Pattypan!

Ontario grown pattypan squash and baby zucchini


Tomorrow is July 1st, Canada Day, and for the first time in 4 years I am actually at home, in Canada, for the holiday.

In honour of the occasion, I made a trip to the farmer's market and brought home some locally grown produce. In my 4 years abroad I rarely came across pattypan squash so when I spotted it at the market I have to admit I was pretty excited. For one thing, the word "pattypan" is particularly fun to say, but they're also pretty darn cute to look at.

Now, I'm worried that you're going to read this and think that I make the most boring salads. Well what's a girl to do. I like to keep my relationship with vegetables as uncomplicated as possible.

And yes I did notice that lately all my vegetables seem to be topped with some sort of cheese. I never said I was perfect.

This is the simplest salad to put together: nothing more than sliced baby squash which are blanched for no more than a minute in boiling salted water. They are then drained, dried off on a clean kitchen towel then dressed with olive oil and white wine vinegar and finally topped with goat cheese* and slivers of mint. It's not unlike a salad I talked about 2 years ago so it seems I'm still a fan of the zucchini and mint combo.

It's a perfect summer salad, great with some crusty bread and some homemade white wine sangria in a big jug in the middle of the table. I'll tell you about that soon, but in the meantime, eat your veggies and have a happy Canada day.






* I used goat milk feta
**This salad is completely inspired by a recipe in: "Best of Taste Cookbook by Williams Sonoma"

Dama Bianca. Indeed.

Fennel and Celery Salad, it's better than you think

Ok, enough with the cookies, right? Although, G and I are booked in for 2 more barbecues this weekend and I have a Chocolate Guinness Cake in mind to bring to one of them. That is if it even makes it out of the house. Does that thing not look dangerously good? It's not at all light and summery but it's supposed to rain all weekend so I think it might do just fine.

In the meantime, this girl has not forgotten her love of all things green. Even those that are so pale they are practically white.
Put your sunglasses on now if you must.
I tell you, they don't call this dish Dama Bianca for nothing.

I know fennel is not the most popular vegetable, and even I have to admit that prior to making this salad my love for fennel was somewhat conditional. I love it roasted, sauteed, and baked, but eating it raw was just not something I did.

But I try to be an open minded gal. And I had the most perfect bulb of fennel just begging to be appreciated in all it's raw glory, so I figured it was time to give it a shot.

I didn't have buffalo mozzarella on hand as the recipe calls for, so I used some ricotta salata, which is almost like feta cheese. With a simple lemon vinaigrette this salad made me quite happy, and definitely made up for all those cookies I've been indulging in lately.

I always determine the success of a recipe by whether or not I think I will make it again to serve to guests and yes, I do believe I know a few people who will enjoy this as much as I did.

I might switch up the cheese in the future, but the base salad worked well for me. It was fresh and light and the fennel, though raw, was made quite mild by the vinaigrette and by being thinly sliced.
Perhaps that was the key I've been missing all along.

And actually, I think you could even toss some white beans into the mix to to make the dish a bit heartier.
Or sliced white new potatoes.
Or even some white rice.
Or make a chicken salad out of it, and throw it in a wrap...

Oh be still my heart.
You gotta love a recipe like that.


**********
Fennel and Celery Salad (Dama Bianca) from Epicurious
note: I only cut up as much fennel and celery as I felt like eating and then reduced the vinaigrette by roughly 1/3rd. It's an easy recipe to adjust to your appetite.


Yes, I did eat the whole thing but I stopped to take a picture
halfway through because the cheese looked better crumbled.
Am I right?

Blek and learn.

It was the simplest thing, and not the first time I'd made it. Some greek yogurt with a touch of garlic, chunks of cucumber, and some fresh dill. I even deseeded the cucumber as I usually do because I find the seeds bitter. And mushy. And ick.
Anyway, I dug in.

And then I said something like: "Blek" and then "hak" while I cursed the neighbour for singing Christina Aguilera at the top of her lungs.

People, I am no stranger to cucumber and yogurt, so this was a complete surprise.

I struggled with a moment of serious self-doubt.

Perhaps I never had liked this salad.
Was the yogurt the wrong choice? Or the garlic ill-conceived?
Am I just not good at this?
And worst of all, oh my god, do these shoes clash with my outfit?

It was far too much debate for such a small snack. And despite the shoes, I did recall that this cucumber concoction had served me well on many occasions.

So I took a deep breath in hopes of finding some clarity. Jesus stayed mum, and I don't know where Buddha was, so I decided to get my Google on.

And wouldn't you know, (hand on hip), it wasn't me at all. Apparently sometimes the flesh of cucumber is just bitter--some people can taste it and some people can't. There doesn't seem to be a complete understanding of what causes some cucumbers to be bitter but it is related to 2 compounds in the cucumber: cucurbitacin B and C.

