as your hand, there's no ignoring it. It's actually kind of intimidating, sitting on my window sill, all big and green and..basily. Look at the picture below of my hand, dwarfed by a single leaf. Exciting and scary all at the same time. This basil wants to be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And I won't be the one to say no. Well, I might have to draw the line at breakfast. It wouldn't taste very good in my banana smoothie... or..would it?

So, with this oversized mutant basil haunting me again last night, after it had already featured prominently in my lunch, I decided to take a shot at making my own pesto. I had some fresh tortellini in the fridge that needed some sophisticated treatment.

This time I forced myself not to run to my computer for guidance. I know the basic ingredients that go into a pesto, so I figured I should be able to wing it. With basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan in hand, I went to work. The words "steady stream" kept distracting me as I prepared my ingredients. After many years of reading recipes like they are some kind of Harlequin Romance, I remembered that this was the preferred method for adding in the olive oil. But I am in a subletted and pre-furnished apartment, and there is no food processor here, only a blender and something with blades and the words Moulinex written on the side. I'm not even sure what a Moulinex is really for. (It's odd size has thrown me off. It's bigger than a coffee grinder, but not by much.) But I do know that there is no hole in it through which to pour olive oil in a steady stream while the appliance is running. Well, I had but two choices: give up or press on. Not one to give up on a challenge, especially if fresh herbs are involved, I threw it all into the Moulinex and gave it a whirl. It turned out beautifully and it was much easier than I had been led to believe.

I kept the amount of olive oil fairly low, as you can see by the picture. You can add more oil depending on it's use. I would use it in this way to spread it on bread or to add it to cream to make a Pesto cream sauce for pasta. Or there's pesto mayonnaise, pesto creme fraiche, pesto butter! there are endless possibilities.. I added a little bit more oil to the portion of it that I used for my tortellini, in order to coat the pasta better. The more oil you add the more servings you would get out of it.

You may wonder why I made such a small amount. Well, I'm only feeding myself again this week, and I don't like to have large amounts of leftover foods. And, actually, pesto is so concentrated in flavour that you don't need much. Although, I'm sure you could double the recipe if you wanted to.

Using pesto on tortellini is a bit tricky, because of all the nooks and crannies that lumps of your pesto can sink into. But with some careful tossing and pesto redistribution skills, it can be done.


Basil Pesto
makes about 3 heaping tablespoons

1/2 cup basil leaves (not packed but poke it with your finger and it will sink quite a bit in the measuring cup.)
1 clove of garlic, minced (I used a small one so as not to overpower the pesto with garlic flavour, adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1.5 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons of olive oil
a wee pinch of salt


Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium high heat until lightly browned. It should take only a few minutes. Toasting them is optional but it does add a depth of flavour. Throw all the ingredients in a processor and blend it up. You may have to scrape down the sides a few times.
Use immediately if possible! If not, refrigerate it for up to a week, with a little extra oil poured to cover it. This is supposed to maintain the colour.



supersize basil

Happiness in a bundle of herbs

As strange as it may seem, there is nothing that makes me happier than a window sill full of fresh herbs. My vices are not caffeine or nicotine. Fresh herbs are my addiction. My family and friends have received many an email or phone call when I have come home with a new bundle, where it has been clearly obvious that I am a little more excited than the average person would be.

This is, in fact, the reason why I began writing this blog. I needed an outlet. I needed to spare my loved ones the details of my enthusiasm for all things herbal. If they choose to read my blog, they know that they are doing so at their own risk.

There are 3 herbs that I cannot live without. My holy trinity of herbs. Basil, Italian parsley and fresh mint. It has only been recently that I discovered how a simple cup of hot water and mint leaves can make a wonderful tea. And, as overly enthusiastic as I am, I insist on drinking it from a glass mug, so that I can see the beautiful green leaves steeping in the water as I drink. You have to involve as many senses as possible. And the visual is just as important as taste. It really does make the tea taste all that much better.

Fresh basil goes on almost any sandwich I make. My favourite is a sandwich of toasted rye bread, with fresh black olive tapenade, topped with basil leaves and slices of red, ripe plum or beefsteak tomatoes.

Parsley gets used up at a slower pace but, placed in a container with it’s stems in water which is changed every other day, it stays fresh for at least a week. My week however, is almost up, and my remaining parsley was calling out to me. I can’t bear to see my herbs go to waste.

I was happy to find a recipe for Tomato Salad with Parsley Dressing. I knew it would give me a chance to use up both my parsley and my beefsteak tomatoes. And after a weekend indulging in sweet treats and beer, the lightness of this dish is perfect for lunch or as a side or starter for a weekday dinner.

I found the inspiration for this recipe at Cooking.com, which has a recipe resource that I frequently browse through. The source of the recipe is indicated as Burt Wolf’s Menu Cookbook.

You can find the original recipe here for Tomato Salad with Parsley Dressing, the below recipe includes my modifications. I did not change the dressing recipe except to reduce the salt to taste and I left out the jalapeno pepper, only because I did not have one on hand.

Because the ingredients in the dressing are not blended, only roughly chopped and mixed together, its flavours take on a rustic freshness.

The salad was excellent with the parsley dressing and is even better if you have time to let the dressing sit so the flavours can mingle. The olives offer a nice salty contrast. I was very pleased with the results.

Tomato, Black Olive and Feta Salad with Parsley Dressing (makes 2 servings)

½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
2 scallions, coarsely chopped (I used 1 large scallion)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

2-3 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks.
8-10 kalamata olives or however many you prefer
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (or to taste)

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl to make the dressing.
Put the tomatoes and olives in a bowl. Toss with some of the dressing, to taste. Top with feta cheese and fresh cracked black pepper. (You will most likely have extra dressing leftover. You can add more tomato if you wish to increase the serving size.)

Serve with some toasted baguette slices brushed with olive oil for a light lunch.