Snoring yet? Me too. But the point is, trust your tastebuds and you just might learn something that will make you a better cook next time. I mean at least now I know to taste a cucumber before going to all the trouble to make something with it. But I'm wondering how I managed to avoid a bitter cucumber all these years that this is the first time I bleked* over one.
Small mysteries.
Keeps life exciting I guess.
Now, about those shoes..




*bleked:
verb; past tense of blek, as in 'to blek' or 'eliciting a blek response'

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?


**************
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.


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

Me and my cravings.

Seared tuna with spring onion and carrot salad

I am very susceptible to bursts of enthusiasm when it comes to food. Perhaps they are better referred to as phases, or even cravings. Some of it is the fault of the seasons: when asparagus season arrived this year I ate it twice a day. G thought I had lost my mind but by the time the season had ended I still hadn't tired of it.

Then there was this cumin and carrot salad that I really should tell you about--it's light and healthy and tastier than you would imagine an average carrot salad could be--and a few months ago, I made it almost daily. Eventually, I moved on, and while that carrot salad is still a definite favourite, it is no longer an obsession.

Sometimes it's a particular spice that grabs my attention for awhile, or a particular method of cooking. And yes, since we're talking about cravings, I will admit that sometimes a girl just wants to ditch it all and sit down with a big old bag of doritos.
But lately I've been experiencing a repeated craving which is a first for me.

Spring onions.

Usually I only buy spring onions when they are called for in a dish, otherwise I have no use for them. They are not one of those staples that I always have on hand like carrots or red onions or garlic. But these days I find myself making things just so that I can use spring onions.
I wish I could explain this one, but I'm stumped.

Nonetheless, I most recently satisfied my craving with an asian style dish of seared tuna with a spring onion and carrot salad. And because I had some time on my hands I tried to make the dish look all fancy pants. A girl needs a bit of glamour in her life sometimes, you know?

I'm no Top Chef, but it sure is fun to try every now and then. It's not until you have a look at your pictures later that you realize that perhaps you were a bit sloppy and maybe next time you need to apply yourself a bit more. But I swear it looked pretty darn perfect in real life. And my little spring onion and carrot salad, as simple as it was, made the dish.



Seared tuna with sugar snap peas and a spring onion and carrot salad
Serves 2

The spring onion and carrot salad
1 to 2 carrots
the green parts of 2 spring onions
a pinch or two of sesame seeds (white or black or both)
Dressing:
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp rice wine vinegar

I was in a patient mood when I made this and actually cut fine ribbons of both the spring onion and carrots by hand. If you have a tool that will make this step easier then I am extremely jealous of you.

Blanch the carrots in simmering water until they were pliable like noodles. I did this so that I could twist them easily with the green onions. The length of time you blanch the carrots will depend on how thinly you managed to slice them.
Drain the carrots and dry them off on a clean kitchen towel.
Mix the dressing ingredients together.
Toss the spring onions and carrots with the dressing, and let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving so the green onions will soften.

You can easily make more of this, just double the dressing if you need to. And if you prefer more carrot and less green onion, or vice versa, that works too.


The sugar snap peas
A handful per person.
Steam until crisp tender. Dry with a clean kitchen towel. Toss with a bit of toasted sesame oil. They don't need much, maybe 1/2 a teaspoon for 2 handfuls of snap peas.

Seared Tuna
2 tuna steaks
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper
2 tsp peanut oil

Combine the soy sauce and rice vinegar and add to the tuna in a ziploc bag or a tupperware container. Make sure the tuna is coated in the marinade. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Remove from marinade and sprinkle both sides with a bit of salt and pepper.
Sear the tuna in peanut oil in a non-stick pan until desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side. If you have a good piece of tuna it would be a shame to overcook it. (I'm guilty of that)

Assembling the dish
Basically just do as pictured, with maybe I bit more tidiness to your flair than I managed. Lay the snap peas on the bottom, top with the tuna, and finally the carrot salad. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and serve. Set out some extra soy sauce at the table if desired.

Notes:
Snow peas would be an easy substitution for the sugar snap peas. You could also just put the tuna on top of some white rice if you wanted and in that case I would definitely serve it with some extra soy sauce alongside the dish.

September evenings with roasted chicken

Sunday night was one of those cool and quiet sort of nights, where it's warm enough to justify a cold bottle of white wine, but it's cool enough to warrant drinking it with a sweater on.

We sat outside noticing how the light is already beginning to change, it's less vibrant but somehow cozier. I still can't believe it's already September, we've been here 9 months and I feel like I just got here, like I'm still settling in. But such has been my life for the last 4 years, always feeling unsettled, with a suitcase at the ready in case we move again.

I don't have to tell you that I'm grateful for all these experiences. Four countries in four years is something I never imagined for my life.

But sometimes, on a quiet September evening, a girl just wants to sit back and feel like she's firmly planted, to wiggle her toes in the grass and know that at this time next year, she'll be staring at the same grass.

I know that it's not likely going to end up that way. The neighbours upstairs fight all the time and the traffic outside our window is noisy and rushed. Between the two of them, sometimes there's just no room left for my own thoughts.

And I'm a girl who likes her peace and quiet.
Sometimes I like to turn the stereo up, loud, but sometimes I just prefer to turn the damn thing off.
If only my neighbours had an off switch.

So yeah. It's September. Cold wine, a warm sweater, a handsome fella, and Zuni's roasted chicken with bread salad. It doesn't get much better.



I have never had this dish in the restaurant but I have made it many many times at home. Unfortunately I wasn't paying all that much attention to getting a good picture (can you blame me?) so these will just have to do.
Luckily for me, the whole recipe and instructions are already posted online at MSNBC right here.
G and I both love this dish---it looks and tastes divine.



Rushing to take a picture so we could get to the business of eating.

Addicted to colour..

-yogurt with apricots and strawberries and toasted marcona almonds
-rosemary roasted carrots with arugula, feta, sundried tomatoes


I guess there are worse addictions, huh...

A barbecue is the only way to celebrate..

Even I have trouble believing it: A picture taken outdoors with not a drop of rain in sight.

The only proper way to celebrate the arrival of this strange thing called 'sun' was to barbecue some meat and wash it down with some wine. (Actually it's kind of the proper way to celebrate any occassion, isn't it?)

Granted, I was concerned by the barbecue's close proximity to that rickety wooden fence. But G said not to worry and so I sat back and kept that glass of wine from feeling ignored.
What else is a girl to do? The man lives dangerously and I just have to take it in stride. He did point out that if the fence did catch on fire there was a glass of water on hand to douse the flames.

Right.

So while the flames settled and he took charge of all things meaty, I nibbled on some potato salad based on a recipe from the 2nd Moro cookbook.



Made with fresh oregano from my window box.

Woot! I can grow green stuff!

It was an embarrasingly simple recipe--start with a dressing made of garlic pounded to a paste with salt, then add olive oil and some lemon juice. Toss the dressing on some boiled potatoes, chopped red onion and top it off with some salt and pepper to taste and some fresh oregano.
Simple, yes, but perfectly tasty.

There was also more of Ina Garten's homemade barbecue sauce, and a nectarine chutney* which proved to be a great way to use up the nectarines that had gone a bit too soft for my taste.

And the wine was good too.
That sun thing? I kind of like it.


------------------------
*the nectarine chutney was from Annie Somerville's Everyday Greens. A mix of chopped nectarines, sugar, red onion, cinnamon, cayenne, mace and fresh ginger cooked over a low heat until the fruit is softened. It was great with our barbecued steaks.

I bet this tastes better when Zuni does it..

Farro and Tomato Salad with Basil and Anchovies

I recently crossed another food "first" off of my list.
It goes by the name of Farro.
Ok, so you probably eat it all the time and you are shocked that I have never had it OR made it myself.
But for those of you aren't so well acquainted with farro, let me get technical for a second.
Farro, is an ancient variety of wheat, and it is very commonly eaten in Italy.
To put it even more simply: farro is like a bowl full of little wheat nubbins.
And I do love a big bowl full of nubbins.

The only farro recipe I could find in my cookbooks came from Zuni. My instincts nudged me at first. No, they actually screamed at me and told me to NOT follow this recipe. And before I proceed, let me just state this is not an attack on Zuni, this is just me knowing my tastebuds and that's that.
I loves me some Judy Rodgers so don't even go there.

First of all the combination of tomato and cucumber bores me (don't come near my tabbouleh with that cucumber!) Add basil to the mix and I am pretty much down for the count and snoring loudly.

Ok, maybe you love the combination, but this is not always about you, ok?

But I figured it was Zuni, I had to give it a shot. Yes, I have faith in the almighty Zuni.
And who knew, maybe with the anchovies this would be some miraculous combination that would change my life forever.

I cooked the farro for about 10 minutes, and let it cool. I then added some chopped tomato, cucumber and a couple of salt-packed anchovies. I tossed it with a mix of olive oil and sherry vinegar. Finally, I added some fresh basil and some salt and pepper and dug in.

Alas, it did not change my life forever.

But I tried, and that's what counts.

The good news is, I sure do like farro. Hearty and chewy and, well, hearty some more.

And have no fear, I did eat that bowl of misguidedness. I mean it was fine, but I did feel some regret about the fabulous farro salad I could have had if I had followed my instincts in the first place.

And the truth is, that I bet this farro salad tastes fabulous when Judy Rodgers has a hand in making it. I bet she has some magical pixie dust that she sprinkles over it at the end that would just make me want to eat it all the time. But alas, said pixie dust cannot be found in my cupboards, and last I checked, there was no Judy Rodgers in there either.

But at least there is Farro in my life now. I can definitely see some wheaty nubbin happiness in my future.

Life is just a bowl of salad.

Pasta salad with Feta, Yellow Pepper and Snow Peas

The other day G innocently asked me what I would be posting about next.
Here's what he heard:
"Blah blah blah blah salad."
"You always talk about salads." he said.
What I heard, between the lines, was: "Yawn."
Problem is, everything I eat on a regular basis these days falls under the category of a salad.
Whether it has a base of leafy greens, bulghur, couscous, lentils or pasta, in my mind, if its loaded with vegetables, and it's not saucy, it constitutes a salad.

Men.
So difficult.

I mean, sometimes life just IS a bowl of salad.
It's not always about complicated and unusual recipes. Is it?
So here I am, talking about salad because that's what makes me happy.


The story starts something like this: I spotted Martha's recipe for Pasta Salad with Feta and Snow Peas and I could tell it had everything a girl like me could want.
It had pasta for one thing, the all-important feta cheese, and a miscellaneous array of vegetables in attractive and complimentary colours. And, to top it all off, a generous dose of fresh coriander. How could it get any better?

I enjoyed it. I did. There was nary a noodle or vegetable left in that bowl once I had finished with it.
But something about that raw yellow pepper didn't sit right with me. It was like putting an outfit together that is just close to perfect--you are seriously looking your sassiest self-- and then you go and throw on your mother's pearls and suddenly your fab is nothing but drab.

I wanted to love that pasta salad. I really did.

So I tried again.
This time, I swapped the yellow pepper for some sautéed zucchini, tweaked the vinaigrette a bit, and bingo, we had lift off.
I admit, it looks prettier with the yellow pepper, but sometimes a great personality is more important than being pretty. Right?


Pasta salad with Snow Peas, Zucchini and Feta

Pasta Salad with Snow Peas, Zucchini and Feta inspired by Martha

This serves one very hungry person as a main dish. I added alot of vegetables so the salad could actually serve 2 as a side dish, despite the small amount of pasta in there. It's up to you.

60g orriechette pasta (which is about 1/2 cup of dried pasta)
1 zucchini, chopped (feel free to only use half if you want).
a small handful of snow peas, sliced on the diagonal into 1 cm strips
1 or 2 teaspoons of thinly sliced scallion a.k.a green onion (I used the green part)
a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh coriander (or to taste)
A tablespoon or two of crumbled feta cheese (or more to taste)

Vinaigrette
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 of a small clove of garlic, finely chopped (this part is optional, Martha's recipe does not contain garlic, but it adds a slight kick)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta. Add the snow peas to the pasta water at the last minute or two just to blanch them but keep them slightly crunchy. Drain and rinse pasta and snow peas in cold water. (You can blanch the snow peas in a separate pot of water if you prefer)
Saute the zucchini in one teaspoon of olive oil over a medium high heat until browned.
Add to the pasta with the snow peas.
Mix the vinaigrette ingredients together and add to the pasta.
Finally add the scallion, coriander and feta to the pasta and mix altogether.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make ahead and serve cold or eat it right away while it's still slightly warm, whichever you prefer.
If you make it ahead, put the coriander in just before serving.

Fava, Green Bean and New Potato Salad

Fresh Fava Beans


All salads are not created equally.
It's simple logic, really.
Some you like.
And some you don't.

I've been eating a lot of salads lately with 3 particular ingredients that seem to keep making repeat appearances.

1. Fresh fava beans
I derive no end of pleasure from perfecting my pod extraction techniques. I am not shy to say that if there were championships in this, I might just bring home a trophy.
2. Green beans
This is due to the fact that I wasn't paying attention at the market when I asked for enough for two people and I was given what seemed like a truckload of beans. Who knew two people could eat a whole kilo of green beans?
3. New potatoes
Because they're new potatoes. Duh.

It all started on a strange sort of day. I had a brainstorm and decided to put all three together.
I know. I'm just that crazy.

As I served up the salad, I felt somewhat satisfied with myself. Only 0.98 kilos of green beans to go.. umm...

But I wasn't terribly daunted, because, well, that bottle of wine was already half empty.. The mass quantities of green beans that sat in my kitchen seemed more like the promise of good times than something to fret over.
What, you've never heard of a green bean party?

I'm happy to say, that sometimes, occassionally, yes--even once in a while, I throw something together and I like it. And no, it wasn't the wine talking..




Fava Bean, Green Bean and New Potato Salad
Make a vinaigrette with lemon juice and a light olive oil, a splash of white wine vinegar, and some sea salt to taste. Add a dash of Dijon mustard if you want a bit of zing.
Boil some new potatoes until tender, but not mushy. Drain and let cool. Cut in half if they are too big.
Blanch some green beans until tender. Drop into cold water to preserve the colour.
Remove the favas from their outer pods and the skin that covers each bean. (see below)
Toss all the vegetables together with the dressing and some chopped fresh dill.
Add some more sea salt to taste if necessary.
----------
I've recently been re-reading my Zuni Café cookbook in which Judy Rodgers suggests the following:
Use salted water when cooking potatoes to season them as they cook.
Remove the skins that surround fresh fava beans by hand, without blanching them. She suggests that blanching them, although it makes the skins come off easier, changes their texture.
It's up to you. Next time, I will try it Judy's way.

-----------
Related
The Zuni Café Cookbook

Ceasar Salad: The Keller way

Ceasar Salad, Keller style.


The French Laundry and I don't have much of a history together. I have never been to the restaurant and I bought the cookbook mainly because the cover looked pretty.
But my secret shame is that I have only made 2 of its recipes in all the time that it has graced my bookshelf. And those 2 both involved cheese and were about the easiest recipes that could be found within its pages.

But last week a friend of mine was coming over for dinner and suddenly I was feeling ambitious.

And so we come to "How to Impress 101":
Make a recipe in which layers are stacked.
It seems very difficult and somewhat frou-frou.
And you get extra points if it comes from the French Laundry.

I told my dinner guest of my plans. I didn't admit it at the time, but I was biting my knuckles a bit. This was Keller after all.

And yet, I reasoned it as much as I could.
"Most of the steps can be done in advance."
"I won't have much to do when my guest arrives."
"It's probably not as hard as it seems."

But little did I realize that it would take several hours of my time in advance, which I had left to that same day.

By the time my guest was due to arrive, all I wanted to do was crawl in bed, take a nap and order in a bucket of KFC. Except of course, this is France, and I would by shunned by my neighbours if I drowned out the smell of their madeleines with the smell of KFC.

Keller, you tuckered me out. But you sure make some great salad.


The Salad
I won't give you the exact recipe because it would take 3 pages just to write it out for you. You'll just have to buy the book or find a friend who will let you borrow it from them. But you can use the idea.

The Dressing
Keller's dressing is fantastic. The recipe makes way more than you will ever be able to eat in the 3 days that it will last in the fridge. Unless you have a really big Ceasar Salad party to use up the leftover dressing. The key to the flavour of this dressing is the addition of balsamic vinegar.

The Parmesan Custards
The parmesan custards are actually not that hard to make once you figure out that the recommended 250F to bake the custards is probably a typo and that's why after an hour the damn things still haven't set yet. I recommend 350F--then 30 minutes is exactly right. The custards are just a combination of milk, cream and parmesan.

The Parmesan Crisps
Make some parmesan crisps the same size as your ramekins by spreading some grated parmesan in a circle on a silpat sheet or parchment paper and baking at 350F for about 8 minutes until they turn a little golden. They will crisp once cooled. These can be done in advance and kept in an airtight container for a few days.

Putting it all together
First put some of the dressing on the plate.
Then a panfried crouton (a slice of baguette and some olive oil) goes on top of that.
Then the custard.
Then the parmesan crisp.
Then the salad which is lightly coated with some of the dressing.
And then a few shavings of parmesan to top it off.



The French Laundry Cookbook

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

Pondering the pleasure and potential of Panzanella. Salad day #4

Panzanella

It was Tara at Seven Spoons who enlightened me on the seemingly popular and well-known salad which goes by the very catchy name of Panzanella. Where have I been? After some soul-searching I realized that I am indeed guilty of gravitating towards recipes whose names give clear evidence of what ingredients are involved. If I had seen it labelled as Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Olives and Basil, then I would have been right on it. But Panzanella? To the uninitiated, it's just a word. It conjures no images. It really doesn't mean anything at all. I realize now that I've been missing out on a world of wonderful recipes with very clever names. But now that my eyes have been opened, I want to, without doubt, change my narrow ways.

I knew there was no way to rid myself of this tunnel vision unless I started with this stranger called Panzanella. So what is it really? I found this description at What's Cooking America:

Panzanella (pahn-zah-NEHL-lah) - Panzanella salad always includes bread and tomatoes plus vegetables from the garden. Vegetables can include peppers, cucumbers, and onions. Lots of garlic, capers, black olives, and anchovies are added to the salad.
History
An Italian salad that probably was an invention of necessity. Italian cooks waste nothing and this was a way to utilize stale bread and vegetables from the garden. The record of panzanella goes back centuries. In the 1500s, a poem by the famous artist, Bronzino, described the salad.

I thought it sounded very promising. I'm never one to say no to the addition of bread to anything and this would also give me a way to use up all the random leftover vegetables that were waiting impatiently for me in my crisper. Tara had pointed me in the direction of a few recipes, all of which differed in some way, leaving me with the option of choosing the one that appealed to me most. In fact, there are endless variations of Panzanella recipes on the internet, where it is often also referred to as Tuscan Bread Salad. I've found variations with beans or chicken or tuna added. The possibilities are endless.

Martha has 2 recipes for Panzanella on her website. One simply named Panzanella, the other named Asparagus Panzanella. I used a combination of both recipes to suit my taste. And I must say the Panzanella was delicious. The bread I bought (pictured below) was in the day old basket at Gundel Bakery up the street from me. That lovely beast cost me a mere Euro. I was slow to eat my salad (including the time it took to decide on the right bowl and get a proper picture) and right to the very end the bread was still chewy, not at all mushy like I expected it would become after my dilly dallying.



So, I will leave you with a copy of one of Martha's recipes. But I highly recommend that you check out other recipes as well and tailor the Panzanella to your taste. The day old section at your bakery will take on a whole new meaning for you now.


Martha's Panzanella
Serves 6

1 garlic clove
2 pounds ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cored and cut into large chunks
1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
5 one-inch-thick slices day-old Tuscan-style bread
4 Kirby cucumbers (about 12 ounces), peeled and sliced
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

Place garlic on a cutting board; hit it with the side of a large knife to break it open a bit. Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a large nonreactive bowl. Drizzle oil and vinegar over the vegetable mixture; season with salt and pepper. Toss; let stand, covered, in a cool place, for 1 hour or more.

Place bread on a hot grill or under a heated broiler; toast until both sides are slightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, rub lightly with garlic if desired; tear bread into bite-size chunks. When ready to serve, add cucumbers, basil, and bread to tomatoes.

Toss to coat bread thoroughly with the marinating liquid. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and remove garlic clove. (from www.mslo.com)

My variations:
-I used white wine vinegar, only because I didn't have red wine vinegar
-I included asparagus and kalamata olives
-I left out the cucumbers, they didn't seem to me to be a good match with the asparagus.
-I did not toast the bread, as most Panzanella recipes that I found seemed not to. Though I love fresh toasty croutons in my salad, keeping the bread untoasted would be new for me, and I'm learning not to always play it safe.
-I also deseeded my tomatoes so there wouldn't be too much extra juice floating around.

The Mystery of a Mango. Salad day #3.

Mango, avocado and shrimp salad

Mangoes and I have had a rather rocky relationship. I have always loved the idea of them. They are big, and beautiful and seem to promise so much. But I would buy them, only to find that they were tough and stringy and bitter inside. I had been told by a mango loving co-worker that the skin of the mango will be in shades of red and yellow when it is ripe. She seemed confused by my difficulties and clearly did not understand why this was even a struggle for me. But somehow even the red and yellow ones managed to foil me. She hadn't told me that it's possible the mango may not be quite red and yellow enough. She had also told me to smell it. But all mangos have a scent. Until you smell one that is truly ripe, how do you really know?

One summer day a few years ago, I decided it was time to give the mango another try. I could never truly give up on it, I was always so tempted by it's exotic appeal. I had selected one that had seemed more red and yellow than any of the others at the market. I felt optimistic about my choice but when I got home I wondered if this would be just another disappointment. I slowly cut into the mango with my knife, just a small incision. I could instantly feel, and hear, it resisting. My heart sank, the pleasures of the mango had eluded me again. Despite my heart break, I couldn't bear to throw it away, something prevented me. I had been raised not to be wasteful, and throwing it out contradicted everything my parents had taught me. So there it sat, on my counter, waiting until I could muster up the courage to dispose of it. If it started to show signs of rot, or mold, then I would be freed of my guilt.

After 3 days, it still sat on the counter, taunting me with constant reminders of my inability to understand the mango. And there was not a speck of mold nor rot to be found. Finally, I decided the time had come, it had to go. I picked it up with a feeling of immense regret. As I grasped it, I felt it give a little under the pressure of my grip. I had never felt that before, it was a new sensation. I brought it up to my nose, poised to throw it in the garbage, and was instantly overcome with a sweet musty smell that reminded me of all of my favourite fruits. It was intoxicating and confusing. My curiosity got the better of me, so I reached for a knife and began to slice. The blade slid through with ease, as though cutting through butter. It's juices spilled out onto the counter as I sliced through it's flesh. I was stunned by it's deep orangey gold colour. It didn't take me long to sink my teeth into it. Heaven. Now there was no going back.

Admittedly, there are still times when the mango asserts itself and punishes me for being impatient. Sometimes, I am over-confident, and inevitably, I cut into it too early. And I am forced to suffer the consequences, receiving only a small portion of the mango's bounty, while the rest of it clearly still needs more time to ripen. The mango won't give in to my impatience, and I am always the one who loses out.

There are many recipes to be found using mangoes. There are two that I have recently come across that seem ridiculously simple and that I am eager to try:
Martha's Mango Mayonnaise and her Mango-Yogurt drink

In the meantime, I incorporated the mango into my salad theme this week to satisfy my craving for this elusive fruit. I used the dressing in a recipe that I found at Epicurious.com and really enjoyed it. The original recipe includes seasoning and grilling the shrimp. Because I could only find pre-cooked shrimp, I opted not to do anything to them. They are tasty enough on their own tossed with the rest of the salad. And as you can see by the picture above, I also added avocado to the salad.

I have provided the dressing recipe below. The full recipe including the seasoning and grilling of the shrimp can be found here Mango Salad with Grilled Shrimp (Epicurious.com).
This would also make a nice salsa if the mango and avocado are chopped in smaller pieces.

Mango, Avocado and Shrimp Salad
chopped mango
chopped avocado
cooked shrimp

Dressing from Epicurious.com recipe
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (4-inch-long) fresh hot red chile, thinly sliced, including seeds
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Whisk together brown sugar and lime juice in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved, then whisk in the rest. For my salad, toss the mangoes, avocado and shrimp with the dressing.

Deconstructing Salad. Day # 2.

Arugula and Asparagus Salad with Pancetta and Warm Goat Cheese

Since starting this blog, my appreciation for food and cooking has increased exponentially. Now that I am posting my thoughts and recipes online, I feel very accountable. Not only to anyone who might read my blog, but also to myself, in learning as much as I can as I go along. It used to be easier for me to give up on an ingredient or a recipe. Sometimes I would rush things and expect them to turn out. If they didn't, I would blame the recipe and give up on it altogether. But now I have a new appreciation for the effort that goes into creating a recipe, and for all the knowledge that is out there for me to discover.

In addition, there is great inspiration to be found in reading other people's food blogs. The recipes they make or create and the beautiful photography that often goes along with it. It makes you realize at times that you have been lazy, that you haven't appreciated the possibilities of a dish to it's full extent. This, of course, has given me more motivation to be creative, to stretch my imagination as far as it can possibly go. Though I realize that this will not happen overnight. I have a great deal to learn. But now, I find myself looking at a block of tofu in my fridge with new eyes. I don't want to do the same old thing I usually do, which tastes ok but doesn't knock our socks off. I want to find a way to make it fantastic. Whether it's through my own recipe or someone else's. The potential is there with any food, I realize that now. I just have to find it.

For some strange reason, I declared this week salad week. I would eat salads for dinner each night for the next 5 days. I've only just passed day 2, and I'm surprised already at what I have learned from it. I've always loved to read about food, and I read recipes like there is no tomorrow. But a good part of what I'm now learning to enjoy about food was previously lost on me. The different methods of production, subtle flavour differences.. These were things that I did not pay attention to. To me, sea salt was sea salt, butter was butter and goat cheese was goat cheese.

On Saturday I went to the farmer's market with a short list of items. The rest I would select based on what looked good. One of my must have's was goat cheese. For me, it was a generic request. I have had the luxury of shopping at Whole Foods and other stores with lots of selection, but I was used to just browsing at my leisure and picking up whatever cheese had the most appealing label or wrapper. I never paid any attention to what it was that made it different from the ones that I left behind.

This time, however, there was no random selecting. Everything was behind a glass counter waiting to be asked for by name. So, when I asked for the goat cheese, there was this awkward pause. And I realized the vendor was expecting me to continue. He pointed to a vast selection of goat cheeses. I panicked a little, then I spotted a small sign, Le Chevrot, and quickly asked for it, as though I had intended it all along.

Not wanting to repeat the same mistake next time, I decided to look it up on the web once I got home. I had a new responsibility to this cheese man, I had to know what I wanted. This small change in my shopping habits has opened up a whole new world for me. And I know when the farmer's market sets up again on Wednesday I will have a well researched list of the cheeses that I want to try next. Inspired by that, I went further and investigated another key ingredient that made up my salad dinner last night.

The Deconstruction of my Arugula and Asparagus salad with Pancetta and Warm Goat Cheese.

The Goat Cheese (Le Chevrot)
As it turns out, the little gem that I purchased is a handmade (artisan) cheese from the province of Poitou in the Loire Valley in France. Sounds impressive. I thought so. It's quite dense, not soft and creamy like some goat cheeses. It is aged for a minimum of 60 days and it has a beautiful ivory rind, as you can see by the picture below. I did read that it's flavour is enhanced by eating the rind and also by warming it, so that's exactly what I did. And it was quite stunning. I'm not well versed in explaining flavours of cheeses so here is a description that I found on the web about its flavour. Hopefully I'll get better at that with practice.

.." a fresh, buttery, faintly winy taste, and an inviting aroma of ripe figs. It is also known for having a distinct freshness of flavor and a supple, lush quality that is nothing short of magnificent, with a slightly nutty, almost fermented taste that borders on the addictive. "
(found here) at Cheese of the Month Club.




The Pancetta, the King of Bacon
Pancetta is an Italian salt or spice cured streaky bacon taken from only the belly of the pig. It is generally air dried, not smoked, but a smoked version can be found, which is what I used. It is usually found rolled into a salami shape and put in a casing, and thinly sliced, but you can also find it unrolled in a solid block. (see picture below) The block will knock your socks off. The best thing about it is that you can slice it as thick or as thin as you want. It is salty and bursting with pure bacon flavour,and it crisps up perfectly, without losing hardly any of it's size from cooking. I know my brother is going to want this bacon now. He, whose first word as a child was "MEAT".



The Salad
The combination of flavours in this salad was excellent. The tangy mellowness of the goat cheese with the earthiness of the asparagus, were set off nicely by the peppery arugula and the salty bacon. The balsamic dressing is light in flavour, as the salad ingredients do all the work. The rind on goat cheese is edible, although some prefer not to eat it. There is enough dressing in this recipe to serve 2 people.

Arugula And Asparagus Salad with Pancetta and Warm Goat Cheese

Balsamic Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of salt

Mix the above ingredients together. Some balsamic's are more flavourful than others, so vinaigrette recipes should generally be adjusted to taste.

Salad ingredients
Arugula for one or 2 people, washed and patted dry with paper towel.
2 or 3 spears of roasted asparagus per person (toss with olive oil, put on baking sheet for 10-15 minutes at 375F, until softened)
2 or 3 slices of pancetta per person, fried in a pan (put in cold pan and turn on heat. No oil needed.)
a round of goat cheese sliced into suitable portions (I should have cut mine in 3, instead of in half, as what is pictured above was too much for me.)

Place your goat cheese in the stove part way through roasting your asparagus.(cut side up)
Depending on its density, it may take longer or shorter to soften than mine did (about 10 minutes). Drain the pancetta on paper towel and let cool slightly. Then chop into bite-sized pieces. Cut the roasted asparagus into 1 inch pieces. Toss the arugula with the dressing (to taste) and then top with the pancetta and asparagus. Remove your goat cheese from the oven and place on top of your salad. Top with freshly cracked black pepper if desired.

Salad day #1. Good times, good times..

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil salad with fresh garlic croutons

I'm officially declaring this salad week. At least in my little world. That's right, salads for dinner all week. I bet you think that sounds boring. Me too. But therein lies the challenge. I'm sure it doesn't have to be boring, I just have to stretch my imagination a little. Although, if I give up after day 2, don't hold it against me. I must admit that the week started last night, and will officially end on thursday night. So really, its only a 5 day challenge. There's no eating salads for dinner once the man comes back. That will call for some serious meat. Like a roast. Or some ribs. Or something equally grunt-worthy.

Day one was off to a good start. I could easily make this salad again this week, but that wouldn't make for a very interesting blog would it. And again with the basil. I'm telling you, it just won't end. I think my skin is starting to turn green.

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil salad with fresh garlic croutons
This will serve one as a light salad, using a good sized tomato or 2-3 plum tomatoes.
You could easily just double the ingredients to serve two or more.

Dressing
Combine the following:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt to taste
Let sit 5 or 10 minutes for flavours to blend.

Salad
1 tomato, or 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
fresh mozzarella
fresh basil
cracked black pepper
a slice or two of a baguette (perhaps more if your baguette is really skinny, cutting on a bias gives you more surface area to work with)

This salad is best if the tomatoes and mozzarella are at room temperature.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl. Stir the dressing well and add 1 tablespoon of it to the tomato. (this will vary depending on how much tomato you are using, dress it to your liking) Rip chunks of fresh mozzarella from a mozzarella ball and add to the tomatoes. Top with thinly sliced ribbons of basil and cracked black pepper to taste.

Take the remaining dressing and brush it over a slice or two of baguette. Broil or grill on a grill pan until toasted. You may prefer to cut the crusts off first. That is left to personal preference. Minding the heat of the baguette, rip it into small crouton sized bits, as large or as small as you want. It is good to have a combination of larger and smaller pieces. Add to your salad and enjoy.